When I was in college I lived in a shady apartment complex in Wichita. The laundry room was in a separate building, which meant I had to lug my clothes back and forth in the rain or shine to ensure I didn’t run out of presentable clothing for work and school.
Society, why do you impose such harsh rules on us?
Well, that lasted about a month. Before long I was trucking it back to my dad’s house just 20 minutes away where he’d often cook me dinner while I was folding my socks.
(Just kidding. Who folds their socks? Ugh, Rhonda. You would.)
If your dad is anything like mine, he’s all about simple, hearty meals.
Spaghetti was one of his specialties. A little pasta, a lotta sauce, and a considerable amount of meatiness.
In fact, one evening (whilst doing laundry), I had two platefuls then promptly passed out on his couch from sheer exhaustion. My father proceeded to fold all of my clothes for me and wake me up with a kiss on the forehead reminding me it was time to go home.
Aren’t dads the best? Mine is.
I still love spaghetti and crave it almost weekly.
And the good news is, meatless meatballs can taste just as delicious and are even healthier than their meaty counterparts. Who knew?
Origin of Meatballs
These days, meatballs are enjoyed all over the world and come in many different forms. But it’s believed that the idea originated from Persian meatballs known as kofta.
Our plant-based take on meatballs most closely resembles the flavors of Italian-American meatballs which are made with breadcrumbs and herbs. The story of Italian-American meatballs says that Italian immigrants served them with spaghetti and tomato sauce to make the dish more filling without much additional cost.
How to Make Tempeh Meatballs
These meatballs are based with tempeh, which is made from fermented soy beans.
I know, sounds suspicious. But think of nutritious soy beans processed in a way that makes it like tofu, but less processed. (More info here.) This not only means it’s firmer to work with, but also more nutritionally dense! One 4 ounce serving contains ~20 grams of protein.
WHAT? Now that’s a meatball.
Plus, this recipe is simple with just 10 ingredients and roughly ~45 minutes total prep and cook time. That’s manageable, right? Even for the busy cook.
And the important part: What do they taste like? They’re
Warm
Savory
Tender on the inside
Firm with a crust on the outside
Italian herb-infused
Fresh
Simple
Satisfying
& PERFECT with marinara and pasta
This recipe would be the perfect special weeknight meal. Though it takes a little more time to prepare, it’s still simple in nature and yields an incredibly satisfying meal that’s wonderfully healthy and nutritionally dense. What more could you ask for?
While I can’t offer you laundry service while you enjoy this meal (thanks, dad), I can say it’s worth the effort and is sure to satisfy the whole family.
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! If you give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment, Pin it, or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We genuinely love seeing what you cook up. Cheers!
Simple Vegan Meatballs
Ingredients
FOR MEATBALLS
- 1/2 cup white onion (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
- 2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
- 8 ounces tempeh* (or as recipe is written, sub 1 heaping cup rinsed and drained chickpeas for similar result)
- 1/3 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp Italian seasonings (or 1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (optional)
- 1/2 cup vegan bread crumbs (gluten-free for GF eaters // or sub almond meal)
- 2 Tbsp your favorite marinara or tomato sauce
- Olive oil (for sautéing)
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
FOR COATING
- 1/3 cup vegan bread crumbs (gluten-free for GF eaters)
- 1/3 cup vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and prepare flax egg in a small dish by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let it rest for a few minutes.
- In a large, deep skillet, sauté onion and garlic in 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) over medium heat until soft and translucent – about 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Add tempeh to food processor and pulse to break down. Then add sautéed garlic, onion, and remaining ingredients (except olive oil) and mix, scraping down sides as needed. You want it to form into a moldable “dough.”
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The tempeh will come across as a little bitter, but once coated, baked and served with marinara it’s not nearly as apparent.
- NOTE: Depending on how salty your vegan parmesan cheese is, you may need to add a little salt and pepper at this point. However, I didn’t find it necessary.
- Scoop out 1 Tbsp amounts of dough and roll into balls. At this time, heat the same skillet you used earlier to medium heat.
- Mix remaining bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together in a shallow dish. Add tempeh balls one or two at a time and roll to coat.
- Add enough olive oil to form a thin layer on the bottom of your hot skillet, then add your coated tempeh balls in two batches, as to not crowd the pan. Brown for about 5 minutes total, shaking the pan to roll them around to brown all sides.
- Add browned meatballs to a baking sheet and add to the oven to bake for about 15 minutes, or longer if desired for a crispier result.
- At this time, prep any pasta your want to serve with your meatballs, as well as your favorite marinara sauce (I love this pizza sauce).
