Panelle are crispy Sicilian chickpea fritters, a beloved street food from Palermo. Made with chickpea flour, water, parsley, and salt, these golden fritters are usually served hot inside a sesame-covered bread roll called mafalda, creating the famous sandwich known as "pane e panelle".
In Palermo, locals love to season panelle with just a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. While they're often enjoyed in a sandwich, you can also serve panelle on their own as an appetizer or a delicious snack.
Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, panelle are simple to make at home with just a few basic ingredients. They’re perfect for a light lunch, an aperitivo with cold cuts and cheese, or as a main course when served in bread.
Follow this step-by-step recipe to make authentic panelle at home. With a few simple tips, you’ll recreate the flavor of Sicily’s traditional street food just like the panellari in the city’s iconic kiosks.
Ingredients
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 30-40 Min | Servings: about 25-30 panelle
- 750 g (~3 cups) water
- 250 g (~2 ½ cups) chickpea flour
- Chopped parsley, to taste
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt, to taste
- Lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
Make the Dough
Step 1) - To start making panelle, pour half of the water into a large saucepan or heavy-bottomed pot.
With the heat still off, sift the chickpea flour directly into the pot with the water. This helps prevent lumps from forming. Begin mixing with a whisk to combine the ingredients smoothly.
Step 2) - Turn on the heat to low or medium-low and continue stirring constantly with a whisk. As soon as the mixture starts to thicken slightly, gradually pour in the remaining water while continuing to whisk to maintain a smooth texture.
Keep stirring for a few more minutes. Add salt and finely chopped fresh parsley, mixing well.
Step 3) - Start with a whisk, and once the mixture thickens further, switch to a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula to stir more effectively.
Continue cooking the mixture over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly. The goal is to get a very thick and smooth dough with no lumps. The mixture is ready when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pot and forms a compact mass.
Step 4) - Transfer the hot chickpea mixture to a flat work surface lined with parchment paper. Spread it evenly to a thickness of about 5 millimeters (roughly ⅕ inch) using a spatula.
TIP: For a smoother, more even surface, place another sheet of parchment paper on top and roll gently with a rolling pin.
Let the dough cool completely at room temperature. It will solidify as it cools.
Fry the Panelle
Step 5) - Once cooled, cut the panelle into your preferred shape. Traditionally, they are rectangular. Use a sharp knife or a pastry cutter to make clean cuts.
NOTE: Do not re-knead or reshape the scraps. In Palermo, leftover bits are fried to make “rascature” – a crunchy and delicious snack made from panelle trimmings.
Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot (about 170–180°C or 340–355°F), fry the panelle for about 2 minutes or until golden and crisp. No need to flip them during frying.
Step 6) - Remove the panelle from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
The panelle are ready to enjoy. Sprinkle with a little salt to taste. In Palermo, they are often served with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for an extra burst of flavor.
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Storage
Like all fried foods, panelle are best enjoyed right after cooking, while they are still hot and crispy.
If you want to prepare them in advance, you can store uncooked panelle in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just cover them tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
You can also freeze the raw panelle. Place them in a single layer inside freezer bags and store them for up to 2 months. When you're ready to cook them, there’s no need to thaw: just fry them straight from frozen until golden and crisp.
Variations
If available, you can replace parsley with wild fennel, a flavorful herb commonly used in traditional Sicilian recipes.
For a lighter, baked version of panelle, place the fritters on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 15 minutes, then switch to the grill setting for 2 more minutes to make them golden and crispy.
Pane e Panelle
You can enjoy panelle on their own as a delicious snack, served with an aperitif, or as a light appetizer. Simply sprinkle them with a pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice to bring out their flavor. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, panelle are absolutely irresistible.
However, according to Sicilian tradition, the best way to enjoy them is in a classic pane e panelle sandwich. The ideal bread is mafalde, a soft Sicilian roll made with semolina flour and generously topped with sesame seeds.
Origins
Chickpeas were introduced to Sicily by the Arabs during their long rule over the island, which lasted from 827 to 1091.
They ground dried chickpeas into flour and mixed it with water, then cooked the mixture to create a thick dough similar to polenta.
The earliest versions of panelle were cooked on stone slabs inside vertical ovens, the same type of ovens traditionally used to bake flatbreads in Middle Eastern cuisine.
During the Middle Ages, however, people began frying the dough, giving rise to the crispy chickpea fritters we now know as panelle.
Recipe Card
Panelle Recipe (Sicilian Chickpea Fritters)
Ingredients
- 750 g water - ~3 cups
- 250 g chickpea flour - ~2 ½ cups
- parsley - to taste, chopped
- 1 liter vegetable oil - 4 cups, for frying
- salt - to taste
- lemon juice - to taste
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Pour half of the water into a large saucepan or heavy-bottomed pot.
- With the heat still off, sift the chickpea flour directly into the pot with the water. This helps prevent lumps from forming. Begin mixing with a whisk to combine the ingredients smoothly.
- Turn on the heat to low or medium-low and continue stirring constantly with a whisk. As soon as the mixture starts to thicken slightly, gradually pour in the remaining water while continuing to whisk to maintain a smooth texture.
- Keep stirring for a few more minutes. Add salt and finely chopped fresh parsley, mixing well.
- Start with a whisk, and once the mixture thickens further, switch to a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula to stir more effectively.
- Continue cooking the mixture over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly. The goal is to get a very thick and smooth dough with no lumps. The mixture is ready when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pot and forms a compact mass.
- Transfer the hot chickpea mixture to a flat work surface lined with parchment paper. Spread it evenly to a thickness of about 5 millimeters (roughly ⅕ inch) using a spatula.TIP: For a smoother, more even surface, place another sheet of parchment paper on top and roll gently with a rolling pin.
- Let the dough cool completely at room temperature. It will solidify as it cools.
Fry the Panelle
- Once cooled, cut the panelle into your preferred shape. Traditionally, they are rectangular. Use a sharp knife or a pastry cutter to make clean cuts.
- Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot (about 170–180°C or 340–355°F), fry the panelle for about 2 minutes or until golden and crisp. No need to flip them during frying.
- Remove the panelle from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
- The panelle are ready to enjoy. Sprinkle with a little salt to taste. In Palermo, they are often served with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for an extra burst of flavor.
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