Crispy Oven Fried Falafel! You don’t need to deep fry your falafel for a perfectly crisp and delicious crust. Check out this recipe and find out how to make homemade falafel in your oven.
FALAFEL! What took me so long to post this yummy recipe? I don’t know, but you can thank my brother for pushing me to do it. He texted me a few weeks ago, and asked if I’d create a falafel recipe with spaghetti and sauce. Of course, I said yes, I mean, he’s my baby (not really, he’s 51) bro.
You’re not going to see any spaghetti or red sauce in this post, but if you click here, you can make some marinara to go with it. The pasta is up to you.
So how much do you love falafel? What’s not to love? Garbanzo beans, parsley and cilantro, savory cumin and turmeric, and bright lemon juice. An ingredient list made in heaven. But there is one thing I don’t love about this magical food, it’s usually fried. I don’t know about you, but I try to stay away from deep fried food. My heart and my waistline don’t need it.
Here’s the great thing about oven frying, you only need a tiny bit of oil and high heat to get a crispy, golden brown crust. There’s no need to drown your falafel in oil. Just brush a bit of extra-virgin olive oil on the tops and bottoms of the falafel patties and pop them in the oven for thirty minutes or so. They’ll get toasty brown on the outside and chewy on the inside.
A close up of the inside of an oven fried falafel with a spoon of tahini dripping onto a metal try in the background.
The flavor of these savory oven fried falafel patties is outstanding. I added onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, fresh parsley and cilantro, a quarter cup of lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, and garbanzo flour to make them gluten-free. The marriage of all of these mouthwatering ingredients in one fantastic crispy patty could induce a falafel addiction, so be warned.
As I mentioned, I put a quarter of a cup of lemon juice in this falafel recipe. The lemon really takes this recipe to another level. I loved these with a drizzle of tahini and some fresh cucumber slices on the side. The perfect light dinner. However, if you remember, my brother wanted a falafel recipe that he could put in spaghetti with a red sauce. If you want to do the same, reduce the lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. This will make it more compatible with the already acidic tomato sauce.
How to Make Homemade Falafel
It’s easy, sooooo easy!
First of all, you don’t have to soak dried garbanzo beans overnight. You CAN use canned chickpeas and get great results. Just make sure you drain and rinse them, then dry them with paper towels.
For the best flavor, toast the cumin and turmeric in a skillet to release the flavor of the dried spices. You’ll also want to sauté the onions, jalapeno pepper, and garlic, because cooked veggies are so much better than raw in this recipe.
A food processor or a high-powered blender is mandatory for this recipe. It’s the only way you’re going to get the right texture. Process the ingredients until they become a smooth and sticky mixture that you can mold into perfect little patties.
Once you’ve made your patties, brush both sides with olive oil and bake in a 400° oven until they’re a crispy golden brown on both sides.
That’s it, so easy, and so delicious!
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- 30 oz chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive, plus more for brushing on the falafel patties.
- 1 small yellow or white onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper finely diced
- ½ cup fresh parsley, stems removed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
- 2 tbsp garbanzo bean flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground sea salt
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ cup lemon juice
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Preheat the oven to 400° (204 °c) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
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In a medium skillet, toast the cumin and turmeric on medium heat (stir continuously) until they release their fragrance, approximately 1 minute. Scrape the spices into the food processor. In the same pan that you toasted the spices in, heat the olive oil, or water, on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook (stir continuously so the garlic doesn’t burn) until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add to the food processor.
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After you rinse and drain the chickpeas, line a rimmed baking pan with a few layers of paper towel and spread the chickpeas out evenly in the pan. Gently pat them dry with paper towel and put them in the food processor with the toasted spices and onion mixture. Add the garbanzo bean flour, parsley, cilantro, baking powder, sea salt, and lemon juice and pulse until the ingredients turn into a thick and sticky mixture. Scrape the sides if there are any whole pieces remaining and pulse a few more times to break them down.
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Remove the blade from the processor and scoop golf ball sized portions out and form them into patties. Place the patties on the parchment lined baking sheet and brush a thin layer of olive oil over the top and bottom. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes per side or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Nutrition Facts are an estimate only.
If you don't like a strong lemon flavor, reduce the lemon juice to 1 tbsp (15 ml).
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