Vegan Meatballs! My vegetarian take on ground beef meatballs made with impossible meat! Juicy meaty won’t fall apart veggie balls that taste beyond DELICIOUS and no one will believe are vegan! Seriously the best plant based meatball recipe you will make and so EASY! 15 Minute prep time! Nut free, easily gluten free.
And there are no lentils, mushrooms, tofu, tempeh, beans, flax eggs or chickpeas needed!
These vegan meatballs whip up in minutes just like the classic Italian recipe made with hamburger and then baked to perfection. and I’d say they’re Healthier, better for you and just as tasty!
The perfect staple for any kitchen with Impossible meat as the main ingredient. Mmm spaghetti and meatballs with marinara & parmesan anyone… or Swedish meatballs, soups, casseroles, even for dippers and appetizers too! So versatile!
This is one simple but exceptional meatless meatball recipe! And you’ll fool the hardiest of carnivores too! Not kidding!
Make ahead and freeze for a super quick and easy meal any weeknight! Just drop them frozen or thawed into your favourite jarred or homemade sauce, simmer and your good to go! It feeds a crowd so you might want to freeze half!
We’ve had impossible burger at our local Safeway in Canada for a couple of months now and I’m so glad I found it, I’m obsessed with this product! I’ve already made meatloaf (first time using and so incredible). I mean who knew vegan meat could taste so real!!
I cannot wait to make more impossible burger recipes- vegan tacos, meat sauce, oh Italian meatball soup, mmm and so much more!
These are better than any store bought variety you can buy like Gardein, Yyes, Trader joes, etc... and tastier than Ikea meatballs and convenient because you can make your own meat free meatball sandwich without leaving your house to go to subway! Yay!! Win Win! (I made some last night😋)
So if you’ve been missing your Mom’s homemade meatballs and want to make an amazing vegan meal that will please and impress everyone, this is your recipe! Says me😊 Meat eaters won’t have a clue that it’s vegan!
Wonderful to serve anytime of the year, October, January or even in the summer! Everyone will love and devour them!
Ingredients & substitutions for vegan meatballs:
- Impossible Burger: this is the vegan ‘ground beef’. You can also use beyond meat or sausage.
- Panko breadcrumbs and plant milk: mixed together this is the traditional way to add moisture to meatballs. Sometimes onions are added but I felt they were not needed. Can substitute veggie stock or water for plant milk.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: adds amazing flavour and is common in some meatball recipes just make sure it’s vegan before purchasing. Here is a link to two of my favourite brands HERE & HERE. Could sub Braggs, Tamari or soya sauce regular or lite (I would use lite). I like recipe best as written tough!
- Fresh garlic: a little goes a long way in this recipe but is so good!
- Herbs and spices: fresh parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel, granulated onion and salt and pepper
- Nutritional yeast: adds nice cheesy element (optional)
- For gluten free: use gluten free Panko breadcrumbs
How to make the best vegan meatballs:
This meatball recipe is so simple you won't believe it!
- Preheat oven to 425° Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together the breadcrumbs and vegan plant milk. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the rest of ingredients, Now add in the breadcrumb/milk mixture. Mix everything together well.
- Roll into balls about 1 and ½ tablespoons each. I use my small cookie scoop to measure. Place on prepared sheet pan and space evenly.
- Bake for 11 minutes. Enjoy with your favourite sauce (marinara or other), pasta and dairy free parmesan or serve as appetizers with dipping sauce! For full recipe ingredients and instructions see recipe card below.
How to freeze meatballs:
- Once cooked and cooled, these meatballs can be frozen for quick meals on busy weekdays! Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to a couple of months.
These meatless meatballs are:
- juicy, meaty and amazing!
- delicious!
- versatile
- protein rich
- the best!
- vegan!
- perfect!
- so EASY!!
- savoury & satisfying
- best comfort food
- perfect pasta dish with spaghetti noodles and marinara any night of the week
Enjoy you guys! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based & Vegan Recipes❤️
Want more vegan meat recipes? Check these out:
- Best Vegan Meatloaf
- Vegan Steak Recipe (Seitan)
- Crazy Good Vegan Shepherd’s Pie (AKA Cottage Pie)
- Vegan Turkey
- Vegetarian Salsbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy (Meatball version)
Best Vegan Meatballs! (Impossible Burger)
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 Servings (approx 40 meatballs) 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Meatballs! My vegetarian take on ground beef meatballs made with impossible meat! 15 Minute prep time! Juicy meaty won’t fall apart veggie balls taste beyond DELICIOUS and no one will believe are vegan! Seriously the best plant based meatball recipe you will make and so EASY! Nut free, easily gluten free.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs*
- ¼ cup unsweetened plant milk
- 2 packages Impossible burger (340g/12 oz each), can sub 1 pkg for beyond meat Italian sausage mild or hot casings removed
- 2 and ½ tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce, I like Wizard's or Annie's
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional but tasty)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or use a mix of dried oregano and basil
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 and ½ teaspoons granulated onion (powder)
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together the breadcrumbs and vegan plant milk. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the rest of ingredients, Now add in the breadcrumb/milk mixture. Mix everything together well.
