Crispy Baked Falafel with Tzatziki
Baked Falafel with Tzatziki
Chickpea falafel baked until crisp, tender inside, and served with a cool cucumber-yogurt tzatziki sauce.
Baked falafel works best when it keeps the spirit of the fried original: a rough chickpea mixture, plenty of green herbs, warm spices, and enough heat from the pan to form a real crust. This version uses dried chickpeas that have been soaked until tender but not cooked, which gives the patties structure without turning them pasty.
A hot, oiled sheet pan is the key to crisp edges in the oven. The falafel mixture should look coarse and hold together when squeezed, with small pieces of chickpea still visible. A short rest in the refrigerator helps the starches hydrate so the patties are easier to shape.
The tzatziki is simple and cooling: Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon, garlic, dill, and a little olive oil. Squeezing the cucumber keeps the sauce thick enough to spoon over warm falafel or tuck into pita without watering everything down.
Serve the falafel with warm pita, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled onions, or a lemony salad. Leftovers reheat well in a hot oven or air fryer, where the crust comes back better than it does in a microwave.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Heat the oven to 425°F and place a rimmed sheet pan on the middle rack while the oven heats.
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2
Add the drained soaked chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but still coarse, scraping the bowl as needed.
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3
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the baking powder and chickpea flour. Squeeze a spoonful in your hand; if it crumbles immediately, add 1 more tablespoon chickpea flour.
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4
Cover and refrigerate the falafel mixture for 20 minutes so it firms up enough to shape.
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5
Shape the mixture into 16 small patties about 2 inches wide. Carefully remove the hot sheet pan, brush it with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and arrange the patties on the oil with space between them.
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6
Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake for 14 minutes, until the bottoms are browned and crisp.
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7
Flip the patties with a thin spatula and bake for 9 to 11 minutes more, until both sides are deeply golden and the centers feel set.
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8
While the falafel bakes, stir together the Greek yogurt, squeezed cucumber, dill, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
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9
Rest the falafel for 3 minutes on the pan, then serve warm with the tzatziki spooned alongside or over the top.
Ingredients
- Dried Chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained:1 1/2 cups
- Fresh Parsley Leaves:1 cup
- Fresh Cilantro Leaves:1/2 cup
- Yellow Onion, roughly chopped:1/2 medium
- Garlic Cloves:3 cloves
- Ground Cumin:2 teaspoons
- Ground Coriander:1 teaspoon
- Kosher Salt:1 1/2 teaspoons
- Baking Powder:1 teaspoon
- Chickpea Flour:3 tablespoons
- Olive Oil:4 tablespoons
- Plain Greek Yogurt:1 cup
- English Cucumber, grated and squeezed dry:1/2 cup
- Fresh Dill, chopped:2 tablespoons
- Lemon Juice:1 1/2 tablespoons
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:1 tablespoon
- Black Pepper:1/4 teaspoon
Tips & Notes
- Use dried chickpeas that have been soaked, not canned chickpeas; canned chickpeas make the mixture too soft for classic falafel texture.
- If the mixture sticks while shaping, lightly oil your hands instead of adding too much extra flour.
- For a thicker sauce, grate the cucumber, salt it lightly, wait 5 minutes, and squeeze it firmly in a clean towel.
