This vegan meatloaf makes a perfect holiday main dish or entree! With hearty chickpeas, lentils, and seasonings, it takes only 15 minutes of prep and has the most incredible texture, rated 5 stars by dozens. It’s bound to be a show-stopper at your next meal!

Serve this moist and flavourful vegan meatloaf at Thanksgiving with vegan mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. It’s a great alternative to vegan turkey!

Overhead view of vegan meatloaf cut into slices on a parchment-lined wire rack.

You NEED to try this vegan meatloaf! You will not be disappointed. I know I say that with almost everything, right? But this loaf is so delicious, with a meltingly tender 5-star texture that blows all other vegan meatloaf recipes away. I knew I wanted the perfect balance of moist versus firm, and after lots of testing, I’m thrilled to say that this meatloaf is IT. I can’t think of a better setting for this beauty than a vegan Thanksgiving table. Or, really, any table!

Why I Love This Vegan Meatloaf Recipe

  • Quick. This vegan meatloaf recipe needs about 15 minutes of hands-on prep before it’s ready to bake. The filling is simple but packed with savory ingredients and cozy spice. I make a quick tomato sauce to brush over top before baking, which is also very quick.
  • Holiday-worthy. Vegan meatloaf is the perfect vegan-friendly Thanksgiving or holiday main dish. It’s satisfying and hearty, and it pairs so well with all kinds of Thanksgiving sides, from mashed potatoes to stuffing!
  • Versatile. I think I ate this meatloaf for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days the last time I made it. Even beyond the holidays, it’s super versatile! Make it into a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich, mince it to garnish a vegan pizza, or add it to a breakfast hash recipe.
Ingredients for the vegan meatloaf.

Notes on Ingredients

These are some quick notes on what this vegan meatloaf is made of. Spoiler: all good things, with no mystery ingredients or additives! One more perk of making this loaf from scratch. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe amounts.

  • Vegan Worcestershire sauce – Make sure that you’re buying the vegan bottle, as most aren’t. And if you can’t find it, don’t sweat it. Soy sauce makes a great substitute.
  • Flax egg – In all my testing, a flax egg is the best binder for vegan meatloaf. Ensure that your flax seeds are fresh (most of us seem to have a bag in our pantry or fridge from years ago). The seeds’ freshness affects how gelatinous your “egg” gets.
  • Breadcrumbs – If you’re gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs!
  • Brown lentils – I don’t recommend substituting any other type of lentils in this recipe. Red lentils are too mushy, and green lentils give the meatloaf a strange colour. Canned lentils are a great way to cut down on cooking time.
  • Liquid smoke – I use a good amount of liquid smoke in this recipe. You can easily swap it for more soy sauce, but it makes a big difference in terms of flavour. If you’re sensitive to the taste or think 2 tablespoons might be overpowering, use only 2 teaspoons (and taste it before you add it to the meatloaf mixture).
Close up of a fork cutting into the corner of a slice of vegan meatloaf, with a second slice in the background.

How to Make Vegan Meatloaf

Here’s a short step-by-step showing how to make this best-ever vegan meatloaf. You’ll find printable directions in the recipe card after the post.

Overhead view of vegan meatloaf sauce in a bowl with a whisk.
Make the tomato glaze.
Diced red onion, garlic, and celery added to a pan.
Sauté the veggies.
  • Make the tomato glaze. First, mix tomato paste with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and sea salt for the glaze. Set this aside for now.
  • Sauté the veggies. Meanwhile, sauté garlic, onion, and celery over medium-high heat until softened.
Ingredients for vegan meatloaf combined in a large bowl.
Combine the ingredients.
Vegan meatloaf mixture in a large mixing bowl with a spatula.
Stir together.
  • Combine the ingredients. Add your sautéed veggies to a large bowl along with the chickpeas, lentils, liquid smoke, vegan Worcestershire (or soy sauce), breadcrumbs, sea salt, ground black pepper, flax eggs, tomato paste, and thyme. Gently mix with a wooden spoon.
  • Blend. Next, add the mixture to a food processor. I have a 10-cup food processor, so if yours is smaller, consider blending in batches. Pulse a few times until everything begins to come together.
Vegan meatloaf mixture inside the food processor.
Blend.
Overhead view of unbaked vegan meatloaf in a parchment-lined loaf pan.
Fill the pan and bake!
  • Fill the pan. Afterward, transfer the mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Pour over the tomato glaze from earlier.
  • Bake. Bake your vegan meatloaf at 375ºF for 45-60 minutes. My loaf is usually done at around 55 minutes. It’s ready if a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Allow the meatloaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it, slice, and serve. I cut my slices about 1-inch thick.

Why is my vegan meatloaf falling apart?

I tested this recipe specifically to avoid a crumbly meatloaf. However, it’s important to NOT over-pulse the vegan meatloaf ingredients in your blender or food processor. I did this the first time, and the mixture turns to mush and won’t firm up in the oven. You want to see chunks of celery, lentils, and other ingredients in the mix. I like to pulse about 10 times.

Secondly, make sure to press the mixture firmly into the loaf pan and bake the meatloaf until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. If you’ve done all of this and it’s still falling apart, place the meatloaf in the fridge for an hour and it will firm up completely.

