Falafel Recipe — Crispy Authentic Lebanese Falafel From Scratch

Crispy homemade Lebanese falafel recipe to make these golden brown falafel from scratch.

Falafel Recipe — Crispy Authentic Lebanese Falafel From Scratch

This easy homemade Lebanese falafel recipe delivers perfectly crispy and crunchy bites with a soft, herb-packed center. Made from chickpeas, fresh herbs, and warm spices, these authentic Middle Eastern fritters are savory, flavorful, and perfect for wraps, mezze platters, or snacks.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Arabic, Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Keyword: crispy falafel, falafel from scratch, homemade falafel, lebanese falafel recipe

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: Persons

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Hina

Ingredients

2 cups Dried Chickpeas soaked overnight, drained. Never canned.
½ cup Coriander / Parsley fresh flat-leaf, roughly chopped, stems removed
1 Red Onion (medium size) roughly chopped
½ teaspoon Grated Garlic Fresh
1 teaspoon Green Chilli Chopped — adjust to heat preference or omit
⅓ teaspoon Cumin Powder
½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
⅓ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
⅓ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Paprika Powder smoked
1 teaspoon Lemon juice Freshly Squeezed
2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour Add 1 tablespoon at a time to bind
⅓ teaspoon Baking Soda NOT baking powder
3 cups Vegetable Oil Use vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil for deep frying

Instructions

Soak dried chickpeas overnight:
Place 2 cups dried chickpeas — soaked overnight, drained. Never canned. in a large bowl. Cover with at least 3x the volume of cold water — the chickpeas will absorb a large amount.
Soak for a minimum of 8 hours, overnight (10–12 hours) preferred.
After soaking, drain and rinse under cold water. They should have roughly doubled in size.
Test one: press firmly between your fingers — it should break with gentle pressure. If still hard, soak for another 2 hours. Do not cook the chickpeas.
Blend the falafel mixture
Coarsely: In a food processor, combine drained 2 cups dried chickpeas — soaked overnight, drained. Never canned., 1 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, stems removed, ½ cups fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, 1 red onion, roughly chopped, 4 garlic cloves, peeled, and 2 green chilies — adjust to heat preference or omit.
Pulse in short bursts — 8 to 10 pulses of 1–2 seconds each, stopping to scrape down the sides. The mixture must stay coarse and rough with visible chickpea pieces. The moment it looks smooth like hummus, you have gone too far and the falafel will not fry correctly.
Add 1 teaspoons cumin powder, 1 teaspoons coriander powder, 0.5 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoons salt, 0.5 teaspoons black pepper, and 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
Pulse 3–4 more times. Add 0.8 teaspoons baking soda — NOT baking powder and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour — add 1 tablespoon at a time to bind. Pulse 2–3 times to incorporate.
Test: press a small amount into a ball — it should hold its shape. If it crumbles, add 1 more tablespoon of flour and pulse once.
Rest in the refrigerator:
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes — 2 hours is better. Do not skip this step.
During the rest, the flour absorbs excess moisture, the baking soda reacts with the lemon juice, and the spices integrate fully. Falafel shaped without resting breaks in the oil at a much higher rate.
Shape the falafel balls:
Remove the mixture from the refrigerator. With damp hands or a falafel mold, shape into balls approximately 4cm in diameter — about the size of a golf ball. Press firmly as you shape each one: no cracks, no gaps on the surface. A crack on the surface will open further in the hot oil and split the falafel. If cracks appear, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the remaining mixture, mix well, and refrigerate for 15 more minutes.
Place shaped falafel on a tray — do not stack. This recipe makes 18–20 balls.
Heat the oil:
Pour 3 cups vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil — for deep frying into a deep heavy-bottomed pan to a depth of at least 7–8cm (3 inches). Heat to 175°C / 350°F.
To test without a thermometer: drop a small piece of mixture into the oil — it should rise to the surface and bubble actively within 3–4 seconds. If it sinks and stays down, the oil is too cold. If it browns in under 2 seconds, the oil is too hot. Getting this temperature right is the most important step in the whole recipe.
Fry in batches:
Lower falafel balls gently into the hot oil one at a time using a slotted spoon — never drop them in, as they will splash and may break on impact. Fry a maximum of 4–5 balls at a time. Do not overcrowd — adding too many at once drops the oil temperature and produces pale, greasy falafel instead of crispy ones.
Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deep mahogany-brown. Light golden is too early — wait for dark brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Taste the first batch for salt before frying the rest. Return oil to 175°C between each batch.
Serve immediately:
Serve hot alongside Dakkous Arabic tomato sauce, baba ganoush, or tahini sauce for dipping.
For a falafel wrap: halve 3–4 balls and place in warm pita bread with tahini sauce, chopped tomato, cucumber, and pickled turnip.
Falafel is at its best in the first 10 minutes out of the oil — the crust softens as it cools.

Video

Notes

BAKED FALAFEL: Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F. Shape into flat patties (not balls). Place on a generously oiled parchment-lined tray. Brush tops with olive oil. Bake 12–15 min, flip, bake 8–10 min more until deep golden.
AIR FRYER FALAFEL: Preheat air fryer to 180°C / 360°F. Arrange balls in a single layer, spray generously with oil. Air fry 8 minutes, flip, spray again, air fry 6–8 minutes more until deep golden.
SHALLOW FRIED: Heat 3–4 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Shape as flat patties. Cook 4–5 min per side until deep golden-brown.
Falafel falling apart? Add 1 tablespoon flour, mix, refrigerate 15 more minutes. Or oil temperature was too low — test before each batch.
Grey inside, not green? Herbs were dried, mixture was over-blended, or canned chickpeas were used. Always use fresh herbs and soaked dried chickpeas.
Too oily? Oil temperature dropped below 160°C. Wait for oil to return to 175°C between every batch.
Freezing uncooked: Freeze shaped balls on a tray until solid (2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag. Store up to 1 month. Fry directly from frozen — do not thaw first. Add 2 extra minutes to fry time.
Storage cooked: Airtight container, refrigerator, 3–5 days. Reheat in air fryer at 180°C for 4 minutes to restore the crust. Avoid microwaving if you want the falafel crispy.
Serve with: Dakkous Arabic Tomato Sauce · Baba Ganoush (without tahini) · Tahini sauce · Hummus · Bazlama flatbread · Shish Tawook on a mezze platter

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