Pistachio Free Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked chickpea patties deliver everything you want from a great falafel without a drop of oil in a deep fryer. Fresh parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and a touch of turmeric give each bite serious depth, while the oven does the heavy lifting to get that satisfying golden crust. The trick is thoroughly drying the chickpeas before processing and chilling the mixture before shaping — two small steps that make a huge difference in texture and structure. A quick whisk of tahini, lemon juice, and garlic comes together into a silky, tangy sauce that ties the whole plate together beautifully. Because everything is made from scratch with whole, straightforward ingredients, there's no guesswork about what's actually in your food — no shared-facility snack bags, no mystery seasonings, just clean, bold flavors you control. This is the kind of recipe that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for a crowd-pleasing spread with warm pita and fresh vegetables on the side.
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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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