Overhead view of glazed vegan meatloaf on a parchment-lined wire rack.

Recipe Tips

  • Don’t overwork your meatloaf mixture. Too much blending in the food processor makes the meatloaf mushy (see above). Check out the step-by-step earlier and my video below for a better idea of what it should look like.
  • Use the right pan. I strongly recommend using a loaf pan for this recipe. If you try to freeform this vegan meatloaf, it may fall apart or dry out (no one wants that!).
  • Line the pan. Don’t skip this step! Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper holds the meatloaf together, not to mention, it’s much easier to remove from the pan.
  • Go easy on the smoke. If you feel you’ll be sensitive to the liquid smoke (one or two readers have shared this) start with 2 teaspoons and adjust to taste. If you use less liquid smoke in the recipe, replace the rest with water so the meatloaf has the right amount of liquid (for example, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke + 1 tablespoon of water). 
  • Don’t skip the cooling period! Be sure to rest the meatloaf for at least 10 minutes after it’s out of the oven and before you slice it. You can even cool your meatloaf completely. As it cools, the texture firms up even more.
  • Make a BBQ glaze. If you’d prefer a BBQ glaze, substitute the tomato paste for BBQ sauce.
Close up overhead view of vegan meatloaf cut into slices on a parchment-lined wire rack.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this “meatloaf” as a vegan Thanksgiving main. It goes with all of my favorite holiday sides, like this classic vegan green bean casserole, fluffy mashed potatoes, and roasted maple carrots. My easy sweet potato casserole also pairs great with the savoriness in this loaf. Of course, don’t skip a slice of vegan pumpkin pie or vegan pumpkin sheet cake for dessert.

Any other time of the year, serve vegan meatloaf with a side of air fryer fries and a vegan Cobb salad for a cozy, casual weeknight meal.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

  • Refrigerate. Store any leftover vegan meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Reheat. Warm your meatloaf in the oven or microwave until it’s hot throughout. Leftovers taste delicious in sandwiches, wraps, and over salads.

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Overhead view of vegan meatloaf cut into slices on a parchment-lined wire rack.

Vegan Meatloaf (Thanksgiving Main Dish)

Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This is the best vegan meatloaf recipe, rated 5 stars by dozens! It's ultra-moist and flavorful and takes just 15 minutes to prep. Serve it as a show-stopping Thanksgiving main with vegan mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.
5 (from 28 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil, or any oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed
  • 1 3/4 cup freshly cooked brown lentils or 15 oz. can, drained and throughly rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, up to 2 tablespoons* (see notes on liquid amount)
  • 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce, or more liquid smoke
  • 1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs, gluten-free if needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 flax eggs
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme

Tomato Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or agave or liquid sweetener
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions 

Tomato Glaze

  • Mix together the tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and the sea salt in a small bowl and set it aside until you need it.

Meatloaf

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C degrees. Prepare a loaf with by lining with parchment paper so that it's hanging over the sides. This helps to remove the loaf with ease.
  • In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic, red onion and the celery. Sauté until onions are translucent, celery has softened and garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients (the cooked garlic, red onion, celery above, as well as the chickpeas, lentils, liquid smoke, vegan Worcestershire (or soy sauce), breadcrumbs, sea salt, ground black pepper, flax eggs, tomato paste, and thyme).
  • Mix together slightly with a wooden spoon. I find that this helps to distribute the liquid ingredients equally one the beans and breadcrumbs.
  • In a food processor, add all of your ingredients from the bowl. I have a 10-cup food processor, so if yours is smaller, you may want to put it in in increments. Pulse a few times until everything begins to come together. 
    Do NOT over pulse – it will turn to mush and not firm up in the oven. You want to see chunks of celery, lentils and other ingredients. I like to pulse about 10 times.
  • Pour/scoop the mixture into your parchment paper-lined loaf pan. Smooth down the top with the spatula. Pour over your glaze from earlier, smoothing it down with a spoon or spatula.
  • Bake for 45 minutes to 60 minutes. My loaf was done at around 55 minutes. It’s ready if a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and slice up and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you think you’ll be sensitive to the liquid smoke (one or two readers have shared this) start with 2 teaspoons. Give it a taste (everything is cooked so you can try it) then add more if desired! I usually add the full amount. IF you’re lowing the amount, replace the rest with water so the recipe has the right amount of liquid (so add 1 tablespoon of water + 1 teaspoon). 
HOW TO STORE
You can store this loaf in an airtight container in the fridge. I just slice it up first, but you can also store it whole. You could also just wrapthe top of the loaf pan if you want to preserve the shape of the loaf. This will last at least a week in your fridge. This loaf with firm up a whole lot in your fridge.
HOW TO FREEZE
Wrap the loaf in foil, then put it in a freezer-friendly zipped bag. This loaf can freeze for at least 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in your fridge, and reheat in your microwave.
Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 38.4g, Protein: 10.5g, Fat: 3.4g, Sodium: 498mg, Fiber: 8.1g, Sugar: 5.3g

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.

Cuisine: American
Course: Dinner
Author: Jessica Hylton