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BBQ Lentil Meatballs is made with simple plant-based ingredients of lentils, rice, mushrooms, and BBQ sauce. It’s a vegan protein packed dish! These lentil meatballs can serve great as a post-workout entree or as an appetizer for your party or game day events!
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Updated with baking instructions July 2018. Originally posted July 27, 2017
These lentil meatballs are something I often force myself NOT to make all the time in order to prevent burn out. It is my favorite lentil meatball recipe. It was inspired by @Coach_Hope. She posted BBQ turkey meatballs and paired it with raw zucchini as a low carbohydrate dish. These lentil meatballs are a plant-based version of that idea.
Can you guess what gives these lentil meatballs a meaty texture? It's NOT a vegan mock meat it's an every day common plant based ingredient!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS?
- Simple Ingredients. The ingredients are simple and plant-based foods you can find anywhere.
- Plant-Based Macro Nutrients. You’re getting both protein and carbohydrates in one bite without a lot of fat.
- Easy Meal Prep. You can make a HUGE batch ahead of time and freeze for a month.
- Inexpensive Dish. The ingredients are affordable.
- It’s YUMMY! They taste AMAZING (the lentil balls have a GREAT like the texture because of the rice).
How to Make These “Meaty” Plant Based Meatballs: (READ FULL RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR FULL INSTRUCTIONS)
First saute your onions and mushrooms until they are cooked down. Next add your cooked onions, cooked mushrooms, lentils, seasonings, flax seed “egg” (read instructions below to see how to make this it’s SUPER simple), cilantro, and barbecue sauce to your food processor.
Second process your plant based ingredients being sure not to over process your mixture. You want to keep texture in your meatballs. Once process form your mixture into a meatball shape whatever size you desire.
Lastly heat oil in a pan and heat up your lentil meatballs until the meatballs caramelized and then add your barbecue sauce over lentil meatballs coating evenly as possible. Simmer for awhile to fully infuse the barbecue sauce flavor into the lentil meatballs.
Vegan With Curves Star Ingredient
Lentils are the Vegan With Curves star of this dish and are great for healthy vegan weight gain! For this dish I prefer to use BPA can lentils for an easier prep. Lentils contain such amino acids like valine (a BCAA that helps with muscle growth and muscle repair) and lysine (helps the body absorb calcium). Lentils are also a great source of fiber and are very versatile! You can make loafs, soups, spaghetti, sloppy joes, homemade burgers, or homemade breakfast patties.
How to make this Waste/Weight Release (Weight Loss) Friendly?
These lentil meatballs are not very high in calories alone but here are some ways to make them even more lower in calories as a full dish.
- Serve with large raw salad like my Hemp Cucumber Tomato Salad.
- Omit the barbecue sauce and use tomato sauce instead (it’s lower in sugar).
While you may or may not believe in this old southern tradition, the idea of giving your food intention before you consume it is always a bonus in my book. Enjoy!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tell me how it turned out for you! Was it a hit or miss? Tell me about it. Leave a comment below, rate it, and PIN IT! Also tag a photo @_VeganWithCurves and hashtag #VeganWithCurves on Instagram so I can see it!
BBQ Lentil Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry brown basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- 15 oz BPA free can of lentils (if using dried use green lentils yield 2 cups when cooked)
- 1/8 cup chopped cilantro (optional, tho I highly recommend)
- 1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2/3 cup old fashioned gluten free oats
- 2 -3 tablespoons BBQ sauce (more or less depending on your taste)
- 2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Cook brown rice according to directions and set aside. I use this brand HERE.
- Next you are going to make your flax egg. Take a small bowl, add flax seed, water and mix well. Set aside.
- Next add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium high heat. Add chopped onions and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are fully translucent. Once cooked turn off heat and set aside.
- Open your can lentil, pour into a colander and rinse excess sodium off. Add to a food processor.
- Then add cook veggies, cooked rice, flax egg, oats, cilantro, salt, garlic powder, dried basil, 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke to food processor. Blend in your food processor fully until mixture is completely combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- If mixture is two wet, put mixture refrigerator for about 30 minutes so that it can stiffen up. (I would caution against adding flour. I have found that personally sometimes flour can give it a pasty like taste tho some have added flour to stiffen up this recipe with great success.)
