Make easy falafel smash tacos with tangy tahini sauce

Looking for an easier way to enjoy falafel at home? Instead of asking you to fry up individual balls, this recipe simplifies the process by having you slather the falafel mixture directly onto tortillas before cooking them on a hot skillet until crispy and golden. Top them with lots of fresh vegetables and drizzle with tangy tahini sauce for a quick and delicious meal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked in 3 cups of water overnight and drained (yields about 2½ cups)
• 1 cup fresh parsley, stems trimmed
• ½ cup cilantro, stems trimmed
• ½ medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 8–10 small (approx. 6-inch) tortillas or 4–6 medium (approx. 8-inch) tortillas

Tahini sauce:

• ½ cup tahini paste
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup water, plus more as needed

To serve:

• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1½ cups lettuce, shredded
• ¼ cup pickles, diced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Place the soaked chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 5 to 7 minutes, pausing every once in a while to scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor. It’s important to process the falafel mixture until it sticks together well and does not fall apart.

Place a heaping tablespoon of falafel mixture in the middle of each tortilla, and use the back of a spoon to evenly spread the mixture all the way to the edges of the tortillas. 

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Let the oil heat for 1 minute, then place the tortillas falafel-side down on the skillet, working in batches of 2 to ensure they don’t overlap (or one at a time for larger tortillas). Press down on the tortillas with a grill press or heavy spatula and cook until the falafel side is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the tortillas and cook for an additional 30 seconds to allow the undersides to crisp up. Transfer to a serving platter and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Combine all the tahini sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and light in colour, adding more water as needed to get your desired consistency.

Garnish the tacos with the tomato, lettuce, pickles, onion and parsley, as desired, then drizzle generously with tahini sauce. Fold and enjoy.

Makes 8–10 small or 4–6 medium tacos

Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.