Rice Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.8

(7)

Rice Free Falafel Bites with Tahini Sauce

Crispy on the outside, tender and herb-packed on the inside, these baked bites deliver everything you want from a great falafel without a drop of oil in a deep fryer. Fresh parsley and cilantro blended with chickpeas, warm cumin, coriander, and a hint of turmeric give every bite serious depth of flavor. The secret to getting them to hold together is patience — patting the chickpeas completely dry and chilling the mixture before shaping makes all the difference between a falafel that crumbles and one that bakes up beautifully golden. Oat flour steps in as the binder here, keeping the recipe completely free of rice-based fillers or starches that can sneak into store-bought versions. The tahini sauce comes together in minutes with just lemon juice, garlic, and a little water whisked in until it turns silky and pourable — it's the kind of sauce you'll want to drizzle on everything. Serve these with lemon wedges and a scatter of fresh parsley for a platter that looks as good as it tastes.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the falafel

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp oat flour
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

For the tahini sauce

⅓ cup tahini
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 small clove garlic, finely grated
3–4 tbsp water
¼ tsp 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 them as dry as possible. Let them air-dry for 10 minutes — excess moisture will make the falafel mixture too wet to hold its shape.
2
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush or drizzle 1 tbsp of the olive oil evenly over the surface.

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