These Easy Vegan Meatballs can be made with marinara sauce and served as a spaghetti and meatball main dish. Another option is to coat them with bbq sauce and serve them as an appetizer. Whichever way you decide to make them, they’re going to be a hit!
If you’ve been looking for a hearty and filling vegan meatball recipe that is so versatile that it can be used in many different recipes, look no further!
Table of contents
We love these vegan meatballs because they’re…
- Smokey
- Full of flavor
- Firm and not mushy
- Perfect for spaghetti or appetizers
- Wholesome
- Delicious
From vegan meatloaf to meatballs
This recipe was inspired by my No-Meat Loaf recipe. One day while I was making the no-meat loaf, I happened to notice that the firm consistency of it reminded me of meatballs due to the bulgur used. I decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad that I did.
Getting that firm texture
The bulgur gives these veggie balls a great firm texture that will work great in a number of different ways.
Bulgur is a whole wheat grain that is cooked exactly like rice in about 15 minutes. I like to make a big batch of it in my rice cooker and freeze it for use in recipes like this one, spaghetti, lasagna, and nachos.
This amazing grain adds a ground beef texture and soaks up flavors of dishes you’re preparing.
Whether used with barbecue sauce as an appetizer or with marinara for spaghetti and no meatballs, these meatless meatballs hold together very well.
They are terrific served with marinara and pasta, alongside a salad and crusty bread. Other times I bake them with barbecue sauce, and we have them as an appetizer.
How to make vegan meatballs
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper.
Begin by cooking the bulgur according to package directions. It cooks on the stove or in a rice cooker in about 15-minutes.
Though it calls for bulgur, a number of people have told me that they’ve subbed with buckwheat groats, quinoa, brown rice, and barley and it still comes out good.
Dice the veggies–onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and walnuts. One tip here is that a blender or food processor makes it easy to make bread crumbs. It’s also great for chopping the walnuts.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (including the fully-cooked bulgur). Mix with a spoon, or do like I do and use your hands to mix thoroughly.
Form into balls and place on a baking sheet. If the mixture seems too wet, add a few more oats. If it seems too dry, add a little bit of the juice drained from tomatoes or water. These should hold together to form balls pretty well.
Bake at 350°F for approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover with marinara and serve over pasta or on subs. Or drizzle barbecue sauce over top and bake an additional 15 minutes to serve as an appetizer.
If you like them really firm, I suggest refrigerating them once they are cooked so they have more time to set up. When they are reheated, the texture is even denser.
*Originally published June 2015.
Italian Vegan Meatball Sandwich
This delightfully messy vegan meatball sandwich is great for dinner, parties, and game-day food. It’s such a versatile meatless marinara sandwich, even kids love it!
If you like parmesan cheese, I have a terrific easy recipe for you to try out.
Making homemade vegan parmesan cheese is surprisingly easy and only requires a handful of ingredients. It keeps for months, so you’ll have it available to sprinkle on any and everything.
BBQ sauce options
Whether served as an appetizer, main dish, or on a sub sandwich, these fabulous veggie barbecue balls will be a hit! Last week, I took a batch to a company dinner and a family reunion, and they got rave reviews!
There are so many dishes that could use a great barbecue sauce to enhance the flavors. With its sweet smoky flavor, a good bbq sauce can transform a bland recipe into a culinary masterpiece. This 8-ingredient Healthy BBQ Sauce Recipe can do just that!
If you are looking for a premade barbecue sauce, we love this oil-free Bone Suckin’ Sauce.
Other great bulgur recipes to try
- Crockpot Chili
- No-Meat Loaf
- Vegan Meatball Italian Sandwich
- What is Bulgur: How to Cook and Recipes
- Spaghetti & Meatballs
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Vegan Meat Balls
Whether served as an appetizer, main dish, or on a sub sandwich, these fabulous veggie barbecue balls will be a hit! Last week, I took a batch to a company dinner and a family reunion, and they got rave reviews!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked bulgur, this is a whole wheat grain that cooks just like rice
- 1-1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs, (equals 2-3 slices of bread)
- 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup fire roasted tomatoes, (with juice drained and reserved)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sticks celery, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 3/4 cup carrot, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, (optional)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- sea salt, to your taste
- marinara or barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350. Parchment paper makes clean up so much easier with this recipe.
- Cook bulgur according to package directions. It cooks on the stovetop or in a rice cooker in about 15-minutes.
- Dice all veggies--onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and walnuts.
- Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl. You can use a spoon, but I prefer to use my hands to thoroughly blend ingredients.
- Form into balls and place on a baking sheet. If the mixture seems too wet, add a few more oats. If it seems too dry, add a little bit of the juice drained from tomatoes or water. These should hold together to form balls pretty well.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover with marinara and serve over pasta or on subs. Or drizzle barbecue sauce over top and bake an additional 10-15 minutes to serve as an appetizer.
- If you like them really firm, I suggest refrigerating them once they are cooked so they have more time to set up. When they are reheated, the texture is even denser.
Notes
Though it calls for bulgur, a number of people have told me that they've subbed with buckwheat groats, quinoa, brown rice, and barley and it still comes out good.
Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 5.3gCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 11gProtein: 10.2g
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Deb
Thursday 13th of May 2021
These were fantastic. Great flavor & texture.👍🏻👍🏻
Mary Carter
Wednesday 15th of April 2020
How much garlic is used? I see it in the instructions and I noticed it in the photos but I don't see it in the list of ingredients. I just made these today and didn't add any. I haven't eaten any yet because I plan on adding marinara sauce tomorrow and have them with pasta.
I'm sure they would be better with some garlic so let me know how much so I can add it next time,
Terri Edwards
Wednesday 15th of April 2020
Hi Mary- Good catch on that! I like to add two cloves of minced garlic.
Dolores Jones
Wednesday 17th of July 2019
I made these today and they are so good. Thank you for another great recipe. Dolores Jones
EatPlant-Based.com
Wednesday 17th of July 2019
Oh, that's so great! I'm glad you like the meatballs. Thank you SO much for letting me know.
Hilary Haney
Wednesday 17th of October 2018
Would this work with farro?
EatPlant-Based.com
Wednesday 17th of October 2018
I haven't tried it with farro, but it would definitely be worth a try. I think it could work just fine.
Jo-Ellen
Tuesday 28th of August 2018
I love these!! We have made many, many batches, and have several batches in the freezer. We freeze them after the first baking. When we take them out of the freezer, we bake them for 15+ more or BBQ them. Delicious either way!