Raw Frozen, Half-Cooked or Cooked Wholesale Falafel: Which Fits Your Menu?
Fryer or not, big kitchen or small, there's a Cheeky Pea falafel to suit them all.
Every Cheeky Pea falafel is made in-house at our Matraville kitchen in Sydney. Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients, it’s wholesale falafel built for real foodservice: no soaking, no mixing, no shaping.
No two kitchens work the same way. Some have a deep fryer, some don’t. Some cook to order, others prepare hundreds of serves at once. The right falafel depends on how your kitchen works.
Why the Format Matters
Making falafel from scratch means soaking chickpeas, blending, seasoning and shaping by hand before service even starts. Our formats take that work out of your kitchen, but each one suits a different setup.
The chefs and kitchen managers we supply most often ask us about the difference in results, and it always comes down to two things: what equipment they have in their kitchen, and what dish they want to make with the falafel. That’s why we offer three formats. If a kitchen can fry in-house, we recommend raw frozen, but if they do mass production of wraps, sandwiches and salads, our cooked falafel can save a lot of prep time.
The right choice comes down to your equipment, how much prep time your team has, and how quickly you need falafel on the plate.
Raw Frozen Falafel: For Kitchens With a Fryer
Our core range. Raw frozen falafel goes straight from the freezer into the fryer, giving you a crisp exterior, a vibrant green centre and consistent portioning across every service.
It's made from Australian chickpeas, fresh herbs like coriander and parsley, onion, garlic and an aromatic spice blend.
Choose the size that suits your menu:
20g balls (RF20): 200 pieces per 4 kg carton. Ideal for pitas, salads, bowls, platters and catering.
40g sliders (RF40): 100 pieces per 4 kg carton. A more substantial size for wraps, bowls and slider buns.
120g patties: about 100mm across, with around 33 patties per 4 kg carton. Built for falafel burgers and plated mains in pubs, clubs and cafés.
How to cook: Deep-fry from frozen at 170°C. No thawing needed. RF20 balls and patties take 3 - 4 minutes, and RF40 sliders take 5 - 6 minutes.
Raw frozen falafel also helps keep your fryer oil clean. Falafel fried from fresh mix tends to crumble in the oil, but ours holds together. That means your oil lasts longer, and you save on both labour and production costs.
Half-Cooked Falafel: For Kitchens With Limited Frying Capacity
Half-cooked falafel is partly cooked in our kitchen, so it needs less work. Each ball weighs 16 -18g, with around 210 balls per 4kg carton. To finish, simply defrost, then heat in the oven, air fryer or sandwich press at 200°C for 3 - 5 minutes. For an extra crunch, fry them for 2 minutes instead.
It suits cafés, delis, salad bars and caterers who want great falafel without relying heavily on the fryer, and gives you the flexibility to finish it just before serving.
Fully Cooked Falafel: For Maximum Speed
Fully cooked falafel is ready to serve. Each ball weighs 16 -18g, with around 210 balls per 4kg carton. Just defrost and serve. It can be served cold, and it’s usually used inside wraps and sandwiches, which can be toasted or served as is, and in salads.
It’s a strong fit for catering, low-equipment kitchens and busy service where every minute counts. With no raw cooking on site, it’s a simple option for kitchens without a deep fryer.
Raw Frozen vs Half-Cooked vs Cooked: Quick Comparison
Raw Frozen | Half-Cooked | Fully Cooked | |
Kitchen needs | Deep fryer | Limited frying | Heat and serve |
Sizes | 20g, 40g, 120g patty | 16 -18g | 16 -18g |
Cooking | Deep-fry at 170°C: 3 - 4 min (RF20, patties), 5 - 6 min (RF40) | Defrost, then 200°C for 3 - 5 min in oven, air fryer or sandwich press, or fry 2 min | Defrost and serve cold, or in toasted wraps and sandwiches |
Best for | Restaurants, pubs, QSRs | Cafés, delis, salad bars | Catering, low-equipment kitchens |
Not sure which suits your kitchen? Request a sample and try it in your own service.
Three Flavours to Build Your Menu OG Green | Butternut Pumpkin, Turmeric & Ginger | Beetroot
All three flavours are available in raw frozen in all sizes (RF20, RF40 and 120g patties). Half-cooked and fully cooked falafel are available in OG Green only.
Serve them together on a platter for colour, or match a flavour to each dish. We made three flavours to give kitchens variety and something new to work with, and to add some colour and playfulness to their dishes. Once fried, they all look the same from the outside. The colours only come out when you bite in.
For more ideas, see our brilliant ways to add falafel to your menu.
Dietary and Storage Information
Our raw frozen RF20 falafel is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, and is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and meat-free. Our RF40 sliders, 120g patties, half-cooked and fully cooked falafel are also vegan and gluten-free, across all three flavours. There’s no gluten in our kitchen at all, and our falafel is coeliac friendly. As we’re not certified by a coeliac association, we can’t guarantee it’s 100% coeliac safe.
(Allergen: contains sesame.)
Looking to cater for more dietary requests? Read Vegan and Gluten-Free Falafel: An Easy Win for Your Menu.
Store frozen at -18°C or below, and don't refreeze after defrosting. Our raw frozen RF20 falafel has a shelf life of 12 months when kept frozen at -18°C or below, so you can order ahead with confidence and keep waste to a minimum.
Why Kitchens Choose Cheeky Pea
Cheeky Pea was founded by Adi Walter in 2018 and has grown from a small, hands-on operation into a purpose-built manufacturing kitchen in Matraville. Making everything in-house means close control over quality, texture and taste, batch after batch.
Our falafel is made in our NSW Food Authority registered facility in Matraville.
"I spent years in hospitality, from cafés to catering to fine dining, and I saw how important it was for owners and chefs to know their customers would always have the same experience when they chose a dish they'd tried before. With Cheeky Pea's falafel, I wanted to give them that peace of mind." Adi Walter, Founder, Cheeky Pea
It's premium enough to lift your menu, and practical enough for real service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you cook frozen falafel?
Our raw frozen falafel is deep-fried straight from frozen at 170°C. RF20 balls and patties take 3 - 4 minutes, and RF40 sliders take 5 - 6 minutes. There's no need to thaw it first.
Is Cheeky Pea falafel gluten-free?
Yes, all our falafel is gluten-free, across every format and flavour, and also vegan, dairy - free and egg-free. There's no gluten in our kitchen at all, and it's coeliac friendly. It contains sesame.
How much falafel is in a carton?
RF20 comes as 200 × 20g balls per 4kg carton, RF40 as 100 × 40g sliders per 4kg carton, and 120g patties as around 33 per 4kg carton. Half-cooked and fully cooked falafel come as around 210 balls per 4kg carton.
Do you deliver outside Sydney?
We supply NSW, VIC, QLD and WA.
Can I try it before ordering?
Yes. Request a sample or book a tasting, and we’ll help you find the right format for your menu.
Try It in Your Kitchen
The best way to choose is to taste it in your own service. Whether you run a café, a pub kitchen or a catering operation, we'll help you find the format that fits.
You can also reach us through our contact page.
Looking for a supplier? Explore our wholesale falafel in Sydney.
Let's Roll Together!
About the author Adi Walter founded Cheeky Pea in 2018 and oversees production at its manufacturing kitchen. Before starting Cheeky Pea, Adi spent years working in hospitality, from cafés to catering to fine dining.
Comments