These vegan meatballs are CRAZY easy to assemble and makes a great addition to any meal. Protein-packed tofu, hearty mushrooms, and Italian seasoning are just a few of the superstar ingredients in this plant-based recipe!
Meatballs were such a staple in my house growing up. One, because my mother is Italian and two, my parents owned a grinder (sandwich) shop and we would make the meatballs from scratch!
Now that meat is out of my life, it doesn’t mean the balls are! This recipe just has a little unconventional twist. Instead of meat and eggs, we use tofu, mushrooms, and flax seeds. The results are a perfect round ball that doesn’t crumble on contact like other veggie ball recipes I’ve tried out there.
Ingredients for Vegan Mushroom Meatballs
Recipes that call for simple ingredients are not only better for your health, but also your wallet! All the ingredients in this recipe are super cheap to buy and easily accessible!
- Extra firm tofu
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Parsley
- Breadcrumbs
- Nutritional yeast
- Ground flaxseed
- Italian seas
How to make mushroom meatballs
To begin, throw the onions, garlic, and mushrooms into a food processor until finely chopped. Alternatively, you can use a knife and do this step by hand, but I’m all for saving time!
The key is to cook the onion/garlic/mushroom combo low and slow until a lot of the liquid is absorbed. This will keep your balls bound for a hearty veggie ball that stays together!
Once the vegetables are thoroughly cooked, it’s just a matter of adding all your ingredients to a mixing bowl! See? Simple, my friends.
Here’s where the fun kicks in! Use your hands to form the balls! Got kids? This is the perfect step to get them involved š
Tip: If the combination is too liquidly, try adding some more breadcrumbs or flaxseed and let sit for 2-3 minutes. This should help absorb some of the liquid!
Voila! Your vegan meatballs are ready to bake! Place on parchment paper or a baking mat to prevent any sticking (and it’s a healthier alternative than cooking spray!)
What to eat with these vegan meatballs:
Besides pasta, the obvious choice, these vegan meatballs would taste great with other meals.
- Pair with zoodles for a low-carb paleo option
- Make “meatball” subs! Toast bread and add marinara sauce and cheese (use a vegan substitute for a plant-based meal)
- Create a “Buddha bowl” or grain bowl. Pair these veggie balls with quinoa and steamed veggies for a complete and wholesome meal
These vegan meatballs are perfectly baked, meaty, delicious in texture, and super filling! Even if you are a meat-eater, these vegan meatballs are a great plant-based alternative that is healthier than a traditional meatball.
Ways to customize this recipe:
- Swap out breadcrumbs for a GF brand to make this recipe gluten-free
- Add red chili flakes for a tasty spice kick!
- If vegetarian, sprinkle in some parmesan or romano cheese. I think we can all agree cheese is delicious but as a bonus, it works as a binding agent.
If you tried these tofu vegan meatballs, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!
If you like this recipe, you’ll LOVE:
Easy Vegan Mushroom Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 package tofu extra firm
- 1 8 oz package baby bella mushrooms
- 1 small yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon red chili flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove tofu from packaging and wrap in paper towels. Place on a plate and add another plate on top of tofu. Place a heavy object on top of the plate and let sit for 15-20 mins.
- Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to food processor and pulse until finely chopped
- Place pan on medium heat and add olive oil. Pour onion mushroom and garlic combo into the pan and let cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove vegetables from heat and pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl
- Unwrap tofu and add to mixing bowl along with remaining ingredients
- Using hands, mix ingredients together and form 1-inch balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet
- Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Looks so delicious, easy and healthy. Protein filled tofu, hearty mushrooms, and Italian seasoning are an amazing combo. Definitely trying this.
Thanks Arjhon! I hope you enjoy š
Oh my they look amazing, I’m sure the shrooms add a wonderful earthiness, I’ve not cooked much with tofu, must get round to trying this.
Thanks for sharing, Brian! I think the mushroom helps with the “meaty” flavor we all love in a meatball!
I donāt cook with tofu much but Iād love to try these! I think meatballs are so versatile so Iād love a good go-to recipe to use for many different dinners! Thanks for the recipe! š looks delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Aleka! I think a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with tofu, but this recipe is a real crowd pleaser (I’m my humble opinion) š
these meatballs tasted really good. I didnāt have red chili flakes so I put in red pepper flakes so they were a little spicy but my husband really enjoyed them… thanks for the recipe Iāll use it again
So happy you enjoyed them, Debbie!
Hello! How much grams in your package of tofu? Thanks
Hey! A standard package of tofu in the US is 14 ounces which is roughly 396 grams. Hope this helps!
I think this is one of the best recipes in the entire universe. =D It is so very forgiving to those of us who are not really into measuring, I pretty much eyeball all of the ingredients. I have made them many times now and I never make them the same twice. Today I didn’t have any parsley so I chopped up some wild arugula. I was too lazy to make enough breadcrumbs and added a little more nooch and a bit of cornmeal. I also change up the spices sometimes. So very good!!!!!!!! Even carnists love them!!!!!!!!!!!!
So great to hear, Angel! This is one of my favorite recipes to serve meat eaters as well and I do love how forgiving it is. š
Hi! these look really really good, I am planning on making them tonight. After they bake, do they freeze okay?
Yes they should! I would love to hear how it turns out!
This is a great recipe for vegan meatloaf too! I threw in some nooch and BBQ sauce. Delicious!
Oh that sounds so good!
Super delicious, and will definitely be a standard here! I didn’t change a thing, but added 1/4 C grated parmesan per the suggestion for customization. I got almost 50 meatballs because I made them 1″ per the recipe, but the photo shows bigger meatballs and the recipe serves 4, and there are 4 meatballs per serving. So something is off, but they turned out great! Thank you!
Yes, 50 meatballs sounds like a lot! I usually get 16 when I make this recipe. Glad you enjoyed them though!
Delicious! and sooo easy to make it!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Hello! Looking forward to making these this week. I donāt have ground flax on hand. Chia? More breadcrumbs? Is it meant to be a binder? Weāre vegetarian, so could we use an egg?
Thanks!
Yes, it’s a binder so eggs would be a substitute! I would try 1 egg and if the mixture isn’t sticking together, you can add 1 more.
Made these last night and loved them. I only used about 2/3 c of bread crumbs. They held together very well and they are delicious. I also used the food processor to grind up the tofu. I’m eating a few right now as leftovers and they’re just as good the next day:)
Thanks so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed them š
Would you freeze them prior to cooking them since everything is ‘cooked’ or do you recommend baking them all and freezing what you don’t eat?
I usually cook them all and freeze the ones I do not eat!
What can I substitute for the nutritional yeast that would still be vegan? Thanks, Sarah
Oat flour would be a good binder. You can add a tad more salt to compensate the flavor. I hope this helps!
I made these last night, ate a serving and froze the remainder. Maybe I did something wrong, but to me, they taste like Thanksgiving dressing, which I love but haven’t had for years! I didn’t like them with pasta and marinade, but I just ate a serving along with vegetables, and they were delicious.
I actually made these today, substituted egg for flax which I didn’t have and they are wonderful! Didn’t have a problem with being wet as cooked mushrooms to dry stage. Can’t wait to share with my friends! Thanks for this recipe