These vegan meatballs are made with from-scratch seitan using vital wheat gluten. They’re quick and easy to prepare and are baked for a super-healthy and versatile vegan meatball!
There are a bajillion different ways to make vegan meatballs. The challenge with bean-based, grain-based or veggie-based meatballs, however, is to get enough structural integrity that you can drop them into a sauce, or even a soup, without them totally disintegrating.
Enter vital wheat gluten. If you’re not familiar, vital wheat gluten is wheat flour which has been processed to remove everything except the gluten. You can buy vital wheat gluten in health food stores, organic supermarkets, bulk food stores or online.
If none of those work for you, you can make your own vital wheat gluten by washing regular flour until the starches dissolve and you’re left with just the gluten.
Vital wheat gluten is the principal ingredient in seitan. It’s what gives it the meaty, chewy texture and great for replicating all kinds of meat dishes. Many of the recipes in my 60+ Vegan Recipes for Meat Lovers are made from a basic seitan which is seasoned to taste like whatever you want it to taste like.
I must admit, however, that seitan can be a bit tricky to get just right. Add too much liquid and you’ll end up with a soggy, wet bread-like texture. Too little liquid and your seitan will be as chewy as bubble gum.
I encourage you to try different recipes and after you’ve made a couple of batches, you’ll get a good sense of what texture the dough should have.
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Of course, vital wheat gluten isn’t the only ingredient in these vegan meatballs. Mashed potato (an idea I stole from The Sexy Vegan Cookbook) and white beans help to keep the ball soft and not bubble-gum chewy on the inside. Soy sauce and nutritional yeast add the umami flavour and paprika adds a touch of smokiness.
You can serve these vegan meatballs in a simple tomato sauce (like I’ve done here), sweet and sour sauce, over spaghetti, in a meatball sub, or however you want! This recipe as-is is oil free but you can also quickly pan fry them after baking to get them a bit crispier on the outside.
Wanna see how easy these vegan meatballs are to make? Watch the video and share it on Facebook:
Vegan Meatballs
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 medium-large potato (about 225 grams / 8 oz), peeled and diced - $0.18
- ½ cup (100 grams) cooked white beans - $0.13
- 1 medium onion - $0.13
- 5 cloves of garlic, 3 roughly chopped, 2 minced or grated - $0.40
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce - $0.10
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable stock - $0.12
- 1 cup (130 grams) vital wheat gluten - $2.81
- 2 teaspoons paprika - $0.20
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano - $0.12
- 3 teaspoons dried basil - $0.18
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast - $0.12
- Half a red pepper, diced - $0.36
- 1 cup (240 ml) tomato sauce - $0.30
- ½ teaspoon salt - $0.01
- Pepper, to taste - $0.03
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400F°.
Boil the potato until soft. Drain and mash. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, combine the beans, one quarter of the onion (roughly chopped), 3 roughly chopped cloves of garlic, the soy sauce and vegetable stock in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
In a bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, paprika, oregano, basil, nutritional yeast, mashed potato and liquid mixture. Mix to combine then use your hands to mash the mixture together into a dough.
Tear off portions of the dough and roll them into meatballs. Place them on a lightly greased or paper-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes, flipping them over at 10 minutes. You can eat them still warm from the oven or you can let them cool and reheat them in the sauce later. I find that letting them cool helps them firm up to a more meaty texture.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and dice the remainder of the onion. Cook the onion and remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic in a splash of water until soft. Add the red pepper and fry until soft. Add the sauce, salt, pepper and meatballs. Simmer for a few minutes until the meatballs are heated through then serve.
57 Comments
Sam
August 31, 2017 at 2:25 amWhat can be substituted for wheat gluten.
Melissa
September 1, 2017 at 3:40 pmNothing, it’s the most important ingredient!
Joe Savarese
August 31, 2017 at 3:49 amAloha! These look great I’ll try them tomorrow and then leave a message. Thank you for the recipe
Janice
August 31, 2017 at 4:46 pmHi there! Love your site!
Any idea if I can replace the wheat gluten with anything???? I’m guessing something to make it all stick together??? X
Melissa
September 1, 2017 at 3:40 pmNope, the gluten is what gives it the meaty texture. There’s no replacement for it in this recipe.
Sheryl
September 1, 2017 at 3:29 amYou must have a great camera though; stunning photography 🙂
Anna
September 1, 2017 at 11:15 amHi!
