Vegetarian Meatballs
If you like your vegetarian meatballs with beans, veggies, and BIG flavour, these chickpea and beet meatballs are for you, my friend! They’re sweet and spicy and do double duty as an appetizer or dinner protein.
While I am giddy to go to the grocery store and see so many plant-based options available these days, I still have a soft spot for homemade versions of things like Grillable Veggie Burgers, Vegan Bacon Crumbles, and vegetarian meatballs. Sometimes I don’t want a meatball that replicates the taste of meat. I want grains! Beans! Veggies! FLAVOUR! If you can relate, I think you’re going to flip for these chickpea and beet meatballs. They’re earthy, sweet, smoky, and I add lots of garlic and red pepper flakes for a kick. These aren’t grocery store vegetarian meatballs—and that’s a good thing!
Why These Vegetarian Meatballs Are Better Than Store-Bought
Yes, it’s a bold claim, but here’s how I back it up!
- Fantastic texture. Roasting beets yields a smooth, velvety texture that helps with binding these veggie meatballs. They’re firm enough to hold their shape, yet tender when you cut into them with your fork.
- Sweet and spicy flavour. You can adjust the spicy part to be sure, but I’m a spicy addict, so of course, I add some extra heat when I make these myself. And the heat is balanced with the natural sweetness of the beets and a touch of maple syrup.
- Great for meal prep. It’s hard to resist making a batch of these vegetarian meatballs and eating them immediately (I speak from experience), so I definitely recommend making double and freezing some for later! Heat them up for an easy dinner option.
Notes on Ingredients
Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients you’ll need to make these vegetarian meatballs. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Roasted beet – I have instructions for how to roast beets in the recipe notes for my Beet “Feta” Salad.
- Chickpeas – The liquid can be frozen to use as a Vegan Egg Substitute!
- Liquid smoke – If you prefer not to use this, you can leave it out or add a few pinches of smoked paprika instead.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- Panko breadcrumbs – Swap in gluten-free panko or breadcrumbs if you need to make gluten-free vegetarian meatballs.
- Olive oil – Or coconut oil, if you prefer.
- Salt & pepper
- Maple syrup – Date Syrup would also work.
- Garlic
- Crushed red pepper
- Flax egg – Learn more: How To Make A Flax Egg.
How to Make Chickpea and Beet Vegetarian Meatballs
Here’s a step-by-step overview of the process for making these tasty meatless meatballs.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 375℉ and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Make the flax egg and freeze it for 10 minutes.
- Make the meatball mixture. Pulse the beet and chickpeas in your food processor a few times, then add all the remaining ingredients. Pulse to incorporate.
- Form the meatballs. Use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the chickpea mixture per meatball and set them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp and browned on the outside.
- Serve. Let the meatballs cool a bit to set, then serve as desired.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t over-process the mixture. If you blend the meatball mixture until it’s completely smooth, your vegetarian meatballs will have a paste-like texture. Bits and pieces of beet and chickpea are okay!
- Swap in a golden beet. If you want to avoid the mess of red beets, try using a golden beet instead. They have a milder flavour and won’t stain your hands.
- Add in some spices. For extra flavour, add in some dried herbs or spices to the meatball mixture. Italian seasoning, cumin, or thyme are all great options.
Serving Suggestions
Add these chickpea beet meatballs to a bowl of spaghetti with Marinara Sauce for a traditional serving option, or add them to meal bowls like this Nourishing Vegan Buddha Bowl. You can also make them into meatball sandwiches, serve them as an appetizer on toothpicks, pile them atop Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto or Vegan Mashed Potatoes. So many options!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftover vegetarian meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 3 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze these meatballs before or after baking for up to 1 month. To freeze before baking, place the uncooked meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Already cooked meatballs can be popped into an airtight container or freezer bag.
- To reheat: Unbaked meatballs can be baked directly from frozen, just adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Otherwise, warm up the vegetarian meatballs in a 350ºF oven, air fryer, toaster oven, or microwave until heated through.
Enjoy friends! If you make this vegetarian meatball recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Chickpea and Beet Vegetarian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 medium roasted beet, chopped
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, 255 grams
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke, 30 grams
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce, 10 grams
- 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 40 grams
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or melted coconut oil, 27 grams
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 20 grams
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 gram
- 1 Flax egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and prepare a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Set up your flax egg in the freezer for 10 minutes and prepare the other ingredients.
- In a food processor, add the chopped beet and chickpeas and pulse until smoother. Add in all the other ingredients including the flax egg. Pulse/blend until incorporated together, but not too much (you don’t want it to turn into a paste).
- Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons per ball. I got about 13 meatballs.
- Place on the silicone mat and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven. I baked for 20 minutes.
- Remove and allow the meatballs to cool. They will definitely firm up as they cool.
- Serve over cooked pasta, even risotto. Top with vegan parmesan cheese and fresh parsley to garnish.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store leftover vegetarian meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 3 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze these meatballs before or after baking for up to 1 month. To freeze before baking, place the uncooked meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Already cooked meatballs can be popped into an airtight container or freezer bag.
- To reheat: Unbaked meatballs can be baked directly from frozen, just adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Otherwise, warm up the vegetarian meatballs in a 350ºF oven, air fryer, toaster oven, or microwave until heated through.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
haha beet balls … that made me laugh! But seriously though … these sound amazing. I LOVE anything with beets and as meatballs? So fun! (that color alone!!)
Hahaha. I LOVED the colour! It was almost too pretty to eat (almost). Thanks Ashley!
Love these beet balls, gorgeous color and gorgeous pictures Jessica!! 🙂
Thanks Manali!
Meatless meatballs are the way forward. They go so well in a meatball sub too with homemade BBQ sauce.
So true! Thanks for commenting Dannii!
Tweaked your recipe slightly…oats instead of bread, tofu instead of flax egg, made into a meatloaf. It was fantastic. Thanks for the recipe, would never have thought of beets in this. Love your recipes.
Hi Jackie,
Meatloaf sounds like such a great idea!! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback! I have to try this in a meatloaf form now. 🙂
Would be really helpful to know the weight of the raw beetroot, before being roasted, given beets can weigh anything from a few grams to a kilogram.
Hi Rosemary,
I’m not sure what weight I used for this – but a medium sized beet should be fine!
Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it so this isn’t vegan.
Hi Sam we use a vegan version. If none is available you can try a dash of liquid smoke. I hope this helps!
What is liquid smoke ?
It’s a flavouring agent made from wood chip smoke! Adds some incredible smokey flavour to dishes (and it’s perfectly safe!). Hope this helps!