This homemade falafel is served in pita bread with a deliciously spiced yogurt sauce. Quickly blend the ingredients, form into patties and lightly fry for an easy Mediterranean meal!
Some of you are already familiar with falafel and love it. Many of you have never heard of it or tried it! When we lived in southern California, I grew very fond of Middle Eastern food, thanks to a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant gem. When we moved away, I couldn't initially find anything comparable in our area, so I learned to make some of our favorites in my home, including this falafel recipe.
What Ingredients are in Falafel?
Falafel is made up of ground chickpeas (or fava beans) mixed with other ingredients such as parsley, scallions, garlic and other spices. Traditionally deep-fried, in this recipe we lightly fry the falafel mixture in a thin layer of oil. They can be shaped in round balls or discs. I like the disc option so when frying I only need to flip it once.
Herbs
There is a fair amount of parsley and cilantro in this recipe. Make sure you use fresh herbs and not the dried options in the bottles. If you do not like the taste of cilantro, still give this a try because the other flavors may mask it for you!
Yogurt Sauce for Falafel
When serving falafel, we always accompany it with some sort of dip like hummus, baba ganouj, or a sauce, like tzatziki sauce. We've included a recipe for spicy yogurt sauce that goes really well with falafel. You can choose to leave out the spice for a more subtle flavor.
What is Traditionally Served with Falafel?
Believe it or not, falafels are an excellent choice for a lunch dish or a quick weeknight meal. Make a sandwich with two or three inside a folded pita pocket layered with cucumber, tomatoes and yogurt sauce. Or, serve as a platter alongside hummus, rice, shawarma and salad.
Best Tips
- Whip up the yogurt sauce and let it chill while assembling the falafels.
- You can use greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt for the yogurt sauce.
- For a healthier option, use olive oil instead of vegetable oil when frying.
- Shape falafel mixture into discs, instead of rounds, for more even cooking.
Falafels are a healthy choice because chickpeas are a good source of fiber and protein. And because we only lightly fry these instead of deep-fry, you'll feel even better eating them. You can bake them, but they won't be as crispy and tasty.
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This recipe was originally published March 2012 and updated August 2022 with new recipe tips, but no changes to the recipe.
Recipe Card
Falafel with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
For the Spicy Yogurt Sauce:
- 6 oz. plain low-fat yogurt
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Falafel Mixture:
- 2 cans (15 oz. each) chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- 1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic , halved
- 2 stalks green onions , chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Vegetable oil (or olive oil for healthier option)
For Serving (Optional):
- 4 pitas
- 2 tomatoes , sliced
- 1 cucumber , sliced
Instructions
For the Spicy Yogurt Sauce:
- In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne and salt. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the Falafel Mixture:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Process the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, garlic, onions, flour, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in a food processor until fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Form into 12 discs.
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Fry 6 falafels at a time, flipping once (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining falafels.
- Serve two to three falafels folded in a pita along with tomato, cucumber and the Spicy Yogurt Sauce. Or serve on a platter next to the yogurt sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the toaster oven or regular oven for best results.
- Nutrition information is an estimate only and based on a serving size of 3 falafels, not including the pita, tomatoes and cucumber.
