Mustard Free Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked patties deliver everything you want from a great falafel without a drop of oil in a deep fryer. Fresh parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and turmeric do the heavy lifting here, building layers of warm, earthy flavor that smell absolutely incredible as they roast. The trick to getting that golden crust in the oven is patting the chickpeas completely dry before processing — it's a small step that makes a huge difference in texture. Chilling the mixture before shaping firms everything up so the patties hold together beautifully and come out of the oven looking like they belong in a restaurant. The silky tahini sauce — just sesame paste, lemon juice, garlic, and a splash of cold water — comes together in minutes and is genuinely good enough to drizzle on everything. Every ingredient in this recipe is naturally free from mustard in any form, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about hidden condiment ingredients sneaking in. Whether you're stuffing these into pita, piling them over a salad, or just eating them straight off the pan, this is a recipe worth keeping on regular rotation.
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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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