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    45-Minute Recipes » Vegan Meatballs

    Published: Aug 30, 2017 · Updated: Mar 6, 2019

    Vegan Meatballs

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    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!

    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.

    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!

    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.

    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!

    This post contains affiliate links, which help offset the cost of running this blog with no additional cost to you.

    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.

    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!

    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:

    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!

    Vegan Meatballs

    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!
    4.84 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Recipe Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Total Price: $5.19
    Price per Serving: $1.30
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 245kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium-large (about 225 grams / 8 oz) potato 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
    • ½ 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.

    Notes

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1250mg | Potassium: 865mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1305IU | Vitamin C: 32.6mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 6.7mg
    Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. Please refer to our nutrition disclaimer for more information.

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

    « 70+ Vegan Meal Prep Ideas
    Red Lentil Chili »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sam says

      August 31, 2017 at 2:25 am

      What can be substituted for wheat gluten.

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 01, 2017 at 3:40 pm

        Nothing, it's the most important ingredient!

        Reply
    2. Joe Savarese says

      August 31, 2017 at 3:49 am

      Aloha! These look great I'll try them tomorrow and then leave a message. Thank you for the recipe

      Reply
    3. Janice says

      August 31, 2017 at 4:46 pm

      Hi 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

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 01, 2017 at 3:40 pm

        Nope, the gluten is what gives it the meaty texture. There's no replacement for it in this recipe.

        Reply
        • bob seitan says

          December 31, 2022 at 6:53 am

          also what adds most of the protein

          Reply
    4. Sheryl says

      September 01, 2017 at 3:29 am

      You must have a great camera though; stunning photography 🙂

      Reply
    5. Anna says

      September 01, 2017 at 11:15 am

      Hi!
      Is it possible to do that recipe without wheat gluten? I'm intolerant
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 01, 2017 at 3:42 pm

        The 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 :).

        Reply
      • Selena says

        September 07, 2017 at 1:50 pm

        Soya mince

        Reply
    6. Pablo says

      September 02, 2017 at 7:44 pm

      Can you change the white beans for chickpeas?

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 07, 2017 at 12:44 pm

        No, they're a different texture. You could try kidney beans.

        Reply
    7. Amy says

      September 02, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      Hi if I can't find vital wheat gluten would a pack of plain seitan work in its place? Thanks

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 07, 2017 at 12:44 pm

        You'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.

        Reply
    8. katja says

      September 02, 2017 at 10:30 pm

      I made these and they were fantastic!! Great texture and flavou! Definitely recommended! Can’t wait to serve them to my meat-eating friends ????!!

      Reply
    9. norman says

      September 03, 2017 at 4:06 am

      You have some of the best recipes i have seen they look great. thank you for shearing them with us.

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 07, 2017 at 12:42 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    10. Bee says

      September 03, 2017 at 11:59 am

      Hi
      I can't wait to make this 🙂 Does it freeze?

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 07, 2017 at 12:41 pm

        Good 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!

        Reply
    11. Marie says

      September 03, 2017 at 3:07 pm

      Amazing 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!

      Reply
    12. Tania says

      September 03, 2017 at 9:10 pm

      Hi 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 🙂

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 07, 2017 at 12:40 pm

        You'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!

        Reply
    13. Esther says

      September 04, 2017 at 2:39 am

      so 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.

      Reply
    14. Becky Maynard says

      September 04, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      Any 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 🙂

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 07, 2017 at 12:39 pm

        I don't think chickpeas are sticky enough. You could try kidney beans.

        Reply
    15. catbat says

      September 04, 2017 at 10:10 pm

      Hi! Going to make this this week. But a question. What alternative to tomato sauce? Have fussy tomato sauce based family members. TIA

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 07, 2017 at 12:38 pm

        What about a sweet and sour sauce, sweet chili sauce or teriyaki sauce?

        Reply
        • catbat says

          September 10, 2017 at 5:46 am

          Thanks! Was thinking of adding soft tofu and making it kinda creamier. Just about to make.them now!

          Reply
    16. Crystal says

      September 07, 2017 at 5:04 pm

      Would black eyed peas work in the place of the plain white bean... I'm thinkin it's the same texture...

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 08, 2017 at 3:14 pm

        I think so

        Reply
    17. Tanika Mitchell says

      September 10, 2017 at 5:07 pm

      Hi 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

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 11, 2017 at 12:36 pm

        Yes, it's the vital wheat gluten flour that you want.

        Reply
        • Tanika says

          September 18, 2017 at 1:16 am

          Thank you

          Reply
    18. Glenn Arnold says

      September 13, 2017 at 12:09 am

      Hi 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

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 15, 2017 at 5:03 pm

        Red bell pepper

        Reply
    19. Marylou says

      September 20, 2017 at 5:05 pm

      I 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?

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 22, 2017 at 3:39 pm

        Sure, you can change the seasonings

        Reply
    20. Julie says

      September 22, 2017 at 1:53 am

      Hi, 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?

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 25, 2017 at 12:08 pm

        I 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?

        Reply
    21. Patricia says

      October 11, 2017 at 6:31 pm

      Lots of white beans in our store. What kind specifically???

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        October 12, 2017 at 11:56 am

        It doesn't really make a difference, any kind that you can purée.

        Reply
    22. Carla says

      October 12, 2017 at 7:47 pm

      Hello. Great looking recipe! I can't wait to try it! Is there a length of time for kneading the seitan, before cooking? Thank you.