- Once meatballs are deep golden brown and fairly firm to the touch, remove from oven.
- To serve, top cooked pasta with meatballs and pour over marinara sauce. Top with another sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to a few days, though best when fresh.
Video
Notes
*Heavily adapted from One Green Planet
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Cabaraba says
Is there a substitute for tomato sauce/paste? I can’t have tomatoes…
Hmm, possibly another veggie purée. Maybe butternut squash? Let us know if you try it!
Rebecca Rose says
This recipe now replaces my old standby favorite meatball recipe! It was so declicious, especially with the crispiness! Thank you!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Rebecca. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Dory says
Can I use chia in place of the flax?
Hi Dory, That should work! We would recommend grinding it for best results. Hope this helps!
Rebecca says
I just made these!! I did have some mushrooms so I put those in the food processor and chopped them up pretty small and cooked those down with the onions. I just added those because I had to use them up. This recipe is AMAZING!!!! Super easy to make, so incredibly tasty. Definitely will become a staple. Thank you so much!!
Amazing! Love your addition, Rebecca. Thank you for sharing! xo
Susan Ottwell says
I make these with my favorite ground meat substitute, sprouted lentils. Excellent. The same recipe, topped with a bit of sauce, makes a really nice meatloaf in my solar oven, too. I like to serve the meatloaf with pasta and variations on your pesto, usually with spinach and walnuts. I do love your recipes; they’re so easy to tinker with.
Thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Susan! Your serving ideas sound so delicious! xo
Lauren says
Hi any suggestions for using an air fryer for this recipe? Planning to make them this weekend :) thanks!
Hi Lauren, we don’t have much experience using an air fryer, but another reader reported it worked well! Maybe try 350 F for ~10-12 minutes. Let us know how it goes!
LaBreah Welliver says
Made this yesterday and they turned out great! I have a toddler which makes finding time to make food kind of difficult some days so I decided to make the mixture and refrigerate it overnight. The next day I rolled them and cooked them which made it a lot easier time wise! Also my toddler absolutely loves these! Easy and the whole family enjoyed. Win win!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad they’re a winner with the whole family, LaBreah. Thank you for sharing! xo
Elizabeth says
Hi again! Yet another potentially dumb question: when you freeze these (after browning, before baking), do you then thaw them before baking? About how long should that take? And is there any downside to thawing them on the counter, rather than in the fridge?
And you just freeze them together in a tupperware? What’s a good way to store them?
(Sorry for all these probably-obvious-to-everyone-else questions. I don’t usually do food prep – or make meatballs, what with not being a meat eater – so this is all new to me.)
Thank you again!
Hi Elizabeth, All questions are welcome and good questions :) We’d recommend freezing them on a silicone- or parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and then transferring to a sealed container (freezer bag or tupperware) once frozen – this will prevent them from sticking together. You should be able to bake directly from frozen at 350 or 375 F until golden brown and hot. Hope that helps!
Elizabeth says
Thank you so much for answering all my many questions! This is so tremendously helpful. I’ll be making them today :-)
Happy to help anytime!
Elizabeth says
Ok, maybe this is a dumb question, but for the chickpea version: what texture are you going for when you pulse it in the processor?
Possible dumb question #2: does the chickpea version also make 22 meatballs?
Anything else we should be aware of for the chickpea version?
Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth, the chickpea version may be a little more tender, but nothing else we can think of that you should be aware of! It will make a similar amount of meatballs, yes. You want the chickpeas to be mostly broken down so the dough begins to hold together (similar to this). Enjoy!
Sharon says
I made these tonight using the chickpea version. They were great. I made a meatball sandwich with a little marinara sauce on a roll. Fast and flavorful. I will make these again. Vegan Parm was also really good.
Ooo that sounds amazing! Thank you for the lovely review, Sharon! xo
Maggie says
I have made this many times over the years and its a favorite. This was the first time I used egg instead of flaxseed meal and I was impressed how well the egg worked in the recipe. Thanks again for another amazing recipe.
We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Maggie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Emma says
I made these last night with mixed results and I’m wondering if you could help me figure out what went wrong. The meatballs ended up with a bitter aftertaste. They held together beautifully, smelled amazing, looking amazing, even tasted good before I formed them BUT once they came out of the oven they had this bitter aftertaste.
I steamed the tempeh beforehand as per the note – to neutralize the flavor. I used homemade vegan Parmesan (recipe from this site). I didn’t have GF breadcrumbs so I blitzed some GF crackers I made the other day. Again, all this tasted great before I cooked them. Not sure what caused the bitter taste? Have you any idea? Other than this I thought the recipe was great! It must be something off with my own ingredients because I can see others love this.
Hi Emma! Tempeh is slightly bitter which could have caused the flavor to be off. Olive oil can sometimes be quite bitter as well!
Andrea Fuentes says
This is my favorite recipe of all time. I love pasta and spaghetti is always been one of my favorites. But these meatballs are the queen of my table. I’ve made them so many times and they have become my favorite meal ever! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe. I always use chickpeas, not tempeh and they come out wonderfully every single time!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Andrea!
Cher says
I have made a lot of your recipes. They are all a hit I am going to try this one tonight (reply pending) we don’t like tempeh. But are huge tofu fans… could we not press the heck out of the tofu, crumble it and put in pan with everything else. I’m craving some tofu meatballs and I bet my little ones will love. Thanks :) Clare
Hi Cher, we haven’t tested that and aren’t sure it would hold together, but let us know if you try!
KP says
It should work. Just leave out the flax egg or it will be too wet.
Stephanie says
LOVE this recipe! Such an easy addition to any dish! I’ve added them to pizza, sandwiches, and pasta (obviously). This most recent time I made a few modifications because I was feeling especially lazy. I just used onion and garlic powder instead of the real things and added a little extra tomato sauce. I also doubled the recipe and did half tempeh half chickpeas and my god were they good! Highly recommend!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Stephanie! Love your creative modifications too. Thank you for sharing! xo
Ada says
I’ve made this recipe a few times and love it, except I find that the balls really stick to the pan during browning and break apart. I’ve tried more/less oil, various heats, and a couple different pans (stainless steel, cast iron, enameled cast iron). Any tips for less stickage?
Hi Ada, We’re so glad you enjoy it! We’d suggest trying more breadcrumbs. Hope that helps!
Polly says
Super yummy! Love your recipes–you are a go-to! Questions (sorry): is the serving size really 1 meatball? And the whole batch is 1400+ calories? Seems healthier than that. Thank you for confirming. I want to enter this accurately into MyFitnessPal. :)
Hi Polly, we’re so glad you enjoy it! You can enjoy as much as you want for 1 serving =) But for the nutrition calculation, it is for 1 meatball just for ease of calculating. The nutrition looks pretty accurate, but we’ll give it another look and modify anything if it’s off!
Polly says
Thank you! I’ll admit, I loved the meatballs so much, I ate half the batch. I need to own up to it on MyFitnessPal!! And I should try to control myself next time!
VICKY PERALTA says
Made these with chickpeas and they were delicious! Even my 3 year old devoured them! THANK YOU MB!!!
AMAZING! Thank you for sharing, Vicky! xoxo
Lisa P says
Delicious!!! This is my favorite vegan meatball recipe, and my non-vegan husband loves it, too. I make it nearly every week using chickpeas and your recipe for yeast-free cashew parmesan. Thank you!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you both enjoy it, Lisa. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jess says
Thoughts on freezing? Freeze Pre-cook or Post-cook? In sauce?
Hi Jess, we’d suggest freezing before cooking and storing separately from the sauce.
Arielle says
Can I use an egg instead of the flax egg?
Yes
Lisa Peters says
I absolutely love these meatballs. I always make them with chickpeas and a batch of your Yeast-Free Cashew Parmesan. We serve them with spaghetti or in a (vegan) meatball sub sandwich. So good!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Emily says
These meatless balls were incredibly flavorful. The carnivorous people in my family tolerated them at first, then decided they actually liked them. The additional coating before pan frying is a necessary step; those who are tempted to skip it are missing out.
I used non-vegan Parmesan, a real egg, and homemade sourdough breadcrumbs. I topped them with homemade marinara.
Thank you for a great recipe. I’ll be keeping this one!
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Emily! xo
Colleen Sikorski says
I have been searching for a vegetarian protein to eat with pasta dishes for a long time. This hit the spot. It took me longer than 15 minutes to prep (but I did have to make my own breadcrumbs and vegan parmesan while making this recipe). Having both of those things to go would significantly cut down on prep time. Overall, I can not recommend this recipe enough! I made it with chickpeas and loved the taste.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Colleen! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Moersch says
I searched for easy vegetarian meatballs and these are not it.
While they may be great tasting and maybe even easy to make they contain ingredients that are not known to me and certainly not part of my stock ingredients on hand.
Hi Moersch, sorry to hear that! We also have these and these. If vegetarian, not vegan, you could sub regular parmesan. If there are other ingredients you don’t have around, feel free to ask or search in the comments and we may be able to offer an alternative.
