Carrageenan Free Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked falafel patties deliver everything you love about the street-food classic without a drop of oil for deep-frying. The food processor does the heavy lifting, blending chickpeas with fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, and a warm lineup of cumin, coriander, and turmeric into a coarse, fragrant mixture that holds together beautifully once chilled. Patting the chickpeas completely dry and refrigerating the mixture before shaping are the two small steps that make a genuinely big difference in texture — you get that satisfying golden crust from the oven rather than a fryer. The tahini sauce comes together in minutes with just lemon juice, garlic, and cold water whisked in gradually until it's silky and pourable, and it's the kind of condiment you'll want to drizzle on everything. Every ingredient here is whole and straightforward — canned chickpeas, fresh herbs, spices, olive oil — so there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden additives or thickeners that can sneak into store-bought versions of similar sauces and mixes. This is the kind of recipe that feels impressive enough for a dinner spread but relaxed enough to pull off on a weeknight, especially once you've made it once and know how easy the process really is.
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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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