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The Ultimate Vegan Meatballs ~ hearty, meaty, and bursting with Italian-style flavors! They bake up perfectly and they won't fall apart! (Air Fryer instructions included)
What are Vegan Meatballs made of?
There are many ways to make meatless meatballs using various grains, veggies, beans, and legumes. To get the perfect meaty texture, I used a combination of mushrooms and chickpeas.
This combo not only creates great texture but also adds moisture to prevent dry meatballs. It worked perfectly for my Vegan Wellington too!
I sautéd onions, garlic, and mushrooms, together and browned them slightly for phenomenal flavor. Then I added Italian seasoning, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper for a subtle kick. The fennel is optional, but I highly recommend it.
To bind everything up, I used a combination of rolled oats, breadcrumbs, and ground flaxseed. They also create a nice texture, too.
Baking Instructions
(full ingredient amounts in recipe card below)
- 1 - Sauté the onions until softened and browned. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
- 2 - Now add the seasoning and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 3 - Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until they have reduced in size and are slightly browned. You want them to release their moisture and the pan to be mostly dry.
- 4 - Add the tamari sauce and cook for another minute.
- 5 - Add the chickpeas to a large food processor container and pulse a few times to break down the beans.
- 6 - Now add the cooked mushrooms, oats, breadcrumbs, flax egg, Worcestershire Sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Process until well combined and it ALMOST forms a paste. Now place the mixture uncovered in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
- 7 - Remove mixture from freezer and form into smooth balls using your hands. Place on a baking sheet and repeat until mixture is gone. Spray with oil and place in the oven until golden brown and the outside is dry and firm.
- 8 - Flip the meatballs midway through. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet so they firm up a bit.
Success Tips
- If you don't have a large food processor, you may have to work in two batches. You'll need to combine the mixture in a mixing bowl first before doing this. I have this 14-Cup Food Processor by Cuisinart. It chops like a dream and has a very sturdy base to keep it from moving around the counter.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can still make these vegan meatballs. Just mince the mushrooms, finely dice the onions, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher and you can pulse the oats in a blender (or use quick oats). Combine all ingredients well.
- If you don't have ground flaxseed, you can use chia seeds instead. You can grind them in a coffee grinder or just leave them whole (of you don't mind the texture). The method of making the chia 'egg' will be the same as the written recipe.
- If you want to cook them in sauce, you can add them in the last few minutes of the cooking time of your sauce. Just make sure they are fully baked (or air-fried) before putting them in the sauce.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Place the meatballs in your air fryer basket and lightly spray them with oil. Don't overcrowd the basket so they have room to cook and brown. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Set to 390°F and cook for 10-12 minutes until heated throughout and firm on the outside. Shake halfway through. When done, let them cool for 10 minutes to firm up.
Can I freeze them?
Absolutely! They freeze really well fully baked or raw for about 3-4 months. If you freeze them in their raw state, just separate them with wax paper so they don't stick together. That will make it easier to use the portion you need.
To cook from their frozen uncooked state, spray lightly with oil and bake them at 375°F for 35-45 minutes until heated throughout and golden on the outside. You can also put them in the air fryer at 350 F for 10-15 minutes. Shake halfway through.
To cook from their frozen fully baked state, spray them lightly with oil and bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes until heated throughout. Or you can pop them in the air fryer at 350 F for 10-12 minutes until heated. Shake halfway through.
Serving Suggestions
- Turn them into meatball parm subs with sauce and Vegan Mozzarella Cheese.
- Top them on spaghetti and smother them with sauce and Vegan Parmesan Cheese.
- Use them for Italian Wedding Soup.
- Serve them as appetizers with bbq sauce or teriyaki glaze (omit the Italian seasoning and add cumin, smoked paprika, and liquid smoke).
- Slice them up and top them on pizza. Here's my Easy Vegan Pizza Recipe.
Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out these 35 Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes by Vegan Heaven. So many tasty options!
I love to hear from you
If you make this vegan meatball recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don't miss it.
Recipe
Vegan Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 5 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil , or preferred oil (+ more for baking)
- 1 small onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
- 12 ounces mushrooms , chopped (about 4.5 cups)
- 2-3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon fennel seed , crushed (optional but recommended)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium (sub soy sauce)
- 1 - 15 ounce can chickpeas , drained well but NOT rinsed
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup breadcrumbs , Italian-style
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (a vegan variety)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 min. It will thicken and gel up a bit.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and lightly browned. About 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Now add Italian seasoning, crushed fennel, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until softened and slightly browned. Cook for 5-7 minuted until they reduce in size and release their moisture. You want the pan to be dry. Now add the tamari and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Add the chickpeas to a large food processor container. Pulse a few times to break down beans.
- Now add the cooked mushrooms, oats, breadcrumbs, flax egg, Worcestershire Sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper to the processor. Process until well combined and it ALMOST forms a paste (about 30-60 seconds). You don't want it completely smooth so leave some texture. You just want the ingredients to stick together well (see process photos above for example). Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Place mixture uncovered in the freezer for 20-30 minutes (or in the fridge for 1-2 hours).
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove mixture from freezer and form into balls using your hands. Roll them until smooth. To keep the size uniform, use about 1.5 tablespoons of mixture (use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon). Place on baking sheet and repeat until mixture is gone. Spray or brush with oil and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and the outside is dry and firm. Flip the meatballs midway through. Remove from oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. This helps firm them up. You can now serve them with warm spaghetti sauce or cook them in the sauce for 5 minutes to warm them up. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you don't have a large food processor, you may have to work in two batches. You'll need to combine the mixture in a mixing bowl first before doing this. Combine well.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can still make the meatballs. However, they will be more fragile and may crack a bit more. You won't be able to warm them in sauce. You'll need to mince the mushrooms, finely dice the onions, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher and you can pulse the oats in a blender (or use quick oats). Combine all ingredients well in a mixing bowl and follow the method in the recipe.
