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Vegan Meatballs Recipe– this easy to make vegan recipe is SO GOOD and perfect for weeknight dinners. They can also be made ahead of time and frozen for later! The recipe provides options for frying OR baking these, so they’re super versatile and delicious!
Oh HELLO Vegetarian meatballs of my dreams! This is a recipe that I’ve been meaning to work on for YEARS and I’m so excited how delicious this one turned out!
I wanted these to have a meaty texture while also being substantial and, of course, TASTE AMAZING! These could be eaten with spaghetti or even on their own!
I also love this recipe as a make ahead vegan meal. The meatballs could be made and frozen before cooking them. When ready to eat, simply leave them in the fridge overnight and then pan fry them (or bake) according to the recipe. They may end up requiring a little extra cook time if they’re still a little frozen in the middle.
Love the idea of making this vegan meatball recipe for new parents who need ALL of the easy freeze meals that they can get!
My hope is to start posting a lot more Italian inspired plant-based recipes. I AM 1/2 Italian after all and there are SO so many dishes that I can’t wait to re-create. Really want to work on a good vegan lasagna! Lots of ideas bouncing around and I’m always open to suggestions.
But for now, let’s dive back into this vegan meatball recipe!
Ingredients needed:
These delicious homemade vegan meatballs are easy to make with simple ingredients. You’ll need:
- Olive oil. A bit of oil is needed for sautéing the veggies.
- Vegetables. We’re using white onion, cremini mushrooms and cloves of garlic to make this vegan meatball recipe plenty hearty, satisfying and packed with amazing flavor.
- Rice, flour and breadcrumbs. This combination acts as a binder and holds the veggie meatballs together. I’ve made this with both regular and panko breadcrumbs. The stickiness from the rice really helps hold these together since we aren’t using eggs.
- Seasonings. Italian seasoning, salt and pepper is the perfect blend of spices for wonderful flavor. I’ve also added some fennel seeds into the mix in the past and it’s AMAZING.
- Optional for serving: fresh basil, a good marinara sauce, and vegan parmesan cheese
How to make vegan meatballs:
To make these meatballs, we’ll start out by sautéing the mushrooms, garlic, and onion until they’re soft. Those then get added into the bowl of a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blended until everything is combined. Not going to lie- the mixture won’t look pretty (but who cares- it’ll end up delicious!!).
Roll the mixture into balls and set aside. When it comes to cooking the meatballs, you can either bake them in the oven OR pan fry them which is my preferred method. They only need about 12 minutes to cook until a nice crust forms on the outside and the meatballs turn a darker brown color. AND that’s it. So easy!
How to make these gluten-free:
I suggest simply swapping the breadcrumbs for gluten-free bread crumbs. You could also use quick oats instead but I haven’t tried it.
Serving suggestions:
There are a ton of ways to serve these meatballs! I suggest making a double batch, so that you have extras for another meal.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese. HERE is my vegan parm recipe and it’s SO GOOD! You definitely need it.
- Spaghetti. I like to keep things classic and eat these with spaghetti and a good marinara sauce. You could even serve them over zucchini noodles.
- Subs. These meatballs make the best sub sandwiches! Add them to Italian rolls with marinara, top with mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese is melted.
- Pizza. Slice a couple of meatballs up and use them as a pizza topping. So good!
- With sides. Another idea is to serve these meatballs with a couple of sides. They would be awesome with Peperoncini Garlic Bread or Parmesan Baked Asparagus.
Make-ahead recipe:
These healthy vegan meatballs are perfect to meal prep ahead of time! Once you’ve made the meatball mixture, form the veggie meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Cover them with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy them. You can make them 2 days in advance of when you plan to cook them.
Storing & freezing plant-based meatballs:
Leftovers. Store leftover vegan meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can even store them in the sauce. Reheat meatballs and sauce over medium heat on the stovetop. Or you can warm them individually, or with the sauce, in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Freezing. You can freeze these meatballs before or after baking. To freeze baked meatballs, place meatballs and sauce, for up to 3 months, in a freezer-safe container or bag. When you’re ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then reheat them in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave.
To freeze before baking, make and form meatballs as instructed. Place each one on a baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for about 1 hour. This will keep them from sticking together when you place them altogether. Once frozen, transfer the meatballs to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then cook them as instructed.
You guys are sure to love this vegan meatball recipe! It’s an easy recipe and these meatballs are full of flavor!
One Last Bite
Be sure to save this recipe! I love to see your delicious creations and share the tastiest feedback. SO, if you make this recipe and you love it, please remember to tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I can’t wait to see you sharing this recipe! 🙂
More easy vegan recipes you’ll love:
- My famous Loaded Veggie Tikka Masala
- Vegan Lasagna
- The BEST Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Quick & Easy Pasta Salad
- 3 Ingredient Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Chickpea Vegan Pot Pie
- Stuffed Peppers
- Vegan Enchiladas
Easy Vegan Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced or roughly chopped (we’ll be blending them later so size doesn’t matter)
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice, I used basmati rice but brown rice or even another grain such as quinoa would work well*
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onion and mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small white onion, 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the onion mixture to a food processor along with the rice, flour, bread crumbs, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Pulse until everything is combined and comes together.1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Form the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and set aside.
- TO FRY: In the same skillet pour in enough oil to fully cover the bottom of the skillet (I end up using about 1 1/2- 2 tablespoons of oil). Set over medium heat. Once hot, add in the meatballs so that they’re not overcrowded. Cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Add more oil as needed so that skillet has a thin layer covering it.Oil for frying
- TO BAKE: Place the uncooked meatballs on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes, flip, and bake an additional 8-10 minutes.
- Serve with spaghetti or however you enjoy your meatballs :D
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Not sure I’d make these again. I want to try a variety of vegan meatball recipes so I can find the one I like best. These seemed kind of raw even after cooking and the predominant flavor was garlic.
I’m so happy to find your site. My meatballs turned out great! I’ve tried various recipes, but this one is the best! Many plant-based meatballs are too mushy, but the texture of these was amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Mine came out mushy. Are you supposed to drain the water off the cooked vegetables?
Thanks
Joanne