Easy Lentil Meatballs (Vegan + GF)

I stocked up on non-perishable foods during the recent violent unrest in Gauteng, South Africa. I have an abundance of lentils and other dry beans in my cupboards. So I was looking for a non-soup, non-stew recipe for lentils and found this one. It ticked all the right boxes: easy to make? Check! Yummy? Check! Uses ingredients readily available in most kitchens? Check! I had mine with zoodles. This will become a staple in my home.

I’ve tried several Lentil meatball recipes (from various books / sites) and these are the best! A great base recipe that can be flavored to the particular dish! I made these with the intention of using them in a Thai Noodle dish and they were superb. I will make them again with the Italian flavors from the original recipe another time :) Here are the swaps I made:

In addition to the shallot, I added 1 bell pepper and 2 serrano chiles

I omitted the Italian Seasonings and instead used a bit of tumeric, cumin, salt, pepper and Korean chile flakes

I didn’t have Parsley or Cilantro on hand but if I did, I would have swapped in Cilantro for Parsley

Instead of Tomato Paste, I used Red Curry Paste

I used coconut oil instead of olive oil

I used a combo of oat flour and almond meal in place of coconut flour (did not have any on hand)

Cooked them the exact same way and they were awesome! And I served them over cold carrot and zucchini noodles that I had tossed with a lime vinaigrette.

Thanks for a banger recipe!

These are AMAZING! I coated mine with breadcrumbs (I’m not GF) and nutritional yeast, sprayed with olive oil, and put them in the air fryer at 400 for 30 minutes, flipped them once halfway through. Highly, highly recommend air frying if you have the ability. I made them last night for me and my partner and there were no leftovers :)

I made this today for my sister, dad and I and it was absolutely delicious! I just recently became a vegetarian and found myself craving the flavor of meat after weeks of mostly eating beans and lentils. This dish very skillfully satisfied my craving and will be a go-to vegetarian ( I made it using eggs and dairy cheese) meal from now on. We ran out of olive oil so I used flaxseed oil instead, I also used onion in place of the shallot and ketchup in place of the tomato paste since we didn’t have it. I also added some dried coriander because why not, and the end result was still scrumptious. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe!

DELICIOUS. EASY. VEGAN. FLAVORFUL. CHEEZY. SAVORY. What else do you want? This is PERFECT!!! I added a 1/4 teaspon of thyme, boiled the lentils with mushroom bouillon, and rolled them in nutritional yeast instead of vegan parmesan. Minimalist baker knocked it out of the park again!!! 🥰 had this on a bed of marinara covered spaghetti and it was my favorite dinner this week. 🥰❤
-@mayobakes

Can I just soak the lentils over night instead of cooking them like with falafel? I used cooked lentils already but want we’re soft.

This came out really good. My meatballs looked a little dry after taking them out the oven so I put a light coating of oil on my hands and rolled the meatballs (gently) between them. I didn’t have the Italian seasoning nor did I have nuts/seeds for the vegan parm. I used jerk seasoning instead, and some onion/garlic powder. The flavor was great. The texture had a nice chew to it.

Totally awesome ! Great vegan meatball recipe ! Didn’t have flax seeds so used good old flour instead to bind, no problem with the balls falling apart. As with all recipes , don’t blame the recipe itself if it goes wrong , a good non-stick pan is essential to a happy meatball life , as is adjusting the consistency before you decide to cook them with breadcrumbs or flour ! Excellent recipe, every tasty , will use it again. thank you for sharing :-)

Soooo good! The dough was a bit tricky so I highly recommend testing one ball before making the entire batch, and make adjustments as necessary. I added around 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup of cooked bulgur for some more texture and protein, turned out absolutely fantastic. My sister is an avid meat eater and she LOVED those!

This recipe blew my mind, it is incredible! I wish I made it sooner. 10000000x better than meatballs.

These are hands down the best vegan meatballs. The vegan parmesan gives this a meatiness that not a lot of other vegan meatballs give. First batch I made according to the recipe, and it disappeared in 5 minutes. I knew I had to make more. Next batch I added a bit of teff flour (because I had like 1/3 cup I needed to use up) cilantro instead of parsley because I ran out, and curry seasonings instead of Italian. I can’t describe how good my kitchen smelled. This is my go-to meatless meatball recipe now and I can’t wait to cook it again and again and keep adapting it to what we are feeling like each night

Thank you so much for the quick vegan recipes! I really liked these lentil meatballs. I made a mistake by not sautéing them long enough because the plan was too hot and they kept sticking to the pan. I did bake them a bit longer which help make up for it just a bit. They still tasted awesome and next time I’ll have a cooler pan! Both my husband and I also loved the 5 ingredient energy bites. They were all gone the same day I made them.

