These vegetarian meatballs are made with simple ingredients that will satisfy the vegetarian and meat eaters both! It is a delicious meatless recipe to serve the family topped with marinara sauce and a side of pasta or zucchini noodles.
There are a variety of different recipes out there for veggie meatballs, but this particular recipe is made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and have been a huge hit with the entire family for well over 40 years! So, skip the ground beef and next time you want vegetarian, make these delicious meatless meatballs.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
✔️ They are the best meat free meatballs, the nutty savory flavors are so delicious and goes great with any type of sauce!
✔️ This easy vegetarian meatballs recipe comes together quickly are can be made in the oven or in a skillet.
✔️ It is the best homemade veggie meatball recipe and very easy to adapt to your own flavors.
🥘 Ingredients
Gravy master, this is a flavor enhancer that is meat free.
🔪 Instructions
- Add the eggs to a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Stir in the pecan meal and cheddar cheese and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, or until the onion softens. Whisk in the almond butter, stirring until melted and incorporated with the onion mixture. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the onion mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well until combined. Stir in the bread crumbs.
- Scoop onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Spray top of meatballs with olive oil cooking spray and bake at in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the meatballs over, return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes, until vegetarian meatballs are golden brown.
🥄 Equipment
Baking sheet
🥫Storage
Store any leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe container up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- To lower fat, Substitute egg beaters for the eggs.
- Almond meal or cashew meal can be substituted for the pecan meal.
- Soy sauce can be substituted for the gravy master.
- Add 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast to boost b-vitamins.
- Crush a teaspoon of fennel seeds and add to the meatball mixture with a teaspoon of Italian seasoning for an Italian-style meatball
- Substitute half of the cheddar cheese with parmesan cheese.
- Instead of marinara sauce, serve with a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with ½ can of water. Pour over the cooked meatballs in a casserole dish and bake 15 minutes longer, until soup is warmed through.
- To make this a vegan recipe, use vegan cheese and substitute with a commercial vegan egg replacer or substitute ⅓ cup of ground flax meal mixed with 1 cup of water making a flax egg.
💭 Tips
- To make meat patties instead of meatballs, once the portion has been placed in the skillet or baking sheet, flatten the ball with the back of a spoon.
- To fry, heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add meatballs to the skillet and fry until golden on all sides. If meatballs are browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium, medium-low.
- Make a double recipe and freeze half of the batch up to 3 months for future meals.
🙋 FAQ's
Pecan meal made by grinding pecans until a coarse nut flour forms.
Yes, while my preferred method of cooking is to bake them, pan frying them will also work. Just cook over a medium high heat until golden brown on all sides.
📚 Related Recipes
Vegetarian Chicken Fried Steaks, made with homemade Vegan Steaks!
Vegetarian Tostadas are super easy and so delicious! My family loves when this recipe is on the table.
Another vegetarian recipe I grew up with, this. Vegetarian Meatloaf is easy and delicious!
Lentil lovers will love this Lentil Loaf.
🏫 The last word
Vegetarian food does not have to taste like the real deal in order to be delicious. Many people go into a vegetarian recipe thinking it will taste like the real thing and then will be disappointed.
If you are making this recipe, I highly recommend that you go into it knowing it will not taste like meat. These meatballs are made are the perfect comfort food for the vegetarian.
🍽 Serve with...
This vegetarian meatballs recipe is delicious enjoyed in the traditional way topped with homemade pasta sauce and cooked spaghetti noodles, or serve in a sub roll topped with marinara sauce and cheese, then place under the broiler until the cheese is lightly browned.
These meatballs can also be cooked, then broken up and used in this recipe for Low Carb Barbecue Beef Pinwheels (also a meatless recipe).
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Mom's Vegetarian Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 6 large eggs , well beaten
- 1 cup pecan meal
- 1 small onion , finely diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic , diced
- 1 teaspoon gravy master
- 2 cups Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add the eggs to a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Stir in the pecan meal and cheddar cheese and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, or until the onion softens. Whisk in the almond butter, stirring until melted and incorporated with the onion mixture.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the onion mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well until combined. Stir in the bread crumbs.
- Scoop onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Spray top of meatballs with olive oil cooking spray and bake at in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the meatballs over, return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes, until vegetarian meatballs are golden brown.
Joan
These sound delicious. As a mom of a daughter who is vegetarian, I'm always looking for vegetarian recipes that I can serve to the whole family without making the rest of us feel meat deprived. This sounds alike a great option. We are also eating healthy and watching our calorie intake. Do you have a idea of the calories on this dish?
Thanks!
Shelby
Hi Joan, I don't have it calculated but will do it for you and get back to you.
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom
These look delicious - I lean vegetarian and would love these!
Ala
Whoo! What an awesome household you must have grown up in--vegetarian meatballs sound right up my alley, and it's great to have variety. Thank you for sharing this!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
They say we taste with our eyes first but the smell of your dinner cooking proved otherwise!
Foodie Stuntman
Glad you won over your spouse with these meatballs.
Renee Goerger
HaHaHa! I adore Grumpy's comments. Priceless! These look yummy. I'd happily eat 4 or 5 🙂
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
Sarah Reid
That sounds great! Never seen pecans used for balls before either
Camilla Mann
Okay, I'm intrigued. I have some almond meal. I might try it with that! 😉 Thanks for sharing.
honeyb
Oh, and questions--what is gravy master? And is pecan meal the only one you've ever used? (Not biggie, I can grind up any nut, just wondering.)
honeyb
I will definitely have to fool my family until they've finished eating, then tell them. I did that with a meatless "meatloaf"--told them after they ate it and liked it and they still think I was mean. I don't care. Those meatballs look and sound good and I want them. Meat schmeat.
Liz Berg
Haha, I love your hubby's comment...what an endorsement. I bet they ARE delicious!!!
Christy @ Confessions of a Culinary Diva
How interesting, they sound downright delicious!
Renee
And so I'll have to make these to check out that (expletive) awesome smell (and flavor too).