Artificial Food Coloring Free Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked falafel patties are the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you ever ordered takeout. Every ingredient here is whole and recognizable — chickpeas, fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, warm spices — with absolutely nothing artificial hiding in the mix. That matters more than you might think, because store-bought falafel mixes and restaurant versions can contain dyes or additive-laden seasoning blends that are easy to overlook. Here, you control everything from the chickpeas to the cayenne, so the only color on your plate comes from golden-brown crusts and bright green herbs. The tahini sauce is equally clean: just tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and a little water whisked into something silky and crave-worthy. Chilling the mixture before shaping is the small step that makes these hold together beautifully in the oven, no deep fryer required. Serve them straight from the pan with a generous drizzle of sauce and a squeeze of lemon for a meal that's as vibrant as it looks.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the falafel
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
For the tahini sauce
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 3–4 tbsp cold water, as needed
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
- lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Spread the drained chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat thoroughly dry — excess moisture is the main reason falafel falls apart or steams instead of crisping. Let them air-dry for 10 minutes.
- 2
Combine the dried chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using) in a food processor. Pulse 15–20 times, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is finely chopped and holds together when pressed — it should look like coarse, slightly damp crumbs, not a smooth paste.
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