Made this today as a filling for a hand-pie/empanada type thing and it was perfect! I made it exactly as written (except I forgot the flax egg) and was super easy and delicious.

Made this recipe for New Year’s Day dinner and am so pleased with these lentil meatballs. They were easy to make and delicious with carrot noodles, Rao’s marinara and vegan Parmesan cheese. Will make these again.

I’m not vegan, but we are concentrating on a plant based diet. This recipe inspired me to make a delicious meat ball served with a carrot and courgette pasta. I didn’t mess about with the flax seed egg sub, I used channa flour instead. A couple of tablespoons bound this recipe together and they fried up beautifully. Thanks for the inspiration, my celiac partner loved them

Made these for the weekend. They are quite tasty, and so the fact that they didn’t stay together too well didn’t really faze me. Every morsel was gone…
They have been added to our family recipe book. Thank you, Dana!

Hi Dana.
Unfortunately frying before baking did not work out at all. The cheese got stuck in the pan and have to be scraped loose and they got messy and it was not possible to fry then around. Also the parmesan came off and didn‘t stay on the balls. So the 2nd half I only baked, next to to the pre-fried, and that turned out really well. So next time I will only bake for 30 minutes. Those were great both in flavor and consistency. And of course low fat. So if they had all turned out that way to start with I would have given them a higher score. So this way I can highly recommend them. Thanks for this recipe. I will make them again. Wanted to add a photo of them but doesn‘t work.
Kindly,
Pia

Impressively good! I actually prefer them to meat! My husband thought they were great. I’ll definitely make these, freeze them and then fry them up for our meatball Mondays!

I didn’t have any parsley so I just added a bit more Italian seasoning. Substituted leeks for the shallot because I needed to use one up! Also, omitted coconut flour because I just forgot !

Thank you so much!

These meatless lentil balls came out wonderful! I made them following your recipe with a few minor adjustments for spices available on hand, followed your excellent directions and voilà! We are just starting to go meatless and the success of this recipe gives us great enthusiasm for the transition. Again, thank you for the excellent directions, it is so appreciated.

Loved these. They were quite wet and I added some oats instead of flour to dry them out. Like others I didn’t bother to fry them, just baked for around half an hour turning in the middle and they came out beautifully. I also added around a cup of chopped raw mushrooms to the mixture before blending which worked well. Probably the first veggie meatball/falafel recipe I’ve tried that isn’t mushy on the inside! Thank you!

This recipe blew me away. It was so easy and will definitely be something I make over and over. I ended up adding a lot more nutritional yeast, vegan parmesan, and bread crumbs (I made it in my vitamix rather than a food processor, so it was a little more challenging to get an even blend). I also kept them in the oven for much longer; probably 15-20 minutes. I think my mixture was a little more smooth/less textured than the pictures, but I loved it–they looked and tasted like meat-based meatballs! They heat up super easily on the skillet and hold their shape almost better than meatballs. Super impressed!

*Also: the recipe doesn’t really say to add the flax egg into the blender, but I assumed to anyway. Turned out great.

I can’t remember if I reviewed this recipe or not and they definitely deserve another shout out…

These meatballs are a staple at my house. The flavour is great (I have a heavy hand with garlic and seasoning) and once you figure out drying the dough sufficiently the texture is great and they hold together nicely. I skip the initial fry and just bake them. They get fried in a skillet at time of use. Not just great in pasta, but excellent cut in quarters on a pizza, and the fabulous basis for a delicious vegan meatball sub.

Thanks for another winner.

My kids and my hubby loved it. I also gave it to my friend to try and he said they were the best ‘meat’ balls he has had in ages. He wants me to do them again for him :) thank you

this recipe is so delicious and easy to make! great vegan recipe and VERY tasty!! although I couldn’t quite get them to stay in little ball shapes so I just ended up mixing it all together in the skillet but it still tasted so good. I had it along with rice :)

These are amazing! I love them every time and the flavor is perfect! I eat them plain a lot- or with quinoa. Great for vegan momma and toddler!

Made these for the first time. I only wish I tripled the recipe because they were soooo good! I’ve made a couple meatless ball before but these are perfect. Flavourful, easy to make and stick together beautifully. I followed the recipe exactly – had no issue with the flax “egg”. I’m always looking for good appetizer ideas for a party. Think I will try this one next time I have a party with a side of marinara dipping sauce. Will definitely make again!

Thanks so much for sharing.. the lentil meatballs were better than I imagined.. They were so good I’m mad I hadn’t tried it before now.. The best recipe ever.. ❤️❤️ I always make a huge pot of lentils but after a few days I’m tired of eating them. Now they will NEVER go to waste.