- If you don't have ground flaxseed, you can use chia seed. You can leave them whole of grind them in a coffee grinder. The method is the same as the flax 'egg'.
- Yields about 30-32 meatballs.
- See post above for air fryer instructions.
Lynn
FANTASTIC! DEEEEEEELICIOUS! INCREDIBLE!
These are bursting with flavor! I haven't even put my meal together yet I just sampled one out of the oven they are so good! I rarely make recipes as is but for some reason I did yours and I'm so glad I did, it is a great recipe with so many possibilities! You don't have to identify as vegan to enjoy this recipe! YUMMMMMM!!! THANK YOU!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lynn, This is the greatest compliment! So glad they were a hit for you. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. 🙂
Maxine
Wasn’t sure how this would go, but they are delicious. I’m not a big fan of fennel, but it just adds wonderful flavour to the recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Maxine, I'm so glad you loved them! Thank you for trying the recipe and sharing feedback. 🙂
Christina
Thank you for this wonderful recipe that doesn’t require any processed ground, has a good texture and tastes delicious. I’ve been looking for a good recipe for a long time. It’s a big hit over here!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Christina, you're most welcome! I'm so happy you loved the recipe.:)
Jai
Well these were absolutely amazing! I’ve wanted to make homemade vegan meatballs for a long time but was worried it’d be hard. This recipe was easy to follow and came out so, so good! Thank you very much!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so happy you you loved the recipe and found it easy. Thank you for sharing wonderful feedback. 🙂
Lynne
I have been looking for a homemade replacement for the Sol Cuisine Italian meatballs that my local store no longer carries. This is it! They are PERFECT, easy to make, roll, and taste excellent. I agree the fennel seed is a must! I am SO glad I found this recipe as I can now enjoy spaghetti and "meat" balls again. Thank you for the terrific recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lynne, Yay! I'm so happy you loved them! Thank you for sharing wonderful feedback. 🙂
Jordanna
Hello Melissa!
I made these vegan meatballs today over Rao’s marinara and Rao’s spaghetti for my family and they were to die for!! The flavor was exceptional and the texture was moist inside with a crisp exterior crust. I used ground chia seeds with 5 TBSP. of water instead of the flax eggs and they worked out beautifully. I want to thank you for this amazing recipe! Also, when I look at recipes to try on the internet, I typically have questions. Your website is so easy to understand, detailed, and great with giving tips for success and substitutions. Thank you for bringing so much joy to so many people! Have a great day and be well!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jordanna, Your comment made my day! I'm so happy you find my site useful. And thank you for making the meatballs! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Amy
Delicious! We made two batches: one as written and one substituting tofu for mushrooms. They both were excellent. The post is so well written and offers such great detail. Thank you for sharing such a terrific recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Amy, I'm so glad they worked well for you (with the tofu too). Thanks for taking the time to share feedback. 🙂
Crispina ffrench
Haven't tried the recipe yet. Could you share a suggested replacement for Worcestershire Sauce cause it is not vegan.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Crispina, Are you in the U.S? There are many vegan version here. If not, you can just omit it or add a vegan steak sauce. 🙂
GABRIELLE OTTAVIO
Omg these are so delicious- made these today for dinner tomorrow but had to eat a couple- couldn’t wait-
I will definitely make these over and over again. No more processed store bought vegan meatballs anymore
Melissa Huggins
Hi Gabrielle, Yay! I'm so glad they were a hit. Thank you for trying them and sharing your wonderful feedback. 🙂
Louise
Can I put frozen ones in a crock pot and cook for a couple of hours to make grape jelly meatballs and use for appetizers? Will they hold together? I am not vegan but my daughters are so want to try these out for a family get together.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Louise, I haven't tried it so I'm not sure. It may work starting from frozen and cooking on low. I wish I had a certain answer though. If you try it, I'd love to hear your feedback. 🙂
Monica
Been making these for over a year - even my carnivore son likes them. I think they’re better than meat meatballs. They’d get a 10 if I could!!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Monica, this is such a wonderful compliment. I'm so happy your family loves them! Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂
Deb Z
Your meatballs look fantastic. Thank you for not giving a recipe with beyond Burger meat or others like it. This actually looks healthy. Thank you! Love your blog.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Deb, you're most welcome! I hope you'll give the recipe a try and report back. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Brandy
If using worcestershire sauce, just know that it isn't vegan.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Brandy, there are many vegan varieties on the market these days and many are just vegan by default. This could vary though depending on where you live.
Gail
there are vegan Worcestershire sauces out there - they omit the anchovies. It tastes great, I can't tell the difference in taste.
Kim
Can I freeze the uncooked mix and use later? Or can I freeze cooked “vegan meat balls”
Melissa Huggins
Absolutely! They freeze really well fully baked or raw for about 3-4 months. If you freeze them in their raw state, just separate them with wax paper so they don't stick together. That will make it easier to use the portion you need.:)
Kirstin Freeman
Just made this recipe. Super delicious. I see that you can freeze them for 3-4 months. How long are they good in the fridge.
Melissa Huggins
H Kristin, happy to hear you enjoyed the meatballs. I would say around 3 to 4 days in the fridge. 🙂
Elizabeth A Rivetz
I made these to go in the Italian wedding soup. I made them small and then gave 3 for a portion. Didn't need much baking because of their size. They held together really well. Open froze them, and put them in a plastic bag when they were frozen. They had a falafel taste to them because of the chickpeas. I also used them in subs. Really liked them, and will definitely make them again.
Melissa Huggins
Wow that sounds great Elizabeth! Glad you enjoyed them. 🙂