Is it possible to do that recipe without wheat gluten? I’m intolerant
Thank you!
Melissa
September 1, 2017 at 3:42 pmThe gluten is the principal ingredient. There are lots of alternative ways to make vegan meatballs, maybe see if google can suggest any that you would like :).
Selena
September 7, 2017 at 1:50 pmSoya mince
Pablo
September 2, 2017 at 7:44 pmCan you change the white beans for chickpeas?
Melissa
September 7, 2017 at 12:44 pmNo, they’re a different texture. You could try kidney beans.
Amy
September 2, 2017 at 8:01 pmHi if I can’t find vital wheat gluten would a pack of plain seitan work in its place? Thanks
Melissa
September 7, 2017 at 12:44 pmYou’d probably have to change the ratios of the ingredients in the recipe in order for that to work. That being said, I’ve seen many recipes on google that call for a pack of seitan which you mash up and add to other ingredients so you could try one of those.
katja
September 2, 2017 at 10:30 pmI made these and they were fantastic!! Great texture and flavou! Definitely recommended! Can’t wait to serve them to my meat-eating friends ????!!
norman
September 3, 2017 at 4:06 amYou have some of the best recipes i have seen they look great. thank you for shearing them with us.
Melissa
September 7, 2017 at 12:42 pmThank you!
Bee
September 3, 2017 at 11:59 amHi
I can’t wait to make this 🙂 Does it freeze?
Melissa
September 7, 2017 at 12:41 pmGood question, I haven’t tried freezing them and I’m not sure if it would change the texture. If you try it, do let us know!
Marie
September 3, 2017 at 3:07 pmAmazing recipe ! Just made it. Thanks so much! Will definitely be using these so for subs and sandwiches. Some seitan recipes can be a little bit same-y but the addition of the beans and the potato takes it to another level!
Tania
September 3, 2017 at 9:10 pmHi Melissa, just made these tonight, and what a triumph – totally fab recipe, will become a staple in our house. Thanks so much . Just to mention, meatlessballs turned out a little salty for us – and as hardened halophiles, that’s saying something. I think perhaps because I used light soy sauce rather than dark. Also, I added some vegan browning, to give an amazing, dark colour. But the texture and flavour were totally great! Next time, I’ll play around a little with the seasoning, perhaps add a bit of chilli for background heat and replace some of the stock with tomato ketchup, for extra richness. Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Melissa
September 7, 2017 at 12:40 pmYou’re right and make a good point. Different brands of soy sauce have different levels of saltiness. Chili sounds like a great addition, too! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Esther
September 4, 2017 at 2:39 amso using wheat gluten without going through the process of making Seitan is not losing any of the nutrient qualities of Seitan . To me this just seems like adding flour and making a dumpling.
Becky Maynard
September 4, 2017 at 8:01 pmAny chance that chick peas are a good substitute for the white beans? I have a ton of chick peas, and of course, no white beans 🙂
Melissa
September 7, 2017 at 12:39 pmI don’t think chickpeas are sticky enough. You could try kidney beans.
catbat
September 4, 2017 at 10:10 pmHi! Going to make this this week. But a question. What alternative to tomato sauce? Have fussy tomato sauce based family members. TIA
Melissa
September 7, 2017 at 12:38 pmWhat about a sweet and sour sauce, sweet chili sauce or teriyaki sauce?
catbat
September 10, 2017 at 5:46 amThanks! Was thinking of adding soft tofu and making it kinda creamier. Just about to make.them now!
Crystal
September 7, 2017 at 5:04 pmWould black eyed peas work in the place of the plain white bean… I’m thinkin it’s the same texture…
Melissa
September 8, 2017 at 3:14 pmI think so
Tanika Mitchell
September 10, 2017 at 5:07 pmHi Melissa,
All I can find is Vital Wheat gluten flour, is that what you’re referring to? Or is there a Vital Wheat gluten mock meat?
Thank you
Melissa
September 11, 2017 at 12:36 pmYes, it’s the vital wheat gluten flour that you want.
Tanika
September 18, 2017 at 1:16 amThank you
Glenn Arnold
September 13, 2017 at 12:09 amHi Melissa!
Planning to make this tonight for the first time. Have most of the items called for, and going out now to shop the rest. One question: does “red pepper” mean red Bell pepper, or red Chili pepper?
Thanks much!
Glenn A.
