My vegan gluten free meatballs are a delicious twist on traditional meatballs. Made with a base of tempeh and chickpeas, they deliver a satisfying, meaty texture and rich flavor without any meat, dairy, or gluten.
This is the best vegan meatball recipe over pasta or as a party appetizer!
Why You'll Love My Recipe
This vegan gluten free meatball recipe didn’t come together by chance. I tried several combinations to get the perfect balance of taste and texture.
Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of just tempeh meatballs, so if you feel the same way, you’re going to love these!
Using both tempeh and chickpeas with a splash of tamari creates gluten free meatless meatballs with a “meaty” quality, but none of the bitterness that tempeh can bring. For a little cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast works wonders.
I use pantry staples that are easy to find and budget-friendly to make meatballs vegan. Anyone can make this recipe and have a delicious vegan dinner ready in just 30 minutes!
Kim's Tips For Success
- Pulse, Don’t Purée: When processing the tempeh and chickpeas, I use the pulse function to create a crumbly, meat-like texture. Over-blending will make the mixture too smooth and dense.
- Use The Oil: For the best vegan meatballs, I recommend using all the oil. It's for both texture and flavor. Plus, about a quarter of the oil will stay in the pan.
- Dough Consistency: The mixture should feel dough-like so the meatballs hold their shape. If it’s too wet, I add a little more breadcrumbs. If too dry, I add a splash of water.
- Taste and Adjust Seasoning: Before baking, I always taste the mixture to adjust the seasonings, if needed. Sometimes I even warm a spoonful in the microwave and then taste.
Ingredients
You don't need any fancy ingredients to make my gluten free vegan meatballs! In fact, you probably have most of them already on hand.
- Tempeh: I use gluten free tempeh to give my homemade vegan meatballs a hearty texture that mimics ground meat. Most tempeh is gluten-free but make sure to check the label as some can contain barley or other grains.
- Chickpeas: These mild flavored beans add moisture and texture. What I love about chickpeas is their versatility.
- Flax Eggs: To make my recipe vegan, I use 2 flax eggs in place of real eggs. The mixture of ground flaxseed and water acts as a wonderful binder and adds a little nutty flavor too.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You'll need some olive oil to saute the aromatics and add some fat for flavor. Remember olive oil is a healthy fat (source).
- Onions and Garlic: Finely minced onions and fresh garlic cloves add layers of flavor. I used yellow onions for the most pungent flavor but white onion works too. Garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Tamari: Used to add a touch of umami depth and saltiness that adds a meaty flavor. If you're out of tamari you can use one of my suggested tamari substitutes or even soy sauce if gluten isn't a concern.
- Nutritional Yeast: Adds a hint of “cheesy” flavor, which makes the dairy free meatless meatballs more savory and flavorful. You can find nutritional yeast flakes in most grocery stores or health food stores.
- Herbs & Seasonings: I use a blend of dried oregano, basil, and parsley to bring Italian-inspired flavor to each bite. You could easily substitute it with Italian seasoning. Sea salt and black pepper enhance the overall taste and can be adjusted to taste.
- Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs: Just like most gluten free meatball recipes I use bread crumbs to add structure and texture. Feel free to use regular panko if you don't need to make vegan gluten free meatballs. Gluten free quick oats are another option.
How To Make Vegan Meatballs
Making vegan meatballs gluten free is really easy and doesn't call for any special skills. If you follow my simple recipe they will turn out perfectly.
Make Flax Eggs: To begin, I preheat my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Then I combine 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set it aside. The flax eggs need time to turn into a gel-like consistency.
Saute Aromatics: While the oven is preheating, I heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Next, I add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are translucent. Then I remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
Process Tempeh & Chickpeas: To form the base of the meatballs, I first put the tempeh and chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles crumbled meat. Be very careful not to overdo it. You want some texture, not a paste.
Make Meatball Mixture: I add the cooked onions and garlic along with the oil to the tempeh mixture followed by the flax eggs, tamari, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Then I pulse the mixture until it's well combined and like a dough. You will need to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times.
Add Breadcrumbs: After the meatball base is combined, I transfer it to a large bowl. Then I mix in the gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. At this point, if the mixture seems too wet add more breadcrumbs, if too dry add a little water.
