My Vegetarian Meatball recipe is easy to make and packed full of protein. These meatballs have a chickpea and couscous base that gives them great texture and the fresh herbs, parmesan cheese and ketchup add the perfect rich and smoky flavors. This vegetarian meatball recipe comes together in just about 30 minutes and can be enjoyed in all the ways you would enjoy traditional meatballs.
My Vegetarian Meatball recipe is based off a turkey meatball recipe that my mom used to make all the time. I’m pretty sure she adapted hers from Giada, on the Food Network, and I’ve been making mine the same way since I can remember. I’ve tested this meatball recipe many times and am so excited to share the final version with you. They have great taste and texture and I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Why You’ll Love My Meat Free “Meatballs”
- Easy to make – I make this recipe very similarly to how I used to make turkey meatballs. You just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then cook them in a pan until nicely browned. The mixture comes together really quickly and they don’t take much time at all to cook.
- Packed with protein – My vegetarian meatballs are made with a base of chickpeas, eggs and parmesan cheese, which all contribute a good amount of protein. I like to use couscous as my grain, but you can easily substitute quinoa for even more protein.
- Packed with flavor – You will love the flavor of these chickpea based meatballs. The parmesan cheese, ketchup, parsley and spices add a rich smoky flavor that, in my opinion, really reminds me of the turkey meatballs I used to make.
Why Your Body Will Love This Easy Recipe
Chickpeas – A high-fiber diet is imperative for good digestive health, and chickpeas contain 35 grams of fiber per cup of cooked beans. Beans have a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber, which greatly benefits the digestive process. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract, helping regulate the absorption of nutrients. It also binds to bile in the digestive tract, removing toxins that would otherwise recirculate throughout the body. Insoluble fiber helps bulk up our stool, ensuring that things run smoothly.
Eggs – Eggs are a complete protein, which means they contain all nine essential amino acids the body needs to grow, develop, and repair itself. A diet rich in eggs can help improve muscle health and reduce the risk of malnutrition. Eggs are high in cholesterol, but studies show that for most people, they don’t actually raise bad cholesterol, LDL. Instead, they help boost the good kind of cholesterol, HDL. Obviously, talk to your doctor before making a significant diet change, but if you’ve been avoiding eggs for fear of high cholesterol, it’s worth looking into!
Vegetarian Meatball Recipe Ingredients
- Chickpeas – Chickpeas are the main base to this vegetarian meatball recipe. You could use another type of bean, like white beans, but I find that the texture and taste of the chickpeas makes these meatballs really good.
- Couscous – I like using couscous as a binder because it doesn’t have a ton of flavor and mixes in well with the other ingredients. You can also use quinoa if you want to add extra protein.
- Eggs – I use two large eggs for this recipe. Each egg contains 6 grams of protein and they help ensure that the meatballs avoid getting mushy and hold together well.
- Parmesan Cheese – I just use the grated parmesan cheese that you would put on pizza. It adds lots of flavor and helps bind the meatballs together. If making dairy free, I would suggest substituting nutritional yeast.
- Ketchup – I have always added ketchup to my meatball recipe, even when making them from actual meat, and it adds so much flavor. You can also use tomato paste if you prefer.
- Garlic + Parsley – I love using fresh garlic and parsley in this recipe because those ingredients add tons of fresh flavor. You can just use granulated garlic and dried parsley if needed though.
- Spices – These vegetarian meatballs are seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, regular paprika, smoked paprika, dried oregano and fennel seeds.
- Flour – This step is optional, but I like to roll my meatballs in some flour before placing in the pan. It gives them a really nice crust and adds extra flavor.
How To Make Easy Vegetarian Meatballs
- Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and use a fork, or potato masher, to mash them up. It’s ok to leave a few whole, but I prefer that most of them are completely mashed.
- Next, add in the eggs, couscous, panko, parmesan cheese, ketchup, garlic, parsley and all the spices. I like to use a fork to start mixing everything up with, and then I use my hands to make sure that the meatball mixture is completely mixed together.
- Use your hands to roll mixture into your desired size of meatball and then roll each one in some all purpose flour, just to get a light coating on the outside of the meatball.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cover the bottom with olive oil, about 1-2 tablespoons. Once oil is hot, carefully place the meatballs in the pan, so that they are in a single layer and not too crowded. You can cook them in two batches, if needed.
- Cook meatballs until browned and crispy on all sides, about 7-10 minutes. I like to allow each side to brown for a couple of minutes before turning. Once meatballs are browned on all sides and heated through, you can use them anyway you like.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Make this recipe gluten free by using GF breadcrumbs and substituting the couscous with a gluten free grain, such as quinoa.
- Make this recipe dairy free, by substituting the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast.
- Do the meatballs need to be coated in flour? It is optional whether you want to coat them in flour before cooking, but it does give them a really nice crust that reminds me of a regular meatball.
- How should these vegetarian meatballs be enjoyed? They can be enjoyed anyway you would use regular meatballs. I like to eat them with pasta, make meatball subs with them or just enjoy with some cooked veggies and sauce.
- Is this recipe freezer friendly? Yes, they are freezer friendly. Allow meatballs to cool completely and then pack into a freezer safe container. Freeze up to 3 months. The meatballs may be a little bit dry once defrosted, but adding them to some sauce should help that.
- How long do leftover meatballs last? If stored in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, they should last about 5 days. Re-heat in the oven, microwave or stovetop.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Easy Meat Free Recipes?
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Easy Vegetarian Meatball Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8-12
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
My Vegetarian Meatball recipe is easy to make and packed full of protein. These meatballs have a chickpea and couscous base that gives them great texture and the fresh herbs, parmesan cheese and ketchup add the perfect flavors. This vegetarian meatball recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and can be enjoyed in all the ways you would enjoy traditional meatballs.
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 (heaping) cup cooked couscous (the regular kind, not the pearls)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons small diced white onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, or a few drops of liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and use a fork, or potato masher, to mash them up. It’s ok to leave a few whole, but I prefer that most of them are completely mashed.
- Next, add in the eggs, couscous, panko, parmesan cheese, onion, ketchup, garlic, parsley and all the spices. I like to use a fork to start mixing everything up with, and then I use my hands to make sure that the meatball mixture is completely mixed together.
- Use your hands to roll mixture into your desired size of meatball and then roll each one in some all purpose flour, just to get a light coating on the outside of the meatball.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cover the bottom with olive oil, about 1-2 tablespoons. Once oil is hot, carefully place the meatballs in the pan, so that they are in a single layer and not too crowded. You can cook them in two batches, if needed.
- Cook meatballs until browned and crispy on all sides, about 15-20 minutes. I like to allow each side to brown for a couple of minutes before turning. Once meatballs are browned on all sides and heated through, you can use them anyway you like.
Notes
This recipe makes about 8 large meatballs, or 12 smaller sized meatballs.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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