I have made these a few times and love them (with real eggs, the time I tried flax egg it did not work). Delish!!

Add o disapointed. Th o moist. After reading other reviews about lack of flavor. I added bay leaf , garlic, Italian seasoning. Recipe was tasty, too moist. We tried rolling them in bread crumbs. Better but a big fail. We served them with linguine, veggies and sun dried tomatoes. I will keep searching for the perfect recipe.

I made these becaue I’m always trying to get our son to eat more healthy. I thought if they didn’t taste good then it wouldn’t matter because the sauce would cover it.(that ended up not being a problem, they tasted great!!)

My only real problem was the meatballs fell apart and it ended up being a meatball scramble BUT no one minded and it tasted just fine.

I made this tonight and the meal was delicious! They were actually lentil patties instead of meatballs but my family didnt need to know that! I accidentally put too much water in my blender when the mixture was too thick to blend. Still turned out very tasty especially with the vegan parmesan cheese.

I made these in a hurry and they were DELICIOUS!!! Skipped the fry part and also didn’t catch the directions about what to do if the mixture was too wet (until after the fact.) Mine turned out less round and very soft on the inside but oh so good!!! I cannot wait to make them again! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us!! xoxo

Can you bake these instead of frying?

OMG THESE ARE AMAZING!
Subbed basil for parsley and chia for flax- amazing flavour, texture and taste! Seriously tasted like MEATballs!

Thank you for the recipe! I had some green lentils that I needed to do something different with and came across this recipe. I found the lentil balls to have a little flavor on their own but will definitely be better with some sauce. I made them as instructed, but when I make them again – Yes, I plan to make them again. – I will probably add a little more panko to hold them together better.

My kids devoured them!!! Huge hit! I served them with zoodles and a capers salad on the side. Great dinner, thank you for the recipe!

I made this for my vegetarian mom and boyfriend. Both are pretty picky about faux meat type meals and stick to store brands. I made these balls and they were a hit! They even asked me to make them again. I am gonna make a double batch and leave them in the fridge for emergency pasta nights.

I never remember to use the cheese but they taste fine without.

Thanks for the recipe!

These were great!used the pre-cooked lentils in the vacuum pack from Trader Joe’s to make it easy. I didn’t have tomato paste so I used a Tbs of tahini annnnd served over carrots and steamed spinach. So goood??

This recipe was fantastic tasting. I did end up putting breadcrumbs in it to make the balls stick together a little better, but this recipe is worth the try. Tastes similar to Italian sausage.

Delicious! Even the uncooked mixture was so good that I kept some of it aside, spread it on toast and topped with sliced avocado, vegan lime crema and hemp hearts. Two meals in one! Thanks for the great recipe!

Great Sunday night recipe! I’m a big meatball lover but this is refreshing and lighter – also very filling!

Thanks for the inspiration.

I made this tonight and it’s good. My lentil mixture was too wet so I added a few tbsp of bread crumbs to dry it up a bit. I did bake mines mainly because I was lazy. I will make this again. Thanks

I made these and they were delicious! So much flavour and an amazing vegan option! Thank you <3

These turned out so well ! Served with garlic sauteed mushrooms.. wow ..my 2 yr old grandson loves them ! i’m going to try them as little sliders ❤️

These are amazing! I’ve made them twice in the last few weeks. The first time they were better, and I think it’s because I didn’t cook the lentils well enough the second time so they weren’t as easily kept together. But they are BY FAR the best homemade veggie balls I’ve ever made. I served them with pasta and red sauce both nights (of course, with your parmesan!). Will be my go-to recipe for veggie balls for sure.

These turned out wonderful. Lots of flavor, the texture wasn’t too bad. Paired them with a sweet and sour sauce, wild rice and veggies

Great recipe! I made sure to stick my roller out lentil balls in the fridge for 15 min before frying, definitely made them hold their shape a bit better

A bit wet is an understatement. Yes, I drained my lentils. I got tired of adding more and more dry ingredients. The meatballs formed nicely, but “melted” as they heated up. Basically got a fried lentil mash. Tasted good , but was frustrating to make. I’ll go back to my lentil and walnut recipe.

Love the idea of lentil “meatballs”! Made this tonight and the flavours are spot on delish! The only thing is it really did take a lot of fiddling with to get the consistency right. I had to add maybe 3tbsp almond flour and 5 tbsp panko until I could even make balls. Followed the recipe except used egg instead of flax egg. Would definitely make again but made a mental note about the softness.

Just ate my first round of lentil-balls… well, they kind of turned into lentil-pattys… whatevs, they were awesome! Even the neighbor kid wanted in on them. My wife wanted to tell you, “I like when my house smells delicious”.

