Description
Crunchy falafel hits different when baked instead of deep-fried, delivering all the classic Middle Eastern flavor with way less mess in your kitchen. Grab some chickpeas, herbs, and spices, then watch how simple it becomes to create these protein-packed golden bites that will make your weeknight dinner seriously delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounces) can chickpeas
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ of a large red onion
Supporting Ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Sauce Ingredients:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 small garlic clove
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2–5 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare a baking sheet with a light coating of cooking spray or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Grab your food processor and toss in ¼ red onion, ½ cup cilantro, 1 cup parsley, and 3 garlic cloves. Pulse until the herbs are roughly chopped.
- Add the entire 15 oz can of drained and dried chickpeas, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper to the processor. Pulse 5 times to create a textured mixture.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup oat flour into the mixture and stir until the mixture feels firm and holds together easily.
- Shape the mixture into small patties, about 2 inches wide and ½ inch thick. Space them evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Slide the baking sheet into the 400°F oven and bake for 13 minutes. Carefully flip each falafel and return to the oven for another 13 minutes until golden and crisp.
- While the falafel bakes, whisk ¼ cup tahini, juice from one lemon, 1 pressed garlic clove, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in a small bowl.
- Gradually add 2-5 tbsp cold water to the tahini mixture, stirring until it reaches a smooth, drizzle-friendly consistency.
- Remove the falafel from the oven and let them rest for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with the tahini sauce drizzled on top or served alongside.
Notes
- Chickpeas work best when slightly dried out, so drain and pat them completely dry before processing for a firmer texture.
- Chilling the falafel mixture for 30 minutes before shaping helps the patties hold together more effectively during baking.
- For a gluten-free version, swap oat flour with almond flour or chickpea flour, which will maintain the binding properties.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes to restore crispiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 179 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg