Friends, this feels big. Vegan meatballs made with real food that are full of flavor, don’t fall apart, aren’t mushy, and are easy to make! Let’s do this!
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 Vegan Meatballs
This 10-ingredient recipe starts with black beans that have been baked to dry them out – this is important, as it helps prevent the meatballs from becoming mushy.
The beans are then blended with herbs, spices, and sautéed garlic and shallot for layers of flavor.
Next comes the cooked and cooled quinoa, more herbs, tomato paste, and vegan Worcestershire (which is optional, but it adds more depth of flavor). Pulse a few more times and you’re ready to form your meatballs! After a quick chill in the refrigerator, it’s time to cook (and eat)!
To cook the meatballs, we went for a stovetop-oven combo. A quick sauté in the skillet you used to cook the onions and garlic in provides a crusty outer texture, while a bake in the oven dries them out a bit and ensures they’re cooked through the center.
At the end, heat up add your favorite marinara sauce until bubbly and gently add in your meatballs. Swoon. Then it’s meal time!
We hope you LOVE these meatballs! They’re:
Firm but tender
Not mushy
Packed with flavor
Made with wholesome ingredients
Protein- + Fiber-packed
& Incredibly delicious
These meatballs are delicious on their own, but they would also pair well with just about any pasta, like our Simple Chickpea Bolognese or 30-Minute Cashew Alfredo or Chili Garlic Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower. I could also see them working well on things like pizza and even sub sandwiches! Melt a little Vegan Mozzarella on top and you’re in business!
If you try this recipe, leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you cook up. Cheers, friends!
The Best Vegan Meatballs
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
- 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa* (ensure it’s cooked + completely cooled before using)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans* (rinsed, drained, dried)
- 2 Tbsp water (or sub olive or avocado oil)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup diced shallot
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 2 1/2 tsp fresh oregano (or sub half the amount in dried)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flake (reduce for less heat)
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley (we mixed both // plus more for serving)
- 1-2 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (optional // adds depth of flavor // ensure gluten-free for GF eaters)
FOR SERVING (optional)
Instructions
- If you haven’t prepared your quinoa yet, do so now (make sure it’s cooked and cooled completely before use). 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa will yield ~1 cup cooked. *Prep/cook time does not include preparing quinoa.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Add rinsed, dried black beans to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until beans appear cracked and feel dry to the touch (see beans in food processor photo). Remove beans from the oven and then increase oven heat to 375 degrees F (190C).
- Heat a large (oven-safe) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add water (or oil), garlic, and shallot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly softened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat (and reserve pan for later use).
- Add black beans to a food processor along with garlic, shallot, sea salt, oregano, red pepper flake, and fennel (optional) and pulse into a loose meal (DON’T overmix). Then add cooked/cooled quinoa, vegan parmesan cheese, tomato paste, fresh basil or parsley, and Worcestershire (optional). Pulse to combine until a textured dough forms (you’re not looking for a purée, but it should be semi-tacky).
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness/depth of flavor, red pepper flake for heat, herbs for earthiness, or Worcestershire (optional) for more depth of flavor. If it’s too tacky or wet, add more vegan parmesan cheese and pulse to combine (we added a bit more).
- Scoop out heaping 1 1/2 Tbsp amounts (using this scoop or a Tablespoon) and gently form into small balls using your hands. Add to a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Heat an oven-safe metal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a small amount of oil to prevent sticking, then add the meatballs. Sauté for a few minutes, gently turning the meatballs to get a slight crust on either side. Then transfer to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and slightly dry to the touch.
- These meatballs are delicious as is, or you can add some marinara to the pan and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes (or until bubbling / hot) to infuse more flavor.
- Serve with marinara and additional vegan parmesan cheese (optional)! These are also delicious atop any pasta. Leftover meatballs keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave or in a 375-degree F (190 C) oven until warmed through.
Video
Notes
*Prep/cook time does not include preparing quinoa.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 12 meatballs calculated without optional or serving ingredients.
Laetitia says
Hello,
First of all thank you so much for this recipe!
It really is delicious and I’m glad I did your vegan parmesan with walnuts from my walnut tree instead of cashew because I could really taste them in the meatballs and also because I’m nuts for walnuts ;-)
Only issue I had was that they were not holding firmly enough. It might be due to the size of the cans, because where I live, black bean cans come in 400g and it is a little less than what you get in your 15ounce cans…(we are getting ripped off ;-)!) So I added a little bit of wheat gluten (1 tablespoon) to it but I suppose any kind of flour would work (oat flour, flax seed flour).
AND last but not least they were fabulous with my secret fennel roots drunken tomato sauce!!
Thank you Dana, I will be making these again and again!!!
Joy Manning says
I followed this recipe to the letter and had the same experience as others of the meatballs just falling apart when I placed them in the sauce. They couldn’t be moved, stir, or simmered without disintegrating. I baked them the full 30 minutes, baked my beans nice and dry, and cooked and cooled my quinoa on a paper towel-lined baking sheet in the refrigerator to ensure it was completely dry. Think twice before adding sauce to these!
Hmm, that’s so strange! I certainly didn’t experience any trouble with these crumbling. Perhaps next time form them a little tighter and add more tomato paste for binding?
leilane says
OMG, this is the best meatballs ever, thank you. My daugthers are vegetarian, but they are very very picky, they love it.
Liv says
I’m dying to make these. Can I use amaranth instead of quinoa?
Yes!
Helen says
Hi there! I only have an immersion blender to hand… do you think it would work?
Thanks!
Holly says
I made these exactly as your recipe says and they were amazing! I’d like to make them again but I have a question about the refrigerating step. If I prep them a day ahead so I can pop them into the oven after work, can I leave them in the fridge overnight? This won’t ruin them somehow?
Thanks so much!
Ellie says
AMAZING!!! I used pinto beans, as I didn’t have any black beans on hand, and just used regular nutritional yeast. SO good, better than “real” meatballs!!!
Smart! Thanks for sharing your modifications, Ellie :)
Meg says
I made these AMAZING vegan meatballs and I couldn’t be more obsessed- along with all the people I fed them to. I’m already looking forward to dinner time tomorrow so I can eat the leftovers. I didn’t use Worchestor sauce just because I didn’t have any on hand. Still delicious. I served the meat balls over spaghetti squash and used Trader Joe’s marinara sauce. Super delicious.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Meg!
David Corbin says
My first attempt at cooking a vegan meal and I’m hooked. These were so good! I’m trying your lentil stew next.
Yay! We’re glad to hear that, David!
Michele Gasparre says
I just made these and they fell apart in the sauce but were amazing anyway. I eat eggs occasionally and Im going to add an egg white next time to bind them unless you have another suggestion!
Amanda says
The recipe had a lot of steps and took some time, but was well worth it in the end. I made a double batch so it was nice to get two meals out of the recipe. I cooked the beans for 5-8 or so min longer to make sure they were really dry and the mixture came out perfectly. The “meatballs”
held up wonderfully in the sauce and tasted really good. The only thing I would change personally if I made them again would be a little less pepper flakes so my toddler would be less picky about them tasting too spicy. Otherwise, delicious! Thanks for another great tasting meatless recipe.
Rebecca Hugo-Saraceno says
Can you also use dried black beans, ie not tinned? And if yes, then does this mean you can cut out the drying process? Thanks.
Krista says
Is there something I could substitute tomato paste for? This recipe looks amazing but I’ve got a tomato allergy! Thanks for all your beautiful recipes!!
Hi Krista! These would be delicious in an alfredo sauce as well! I’d recommend using this recipe as a starting point :D
Fran says
Question: any recommendations for substitutions for quinoa? Looking for low carb alternatives. Thank you. Btw these are great!
Not that they’re lower carb options, but I think that rice or couscous would be the best alternatives to quinoa in this recipe. Hope this helps, Fran!
Ellie says
Any suggestions for making these without a food processor? I just moved and mine is still in storage; I have a blender at my disposal, but I don’t want to risk pureeing the mixture. Also, would liquid smoke work OK in place of the Worcestershire sauce? Thanks for so many AMAZING recipes, your creativity and stunning photography amaze me, HANDS DOWN best blog, vegan or otherwise, on the interweb! :)
Hi Ellie! The beans do need to be mixed really well with the seeds and everything, so I’d say start in your blender, then transfer to a bowl to mix the rest!
Ellie says
Thanks so much! I’m excited to try, I hate it when I have unused beans in the fridge that don’t have a purpose. Never a problem with chickpeas, though, I eat them like candy (strange, I know)!
Sarah says
These were wonderful and held together so well, even after reheating the next day. I skipped the fennel and worcestershire as I did not have them on hand. I used some spicy oregano from my garden which kicked the heat up a bit. I topped them with a pumpkin chipotle sauce I had left over. PERFECT for a rainy fall evening. I made a double batch thinking I would have lots of leftovers for the week, but because my husband loved them so much, they did not go as far as I had hoped :) This was also my first time making your vegan parmesan–super delicious and easy. Both recipes will definitely be repeats in our home.
Cristal Torres says
Forgot to rate it on my previous comment! THE BEST V MEATBALLS!
Cristal Torres says
So good! My siblings and I made this recipe last night as a dinner for the rest of this week. I used fresh oregano and fresh basil, and did not use fennel. I used the food processor for the beans, garlic, and onions, but then when we added the other ingredients we used a soup bowl and used our hands to smoosh it :D! Forgot to put it in the fridge before the pan, but it still worked out great. THEY TASTE DELICIOUS! We squeezed some lime juice on them, and OH MY GOSH so good. We’re pairing it with cauliflower rice and carrots for dinner.
Nora says
Can sweet and sour sauce work?
We haven’t tried, but if you do, report back!
Anessa says
Didn’t use fennel seeds or red pepper flakes. But other than that I followed the recipe to a tee. It was really great. I made the suggested vegan parmesan which was good and I think that really improved the texture of the meatball. I added a basic marinara sauce and spaghetti squash with these meatballs. Great vegan option.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Anessa!
Anastasia says
Pre-made these last night and put them in the fridge so I could bake them today with zucchini noodles. My carnivore boyfriend just discovered them this morning (clearly I didn’t do a very good job at hiding them…) ate them COLD & RAW and texted me about how amazing they are. Safe to say if they taste that good without sauce or fully cooked they’re gonna be absolutely incredible!!! Recipe was so easy, only change I made was I used nutritional yeast instead of parmesan since I have not found any veg parm where I live but I will pick up cashews and make your parmesan cheese recipe so I can have some on hand. Thanks a lot for this!!
We’re glad they were a hit, Anastasia! They taste even better fully cooked ;)
Roseline says
Can’t wait to make these but I do have a question Would I be able to make several batches and freeze them for later?
Yes you can! Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or in a 375-degree F (190 C) oven until warmed through.
Emily Adam says
I attempted this recipe but I think I over-pulsed the mixture and it was more like a paste. But, I cooked the mixture in a fry pan and added some homemade marinara sauce to make a bolognese instead!!! It was absolutely delicious!! Even my hubby who is a meat-eater said it was the best pasta he’d ever had. So, if you stuff the recipe you can always make a delicious bolognese using this recipe and some marinara sauce!!
Way to make lemonade from lemons, Emily! It sounds like you may have over-pulsed as you mentioned but we are glad you enjoyed it in the form of bolognese!
Will says
These were fantastic, I’ve made them twice in the last week. The texture is spot on and the flavor is great. I made these for my non vegan parents and they greatly preferred these to traditional meatballs. A few notes:
– I used red quinoa, not sure if that affected the flavor but they looked a lot darker which I was into.
– One time I left out the worcestershire sauce, the other time I subbed it with soy sauce, which I think worked great.
– I’d recommend making a double batch if cooking for four.
– Is took me closer to 40 minutes to get the beans to the right texture, but that may just be my oven.
Whoop! We are glad to hear that you and your parents enjoyed them, Will! Thanks for sharing your recipe changes!
Jettie says
As a new vegan, these are a lifesaver! Seriously. 3rd time making these. Always follow the recipe exactly expect I use nutritional yeast instead of the vegan cheese. Comes out perfect every time. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
We are so glad to hear that, Jettie!
Jelly Bean says
I’ve made this twice as meatballs and it was delicious. This time I used it as a filling for vegan cabbage rolls and it worked perfectly. Thank you for all the delicious recipes you share!
Yum!
julia m says
Dana:
ok! So, let it be said that my mother-in-law’s meatballs are beyond belief!! Straight from Italy and all of the Italians bid her homage for her cooking (eggplant sandwiches!!) Enter an American Girl I have learned some of her recipes but she is the master, she would beat any chef hands down. that being said.
Due to a number of medical conditions, I try to eat gluten, oat, all dairy (including cheese and eggs), white sugar free, yada yada yada. It can be trying at times. Texture is a real issue. You can get close to the taste of things but its the texture that is the kicker.
Today I was doing my food prep for the week. Veggies, blueberry cobblerish thingy, brussel sprouts etc. Had been flipping through Pinterest and came across this recipe .
All I can say is WOW!!! FABULOUS!!! and everything else!!!
These are really tasty and the texture is nice!! I have sent pictures to my girls telling them what I did today. These are the only thing pictured in the messages!!
I have to admit that I’m the kind of cook that doesn’t really measure everything exactly. Even after reading all of the comments about the softness etc. they still came out awesome!! As stated no cheese but I did use the nutritional yeast. I processed the fennel a bit in the ninja before adding the other items. When we make sausage (!) we always grind our spices, just our preference.
You did an awesome job at replicating not only taste but texture! Bravo!!
And I will also say that your chocolate chip cookies are awesome also! I will certainly be following you!!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing, Julia! We are so glad you enjoyed them!
Shannon says
These were delicious!! I didn’t have any vegan worcestershire sauce so I omitted it. They were a bit soft, but that made them perfect to pull apart for smaller bites. Perfect with penne and garlic tomato sauce.
Nina says
Hi I’m currently making this in the UK. Looks delicious but we use imperial not metric and I’m a bit confused about the weight for the quinoa (1cup) i understand the amount in grams varies depending on what’s inside the 1 cup from online searches. So confused! Also is it 1 cup dry or cooked quinoa? Going to give it a go as probably won’t hear back in time but please do let me know for next time. Thanks!
Hi Nina! This recipe calls for 1 cup (or 6.5oz) of uncooked quinoa.
annette says
surely its 1 cup of cooked – theres been at least 3 questions so far about whether it was 1 cup of cooked or uncooked…
Beth says
These were so tasty and such a good texture. Do you have any thoughts on how this mixture would do as a meatloaf? And if you think it would work, any ideas on how you would go about setting up the cooking time and temp?
Yes, I think that would work! You may find that it needs to be baked longer in loaf form, but we haven’t tested it out and can’t say for sure. Report back if you give it a try!
Nazzle F says
I made these last night and they are DELICIOUS! I can’t eat quinoa so I subbed cooked brown rice and I it worked out perfectly. Wonderful recipe!
Whoop! We are glad you enjoyed them!
Isabel Jenneman says
These were amazing! I have to admit I was skeptical at first, but my whole family enjoyed them (even the meat eaters). I served these with the Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Pasta and Marinara sauce. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Whoop! Glad to hear it!
Emily says
Hello, I am using beans I bought bulk – so I have had them soak overnight and then was going to put them in the pressure cooker, could someone confirm the correct process for if you have non-canned beans;
-Soak overnight
-cook (stove/pressure)
-drain & pat dry
-bake
Michelle says
These are so good I could have eaten the mixture straight out of my food processer. Thank you for helping me and inspiring me as I get back to being full vegan again. I love your cookbook too.
Tina says
Just the best, most beautiful meatballs. I served them over bucatini with your marinara, and it was such a rich and hearty meal full of flavor and gorgeous texture. I couldn’t have possibly been happier with the outcome. It will certainly become a staple as fall and winter make their way to us. (Now I have to try the spaghetti squash version.) Truly, so, so good.
Melanie says
This is a wonderful recipe. The meatballs were delicious, and I really appreciated how easy they were make. I doubled the recipe and froze half of it for next time.
Yay!
Robert Sleight says
This is an outstanding recipe. The flavour is unreal and these are foolproof. They work (and please) everyone in our house, all the time. I have modified it a bit, mainly because I like to try variations. My favourite modification is to double this recipe, varying the legumes to 1/2 black beans and 1/2 chickpeas. To the food processor blend, I also add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (that have been turning to “gel” in 2/3 cup water for about 10 minutes). This really helps the consistency, in my opinion. I am constantly in awe of The Minimalist Baker. Every recipe works and tastes delicious. I am now converting these into “grillable” burgers. Because this recipe really does work to keep the “meat” intact, it also makes great burgers I suspect. We shall see!
Thank you for sharing your experimenting, Robert! We are glad that everyone is enjoying these :D
Samantha says
I have been eating a vegan diet for a few years now and have made my fair share of bean burger and bean ball recipes. These are truly the BEST I have ever made.
I followed the recipe as written with a few exceptions. I added in all the optional ingredients except the red pepper flakes as we did not want any spiciness. I did not saute the veggies because, well, I am lazy. I also did not brown them in the pan before placing them in the oven (we do have oils in the house… and well… still lazy). I go straight from fridge to oven for 20 minutes then flip and cook for another 10-15 min. The come out crispy enough on the outside for us using just the oven.
My husband (who still eats meat out but no animal products at home) LOVED these as did my parents, siblings, and even my 3 year old niece who is even picky about animal foods.
We’ve made these several times, never heated in sauce. Last time we put our leftover cooked beam balls into a dish, put some sauce on top, then a slice of the new Daiya provolone cheese slices…into the oven at 425 for about 10 minutes then under the broiler to brown the cheese. Made bean ball subs that tasted AMAZING.
Thank you SO SO SO SO much. I plan to take these techniques and adapt it to a backyard burger flavor profile.
Elise says
Super tasty! used cannellini beans as I didn’t have black and it worked a treat! Will definitely add this to our “frequently cooked” recipe pile :-)
Yum! Glad to hear it, Elise!
Evelyn says
Great recipe. I accidentally doubled the quinoa the second time I made it – I just added a little extra herbs/spices and tomato paste and it still worked! Very delicious on top of pasta!
Smart!
Kelli says
Very delicious meatballs. I served with noodles and marinara. Very easy to make. Yum!
Yay! We are glad you enjoyed it, Kelli!
Hattie-Elaine Leadbitter says
I omitted the tomato paste and used this recipe for hamburgers. DELICIOUS!!!
Yay!
Smart! Glad you enjoyed it!
jgreen says
this recipe is awesome, we have eliminated meat from our diet from recent heart issues and kidney and have been looking for a great recipe and this one is..my husband loved it, i didnt have quinoa, but i had brown rice,red and wild rice with quinoa and it worked perfectly..tks again for this recipe!!
Fae says
D E L I C I O U S S S S S
Wow.. the flavor! The flavor is so amazing! I did NOT expect it! And the texture is wonderful!
I made these exactly as written, aside from using any Worcestershire sauce because I just didn’t have any. I left that out and made everything else exactly as instructed and oh my goodness, perfection!
Next time I’m going to make an extra batch and instead of shaping into meatballs, I’m going to try browning it and adding it to my spaghetti sauce for a “meatier” sauce. I think it should be delicious!
Thank you for the superb recipes!
Christine says
You mention that the black beans need to be dried before working with them. What do you mean and how do you do that?
They should be pat dry to remove any excess liquid!
Risa Gruberger says
These were unreal ! Perfect consistency and went over great with my husband ! Seriously I will be making these again and again. Going to try making a meat ball sandwich – the flavors were fabulous !!! Thank you !
Yay! We are glad you enjoyed them, Risa!
Leonie Cramer says
These meatballs were delicious and easy to make. I did not make any changes, they were perfect the way the recipe was written.
Glad to hear it, Leonie!
Megan says
I made these for supper last night and they were delicious! I really appreciate the suggestions to adjust flavor to taste (more salt for depth of flavor, more herbs for earthiness, etc). For my taste the Worcestershire sauce really enhanced the flavor. We served these as “spaghetti and meatballs” and I will definitely be making them again.
Cathy says
I made these tonight and thought they were really tasty. I was out of oregano, but they tasted fine without it. I liked the texture as well. My daughter has recently started eating vegan, so I really appreciate all of the great recipes here (and in the Everyday Cooking cookbook).
Margarita says
This is a great recipe and will be part of my regular rotation! Confession: I made burgers instead of meatballs and have no second thoughts about using it as a meatball recipe too.
The Constant Hunger says
Curious to know if this recipe would work with other types of beans, for example, red kidney beans. Or is this something special about black beans that makes this recipe work better? Thanks for sharing!
Ashlee says
Hi! Do you think this could work as a meat loaf??
I do!
Janet says
I made this tonight for dinner. I pretty much followed the recipe. I also made the vegan meatballs. My husband and I loved the flavor combo. I used a marinara sauce with my meatballs from a jar. After baking the meatballs I put them in the sauce . The Cheesy Spaghetti Squash was the base layered with the marinara and Vegan Meatballs on top. Sprinkled with Vegan Parm. Talk about satisfaction!
Thanks Dana, loved it.
I used red quinoa. Looked beautiful too!
Annika says
HIGHLY recommend this recipe!
I made these as my first Minimalist Baker recipe and i cannot tell you how much I LOVED them! Truely delicious! My carnivore husband even liked them. We ate them all between two of us in one sitting. Definitely making a double batch next time! I got about 15 balls from this recipe.
I would maybe agree with other comments and leave them in the oven for an extra five mins and just pour the sauce over them so they don’t fall apart.
Thanks, Annika!
Jagna says
Trully one of the best vegan meatballs ever and so easy to make! The fennel is a must – it just brings them to a completely different level! WFBP and almost oil-free too! Thank you so much Dana!
Jagna says
Oh and forgot to add that since I didn’t have any vegan parmesan, I just added 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast and skipped the worcestershire which I would love to add but didn’t have on hand.
tracy says
I didn’t have the fresh herbs but I did have everything else on hand including some homemade cashew parm and they turned out delicious. The texture was great but I had read the comments about crumbling when cooked in sauce so I just placed them on top of angel hair spaghetti and then poured the sauce ontop. The leftovers were excellent in vegan meatball sandwiches on pretzel buns
Jena Michels says
Dana! You hit it out of the park with this one! Absolutely delicious. I would pick this over the meat version all day long (I’m not yet a fully converted vegan). The one thing that I had some trouble with was the sauté at the end. I noticed pretty quickly they might fall apart on me so I went straight for the oven and increased the heat to 425 and they browned PERFECTLY. Was able to add sauce and stir without any problem.
Thanks for all you do to bring us such great content! Keep it up!
Best,
Jena
Kayla says
These didn’t hold for me. I don’t think it was insufficient bake time because they were crumbly.
Hi Kayla! Sorry to hear these were crumbly for you.. did you happen to change anything in the recipe? Let us know and we’ll do our best to help!
ava says
This was (I can say) the first time i tried to make a vegan food however , it was not completely vegan for me cause were i live you can’t find any vegan parmesan.
I have to say it was amazing .
The proportion of everything was right so the balls didn’t loosen up plus the taste was right at the point but the next time i make it I will add more red pepper (Just personal preference)
p.s. My sister taste it and she didn’t even understand that there is no meat in it !!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Ava :D
Mark says
I just made these and ate with my family. They are good, but maybe need to be less mushy. Maybe I blended for too long. If made with sauce, I would recommend the sauce is poured on top of the meatballs just before serving as opposed to putting the meatbals in the sauce and cooking for a bit, as they tend to fall apart.
Will make again, but experiment a bit with the food processor blending time.
Sarah says
Mine also came out slightly mushy, but the flavor was so good that I will experiment with them again. I will really pat the beans dry next time, and bake the meatballs longer in the oven to try and firm them up. I think this recipe could make a good vegan meatloaf, too.
Jess says
Just made these meatballs to go with cheesy spaghetti squash and marina sauce recipes and they came out so nice! This is definitely going to be my go to meatball recipe from here on out, the flavour and texture are great!
Camille says
Made these! They were good but I think I prefer the sundried tomato chickpea ones better. I might try these again, though and do a coating of panko before cooking.
I like the addition of fennel seed. I crushed mine with a mortar and pestle but I might really grind it up next time to get disbursed more evenly.
I also liked the Worcestershire in it and just did 1 tblsp so I’ll increase it to 2 next time.
Thanks for your recipes!
Chaya says
These came out great.
Yay! We are glad to hear that, Chaya!
Lara says
I streamlined to feed the kids faster. I didn’t sauté the garlic and onion. I just threw it raw in the food processor. I didn’t refrigerate. I didn’t sauté the balls – I just stuck them straight in to bake. They were fantastic. I thought they would be a hit when I found my 9 year old rating them raw. I am sure the extra steps would make them out of this world, but my streamlined version was pretty darn tasty!
Gail Anderson says
Delicious – Thank you! Great recipe, a little more involved but worth it for the crust and tesxture balance.
I froze half the recipe so will wait and see what they are like defrosted but I will definitely be doing these again.
Gabrielle says
Ok soooooooo I am eating these right now and they are absolutely amazing… I did sub kidney beans for black and real parmesan for vegan parmesan. I also changed up the spices and used what I had but did include fresh basil from my garden. Everything I make from your recipes is amazing! My family will be fooled. I am deff making a huge batch of these and freezing for fall! Thank you Thank you Thank you! Oh by the way I made them half the size you suggested and the came out to just 1sp each for my weigh watchers friends!!! Thanks girl! You do awesome work!
We are glad to hear that you enjoyed them, Gabrielle! Thanks for sharing your recipe subs!
Nolamom says
I can’t use any kind of bean or lentil. Is there a non-legume substitute you can recommend? Looking for vegan burger and meatball recipes that don’t use beans. So hard!
Hmm I can’t think of any sub that isn’t bean or lentil based at this moment, but if you experiment with it, report back!
Cassie Autumn Tran says
I never had vegan meatballs in SUCH a long time. Would this recipe work with pinto beans as well?
We haven’t tried using pinto beans, but I would think it should work! If you give it a try, report back. Good luck!
Jessica says
Everyone go make this now!! It turned out fabulous. I love the texture and flavor of the meatball. I recommend adding the fennel. Very delicious :D
We are glad you enjoyed them, Jessica!
Tracy Jacobs says
I absolutely loved these! My husband and sons are meat eaters, so it was a delight hearing me say that these Vegan ‘meatballs’ were better than the real thing. I made the mistake of not putting my ‘meatballs’ in the refrigerator as your recipe says to do. I think that explained why they stuck to the cast-iron skillet. Definitely a winner – great job Dana.
Tracy Jacobs says
ops – typo (my husband and sons are meat eaters, so it was a delight hearing them say “these Vegan ‘meatballs’ were better than the real thing.
We are glad that you enjoyed these, Tracy!
Miranda says
Tried these and they were amazing! What flavor! I used ground fennel, I think fennel flavor essential for a meatball experience. Can’t say how they will hold up in sauce, since I was so enamored of them I couldn’t bring myself to ‘adulterate’ them with marinara. Am thinking of trying these in a brown gravy though, a la ‘Ikea style Swedish meatballs’. The semi-dried beans is a stroke of genius, lends such perfect texture.
ha! Thanks for sharing, Miranda!
Carolyn says
Made these with kidney beans as I didn’t have black beans. They were fantastic! Had them with spaghetti and homemade sauce…will have leftovers on a sub! Terrific recipe!
Yay!!!
Carolyn H. says
I made these and while I was expecting them to be good, I was NOT prepared of how good they are! The texture is great, and the flavor is out of this world!! I upped the garlic and ended up adding more salt (personal palate preference!), used a mix of parsley and basil, and also ended up using just over a cup of quinoa (1/3 cup dried –> about 4/3 cup cooked, and I wanted to just use it all up). I mention this because the only *minor* difficulty I had while making them was having them get a bit fragile in the pan while browning before putting them in the oven…and my guess is that my liberal measurements may be somewhat accountable for that.
Anyway, had to comment, because these are absolutely worth the effort! My only regret is not doubling the batch to make some extras for freezing. :)
So great! thanks for sharing, Carolyn!
Zavier says
Would lentils substitute for the beans here?
We haven’t tried it, but it sounds like in earlier comments people had success. Let us know if you give it a try!
Jen says
This looks amazing! For the quinoa – is that 1 cup dry that’s then cooked, or cook first and just use 1 cup of it (assuming it grows a bit as you cook it). thanks!
1 cup cooked + cooled!
Anthony says
I am still not quite clear whether to measure the dry quinoa or the cooked quinoa. Thanks.
1 cup already cooked and cooled.
Jo says
Does 1 cup quinoa refer to 1 cup dried quinoa before cooking or 1 cup cooked??
Micaela says
She says to have it already cooked and cooled so I’d assume 1 cup cooked ?
1 cup cooked!
Laurie Low says
I made these for Sunday dinner and we loved them! I made quinoa in the Instant Pot (1 cup quinoa + 1 cup water for 1 minute. Seriously.) and used my Air Fryer to cook both the black beans (380 for 8 minutes) and then to finish cooking the meatballs (370 for 7 minutes) . I had some leftover cashew alfredo sauce that I used, but thought a marinara would be better. I used half the red pepper and fennel suggested and loved the result. This will become a regular!
Smart! Thanks for sharing. And especially helpful for those with an instant pot or air fryer (two things we don’t have much experience with). xo!
Paige says
Made this tonight, bursting with great flavor. Mine were a little moist though but then again I’m not sure what I was suppose to expect. Held it’s shape nicely. Maybe I should’ve cooked for 30 minutes instead of 20. I’ll sill eat my leftovers though.
Yeah, go a little longer when in doubt. That way you know they’ll hold up when sauce is added!
Lydia says
These are SO delicious! Thank you for bringing them into my life :)
The pepper flakes were definitely noticeable so leave those out if you don’t like heat. I was tempted to heat the cooked meat balls in sauce, like you have in the photos, but I think they would have broken apart if I’d done that.
These were great with sauce and zucchini noodles, but I also think they would work in a pita with salad and tahini. Is that weird?!
We are glad you enjoyed them, Lydia! You could absolutely add these to a pita with salad and tahini!
CBS says
These are excellent. I left out fennel and used onion instead of shallot. Huge hit with my kids and hubs. Next time, I’ll double batch and decrease red pepper for toddler. Another home run, Dana!
Smart! Thanks for sharing!!
Linda says
Delicious Dana,…. You’ve created a very good vegan Meatball recipe. I used N.Y with macadamia instead, that’s what I had for vegan Parmesan. I didn’t have fennel but I’ll try next time. I thought the recipe would be time consuming or too much to do but it went smoothly.
Thanks again for sharing this recipe. “I’ll be back” to try more.
Lovely!!
michael rosen says
would this work for a hamurger patty?
Yes! I’d also recommend checking out this recipe!
Stephanie G says
These really are the best ever!! We made these last night for dinner, and I honestly cant wait to have the second half for lunch. Definitely a must have!!!
Deborah Weisblatt says
Stephanie – How many balls did the recipe make?
Thanks!
Miss Polkadot says
There should be around 14, judging from the picture of the pan and the nutritional information below the recipe :).
Deborah Weisblatt says
Looks really yummy! I’m confused about the serving size. Does the recipe make 14 meatballs, so each one is a serving?
Thanks!
Deb
Yes, 14 meatballs.
Reginald says
Amazing recipe -made it last evening. Newfound favorite for this household. Thanks, love your site and brilliant recipes!
Thanks for sharing!
Marie says
The questions and their answers are not posted together, so it’s best to reference which question you’re making a suggestion for. For the example, “Try oats” doesn’t tell us which ingredient the oats are in place of. A more clear answer would be, “Try ground oats in place of the cashews.” Thanks.
Dannielle says
Excited to try this!
We hope you love it, Dannielle!
Stacey says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe. I especially love all the wholesome ingredients. We appreciate all your efforts that bring tasty vegan recipes into our home!
Ida schnipper says
Made the meatballs. Followed instructions as given and although very tasty they did not hold there shape when warmed in marina sauce. I had same problem with falafel recipe.
Yes the beans were dried and cracked in the oven. Any thoughts?
Taylor says
Mine too ?
Hmm, perhaps the sauce was added too early, before they had a chance to dry and form. Try baking for longer before adding sauce. I’ll add that in the notes!
Ita says
I had the same issue but I think that for me it was because I used the trio of quinoa. I also felt like it took forever to make but that may be the fact that my son was running around me the entire time and I kept having to make sure he wasn’t doing something crazy.
Cooking in sauce broke them apart immediately but I would say perhaps it was because they were too dry rather than not dry enough. Just my guess. They were delicious!
Amy says
Has anyone made a big batch of these and frozen them?
Bekah says
Can these be frozen and reheated for future use? I am curious if I can make a huge batch and freeze some for quick spaghetti dinners in the future.
Courtney Haberman says
It says they last up to a month in the freezer
Yes! A month in the freezer! Reheat in the oven on a baking sheet or cast iron. Add sauce to moisten!
Charis A. says
These look amazing!!
Kathy says
How do you dry the black beans?
Sharon says
I’m sure the term “dried” means to pat the beans dry with a paper towel, not “dried” as in dehydrating them. Hope that helps.
Sue says
In her blog she states, “This 10-ingredient recipe starts with black beans that have been baked to dry them out – this is important, as it helps prevent the meatballs from becoming mushy.
Sharon says
Yes, but you start with the patting them dry and then putting them in the oven to bake them to a dried state. It is probably done to cut down on the moisture when baking them. We’re really splitting hairs on this.
Yes, pat dry, then bake to actually “dry.” Thanks for the help, all!
SEA says
See #2 in the “Instruction” section of the recipe.
Courtney Haberman says
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Add rinsed, dried black beans to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until beans appear cracked and feel dry to the touch (see beans in food processor photo). Remove beans from the oven and then increase oven heat to 375 degrees F (190C).
