Easy Baked Falafel with Lemon-Tahini Sauce
These easy baked falafel with lemon-tahini sauce are crispy from the outside, light tender, crumbly from the inside, and full of bright, Mediterranean flavors. It is surprisingly easy to make your own falafel at home.
Servings: 4
Calories: 342kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Falafel
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 ½ cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight in water and drained
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 cup parsley roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
For the Lemon-Tahini Sauce
- 6 tbsp tahini
- 1 lemon juiced
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup water (or more depending on the desired consistency)
For Serving
- Leafy greens
- Raw/cooked vegetables of choice
Instructions
Prepare the falafel
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with one tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to break down the chickpeas, then process until a thick mixture forms, approximately 1-2 minutes. The texture of the mixture should look like a coarse meal.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of the mixture and form into a patty using your hands. Place the patty on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat until you've used all of the mixture. This should yield approximately 18 falafel patties.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to roast until golden brown and crisp, approximately 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through the baking time.
Prepare the Lenon-Tahini Sauce
- While the falafel is in the oven, make the tahini sauce. Whisk tahini and lemon juice in a small bowl. Lightly season with salt.
- The mixture will become very thick. Thin tahini sauce to desired consistency by adding 2 tablespoons of water at a time. The amount needed will vary based on the liquid content of your tahini and lemon.
Serve the Falafel
- Serve the crispy falafel patties on a bed of leafy greens and fresh vegetables on the side. Drizzle with lemony tahini sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Notes and Cooking Tips
- Always use dried chickpeas soaked in water overnight (8 - 12 hours). They will give falafel a chunky, crunchy, satisfying texture and flavor.
- Canned chickpeas are not recommended for making falafel, as they are too wet, and the patties will be too mushy.
- Also, do not cook the soaked chickpeas; for the same reason canned chickpeas are not recommended.
- Once cooked, falafel should be golden brown and crispy on the outside and nice and tender inside.
Make-ahead tips and Storing leftovers
- Make ahead: You can prepare the falafel mixture and store it in the fridge in an airtight glass container for 1-2 days ahead of time. Then, form it into patties when ready to bake them.
- Freeze: Prepare the falafel patties, place them uncooked on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the patties into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. Falafel can be cooked from frozen; you may need to add a minute or two to the cooking time.
- Leftovers: Store any leftover falafel patties in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Sodium: 857mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g