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F. Start to form your lentil balls placing each one on a pan lined with parchment paper. Brush Barbecue sauce on each lentil ball (as much as you like to your liking).
- Place in oven for 20-25 minutes total. In about 10 minutes, once they start to crisped up, flipped them for an even cook. You can add more barbecue sauce if you like. Once fully cooked, take out oven and allow to cool. Serve with you favorite sides or as an appetizer.
PAN FRYING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Start to form your lentil balls placing each one on a pan lined with parchment paper. Place in refrigerator for one hour to help firm up.
- Once fully set, remove from refrigerator, grab a pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot place each ball in hot oil pan and heat all the way through for about 2 minutes on each side until the lentil balls form a caramelized coating on each side. Do not leave unattended.
- Add 2 tablespoon of BBQ sauce to pan and turn down heat. Make sure you coat every lentil ball and simmer for a 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Serve with you favorite sides or as an appetizer.
Video
Notes
- The original recipe called for breadcrumbs but some stated it did not hold as well as oats. You can use either breadcrumbs or oats whatever works better for you.
- Freezes really well! To freeze for later use, make a big batch, form your balls and keep in the freezer for a month. When you are ready to cook let them slightly thaw and bake and or pan fry.
- Try forming these into patties for a plant-based veggie burger...yummm
- You can make smaller balls so it can serve as an appetizer.
- Experiment with different sauces with these lentil balls! (A vegan gravy sauce or top over spaghetti!)
- The rice helps give it a hearty texture but you can substitute the rice with quinoa or walnuts
Nutrition
Equipment used for photos:
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So I’m refrigerating this mixture now hoping for a miracle. Way too wet to imagine this will ever be a meatball.
I’m sorry to hear that. Some people have success with the recipes and others say the mixture is too wet. I have retested this recipe and it will be updated soon to solve this problem. Thank you for the feedback.
They look delicious.
How many meatballs does this make? Thanks!
This was delicious! We made 3 variations in the sauce, We bought an air fryer and heated them up the next day and they came out perfectly crispy for a meatball! We will definitely be making this again!
I don’t like mushrooms. Can they be omitted or do I need a substitute?
yes you can omit them if you like
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I made mine in the over and they did not caramelize or crisp up. I knew they wouldn’t at 350 degrees but it was easier and lower fat than pan-frying. The texture was excellent and flavour was very good. I will try them again and pan-fry as that was the only bit I missed.
Are we using 1/2 cup of cooked rice? or is the 1/2 cup before it’s cooked?
before cooked. this recipe will be updated in 2020. Thank you for your patience.
These are SO bomb! So flavorful!
I made the mistake of adding all the bbq sauce to the mixture and over-processing in my food processor, so they weren’t as firm as the picture and didn’t have as much texture as I expected, BUT that was totally due to user error and they were STILL so delicious!
I sprayed them with a light mist of coconut oil and popped em in my airfryer on 400 degrees for 6 minutes. So, so good. I’m making another batch for the freezer these are so good.
Thank you!
You are very welcome!
You say to add oats in the instructions but there are no oats listed in the ingredients?
Sorry, that is an oversight. I will correct it. Thank you for pointing it out.
This recipe was delicious and well-received at an event I took it to. However, for those with food allergies, please remember to be cautious in verifying the ingredients in your store-bought additives. This recipe is advertised as being vegan, gluten free, and soy free. However, the affiliate link to the Annie’s Organic Worcestershire sauce (while a delicious product I already own for other needs) is misleading as it is a product that is only vegan but is not gluten free nor soy free. I have yet to find a Worcestershire sauce that meets all three of these dietary requirements. It appears that soy is a key ingredient to that particular flavor profile. No biggie; I used extra BBQ sauce and an extra dash of liquid smoke in its place instead as they contain many of the similar flavorings already. I did feel it was worth mentioning in case someone was new to preparing foods for people with food allergies and might not already be aware.
Where have you been in my life these past two Vegan years?! I’ve been trying to gain weight this whole time! I’m excited to know you exist now. Can’t wait to try these.
I have been around! So glad you found me and I hope I can be of some assistance on your journey! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you