Lesly says
I love quinoa but it hates me. Any suggestions for a substitution? Gluten not an issue.
Thank you!
Chef Katie Simmons says
Ever try bulgur (cracked wheat)? Or cooked millet (which is GF) would work
Judith says
Try Quaker 1 minute oatmeal. I use it in place of most things of th is type of texture. Good luck!
I’d say millet or amaranth would be nice!
Sue says
HI, I have a nut allergy and almond meal and flour are out, what do you recommend as an alternative?
I would love to make the Banana Bread.
Cheers, Sue
Gina says
Hi Sue, maybe grind oatmeal into a flour. It would be regular not quick cooking. Have a great weekend.
Gina
Karen Todd says
I use ground pumpkin or sunflower seeds to replace almond meal since I have an almond allergy.
loh says
Definitely going to try this!
Have you ever used marmite (or vegemite) in recipes? It’s a tip from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (with whom you share a #1 spot when it comes to my favourite food gurus) and also adds incredible depth to recipes while you won’t taste it by itself – a good thing if you ask me. Vegan worchestershiresauce is almost impossible to get around here while marmite I can get at the local grocer.
Mariceli says
Does it taste the same? I haven’t tried vegan worchestershire sauce. I have Marmite though because Gaz Oakley from Avant-garde Vegan uses it in some recipes.
loh says
I haven’t had vegan worcesershire sauce in over a decade, so find it hard to tell how similar the flavours are. However, I do know they are both typically* used as a background flavour and umami bomb, as well as to add more salt. The idea is not to taste it by itself but allowing it to enhance the other flavours, which both do.
In a recipe like this marmite seems like a no-brainer to me (though instead of worcestershire sauce, together may be a bit too much), but I use it in many things, mock meats; stews; soups… really anything that can use some je ne sais quoi savoriness. Typically about a teaspoon of the stuff is enough, but experiment with it I’d say.
(*well, and marmite on toast of course.)
Kathy says
Can you make them ahead and reheat and how long can you store them in the fridge?
loh says
Think this is more a question for Dana than me (random commenter) but above the ingredients she states it stays good for 4-5 days and can be frozen up to 1 month.
I haven’t but that sounds like an interesting addition!
Bambi Good says
What about coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce?
Margarita says
Marmite is delish. Unfortunately, it’s not gluten-free, so beware, those of us who are gluten-sensitive or intolerant.
Victoria says
For a gluten free version you can use Meridian’s Yeast Extract. Works the same way as marmite/vegemite and is both vegan and gluten free :)
Sara says
Wow do these look banging! However, I don’t have a food processor. Would it be possible to simply mix this up by hand? I do have a big vitamix-type blender, but that seems dicey to me. What do you suggest?
So, the beans do need to be mixed really well with the seeds and everything, so I’d say start in your vitamix type blender. Then transfer to a bowl to mix the rest!
Andrea says
Can I sub adzuki beans or chickpeas in place of black beans?
Gianna says
I used green lentils. Growing up in an Italian-American household we often ate lentils made with leftover Sunday gravey (marinara) during the week.
Chickpeas can be a little tricky, but adzuki would be the next best thing in my opinion! Let us know if you give it a try.
Brenda says
Hi ! I tried with half canned red beans and half chickpeas ( what i had in my fridge ?) and the taste is amazing too !
Lauren Haverty says
Looks amazing! Would it be possible to replace the quinoa with rice or some other grain? I never have it on hand. Thanks!
Adrian Varvari says
I think that rice or couscous will work good enough in this recipe.
Also, I think I’ ll try this with some mushrooms. :D
I think so, too!
Karen says
I pulsed crimini mushrooms and added to ingredients (dried in oven like beans )
They were awesome
Tascha says
Wait, what? Tell me about this mushroom technique.
Vicky JvR says
I just tried it with whole grain brown rice and it was absolutely bomb. My toddler stuffed his face.
Whoop!
monika says
Hi! i bought dry beans in bulk (not canned). So I standardly soak them, cook them first and then put in an oven before processing? thank you
Yes!
Vanessa says
Hi ! What can I add instead of vegan Parmesan cheese ? Thank you ! (Nut allergy)
Mo says
Nutritional yeast
Alison says
If you don’t have a seed allergy, you can substitute hemp seeds and/or sunflower seeds in the vegan parm recipe. I have done both and a mixture. I personally like hemp or mixing them!
Smart!
Shannon says
Is there a way to leave out the parmesan to make it fat free? I also am allergic to nutritional yeast, so I don’t want to sub that. Would I just add brown rice flour or something to retain the bulk?
Thanks!!
I think that could work, Shannon! Let us know if you experiment with it.
Brenda says
Hi ! I just tried the recipe without any parmesan and it turned out just amazing too, so yummy !
Shannon says
Oh awesome! Did you sub it for anything, or just continue as written?
Brenda says
No i just skipped it !