Super Savory Vegetarian Meatballs

Ok, ok, ok, hold the phone. These meatballs aren’t…well…really meatballs at all. They’re loaded-with-veggie-goodness-balls. They are vegetarian meatballs that are savory bites of perfection, and that absolutely need to be part of your vegetarian recipe collection.

They’re delicious on their own or paired with your favorite classic tomato sauce and spaghetti, in a sub-sandwich, served alongside vegetarian spinach ricotta lasagna, or even enjoyed as a meatless appetizer.

When I develop vegetarian recipes, I focus on flavor, texture, and natural ingredients. This recipe is a prime example of just that – it’s meatless, but everyone, even meat-eaters – will love it. I’ve converted my meat-loving coworkers, shifting their mindset around vegetarian recipes to knowing they can be flavorful, delicious, and filling!

One fried even suggested I call them “holy-sh*t-I-didn’t-know-there-wasn’t-meat-in-these-meatballs” meatballs. So it’s safe to say everyone will love the rich, savory flavor and perfect meatball-like texture. Let’s get to cooking them then, shall we?

Key Ingredients for Vegetarian Meatballs

Are you sitting here wondering well, ok, but what is even in vegetarian meatballs if there’s no meat?

The answer to that question varies greatly! My goal with this recipe was to use completely approachable ingredients that can be found in any good ol’ grocery store and that don’t require any extra prep. Which resulted in the main two ingredients of these veggie meatballs: canned chickpeas and mushrooms.

Here’s a breakdown of the main ingredients for these meatless meatballs, but please note you’ll find the full recipe card below.

• Mushrooms contribute a large part of the umami and meat-like flavor and texture in this recipe. They sauté with onions and garlic aromatics to infuse the flavors and are oh-so-yummy. I like using Baby Bellas, but you can also use white mushrooms or another variety.
• Canned chickpeas are an excellent source of protein. They also help to add a hearty texture to the meatballs, and using a can of them keeps things easy!
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes add a little sweetness but are also totally savory and umami-packed. I recommend using the version not packed in oil, to ensure the meatballs don’t become too wet.
• Italian herbs – use a blend or mix and match your own. The herbs add a lovely flavor punch to the meatballs.
• Worcestershire Sauce – use a vegetarian version of this sauce (the traditional version is made with anchovies). It adds another hint of umami flavor to the meatballs. You could also sub in soy sauce, but then they won’t be soy-free.
• The Binders – egg and panko bind together the meatballs.

How to Make Veggie Meatballs

You will need a food processor to make the mushroom meatball filling and a large skillet to both saute the mushrooms and pan-fry the meatballs later.

Saute the Mushrooms and Aromatics

First, saute the mushroom, onion, and garlic until the water has evaporated out of the mushrooms. Making sure the mushrooms have released most of their liquid is super important! It ensures that your meatballs do not end up soggy. No one wants soggy… meatballs.

Once they’re ready, let the mixture cool while you continue.

Food Process the Chickpeas and Veggies

Combine drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and spices in the food processor. Pulse until they resemble a coarse mixture. Then add the slightly cooled mushrooms and pulse again several times until combined but still somewhat coarse.

Alternatively, you can combine these steps if your mushrooms are completely cooled. It’s important not to add steaming hot mushrooms, or they will create too much moisture from the steam.

Once that coarse mixture is formed, add in the panko and pulse until combined, keeping it a semi-course mixture for the texture of the meatballs.

Taste test the mixture at this point (before you add the egg!) to ensure the salt levels are appropriate for your tastes; adjust as needed.

Add the Egg

Once the panko is added, transfer the chickpea meatball mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in a whisked egg. Through many recipe tests, I preferred stirring in the egg instead of food processing it because if it was pulsed in, the mixture would become too mushy.

Form the Meatballs

If the mixture seems warm from the mushrooms or a little too sticky, place it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Proceed to form approximately 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls. I like to use a cookie scoop to make this process even easier. You’ll end up with 20-24, depending on the size. As one reader recommends in the reviews, make them smaller for more crispy edges when cooking. Great idea!

Time to Pan Fry!

Heat an oil-coated skillet and pan-fry the balls on each side until golden brown and crispy. I use a cast iron skillet because it gives the exterior of the meatballs a perfectly crisp and golden brown coating.

You can bake them if preferred. Check out the notes section of the recipe card for more information on how to do so. The meatballs won’t get as crispy of an exterior when baked but are still delicious.

They’re ready to enjoy once they’re golden brown on each side!

