Pescatarian Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these oven-baked chickpea patties deliver everything you love about the street-food classic without a drop of frying oil. Fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, and a warm trio of cumin, coriander, and turmeric do the heavy lifting on flavor, making each bite genuinely aromatic and satisfying. The technique here is what sets this version apart — thoroughly drying the chickpeas and chilling the shaped patties before they hit the oven means you get that coveted golden crust rather than a soggy, steamed result. A quick flip halfway through baking locks in color on both sides, so every patty comes out deep brown and firm at the center. The tahini sauce comes together in minutes with lemon juice, grated garlic, and just enough cold water to make it silky and pourable — it's the kind of condiment you'll want to drizzle on everything. This is a naturally meat-free dish that doesn't require any substitutions or workarounds; the chickpeas and bold spices are the whole story, and they're more than enough.
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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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