This was so delicious. I didn’t make the carrot pasta, saving that for another day. But made the meatballs as instructed. I used Brown rice pasta and I made my own homemade sauce which is. Diced onion, minced garlic, sauteed. Add large can crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil. 1 tsp dried basil, pinch of sugar (battle the acidity of the tomatoes) grated nutmeg and 1/4-1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. I could never tell I was not eating the original meatballs that I used to make. They were tender and so were these! Thank you again for another hit!

OMG delish!!! i just made a burger w/ this and wow it was the bomb

This comment isn’t specific to this recipe but I just thought I should say thank you! I bought your book and everything I have EVER made from it or the blog has been delicious. Whenever I am looking for a recipe of something specific, yours always comes up first and I am so happy to give them a go! I always recommend your recipes to friends and tell them that I actually have trust in you because I know everything will always be yummy. Just thought I should let you know!

PS, currently eating this, it’s amazing.

Smelled like pizza when I cooked them! I had to add flour and then coat them in a little flour. They were so mushy and sticky. I think next time I will add some oat flour.

I made these for dinner last night. When I went to make the balls, they were very light so I only fried them in a tsp of oil on two sides until brown to get a little crispness then baked them in the oven. I used two chopsticks to turn them over. We ate them on a bed of spaghetti squash and marinara sauce topped with some of the leftover vegan parmasen cheese. They were delicious! I wish I would have remembered to take a picture. They did take me a little longer to make as I had to cook the lentils, bake the squash and make the Vegan Parmesan cheese. Well worth it. My husband even liked it and he was raised a meat & potato boy who never cared for lentils!

Really tasty and very simple! We didn’t use the parmesan and they were still great – they have even a meaty texture almost! delicious!

Great recipe! The only problem is it’s dp delicious that people want to eat it all at once ! I added 3 sauteed minced garlic cloves…

Made these tonight – absolutely wonderful! I did roll them in parm before frying. They held together great and have a good flavor. Served over gluten free spaghetti with a homemade red sauce. We gave up sweets and meats for lent. These sure hit the spot!

I made these last night and ate them right out of the oven. I follow the recipe but somehow they came out very mushy. I love the flavors and would love to add these to my go to “meatballs” but need them to be a little firmer. I did add panko to dry them out a little bit. I am going to try them again today after having sat overnight and see if they may have firmed up a bit. Any advice would be awesome… PS I love your recipes! I follow you on FB and IG (not too much of a stalker…)

OMG These are absolutely amazing!!!! Thank you so much for always posting such yummy recipes!! You are the best!!

It is delicious, easy and quick (everything that was promised to me in this post!!) thank yooooou

Ps, any thick sauce/paste seems to do (eg hoisin sauce, hot sauce) in terms of texture of no tomato paste on hand

Pps. Also stays together with only a few tbsp of nutritional yeast if no Parmesan is available

I made these and they were delicious. However I felt it was overly fussy to have to bronw them in the skillet and THEN put them in the oven. I would also disagree that these are 10 ingredients or less since I also had to make the vegan parmesan. Even without the vegan parmesan, the idea of making this within 30 minutes was completely false advertising. I would give these 2.5 stars in terms of delivering the cooking experienced that was promised, but because they taste very good I’m giving it 4.

I just want to tell that I made two ENORMOUS batches and froze them. Last week I made one and it just wasn’t enough for everybody hehe! We ate them with pasta, in falafel-style wraps, with rice! I absolutely love love love them!! Thank you for the delicious recipe!

This recipe is so wonderful! I made these on a bed of mashed potatoes smothered in a cashew cream sauce…it was perfection! Every single recipe I have tried from you turns out wonderful, thank you for inspiring me to cook more!

These are YUM! Love the flavor profile :) They took me longer to make but that’s because I had to cook and cool the lentils first. All in all a good experience and would make again!

I made these and was surprised at how flavorful they came out. Thank you so much for this easy and awesome recipe!

I do mine similar but I don’t add any oil, I bake not fry mine. With homemade spaghetti sauce and zucchini noddles, our kitchen kiddo loves this dish.

Another great recipe! I skipped the whole frying bit, and instead just baked them (saved me a step, plus ended up lighter without the extra oil) and they turned out really good. Baked them for about 25 minutes at 400, and flipped them half way. Tastes great with homemade red sauce and spaghetti squash!

I followed the instructions, but my meatballs fell apart in the pan. Any suggestions?

Incredible recipe! My daughter and I just made these and we just love the flavor. I didn´t take that extra step of frying first and then baking (due to lack of time) but they still came out delicious! I tripled the recipe and have lots to freeze for weeknight dinners. Delicious nutritious recipes! Thank you!