Memphis TN
Melissa
September 15, 2017 at 5:03 pmRed bell pepper
Marylou
September 20, 2017 at 5:05 pmI have tried to find a meatballs recipes for 2 months now. I wanna do the old meatballs mustard and maple sirop like I use to do with beef before! Do you think this recipe would work for it if I change the spices for what it took in that old recipe?
Melissa
September 22, 2017 at 3:39 pmSure, you can change the seasonings
Julie
September 22, 2017 at 1:53 amHi, just made these meatless balls and have popped them into the fridge to firm up, but are they supposed to be doughy on the inside?
Melissa
September 25, 2017 at 12:08 pmI wouldn’t say doughy. If that happens they may not have been baked long enough. Do you have an oven thermometer to check the temp?
Patricia
October 11, 2017 at 6:31 pmLots of white beans in our store. What kind specifically???
Melissa
October 12, 2017 at 11:56 amIt doesn’t really make a difference, any kind that you can purée.
Carla
October 12, 2017 at 7:47 pmHello. Great looking recipe! I can’t wait to try it! Is there a length of time for kneading the seitan, before cooking? Thank you.
Maria
December 6, 2017 at 11:35 amHey Melissa!
My oven is broken, do you think I can boil or shallow fry these meatballs?
Melissa
December 11, 2017 at 1:06 pmIf I remember correctly, I think I tried boiling them and they were too soft. I’m not sure that frying them would cook them through to the middle.
Jessica H.
December 18, 2017 at 10:20 pmHow many meatballs does the recipe make?
Melissa
December 20, 2017 at 11:13 amThat depends how big you make them. About 20 more or less.
Mikey
January 14, 2018 at 5:38 pmJust found this blog! I did not know I could use the gluten flour without making seitan first. Sounds like a really good recipe! Will try asap =)
PS: what music is it in the video?
Irving
January 25, 2018 at 2:29 pmI’ve been looking for a proper faux meatball recipe for a few months now and this hands down is it. I’ve tried Veganomicon lentil based, No Meat Athlete pinto bean based and minimalist baker tempeh based and this is by far the best. I didn’t like the additional flavor that the base of the other recipes imparted and was looking for a base that was more neutral tasting and the potatoes and white beans were perfect. Didn’t over power the seasoning nor provide any weird flavors (I’m looking at you unsteamed tempeh). I will say that the consistency was a little on the too soft side even after cooking for 30 mins instead of 20 and letting them cool as u suggested. That didn’t stop me from making this my go to recipe for meatballs now as everything else was spot on 🙂 Cheers and thank you for sharing this recipe.
Ro
January 28, 2018 at 7:52 pmI just made these and the flavor is great but the texture is very much like eating bread rolls with a soft center. What did I do wrong??
Jessica
January 30, 2018 at 1:13 amOooo… We just made these and they were awesome! The whole family approved:) Thanks for the recipe!
Kristen
January 30, 2018 at 11:58 pmI’ve made these twice and awesome both times. My four year old helps make the balls. Only beans I had on hand today were chickpeas. These held together fine. I used my vitamix.
Sonya
March 28, 2018 at 10:37 pmThank you for this recipe. Cant wait to try them. I love making vital wheat meat and always wanted to figure a way to mix something with it to make a different vegan meat. ☺
J.
May 28, 2018 at 1:42 amHi, is there any reason that instant potatoes prepared to equal the 1 potato wouldn’t work? :O)
Dave
July 9, 2018 at 11:41 pmLook, I’m not a vegan by any means but I think your blog is fantastic. I love the approach, the cost break downs, the great photos. Thank you for this premium content!
Melissa
July 12, 2018 at 2:15 pmThanks!
denise
August 6, 2018 at 12:57 amI took a lot of liberties with this recipe-and they came out great! I used 1/2 cup firm tofu, needed to add between 1/4-1/2 cup more gluten to come together, and next time will probably add instant potatoes! They came out so great! I tried simmering balls before and that was a mess, these baked nicely. I loved the texture and the taste! Next time will be Swedish meatless balls
Pat
September 13, 2018 at 3:19 pmI was so excited to find this recipe! I made them exactly as shown. After they were baked, I tasted one and it was soft in texture….not what I was expecting. Did I do something wrong or is that what is expected? I thought they might firm up more like a “griller” like texture when I read the recipe. I’m game to try them again if I goofed!
Tarrah
September 18, 2018 at 6:24 pmHow do you cook with Vital Wheat Gluten and not have things be so chewy and stretchy?