Easy Falafel Recipe

Ready in 15 minutes, this Easy Falafel Recipe utilizes traditional soaked dried chickpeas and earthy spices for crisp, tender fried bites of Middle Eastern deliciousness! Serve with fresh hummus for a delightful snack or with tzatziki, pita, and salad for a filling dinner.

Course Appetizer, Dairy Free, Dinner, Main, Main Course, Vegan

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 180kcal

Author Karly Gomez

Ingredients

2 cups dried chickpeas* soaked in cold water overnight
1 medium sweet yellow onion quartered
4 cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon za'atar seasoning
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
¾ cup whole pitted kalamata olives
canola oil for frying

Instructions

The evening before, add dried chickpeas to a large bowl and cover with several inches of cold water. Let soak overnight, then drain thoroughly.
In a food processor, add the onion and garlic and pulse until nearly pureed. Add the soaked chickpeas, coriander, salt, za'atar, cumin, and pepper and pulse several more times to lightly break up the chickpeas. Add the olives and pulse until the mixture reaches a coarse grind, but not pureed.
Heat canola oil in a high-sided pot over medium-to-medium-high heat (or 375 degrees via candy thermometer). Form falafel mixture into 1 ½-inch balls and fry in batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil and serve immediately.

Notes

if you're anything like me and just soak a whole bag of chickpeas, use 4 cups of soaked chickpeas to equal 2 cups dried.
to reduce the likelihood of having too much liquid in the mixture, I recommend thoroughly draining the chickpeas and letting them sit for awhile before using, or lightly patting them with paper towels.
I also press out excess liquid from olives with paper towels, but if you find a lot of excess liquid in the falafel mixture, just gently drain it from the food processor.
a cookie scoop works well to make perfectly sized-and-shaped falafel balls.

Nutrition