Baked Falafel Sliders (Printer-friendly)

Mini spiced chickpea patties baked, layered with fresh veggies and creamy tahini sauce in slider buns.

# What You'll Need:

→ Falafel Patties

01 - 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 small onion, roughly chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
05 - ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
06 - 1 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1 tsp ground coriander
08 - ½ tsp ground paprika
09 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - ¼ tsp black pepper
12 - 1 tsp baking powder
13 - 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (or chickpea flour for gluten-free)
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing

→ Slider Assembly

15 - 8 mini slider buns or small dinner rolls
16 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
17 - 1 cup tomato, thinly sliced
18 - ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
19 - 1 cup mixed greens or lettuce

→ Tahini Sauce

20 - ¼ cup tahini
21 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
22 - 1 tbsp water, plus more to thin
23 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
24 - ¼ tsp salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush with olive oil.
02 - In a food processor, pulse chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, baking powder, and flour until coarse and slightly sticky, scraping down sides as necessary.
03 - Scoop 2 tablespoons of falafel mixture and shape into small patties to yield 8 pieces. Arrange on prepared baking sheet.
04 - Brush patties lightly with olive oil. Bake for 12 minutes, carefully flip, brush again, and bake an additional 10 to 13 minutes until golden and firm.
05 - Combine tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more water to reach desired pourable consistency.
06 - Optionally, lightly toast the slider buns before assembling.
07 - Spread tahini sauce on the bottom bun, add a baked falafel patty, then layer cucumber, tomato, red onion, and mixed greens. Drizzle extra tahini sauce and top with the bun.
08 - Serve sliders immediately for optimal freshness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're crispy on the outside, tender inside, and ready in under an hour without any deep-frying drama.
  • The tahini sauce is so creamy and tangy it makes you wonder why you ever settled for regular condiments.
  • One batch makes eight sliders, which means lunch for the week or a spontaneous dinner party that looks way more impressive than the effort required.
02 -
  • Don't skip the flip halfway through baking; it's what keeps the bottom from staying pale and soft instead of getting that satisfying crust.
  • If your patties fall apart during flipping, your mixture was too wet—add another tablespoon of flour next time, but resist the urge to add it now.
  • The tahini sauce will thicken slightly as it sits; make it looser than you think is right, because it firms up over a few minutes.
03 -
  • If you don't have a food processor, use a regular blender or even a fork to mash the chickpeas and finely chop the herbs separately, then fold everything together; it takes longer but still works.
  • These patties freeze beautifully unbaked on a baking sheet, then you can bake them straight from frozen and add just a few minutes to the cooking time.
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