      Reply
    23. Maria says

      December 06, 2017 at 11:35 am

      Hey Melissa!

      My oven is broken, do you think I can boil or shallow fry these meatballs?

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        December 11, 2017 at 1:06 pm

        If 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.

        Reply
    24. Jessica H. says

      December 18, 2017 at 10:20 pm

      How many meatballs does the recipe make?

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        December 20, 2017 at 11:13 am

        That depends how big you make them. About 20 more or less.

        Reply
    25. Mikey says

      January 14, 2018 at 5:38 pm

      Just 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?

      Reply
    26. Irving says

      January 25, 2018 at 2:29 pm

      I'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.

      Reply
    27. Ro says

      January 28, 2018 at 7:52 pm

      I 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??

      Reply
    28. Jessica says

      January 30, 2018 at 1:13 am

      Oooo... We just made these and they were awesome! The whole family approved:) Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    29. Kristen says

      January 30, 2018 at 11:58 pm

      I'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.

      Reply
    30. Sonya says

      March 28, 2018 at 10:37 pm

      Thank 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. ☺

      Reply
    31. J. says

      May 28, 2018 at 1:42 am

      Hi, is there any reason that instant potatoes prepared to equal the 1 potato wouldn't work? :O)

      Reply
    32. Dave says

      July 09, 2018 at 11:41 pm

      Look, 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!

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        July 12, 2018 at 2:15 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    33. denise says

      August 06, 2018 at 12:57 am

      I 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

      Reply
    34. Pat says

      September 13, 2018 at 3:19 pm

      I 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!

      Reply
    35. Tarrah says

      September 18, 2018 at 6:24 pm

      How do you cook with Vital Wheat Gluten and not have things be so chewy and stretchy?

      Reply
    36. Cheyenne says

      December 19, 2018 at 10:59 am

      I was slightly intimidated by this recipe as I have never tried to make my own Seitan before and was worried about the consistency, but it turned out great! The 'meatballs' held together well and the taste was amazing, much better than other recipes I have tried as this one has more of a meaty texture. So to anyone having doubts, just follow the recipe 100% as I did and you will not be disappointed. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes, thanks!

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        January 02, 2019 at 10:44 am

        Glad you liked them and thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    37. Jill Hatt says

      January 10, 2019 at 1:39 am

      I tried vegan meatballs from a place in Las Vegas that absolutely delicious. They were exactly like a meat texture and he said he used yeast to plump them up. Do you know if you could incorporate that in this recipe? His recipe was using lentils.

      Reply
    38. Peacefeline says

      March 10, 2019 at 12:07 am

      5 stars
      Just made the meatballs without making the tomato sauce part of the recipe. I used my own jar sauce with spaghetti noodles. The meatballs were very tasty and my family liked them better than my regularly used meatball recipe. Later we will be trying them in bbq sauce because this is my husband’s favorite way to eat meatballs.💚

      Reply
    39. Lynda says

      May 09, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      4 stars
      Made these today. Right out of the over the taste was GREAT! But the texture is very off. They feel like raw dough in my mouth. I'm hopeful when I put them in the sauce, they will firm up! I'll try to post back my results!

      Reply
      • Lynda says

        May 15, 2019 at 3:21 am

        Update..... They were great in my pasta sauce! I actually froze the left over ones and then defrosted and put into the sauce and OMG! Perfect!

        Reply
    40. Mikaela says

      August 23, 2019 at 5:30 am

      5 stars
      I found this recipe earlier this year and have made it multiple times since. Love it! Thank you!

      Reply
    41. Anne says

      August 28, 2019 at 1:13 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Just had them with marinara sauce and spaghetti and dinner was a great hit! 👌👌

      Reply
    42. Kaya says

      August 31, 2019 at 11:39 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and nutritious recipe! I just made this and it's outstanding! Unlike most seitan recipes which often feel far too dense and heavy, the addition of potato and beans in this recipe adds a lightness and sponginess to the meatballs which create the perfect meatball texture. I love that there are no oils or rich nuts in this recipe, and yet it comes out super moist and scrumptious. Prep may take longer than planned, but I did cook the beans from scratch. Totally worth it for a great treat.

      Reply
    43. Pragna says

      October 08, 2019 at 8:38 am

      5 stars
      Hello, any substitute for potatoes?

      Reply
    44. JOSIE says

      November 21, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe! great texture & flavour. I will use it to stuff tomatoes or peppers.

      Reply
    45. Monica says

      June 13, 2022 at 3:58 am

      5 stars
      Seitan recipes are usually so time consuming but I can see myself repeating this one often in the future- so far the easiest.Thank you!
      Made us some meatball subs with these guys and I was happy enough knowing already seitan texture/taste profile. I prolly just will make smaller sized portion next go round, I think I made them a lil on the big size. I also cooked a bit longer since I noticed the centers were on the doughy side still.

      Reply
      • Dee says

        March 29, 2023 at 1:36 pm

        5 stars
        After trying a few seitan recipes previously the added potato and beans make these meat balls softer and not so chewy. I had to open a tin of beans and didn’t want to waste the rest so doubled the recipe. It is well worth the effect they are delicious, thank you.

        Reply
    46. Sam says

      November 29, 2022 at 3:23 am

      I haven't tried the recipe, but will use it for inspiration as I don't like some of the ingredients).

      I am amazed at how many people asked if it could be done without gluten. Duh.

      Reply

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