Moersch says
Thanks for your quick reply. I will check those out. Thanks. :-)
Nicole says
I made mine with chickpeas. Well worth the preparation time. They freeze very well.
Thanks, Nicole!!
Nicole says
These were great and very easy! I skipped the onion to save effort and my sensitive tummy, replaced the breadcrumbs with rolled oats ground in the food processor, and skipped coating them with breadcrumbs. After shaping, I dabbed my fingers in a little oil and gave the balls a once over, then sprinkled some vegan parm over them. I baked these in a large cast iron skillet with about a TBS of oil for 25 minutes and they were beautifully browned, crisp on the outside and perfect inside. I was so excited to make something other than fake bacon with the tempeh I had and my boyfriend loved it too, thank you Dana!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed this recipe, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Annalise Woods says
I am not really a fan of tempeh. What can i substitute in place of it?
Hi Annalise, we’d suggest this recipe instead. Hope that helps!
Alli says
This was INCREDIBLE for meatball subs! Would maybe use a little less salt for the vegan parm but everything else was spot on for me – so so delicious!! Definitely saving this recipe – thanks for sharing!!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing, Alli!
Anna says
I used oatmeal instead of bread crumbs (that’s all I had!!) and they worked REALLY well. I loved the flavor and the consistency from the food processor was perfect. Great recipe! Thank you!
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thanks so much for sharing, Anna!
Marina says
This is my go-to recipe for a delicious pasta meal with vegan meatballs. Such a feel good meal. I use a can of chickpeas and only one garlic clove due to slight intolerance, but still very delicious!
We have even made these in burger shapes for on a bun with some fresh vegetables.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Marina! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Lorene says
Once you get the onions and garlic sautéed, it’s pretty quick to combine and mix in the food processor. Add plenty of seasonings!
Evalata says
Hi Dana! I want to make a vegan Italian wedding soup which is traditionally with boiled (in the soup) tiny meatballs. Do you think that I can put these meatballs in the soup and let them stew with the veggies? Or will I have to add them directly to my plate once I have served the soup? Just wondering if they would fall apart if they stay in the pot. 🤔
Many thanks!
Unfortunately that won’t work with these as they won’t hold up. I’ll have to hink on alternatives!
Advith Natarajan says
This vegan meatball recipe was amazing! We air-fried our meatballs instead of pan-frying and baking them and they turned out super crispy! We had some leftover olive garden breadsticks and cut them vertically almost like a cheesesteak! I will definitely be making this in the future!
Smart! Thanks for sharing, Advith! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Jeanne says
Hi – I’m thinking of getting an air fryer-how long did it take to cook them. Thanks, Jeanne
Maureen says
Delicious! I used 1 c. chickpeas option. So much tastier than the faux meatballs. Would definitely make this again, thanks!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Maureen! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Claire says
I have made this recipe twice and it is one of my favourites! It is so delicious and works really well! ❤️
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Claire! xo
Lydia says
Loved this recipe. very easy and tasty. Always enjoy recipes that have a lot of protein in them. I doubled the batch and we ate almost all of them. Great lunch the next day. Thanks.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lydia! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Emily says
Divine! Thank you for your amazing vegetarian creativity. These meatballs are next level delicious.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing, Emily!
Pat says
Just made this recipe and I was so impressed! Lots of flavor and stayed together very well. I replaced the flax egg with Red Mill brand egg replacer. I also used chickpeas instead of tempeh, yielded about 10. Will definitely double next time for more leftovers!
Hilah says
I love this recipe!! I’ve made it many times. I also sauté chopped mushrooms with the onion and sometimes substitute the parm with nutritionist yeast! So delish:)
Thanks for sharing, Hilah!
Chloe Bergman-Ray says
These came out so great! I substituted one regular egg and real parmesan cheese (since we aren’t vegan – at least not yet!) and they stuck together so well and have a delicious taste. Thank you !! Will make again.
Carly says
Hi!
I love all of your recipes and was looking to try out a new vegetarian meatball recipe! I was wondering which you recommend between this one “Simple Vegan Meatballs,” and “The Best Vegan Meatballs” which is also on your blog. I see that they’re made with really different ingredients – what do you find is the difference in taste and texture between the two?
Thanks for your help!!!
I like the “best” recipe personally! They have a better flavor in my opinion and are soy-free.
Suzanne says
Wow, these were SO good! So moist and flavorful. I was shocked that they could stick together so well without eggs. My husband did say they took longer to cook than the recipe said. He cooked them for at least 10 minutes longer because they were too mushy at first. I will definitely double the recipe next time as there wasn’t much left over after feeding a family of 4. Thanks for the great vegan recipe!