MSG 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 added flavor enhancers. Every bit of depth here comes from real ingredients — fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, and a warm trio of cumin, coriander, and turmeric that makes the kitchen smell incredible. The trick to getting that golden crust in the oven is thoroughly drying the chickpeas before processing, and chilling the mixture so the patties hold their shape and crisp up rather than steam through. No shortcuts, no packets, no mystery seasoning blends — just whole spices and fresh aromatics doing exactly what they're supposed to do. The tahini sauce comes together in minutes with lemon juice, garlic, and cold water whisked to a silky, pourable consistency that's genuinely hard to stop drizzling. Serve them on a platter with lemon wedges and a scatter of fresh parsley and you've got a dish that looks and tastes like it took far more effort than it did. Whether you're stuffing them into pita or eating them straight off the sheet pan, these are the kind of falafel you'll want to make on repeat.
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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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