Baked Falafel Sliders (Printable)

Mini spiced chickpea patties baked and served with tahini and fresh veggies in slider buns.

# What You 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 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
08 - ½ teaspoon ground paprika
09 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
13 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or chickpea flour for gluten-free)
14 - 2 tablespoons 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 tablespoons lemon juice
22 - 1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
23 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
24 - ¼ teaspoon salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly brush with olive oil.
02 - In a food processor, blend chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, baking powder, and flour until forming a coarse, slightly sticky dough. Scrape down the sides as needed.
03 - Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture and shape into small patties, yielding 8 total. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Brush each patty lightly with olive oil. Bake for 12 minutes, then gently flip, brush again, and bake for an additional 10 to 13 minutes until golden and firm.
05 - Whisk tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional water if necessary to achieve a creamy, pourable texture.
06 - Lightly toast the slider buns, if desired.
07 - Spread tahini sauce on the bottom bun, place a baked falafel patty on top, then layer with cucumber, tomato, red onion, and mixed greens. Drizzle with additional tahini sauce and top with the bun.
08 - Serve the sliders immediately for optimal freshness and texture.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • These sliders give you all the flavor of traditional falafel without standing over a pot of hot oil.
  • Theyre small enough to serve at parties but satisfying enough to count as dinner.
  • The tahini sauce pulls everything together with a creamy, tangy finish that people always ask about.
  • You can prep the patties ahead and bake them right before serving.
02 -
  • Dont skip draining the chickpeas well, excess moisture makes the mixture too loose to shape and the patties will spread in the oven.
  • Use fresh herbs, not dried, the flavor difference is massive and dried herbs wont give you that bright green color.
  • Flip the patties gently with a thin spatula, they can be fragile before theyre fully baked through.
  • Add water to the tahini sauce slowly, it will seize up at first and then suddenly loosen into a smooth, creamy sauce.
03 -
  • Pulse the food processor in short bursts so you keep some texture in the mixture, not a smooth paste.
  • If the mixture feels too wet to shape, add another tablespoon of flour and chill it for 10 minutes.
  • Make a double batch of the tahini sauce, it keeps for a week in the fridge and you will want to drizzle it on everything.
  • For extra flavor, brush the buns with a little garlic butter before toasting them.
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