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.
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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CRISPY OVEN FRIED FALAFEL
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° (204 °c) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Strength and Sunshine says
Falafel is always so yummy! Never met someone who would pass up falafel!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Rebecca!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
This is great, Linda! I love falafel, but when I eat the fried ones, I always feel sick later. I'm glad I can bake them in the oven instead!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks! I get it, fried food is not my friend either. These have just enough oil to get a crispy crust, but not so much that it will make you feel sick.
Becky says
Oh yum! I love falafel. Your recipe looks so, so good!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Becky! You're so sweet. 🙂
Dreena says
Falafels are one of the best foods on earth! These look great, Linda - love the vibrant color, lots of green in there!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Dreena! I agree, they're so full of flavor. I added a lot of parsley and cilantro, because why not? 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
I love falafel! I am a touch partial to the presoaked beans though mostly because the texture is a little more al dente which I love, and baking them is key for me! I like them SO much more baked than fried. My favorite is throwing them in a tortilla with red onion, lettuce, tomato and sauce! Never heard of putting them on spaghetti, that's awesome that he asked you to make them for him!
Linda Meyer says
I was going to use soaked beans for this, but I forgot to soak them and needed to get the recipe out for my brother. I was actually happy with the result, maybe because I took the time to completely dry them with paper towels? I don't know. So funny that you like them in a tortilla, because I made a Mexican spiced eggplant mixture and put it in a tortilla with the falafel and cucumbers. To die for! I'm planning on remaking and posting that recipe on the blog soon.
I know, I thought that was creative. I hope he listens and doesn't add as much lemon juice if he serves them with marinara. 🙂
[email protected] says
These look so tasty and healthy Linda! Plus easy to make (which is key for me)! Love that they're baked, no fried. 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Mary Ellen! They are so simple to make. 🙂
Jenn says
I love crispy falafel! I have never heard of pairing it with spaghetti and red sauce though - interesting combo, but hey, to each their own! They look great, Linda!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks Jenn! I can see it, it would be kind of like "meatballs."
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Wow, this recipe looks great - can't wait to try it. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you!
Dianne says
I love falafels, but I never make them at home. This recipe looks so good that I think I need to change that!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Dianne. I hope you try them, this is an easy recipe.
Mel | avirtualvegan.com says
These falafel sound wonderful. I am loving all of that lemon and the jalapeños!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Melanie! Yes I went big on the lemon and pumped up the flavor with spicy jalapeno. You know I love my food spicy.
Manju Mahadevan says
Whats not to love in Falafel?! Especially if it is in the oven too! great recipe!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Manju! 🙂
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy says
Love that these are made in the oven! They look so nice and crispy!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Anjali! 🙂
nicoleanndawson says
I just love falafels too and baked is preferred for sure! Love how you added a little tumeric and my fav- jalapeno!
Linda Meyer says
Yes, I'm not a fan of deep fried food, it's too hard on my stomach. Thanks, Nicole! 🙂
Uma Srinivas says
Looks lovely! My favorite one, but when i tried baked, It became dry and hard. This time I will try your method! 🙂
Linda Meyer says
These are not dry at all, even the next day. I think the extra herbs and lemon juice made the difference.
Donna says
Yum, we love falafel!! I haven't had it in so long though, will have to give this one a try!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Donna! Let me know what you think. 🙂
The Vegan 8 says
I honestly could LIVE off of falafel, no lie! These look so good Linda! I think they'd taste good on pretty much anything and with anything!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much! I'm with you, Brandi, falafel everyday!
alisamarie says
I love baked falafel and your recipe looks so wonderfully herby! I remember the first time I made it and flattened into patties like this - someone laughed and said it was "so cute" how I flattened them. I had no idea there was any other way!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Alisa! That's so funny. I think patties cook through better than balls. I'm probably wrong, but it just seems like that would be the case. 🙂
Jackie says
Hi, we have made these a few times now and really like them. We have frozen some after cooking and they were good. Can we freeze before cooking? Thanks.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Jackie! We're so happy you like the recipe!! Yes, we suggest thawing in the refrigerator before oven frying so they cook all the way through.