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Vegetarian Meatballs are so delicious and so easy to make. These yummy balls of goodness are hearty, super satisfying, and healthier than regular meatballs! Made with chickpeas, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and a host of other goodies, they’re smothered in a rich marinara sauce. Utter comfort food!

Hearty and delicious Vegetarian Meatballs are destined to become the new family favorite! Loaded with Italian flavors and covered in bubbling marinara sauce, whether you’re vegetarian or an omnivore, these healthy meatballs really hit the spot! Serve them with noodles or zucchini noodles, rice or cauliflower rice, or some roasted veggies. They are just perfect and so satisfying.
If you’re looking for other vegetarian dinner ideas, why not also try my Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna and my Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers!
why you’ll love these vegetarian meatballs
- Packed with Italian flavor! These flavorsome meatballs have sun-dried tomatoes, Italian herbs, basil, and parmesan cheese. Pure deliciousness.
- Super filling. Made with chickpeas, these meatballs are not only delicious but also super satisfying.
- Healthier meatballs. These meat-free meatballs are packed with goodness and lower in calories than regular meatballs.
ingredients you’ll need
- Avocado Oil
- Veggies – Onion, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes.
- Garlic Cloves
- Chickpeas
- Seasoning – Salt, pepper, Italian blend herbs
- Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce
- Panko
- Eggs
- Basil
- Parmesan Cheese (optional)
how to make these vegetarian meatballs
- Sauté your aromatics – In a skillet over medium heat, cook your onions and garlic.
- Make your meatball mixture – In a food processor, add in sautéed mushrooms, seasoning, panko, chickpeas, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Process until the mixture is like ground meat. Then add in whisked eggs.
- Cook – After resting the mixture in the fridge for 15 mins, scoop out even amounts of meatball mix and add to a skillet, 2-3 mins per side, cooking in batches if needed.
- Add sauce – once the meatballs are done add in the sauce, stirring occasionally until it bubbles. Simmer for another 8 mins.
- Garnish serve and enjoy!
recipe notes and tips
- Using a cookie scoop to take spoonfuls of the mixture and add it to the hot pan. This gives you even portions.
- Use a big skillet, you may have to cook the meatballs in batches.
- Garnish with fresh, chopped basil.
- You want to pulse the mix until it comes out like ground beef.
- You could omit the egg for a vegan option, however the egg acts as a binder so the meatballs will crumble apart more easily (still delicious).
- Don’t over blend the mixture or it will be too soft to roll.
- I highly recommend panko breadcrumbs over regular. Panko gives you such a crispy texture.
- If you want to spice these meatballs up, add a pinch of red chili flakes to the mixtures.
Let the meatballs cool completely, then store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for 2 months.
Absolutely! You can adjust the seasoning if needed. But these are really good for little ones and a fun way for them to get their veggies!
These little balls of yumminess are super versatile! You can go for pasta, rice, quinoa, lentils – they’ll help grab all that sauce too. Or you can opt for roast potatoes for a Spanish tapas vibe.
A great way to serve these up is in a sandwich! So good!
If you’re wanting to keep things light, keep some meatballs out of the sauce and save them for salad toppers.
other delicious vegetarian recipes
- Sweet & Sour Vegetable Stir Fry
- Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
- Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Homemade Tomato Rice Soup
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Absolutely delicious!!