- Roll into balls about 1 and ½ tablespoons each. I use my small cookie scoop to measure. Place on prepared sheet pan and space evenly. (makes 40 meatballs)
- Bake for 11 minutes. Enjoy with your favourite sauce (marinara or mushroom gravy), pasta and dairy free parmesan or serve as appetizers with dipping sauce! For step by step photos see above post.
Notes
- To store: will keep covered in fridge for 4-5 days and freeze well, Once cooked and cooled place on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to a couple of months. Add frozen or thawed right to your sauces, soups, or stews and simmer until warmed through.
- For gluten free: use gluten free Panko breadcrumbs
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: could substitute Braggs, Tamari or soya sauce regular or lite. (I recommend using lite or it might be too salty) I like recipe best as written tough!
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 11 Minutes
- Category: Mains
- Method: Bake/Oven
- Cuisine: Italian, American, Canadian
Joel
Totally recommend this recipe it's a winner!
Verna
thank you so much!
Tom
Excellent meatballs! One of the best vegan recipes I've made yet!
Verna
What a nice compliment thank you!
Mel
This was my first time ever making meatballs - vegan or non! Thank you for making it a super successful experience! I used Beyond Beef and bread crumbs from a delicious (but stale) artisan loaf - absolutely amazing! I'm allergic to tomatoes so I made a cashew-based alfredo to go with fettucini, but my carnivorous partner ate his with marinara. The meatballs held their own with both sauces or by themselves - so yummy!
Verna
Thank you fo such wonderful feedback Mel I am thrilled you both enjoyed them!
Barb
I really try to avoid processed foods, but I was craving some good old spaghetti and meatballs. This did the trick. I used the half sausage/half meat combo and all I can say is WOW!!! The taste and texture were as close to a meatball as you can get. Even the carnivore ate them. I baked them and then put them in my marinara for a while to simmer. I froze half of them and cannot wait to devour my leftovers. Thank you for such a great and easy recipe. BTW this is my go to marinara....always spot on. cookie and Kate simple-marinara sauce
Verna
I am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe Barb. Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Dana
These were absolutely delicious! I smothered them in two different sauce, one BBQ and the other with more Asian flavors, and they were outstanding with both. They were even delicious by themselves! Definitely will be my go to recipe from here on.
Verna
That makes me so happy! Thrilled you're enjoying the recipe and love the feedback! Everyone will appreciate it, thank you!
Sharon
Outstanding recipe! Can’t even tell they’re vegan
Verna
thank you so much!
Kelli
Holy crap, Verna, these were awesome! Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world. I followed your recipe almost to a T (didn't have parsley, so omitted it and added 2 extra cloves of garlic because, well, garlic is delicious). This recipe will definitely be going in the Make Again list.
Verna
You made my day!! thank you and thrilled you enjoyed them!
Annie
My family didn't know these were vegan. Simmered in my pasta sauce. just wonderful
Verna
So nice to hear thank you!
Kelli
I make a Dutch meatball soup where I drop the meatballs into boiling broth to cook and add rice and veggies and simmer for hour and a half. Converting recipe to vegan for my son. Wondering if these will hold up or should I bake them first and add at the end when the soup has already been simmered? Thanks for your help. And to make them Dutch, I'll change the spices to nutmeg, salt, pepper and parsley.
I love converting my recipes to vegan!
Verna
Hi Kelli I would cook them first and then simmer in broth towards the end of cooking, and the soup sounds fabulous!!
Kelli
The soup turned out wonderfully adding the baked meatballs to the end of soup cooking time. They held their shape wonderfully. The kids loved the Dutch meatball soup vegan version!
Verna
Awesome!! thanks for letting me know, I'm so glad they worked for you!
Marry Ann
just made these yesterday - total hit with the family. I used half sausage half impossible like you suggested. Will be on recipe rotation now for sure!
Verna
thank you so much!!
Cora
these taste just like real meatballs my family was super impressed with this one!
Verna
thanks so much!
Vanessa
omg these were so good!!
Verna
thank you so much!
GG
I am going to try this tomorrow but am thinking of doing an impossible & babybella mushroom mixture. do you think that will work? thanks!!
Verna
I haven't tried it with mushrooms let me know how it goes!
Deb
My son is vegan and his daughter is vegetarian so I thought I would try these meatballs. They are delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Have you ever tried them with barbecue sauce?
Verna
glad you liked them Deb! no haven't tried yet!! but will be adding my bbq sauce recipe in future👍 Yum!!
Sam
making this tonight can't wait thanks!
Verna
Enjoy Sam!