Meatless Meatballs with Soy Crumbles

Name: Meatless Meatballs with Soy Crumbles
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Meatless crumbles*; 1 tablespoon Flaxseed meal; 3 tablespoons Water; 2 Bread Slices*; 3 tablespoons Non-dairy Milk; ¾ cup Ground Oats or Oat flour; 1 Small Onion; 2 Garlic cloves; ½ teaspoon Pepper; 1 teaspoon Dried Herbs; To taste Salt; 3 tablespoons Oil, for frying the meatballs

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Meatless meatballs made with store-bought veggie meat crumbles are easy to make and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. They are perfect to serve just as is or with pasta or in a salad.

White bowl with spaghetti and meatless meatballs topped with chopped herbs

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These homemade vegan meatballs are the best. They are moist but not mushy, hold their shape and are very easy to make. And they take only 30 minutes to make.

My vegan meatballs start with meatless veggie crumbles. There are a wide variety of options of these available these days. You can use TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein), frozen vegan beef crumbles and so on. Read the ingredients section for more information.

This is a dairy-free and egg-free meatball recipe. Instead of using an egg for binding, I used flaxseed meal to make these 100% vegan and 100% easy.

These meatballs are also flavorful with the addition of dried herbs, onion and garlic. They also freeze beautifully for later meals. So go ahead double or triple the recipe and save some for later.

Serve them over spaghetti with tomato sauce. Or make a vegan meatball bowl with your favorite grains, veggies, salad greens and sauces. They are also amazing just as is and Enjoy!!

Grey bowl with meatless meatballs, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, salad greens, green chutney and amba sauce

Why I love this recipe

easy 30 minute recipe
packed with flavor
moist in the inside
not mushy and will hold shape
can be made ahead of time and frozen for later
flavors can be customized – check the Tips section
can be served with as-is or with pasta or in salads

Ingredients

The most important ingredient for these meatless meatballs recipe is the meatless crumbles. There are a wide variety of options available now. Here are a few:

TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) – dried soya crumbles/ granules usually sold in bulk bins of health food stores. These are sold dried and should be re-hydrated or re-constituted before use.
Meatless crumbles – sold either in the frozen or the refrigerated section of the grocery stores:
- Boca, Gardein, MorningStar, Lightlife & Impossible Meat – are all soy based and vegan
- Beyond Meat – soy-free, made with pea protein and vegan
- Quorn – is soy-free and uses Mycoprotein as the base. Note this contains egg white, hence not vegan.

So, depending on your diet restrictions (soy-free or vegan), choose any one of the above veggie crumble option.

Ingredients needed - details in recipe card

The other ingredients you need are:

flaxseed meal – in lieu of egg for binding
bread – feel free to use any bread you have on hand except for sweet bread. Gluten-free bread will also work
ground oats or oat flour – simply blend rolled oats or quick oats in a blender to make fine-ish powder and use in the recipe.
onion & garlic
dried Italian seasoning – this is a classic choice, but check out the Tips section on how to change up the flavors
salt & pepper

Instructions

Start by prepare the meatless crumbles as noted in the Notes section and add to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons water and set aside for 2 minutes. In another small bowl, break bread slices in pieces and soak them in milk for 1~2 minutes.

Side by side photos showing flaxseed meal and bread soaked in milk

Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread and add to the bowl of meatless crumbles along with ground oats. Mix with a spoon to combine the ingredients.

Meatless crumbles - adding soaked bread, oat flour and mixed together

Grate the onion and garlic right into the bowl, so as to catch all the juices.

Next add the flaxseed meal mixture, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine all the ingredients. The mixture should form a ball when you squeeze it in your hand. If it seems too wet, add a little bit more ground oats.

Onion grated into the bowl, addition of flaxseed meal, herbs, salt and pepper

Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a small ball and lightly flatten them. Place all the meatballs on a plate.

Meatless meatball mixture formed into balls and placed on a white plate

Heat 1½ tablespoon of oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add half of the meatballs to the pan in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook them undisturbed for 2~3 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

Meatballs being cooked in oil in a skillet until golden. Placed in tomato sauce

Gently flip and cook on the other side for another 2~3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Use as desired.

Alternatively, meatballs can be air fried or baked at 350 for 8~10 minutes until golden on all sides. Lightly spray with oil.

Tips

Make sure to prepare the meatless veggie crumbles before starting the recipe.
- dried TVP – soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes and then remove excess by squeezing.
- frozen crumbles – thaw according to the package instructions. I prefer microwaving them as per suggested timing.
Any variety of bread can be used in this recipe, except for very sweet bread.
Ideas for flavoring and customizing these vegan meatballs:
- Mexican meatballs – ground cumin, chili powder and dried oregano
- Indian – garam masala, red chili powder, chopped fresh cilantro, ground coriander
- Greek – dried dill, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, lemon zest
Air fry – preheat to 350. Lightly spray the meatless meatballs with cooking oil and bake for 8~10 minutes until golden.
Bake – preheat to 350. Lightly spray with cooking oil and bake for 15~18 minutes until golden.

White bowl with spaghetti topped with 3 meatballs and a fork

FAQ

How do you keep meatballs from falling apart when frying?

These vegan meatballs are pretty sturdy and do not fall apart. But for any reason, if they seem to fall apart, then dust them with more oat flour. This will ensure that they stick together and not fall apart.

How to ensure perfectly cooked and golden brown meatballs?

While cooking, make sure that the pan is not crowded. Once the meatballs are added to the pan, do not disturb them. Let them cook and brown before gently flipping them over. Continue cooking until evenly golden all around.

Can I freeze vegan meatballs?

Of course you can. Completely cool the cooked meatballs and then place them in a single layer in a freezer safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply microwave them 4~6 at a time for 2~3 minutes until heated through.

Few more easy meatless recipes to try

Tofu lettuce wraps
Vegan General Tso’s seitan
Vegetarian arroz tapado (Peruvian rice & soy crumbles)
Kimchi fried rice
Tempeh rendang
Vegetarian Joomuk Bap
Vegetarian Pupusa

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