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Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Featured in Quick and Easy Appetizers.

Crisp on the outside, soft and herby on the inside, these chickpea falafel patties bring Middle Eastern street food straight to your kitchen. Made with fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, and warming spices, they're finished off with a velvety tahini sauce brightened up with lemon. Tuck them into pita bread with veggies for a hearty, feel-good meal.
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Emily Watson
Updated on Sun, 13 Apr 2025 11:06:39 GMT
Crispy Falafel with Creamy Tahini Pin it
Crispy Falafel with Creamy Tahini | thefamilycooks.com
Whipping up falafel at home is super easy! Check out these must-know tricks I've gathered from different cooking methods:

What You'll Need

  • Your choice of chickpeas makes all the difference in your falafel texture.
    • Dry Chickpeas: Let them soak overnight or at least 8-12 hours. Most folks say this gives you the real deal taste.
    • Canned Chickpeas: Work in a pinch when you're short on time, but they might fall apart during cooking.
  • You'll also want onions, garlic, some fresh parsley and cilantro, plus spices like cumin, coriander, salt, and maybe a bit of baking powder or soda.

Getting Your Chickpeas Ready

  • For dry chickpeas, soak them all night, then drain and give them a good rinse.

Creating Your Falafel Mix

  • Throw your chickpeas in a food processor with diced onions, garlic, herbs, and all your spices. Pulse it a few times until everything comes together but still looks chunky. Don't blend it into mush!

Letting It Rest

  • Pop your mixture into the fridge for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour - this helps your falafels stay in shape when you cook them.

Shaping Your Falafels

  • Grab a small scoop or just use your hands to roll the mix into little balls or flatten into patties. Don't squeeze too hard or they'll end up dense.

Cooking Methods

Deep Frying

  • For that classic crispy outside, heat your oil to about 350°F (175°C) and cook your falafels in small batches until they turn nice and brown.

In The Oven

  • Heat your oven to around 400°F (200°C). Splash some olive oil on a baking sheet, put your falafels on it, and bake about 14-20 minutes. Flip them halfway so both sides get crispy.

In A Skillet

  • Put a few spoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook your falafels on both sides until they look golden brown all over.

Handy Tricks

Working With Canned Beans

  • When you go with canned chickpeas, you won't need to soak them first, but your falafels might crumble more. Adding a bit of flour can keep everything stuck together.

Mix-ins And Tweaks

  • Play around with different spices, herbs, or even toss in some spinach or kale to make them extra healthy.
  • Want crunchier baked falafels? Don't be shy with the olive oil and remember to turn them over halfway through cooking.

How To Enjoy Them

  • Stuff your falafels in a pita with some tahini sauce, hummus, and quick-pickled red onions for a tasty Middle Eastern sandwich.
Give these steps a try and you'll have tasty homemade falafels that match exactly what you like to eat and how you like to cook.

Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Create perfectly crispy falafel paired with a zesty tahini yogurt sauce. These herb-packed chickpea patties are great with warm pita bread and fresh veggies.

Prep Time
80 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Total Time
100 Minutes

Category: Appetizers

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Yield: 4 Servings (About 12 falafel)

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

01 2 cups of white onion, chopped up.
02 6 cloves of garlic.
03 A couple of cups of cooked chickpeas, drained well.
04 A packed cup of parsley leaves.
05 A packed cup of cilantro leaves.
06 A teaspoon of salt.
07 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder.
08 Two teaspoons of cumin.
09 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
10 Half a cup of flour.
11 Canola oil for frying.
12 Pita bread to serve alongside.
13 1 1/4 cups of plain yogurt, your choice of fat content.
14 A quarter cup of tahini paste.
15 2 tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
16 Salt and pepper for seasoning, as needed.

Instructions

Step 01

Toss the onion, garlic, chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, salt, chili powder, cumin, and baking powder into a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients come together into a slightly chunky mix. Move this mixture into a bowl and stir in the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about an hour.

Step 02

While your falafel mix cools, whisk together the yogurt, tahini, and lemon juice in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to adjust the taste. Cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

Step 03

After the mix has had time to chill, use spoons or a small scoop to shape it into small balls (about 3 tablespoons each). Gently press them into flattened patties. If they're too sticky, sprinkle in a bit more flour.

Step 04

Heat up a good layer of canola oil in a big sauté pan over medium heat. Let the oil warm up for a couple of minutes. One by one, place the patties in the pan. Cook the first side for around 3 minutes, flip them, and fry the second side until fully cooked. Once they're done, move them to a cooling rack with paper towels underneath and sprinkle a little salt on top. Repeat until everything's done.

Step 05

Take a pita bread, cut it in half, and load it up with three to four falafel patties. Pour some of that tahini yogurt sauce over the top and dig in while it's warm.

Notes

  1. You can bake the falafel instead if you'd rather not fry them—check out a guide on crispy baked falafel. If you're not a fan of tahini sauce, a dollop of chilled Greek yogurt works just as well with the hot patties.

Tools You'll Need

  • Food processor for mixing.
  • A big bowl for combining ingredients.
  • A whisk.
  • Large sauté pan for cooking.
  • Plastic wrap to cover and chill the mixture.
  • A cooling rack lined with paper towels.

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Contains sesame (from the tahini).
  • Made with wheat flour, so not gluten-free.
  • Includes dairy (in yogurt).

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 300
  • Total Fat: 10 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 40 g
  • Protein: 10 g