One of my all-time favorite dishes is this Baked Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce recipe. It has all the flavor and crispiness of fried falafel but with fewer calories. What’s not to love???

For me, falafel always sounded like such a difficult and time-consuming dish to make. Isn’t it easier to just go buy it at your local Middle Eastern restaurant? If you’re lucky to live close by to one the answer is yes but when you make it at home, it’s cheaper and healthier plus so much tastier.

Recipe notes

I adapted this recipe from Mark Bittman. The only tweak I made was adding lemon juice to the tahini sauce. He does suggest this when making a dressing for a salad but I also prefer it in the sauce. I think it balances the sharpness from the garlic and gives it that brightness that only lemon juice can achieve.

Dried chickpeas, not canned, please

The biggest takeaway when making falafel is keeping the chickpea mixture as dry as possible. So if you’re wondering if you can make this with canned chickpeas, the answer is no. Canned chickpeas are cooked and have too much liquid. The mixture will be too wet and will not hold the falafel shape even a little. Canned chickpeas are great for making hummus but terrible when making falafel.Trust me. I learned the hard way. 😉

When using dried chickpeas, there is a little bit of pre-planning because you need to soak the dried beans overnight (about 8-12 hours) but that’s about it. Your food processor does the heavy lifting and then your oven creates the crispy magic with the help of some olive oil. Easy peasy.

So the next time you’re craving falafel, try making a healthier version at home with this Baked Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce recipe. Top it with the mouth-watering tahini sauce in a salad. Or in a pita as a sandwich. Or on its own as a snack. Use the leftovers for meals during the week or freeze them to eat later. (It heats up nicely in a toaster oven.) You get more bang for your buck with this recipe and I’m always down for that. 🙂

Looking for more inspiration? Try our Hummus, Broccoli and Potato Soup, and Roasted Broccoli and Kale with Lemon Pasta.

Baked falafel

Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Passive Time 12-24 hours

Servings 4-5 people Total Cost $4.19 Cost per Serving $1.05

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Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup dried chickpeas ($1.40)
• 4 cloves garlic ,separated ($0.12)
• 1 small red onion, quartered ($0.50)
• 1 Tbsp cumin ($0.25)
• 1 cup fresh parsley or cilantro (or combo) ($0.20) Parsley is from our garden
• 4-6 Tbsp olive oil ($0.50)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt ($0.04)
• 1/2 tsp pepper ($0.03)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda ($0.02)
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice, separated ($0.00) from our garden
• 1/2 cup tahini ($1.12)
• 1/2 cup water ($0.00)

Instructions

1. The day or night before you want to make the falafel, cover the dried chickpeas with 4 inches of water in a large bowl and soak. The beans need to soak between 12- 24 hours.
2. Prepare all your ingredients. Preheat oven to 375° F. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas in a colander and set aside nearby.
3. In a food processor, place the chickpeas, onion, herbs, cumin, garlic, 1 tsp salt, pepper, baking soda and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
4. Pulse until you reach desired consistency scraping the sides from time to time. Mixture should be minced and thick but not pureed. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
5. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with 2-3 Tbsps of oil especially where you’re going to place the individual patties. Lightly oil your hands and take a small amount of the falafel mixture (about a couple of tablespoons to 1/4 cup) to form balls then press to make thick patties. Place on baking sheet about a couple inches apart. You may need two sheets to fit 20-24 falafel patties. Add a small amount of oil on top of each patty. Place baking sheets in oven and bake for about 10 minutes on one side until golden.
6. Using a spatula, carefully flip each patty and cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven when ready.
7. In the meantime, make the tahini sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, add remaining 3 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 cloves garlic (grated on a microplane) and let sit for a few minutes. Add tahini and whisk slowly pouring ½ cup of water. The sauce will be thick at first but will eventually come together. If you feel it’s still too thick, you can add more water, a little at a time. Adjust seasoning with salt and more lemon juice if needed.
8. When ready to serve, drizzle falafel with tahini sauce. Enjoy!

Instructions with photos

1. The day or night before you want to make the falafel, cover the dried chickpeas with 4 inches of water in a large bowl and soak. The beans need to soak between 12- 24 hours.

   
2. Prepare all your ingredients. Preheat oven to 375° F. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas in a colander and set aside nearby.

   
3. In a food processor, place the chickpeas, onion, herbs, cumin, garlic, 1 tsp salt, pepper, baking soda and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.

   
4. Pulse until you reach desired consistency scraping the sides from time to time. Mixture should be minced and thick but not pureed. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

   
5. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with 2-3 Tbsps of oil especially where you’re going to place the individual patties. Lightly oil your hands and take a small amount of the falafel mixture (about a couple of tablespoons to 1/4 cup) to form balls then press to make thick patties. Place on baking sheet about a couple inches apart. You may need two sheets to fit 20-24 falafel patties. Add a small amount of oil on top of each patty. Place baking sheets in oven and bake for about 10 minutes on one side until golden.

   
6. Using a spatula, carefully flip each patty and cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven when ready.

   
7. In the meantime, make the tahini sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, add remaining 3 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 cloves garlic (grated on a microplane) and let sit for a few minutes. Add tahini and whisk slowly pouring ½ cup of water. The sauce will be thick at first but will eventually come together. If you feel it’s still too thick, you can add more water, a little at a time. Adjust seasoning with salt and more lemon juice if needed.

   
8. When ready to serve, drizzle falafel with tahini sauce. Enjoy!

   

Recipe Notes

* Note regarding pricing:  The lemon used in this recipe is from our garden which is why there is no price listed. The price for the pantry items such as tahini, salt and pepper takes into account the cost of the amount used for the recipe and not the cost if you had to purchase the entire jar or bottle. Total price does not include the salad or pita bread. ** All prices in US dollars.