This post may contain affiliate links. Should you proceed to click on any link at no additional cost to you , I may receive a small commission.
Vegan Meatballs
Author: Alison Andrews
These ‘meaty’ vegan meatballs are easy to make, loaded with flavor, perfectly textured, and hold their shape perfectly in a sauce!
These vegan meatballs pack a ‘meaty’ punch. You won’t be mistaking these for actual meat, but they definitely have a ‘meaty’ taste and texture. And that really is the point, since they’re meatballs.
They’re really easy to make, and even though they are made with seitan (aka vital wheat gluten, it creates the chewy ‘meaty’ texture) they don’t require any kneading at all. They are just mixed and then baked.
You’ll also love our delicious chickpea meatballs.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Ingredient Notes
Chickpeas – we used one 15-ounce can of chickpeas (drained). If you prefer to use cooked chickpeas (not canned) then you can use 1 and ½ cups of cooked chickpeas.
Vital wheat gluten – is the crucial ingredient in these meatballs. They are the ‘seitan’ part of the meatballs. Vital wheat gluten is essentially pure gluten powder, so of course, it’s not at all suitable for those on a gluten-free diet. It provides a chewy, meaty texture to these meatballs and there isn’t a substitute for it.
Vegetable stock – or broth are both fine to use.
How To Make Vegan Meatballs
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
Add walnuts to a food processor and process into crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and set them aside.
Add drained chickpeas, chopped onion, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, ground coriander, oregano, smoked paprika, liquid smoke and vegetable stock to the food processor and process until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the walnut crumbs. Mix together.
Add vital wheat gluten and mix in. The mix will be very thick. Don’t overmix as this will cause the gluten to become tough and chewy. Just mix it until mixed and then stop mixing.
Scoop the mixture using a heaped tablespoon measure and roll them into balls. Aim to get around 30 meatballs.
Place the meatballs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the meatballs with olive oil (optional) and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, then flip them and bake them on the other side for 15 minutes. They should be browned and crispy on both sides.
Your meatballs are ready to serve!
Chef’s Tips
Don’t overmix. For a perfect texture, we don’t want to over-activate the gluten. So they should be mixed until just mixed and then stop mixing.
Keep the meatballs the same size. It’s ideal if the meatballs are the same size so that they cook evenly. We use a tablespoon measure to measure heaped tablespoons of the dough before rolling it into balls. If you’re really precise with it then you can weigh your dough on a food scale and then divide it by 30. That’s how much each meatball should weigh. You don’t have to be this precise, eyeballing it is fine. But if you’re so inclined.
Brush with olive oil. This step is optional and can be omitted if you prefer it to be oil-free. But the extra oil adds flavor and helps to prevent the outside from drying out. It’s only a very small difference though so feel free to omit it.
Gluten free. Unfortunately, this recipe can’t be adapted for gluten-free, but if you need a gluten-free alternative, then this recipe from Minimalist Baker is a winner.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer. You can serve them as an appetizer with vegan BBQ sauce or vegan ranch dressing for dipping.
Vegan spaghetti and meatballs. Simply heat up some marinara sauce, place the meatballs into the sauce, top with chopped parsley and serve them over spaghetti along with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese.
Vegan meatball sub. Heat marinara or pasta sauce, place the meatballs into the sauce, and let them get coated in the sauce. Slice submarine sandwich buns or hoagie rolls (check for vegan friendliness) and place around 3-4 meatballs into each roll. Add a little more marinara sauce on top. Place the rolls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, top with vegan cheese shreds, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400°F until the cheese is melted.
Storing and Freezing
Keep your vegan meatballs stored in the fridge in a covered container for 4-5 days.
They also freeze very well for up to 3 months. You can either freeze them after baking (and cooling) or before. If you freeze them before they bake, then you’ll need to bake them a bit longer so that they’re heated through and browned on the outside.
If you freeze them after baking, then let them cool first and then freeze and when you’re ready for them, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat them as you like.
More Seitan Recipes
Vegan Steak
Vegan Chicken
Vegan Seitan Strips
Vegan Burger
Vegan Bacon
Vegan Ham
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Meatballs
These ‘meaty’ vegan meatballs are easy to make, loaded with flavor, perfectly textured and hold their shape perfectly in a sauce!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 20minutes
Cook Time: 30minutes
Total Time: 50minutes
Servings: 30
Calories: 69kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Add walnuts to a food processor and process into crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and set them aside.
Add drained chickpeas, chopped onion, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, ground coriander, oregano, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and vegetable stock to the food processor and process until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the walnut crumbs. Mix together.
Add vital wheat gluten and mix in. The mix will be very thick. Don’t overmix as this will cause the gluten to become tough and chewy. Just mix it until mixed and then stop mixing.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Scoop the mixture using a heaped tablespoon measure and roll them into balls. Aim to get around 30 meatballs.
Place the meatballs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the meatballs with olive oil (optional) and then bake for 15 minutes on one side, then flip them over and bake for 15 minutes on the other side. They should be browned and crispy on both sides.
Notes
Chickpeas – we used one 15-ounce can of chickpeas (drained). If you prefer to use cooked chickpeas (not canned) then you can use 1 and ½ cups of cooked chickpeas.
Vital wheat gluten – weigh it on a food scale for best accuracy. If using only the cup method then this is based on a level, packed cup.
Keep the meatballs the same size. It’s ideal if the meatballs are the same size so that they cook evenly. We use a tablespoon measure to measure heaped tablespoons of the dough before rolling it into balls. If you’re really precise with it then you can weigh your dough on a food scale and then divide it by 30. That’s how much each meatball should weigh. You don’t have to be this precise, eyeballing it is fine. But if you’re so inclined.
Brush with olive oil. This step is optional and can be omitted if you prefer it to be oil-free. But the extra oil adds flavor and helps to prevent the outside from drying out. It’s only a very small difference though so feel free to omit it.
Storing: Keep them stored in the fridge in a covered container for 4-5 days.
Freezing: They also freeze very well for up to 3 months.