Tips for Serving with Sauce

I don’t recommend cooking vegetarian meatballs in sauce. In my many recipe tests (and personal enjoyment), I’ve found that the meatballs break down if they are cooked in sauce after pan-frying. Instead, serve them one of two ways in the sauce:

• As pictured above, place the meatballs on top of a layer of sauce. You can then either turn the meatballs in the sauce to coat them or pour more sauce on top. Scoop and serve.
• Plate the meatballs on a serving tray or individual bowls and pour sauce on top of the meatballs.

Of course, I highly recommend garnishing with some parmesan cheese, too (check to make sure you’re getting a vegetarian version if needed!)

More Ways to Serve Meatless Meatballs

The world is your oyster—er, meatball—because there are no limits to the ways you can enjoy it.

There’s the obvious: spaghetti and meatballs. I love using my homemade marinara sauce, tossing it with perfectly al dente noodles, and placing the meatballs on top. It’s a delicious, flavorful dinner!

You can also use these meatballs to make a meatball sub – the best with a high-quality baguette. Or turn them into meatball sliders. Make a meatball flatbread pizza (and add burrata to make dreams come true). Mix and match and enjoy the heck outta them!

More Classic Recipes turned Vegetarian

• Healthier Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
• Spinach Ricotta Lasagna
• Individual Vegetarian Pot Pies
• Vegetarian Tater Tot Hot Dish

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!

5 (33 ratings)

Get the Recipe Vegetarian Meatballs made with Chickpeas and Mushrooms

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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These quick pan-fried vegetarian meatballs combine canned chickpeas, sliced mushrooms, panko breadcrumbs, onion, egg, and sun-dried tomatoes. Ready in 30 minutes, they’re savory and satisfying, and hold their shape well. Go ahead and make these bite-size veggie-loaded meatballs for dinner tonight!

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 – 1 ½ Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ ½ cup yellow onion, roughly diced
• ▢ 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ▢ ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, dry; julienned*
• ▢ 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp white pepper
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Italian blend herbs
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 cup panko
• ▢ 2 eggs, whisked
• ▢ Vegetable oil, or a neutral oil, for frying

Equipment

• ▢
  Food Processor
• ▢
  Garlic Press
• ▢
  #40 Cookie Scoop

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Instructions

 

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms, cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until brown and tender, and the water has evaporated from them. With 2-3 minutes remaining with the mushrooms, add the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  1 – 1 ½ Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ cup yellow onion, 2 cups mushrooms, 3 garlic cloves
• In a food processor, add chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, sea salt, white pepper, Italian herb blend, and Worcestershire sauce. Pulse 2-3 times until a very coarse mixture forms.
  1 15-ounce can chickpeas, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp fine sea salt, ¼ tsp white pepper, 1 Tablespoon Italian blend herbs, 2 Tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• Add the mostly cooled mushroom mixture and continue pulsing as a more uniform, yet still slightly coarse, mixture forms. If the mushrooms are too hot, they will add extra moisture from the steam.
• Add the panko breadcrumbs and pulse until incorporated.  Taste test and add additional salt as needed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in whisked eggs until fully incorporated.
  1 cup panko, 2 eggs
• Optional: place the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes if it seems too warm, depending on how cool the mushrooms are.
• Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form and roll 1 – 1 ½ inch meatballs, creating approximately 20-24 balls.
• To pan-fry, coat a heavy-duty skillet (I like to use cast iron) in approximately ¼ inch of neutral oil or olive oil, and heat over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the heated oil, being sure to not crowd the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. You may need to gently turn the meatball from underneath so the outside layer doesn't stick on the first side. Continue cooking in batches until all meatballs are cooked.
  Vegetable oil
• Serve with your favorite tomato sauce as desired, or in your preferred recipe. Do not continue to cook the meatballs in tomato sauce, however. Enjoy!

Notes

• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: use the ones that are dry in a pouch (not ones packed in oil).  If you do use the oil variety, drain the oil and pat dry first to ensure they don’t add too much extra moisture to the mixture. If they’re not julienned, roughly chop them to ensure they’re mixed in with the food processor. 
• Want to bake them? Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or baking dish, spreading the meatballs evenly across. Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown and a crisp exterior forms.

Calories: 326kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 1075mg, Potassium: 885mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 257IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 105mg, Iron: 4mg

Course: Dinner

Author: Becca Mills

Cuisine: Italian

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!

This post was originally published in February of 2018; the text and photos were updated in January of 2020 for clarity.