The smash taco technique continues to deliver the goods. I LOVE a crispy, herb-packed falafel, but there’s no denying that they’re fiddly and time-consuming. Traditionally, you need to soak your chickpeas overnight before making falafel, then shape them into balls before cooking them (and they’re often deep-fried). This technique cuts those fiddly factors right out.

Using canned chickpeas means you can quickly and easily blitz your falafel mixture without any pre-planning. And spreading the mixture onto mini tortillas before quickly pan-frying is SO simple. Plus, you still get that lovely crispiness that makes falafel so moreish AND you get falafel in every mouthful.

You can top your tacos however you like, but I love pairing them with a garlicky tahini sauce, speedy little tomato cucumber salad and some pickled red cabbage for extra crunch and acidity. These are a wonderful one for any day of the week, and work so well for entertaining too. Set up a taco station with all the toppings laid out for your guests to help themselves!

HOW TO MAKE IT EVEN EASIER: Use a good store-bought falafel mixture instead of making your own.

Love smash tacos? Try these smash dumpling tacos, smash chicken Caesar tacos, smash satay chicken tacos or smash banh mi tacos next.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Canned chickpeas. Any canned (or jarred) chickpeas will do – just make sure you drain them well before using them.
• Spices. You’ll need ground cumin, ground coriander and ground cinnamon as your base spices. I like to add a little sprinkling of red pepper flakes, or chilli flakes too, but you can leave that out if you like.
• Herbs. Flat-leaf parsley is non-negotiable, but you can play around with the cilantro (coriander) if you like – I know it’s a divisive herb. Swap it for fresh mint, chives or more flat-leaf parsley.
• Flour. This helps the falafel mixture bind together. The amount you use can vary – start with 1 tablespoon and see how you go. You want the mixture to be wet enough to form a ball in your hands, without being too wet and sticky.
• The toppings. You can play around here, but I love to serve the tacos with a quick lemony tomato, cucumber and feta salad, as well as pickled red cabbage for a bit of acidity. Garlic tahini sauce pairs wonderfully with the falafel, but you could use mayo or garlic aioli if you prefer. Or go for tahini yogurt sauce or green tahini sauce.

How to make them

Add everything except the chickpeas and flour to the bowl of a food processor and blitz into a chunky paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse a few times, until you have a chunky mixture. You don’t want it smooth and too much like a paste – this isn’t hummus! You should be able to form a ball with the mixture in your hands.

Spread a heaped spoonful of the falafel mixture onto your mini tortillas, using the back of your spoon to press it into a (roughly) even, thin layer. Pan fry, falafel side down, until golden, then flip.

Top with tahini sauce, your tomato cucumber salad and the pickled red cabbage, then scatter with red pepper flakes and more tahini sauce to serve.

Watch how to make them

Smash Falafel Tacos FAQs