Form Meatballs: To make the meatballs, I scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture and roll them into balls. As I'm doing this step, I put the meatballs on a non-stick baking sheet or one lightly greased with cooking spray.
Bake: Once I've got the vegan meatballs made, I put the baking sheet in the oven and cook the meatballs for about 15-20 minutes, turning them halfway through for even browning. They should be firm and slightly brown when done.
Serve: I serve them! These plant based meatballs work over pasta with marinara sauce, topped with vegan parmesan cheese, or as an appetizer served with your favorite dipping sauce. There is no wrong way to enjoy my vegan gluten free meatballs.
✏️ Recipe Card! Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all the details on how to make my vegan and gluten free meatballs with the exact amounts.
Serving Suggestions
Classic Spaghetti And Meatballs: Serve these vegan gluten free meatballs over a bed of spaghetti with my incredible marinara sauce and a sprinkle of my vegan parmesan. For a little spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Meatball Subs: Pile them into a toasted baguette or hoagie roll with your favorite marinara sauce, melted vegan mozzarella, and fresh basil. Broil until the cheese is bubbly for a vegan Italian meatballs sub. Yum!
Salad Topper: Top my vegan Caesar salad with lentils with these meatballs for a hearty lunch or light dinner. You could also serve them with my quinoa tabbouleh salad.
Appetizer: Serve them on toothpicks as an appetizer with an assortment of dipping sauces. You can go for classic marinara or offer an assortment like my vegan ranch dressing, vegan chipotle mayo, and vegan cheddar cheese dip.
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Frequently Asked Questions
You can store leftover meatballs in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just place them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) or heat them in a skillet with a little spaghetti sauce.
Yes, my tempeh meatballs freeze well! Once baked, I allow them to cool completely, then place them on a baking sheet, and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, I transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag. Vegan meatballs will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, I bake the frozen meatballs at 350°F (175°C) until warm.
Yes! You can prepare the mixture a day in advance and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the meatballs. Another option is to bake the meatballs ahead of time and reheat them as needed.
Yes! You can pan-fry my vegan gluten free meatballs in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
If you’re looking for a substitute for tempeh, I suggest using chickpeas or black beans. This will produce a similar flavor and texture.
If you don’t have nutritional yeast on hand, you can use vegan parmesan, or just not add it. This will impact the flavor of the plant based meatball recipe a little but they will still be delicious.
More Vegan Gluten Free Recipes
⭐️ One Last Thing! If you make my easy vegan meatballs recipe please leave a review and rating to let me know how you liked it! Doing so helps other readers and me too! Your feedback makes a difference.
Vegan Gluten Free Meatballs
Ingredients
Vegan Meatballs
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup brown onion, finely minced (about 1 medium)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoons water)
- 8 ounces gluten free tempeh
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon light tamari
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Serving
- Spaghetti or your favorite pasta
- Marinara sauce
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a small bowl, combine 2 the tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons of water and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Then add the minced onion, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent. Set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the tempeh and drained chickpeas until they resemble crumbled meat.
- Add the sautéed onion and garlic (with the oil), flax eggs, tamari sauce, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper to the tempeh mixture in the food processor. Now, pulse until everything is incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. You want a dough-like texture, not a puree.
- Transfer the meatball mixture to a large bowl and fold in the gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. Adjust the texture as needed by adding more breadcrumbs if too wet or a touch of water if too dry.
- Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture and roll them into balls. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet or one lightly greased with cooking spray.
- Bake the tempeh meatballs for 16-20 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through. When done, they should be firm and golden brown.
- Serve over pasta with marinara sauce, topped with vegan parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Texture Tip: For the best texture, pulse the ingredients in the food processor rather than blending them continuously. This will keep the mixture crumbly and meat-like instead of overly smooth.
- Adjusting Seasonings: Taste the mixture before shaping the meatballs and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference. Remember, chickpeas and tempeh benefit from generous seasoning.
- Serving Ideas: These meatballs are versatile! Enjoy them with pasta and marinara, in a meatball sub, or as a protein-packed salad topper.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the mixture up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. When ready to bake, simply form the meatballs and proceed with baking.
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