Did you know that you can get crispy falafel without frying them? This crispy oven baked falafel recipe is really easy to make and tastes amazing! Chickpeas blended with onion, garlic, parsley, cumin and lemon juice. It's healthy, nutritious and budget friendly and it has so many used.
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This oven baked falafel is bursting with Middle Eastern flavours and makes a tasty snack or addition to a meal. Stuff it in to a pita bread with some hummus or just dip it in to some tzatziki for a snack. If you are vegetarian, chances are you have eaten a lot of falafel, but if you haven't made it yourself then you are missing out!
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What is Falafel?
Falafel is a protein packed ball, or a flat patty, made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Herbs, spices, and onions are added to the mixture. They are traditionally deep fried. Falafel is a very popular Middle Eastern street food that is thought to have originated in Egypt, about 1,000 years ago.
Why You Will Love Them
- Baked, not fried
- Vegan
- Lots of ways to use it
- Budget friendly
Ingredients and Substitution
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oil - Olive oil is best for this. Try to use the best quality olive oil that you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference.
- Onion - We used a standard brown onion, but you could swap it for shallots which would give it a sweeter flavour.
- Chickpeas - This is the star of the falafel. We used a tin of chickpeas to make this a quick and easy meal. But you could also soak chickpeas overnight and then cook them to make this.
- Parsley - This is a delicious fresh herb to use in falafel. You could use coriander instead if you prefer.
- Garlic - The more garlic the better we say. Fresh is always best, but you could use a jar of chopped garlic from a jar to save time.
- Lemon - This gives a real burst of freshness to the falafel.
- Cumin and paprika - These give the falafel all the Middle Eastern vibes. You can adapt the amounts depending on your preferences.
- Plain flour - This helps to bind the falafel together.
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More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes until the onions has softened and then allow to cool.
- Step 2: Put the onions in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients.
- Step 3: Pulse until smooth, or leave a few chunks in it.
- Step 4: Form the mixture into 12 patties and put on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush with olive oil and bake into the oven for 30 minutes.
Canned or Dried chickpeas?
For best results you should use dried chickpeas that have been soaked. Canned chickpeas can be used, but they contain a lot more moisture, so you need to make sure they are well drained and then dried on some paper towels. You can also counter-act the extra liquid by adding flour to the mix to dry it out, but this can reduce the flavour.
We have used canned chickpeas just to make these quick and easy. However, if you are using dried chickpeas, then you need to soak them for 24 hours and then cook them. While this considerably adds to the preparation time, this does result in a crispier falafel.
Fresher, smaller chickpeas work the best as they soak the best. The older and larger the chickpeas, the longer you will need to soak them.
Serving Suggestions
Falafel can be served simply on its own, as a snack or appetizer. Or you can put them into pitas, wraps or a sandwich as a great filling, top a salad with them or have them as part of a meze.
We served ours with our Homemade Tzatziki and and then stuffed them in to some Easy Homemade Flatbreads.
Storage
These keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days. They can be eaten straight from the fridge, but they taste better at room temperature. They can be warmed slightly in the microwave, but they will lose their crispiness.
To freeze let them cool completely, transfer them into a sealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Extra Tips
- If using dried chickpeas, soak for at least 24 hours and cook them before making the mixture.
- If using canned chickpeas, you will need to add some flour to reduce the wetness of the mixture.
- We used parsley in these falafel, however you could swap it for coriander (cilantro) or use a mixture of them both.
- Add a little spice to these with a sprinkling of red chilli flakes in to the mixture.
- You can swap the onion for shallot if you want a sweeter taste.
- They need a generous brush or drizzle of olive oil before putting them in the oven, as this really does help them to crisp up.
- Don't pack the patties too tightly, as this will make the falafel quite dense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, baking falafel in much healthier than more traditional fried falafel, as that needs a lot of oil to get them crispy. This version is therefore lower in calories and fat. Falafel is protein packed and also high in fibre.
We used parsley in this recipe, however you could use coriander or a mixture of them both. We have also made them using dill before, but this is far from traditional.
Yes, you can swap fresh crushed garlic for garlic granules instead.
You can give this falafel a green boost by blending a handful of spinach in to the mixture. Not only does it make the falafel more nutrient dense, but it makes it a vibrant green colour too.
More Middle Eastern recipes
If you've tried this baked falafel recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Oven Baked Falafel
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- 0.5 Onion - diced
- 260 g (2.5 cups) Chickpeas - canned; drained weight
- 3 tablespoon Fresh parsley
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 1 Lemon - (juice only)
- 0.25 teaspoon Cumin
- 0.25 teaspoon Paprika
- 20 g (0.33 cups) Plain flour
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Heat 1 teaspoon Olive oil in a frying pan and add 0.5 Onion. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes until the onions has softened and then allow to cool.
- Put the onions into a food processor with 260 g Chickpeas, 3 tablespoon Fresh parsley, 2 Garlic clove, juice of 1 Lemon, 0.25 teaspoon Cumin, 0.25 teaspoon Paprika, 20 g Plain flour and 1 pinch Sea salt. Pulse until smooth, or leave a few chunks in it.
- Form the mixture into 12 patties and put on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Brush with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- If using dried chickpeas, soak for at least 24 hours and cook them before making the mixture.
- If using canned chickpeas, you will need to add some flour to reduce the wetness of the mixture.
- We used parsley in these falafel, however you could swap it for coriander or use a mixture of them both.
- Add a little spice to these with a sprinkling of red chilli flakes in to the mixture.
- You can swap the onion for shallot if you want a sweeter taste.
- They need a generous brush or drizzle of olive oil before putting them in the oven, as this really does help them to crisp up.
- Don't pack the patties too tightly, as this will make the falafel quite dense.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Adrianne says
I love falafel and the chickpeas and parsley make this a winner! Can't wait to give this a go.
Shirley says
Hi Dannii, I love your recipes but I’m a bit confused with this one. The notes say ‘Soak your dried chickpeas for at least 24 hours before making the mixture’, so am I correct that the chickpeas aren’t cooked after soaking but the soaked chickpeas are blended straight into the mixture?
Dannii says
Hello! Sorry for any confusion. In the ingredients section at the top it says "But you could also soak chickpeas overnight and then cook them to make this." I should have added the cooking part at the end too. But yes, dried chickpeas would need to be soaked and cooked before blending.
Shirley says
Many thanks for the quick reply. I’m definitely going to give these a go. Thank you.
Jen says
Loved just popping these in the oven. So much easier to me than frying. Thank you for such a delicious and easy dinner.
Julia says
We love falafel but haven't tried making it at home. Love your oven version!
Kay says
We love falafel, and very excited to have found your healthier oven version so we can enjoy them whilst on our healthy eating diet!
rika says
Those falafel look good and healthy. Falafel is one of my husband's favorite foods.
Soniya says
Wow!we love falafel and this sure is a healthier version.. Can't wait to make it