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.
BBQ Lentil Meatballs is made with simple plant-based ingredients of lentils, rice, mushrooms, and BBQ sauce. !Click To Tweet
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).
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.
BBQ Lentil Balls goes very well with Hemp Cucumber Tomato Salad. Enjoy!
Appliances and main ingredient(s) used in this recipe:
IF YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE: Tell me how it turned out for you! Was it a hit or miss? 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 Balls (VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, SOY FREE)
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!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 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
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Cook brown rice according to directions and set aside. I use this brand HERE.
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Next you are going to make your flax egg. Take a small bowl, add flax seed, water and mix well. Set aside.
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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.
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Open your can lentil, pour into a colander and rinse excess sodium off. Add to a food processor.
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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.
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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:
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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).
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Serve with you favorite sides or as an appetizer.
Recipe Notes
Substitutes and Additions:
- 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
Equipment used for photos:
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Do I use 2 cups dry lentils?
Hi! I’m just wondering if you had a preference between the pan fried neat balls or the oven baked?
I prefer them pan fried
What do you mean by ” I often force myself NOT to make all the time in order to prevent burn out.”? I am not English and I am interested in being informed. Thank you!
“burn out” is an expression we use meaning you do something so much you get tired of it. I like this recipe a lot so if I would be tempted to make it all the time and even though it is good doing the same thing all the time would cause “burn out”. So I force myself to make other meals to prevent that. Hope that helps!
I can’t believe how yummy these were and so easy to make!
Delicious!
I made these tonight, and they were amazing! Even my carnivorous husband liked them, and didn’t miss the meat on his dinner plate at all. Thank you for this great recipe! Delicious.
So glad you enjoyed them!!
The recipe says gluten free, and there’s no breadcrumbs listed in the recipe, but in line 5 of the directions it says to add the breadcrumbs after the dried basil. Can I just use more ground up oatmeal to make it gluten free, and hope they keep their shape?
My apologies that was an error. I have since updated the recipe. You can add just the oatmeal no need for bread crumbs the oats will give it a firmer hold.
I actually liked your original recipe better…would you be able to provide the original measurements of breadcrumbs? I can’t remember how much it was or if it was equal to the oatmeal which I didn’t care for. Thank you! ?
Sure thing! It was 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. I will add that to the recipe for those who desire to use bread crumbs instead.
Appreciate the nutritional info! Am I missing the serving size? I don’t see it. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yes it is including in the recipe card above servings. Depending on how small or big you make your lentil balls it makes app. 12 balls 3 balls per serving for a total of 4 servings. Let me know how you like it!
Oops!! Nvm, I see it..
These lentil balls look phenomenal. So delicious! And I love all the goodies you packed into them. I bet everyone would be happy to have a few of these!
Tried these vegan meatballs last night for our NYE party, and they were a hit! I also added the 1/3rd cup of oats and wow did they stick together marvelously! Held together better than any other recipe i’ve tried. I also baked them instead of frying, for about 20-25 min at 375c and brushed on bbq sauce once they had crisped up a bit, and then again when i flipped them. I found the recipe made a lot more then 10 meatballs, course maybe I made them smaller than yours? ( mine were bite sized) Anyways thanks for the great recipe, i can’t do gluten and its so hard to find these kind of meat substitutes in which yhe first ingredoent isn’t wheat gluten. Cheers!
I am so happy you enjoyed them! You are so welcome!!
These turned out great! I did make a couple small changes after reading some of the comments. First, I added about 1/3 cup rolled oats to the mixture before processing to help with binding. Second, I baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees instead of pan frying. The texture is amazingly close to real meatballs, mine didn’t flatten out at all. The flavor is subtle and super addictive. Do not skip the cilantro! I would bet a dollar that even folks that have a cilantro aversion (and I get that it’s a visceral reaction) will love this – the flavor blends and deepens and is not at all soap-y and cilantro-forward, it just puts a little something extra into the background. These also freeze extremely well if you bake them and freeze before you mix with additional bbq sauce. Simply defrost (in the microwave or oven), then mix with sauce or eat as is. Excellent recipe. I’ve made it twice already and have to keep them in the freezer and defrost a handful at a time – if I leave them out at room temperature, I would grab one every time I walk past until I’ve eaten an entire batch. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thank you for your response! I made them over again and I will be updating the recipe to add the oats as the oats help it hold better. I like mind kinda on the softer side lol but want to give people options 😉 I am so glad you enjoyed them!
I agree with you, I enjoy the slightly softer texture. I would describe it as almost like mashed potatoes in the middle, but firmer than that with a nice crispy exterior. I like the baked version because it freezes and reheats really well. I will definitely try the pan fried version sometime soon because I bet that has an awesome texture as well and a different level of yum. Thanks again for the recipe, I love finding new amazing new flavor combinations using simple, healthy, inexpensive ingredients. Thanks so much!
You are so welcome! Thank you for your feedback!
Hi there…
I was so excited when I started making these last night, I doubled the batch exactly with what the recipe called for. Once it was mixed, I put the bowl in the fridge for 45 min. I made all the balls and put back in the fridge for an 1 1/2 but they still weren’t set yet so i ended up leaving them in the fridge over night. This morning I pulled them out and started to fry them but they were still mushy inside. After frying on both sides I ended up putting them in the oven for 30 min but still mushy. Please help, what the heck did I do wrong?? They are now in the trash and I’m so bummed out!
Sorry to here that. The rice helps gives it somewhat of a hearty texture tho it is still beans so a little mush will be expected. Try adding some old fashioned oats or walnuts (grinding it in the mixture) to make it more stiffer and give it a better hold. That might give it some more texture. I will be adding these updates to the recipe. Thank you for your feedback and let me know if these suggestions work for you!
Hi Pamela! I would suggest you try this recipe using chickpea flour as the binder/coating in place of the flaxseed and breadcrumbs. I’ve tried using it in so many ways(zucchini fries, quinoa burgers, homemade wraps) and it works perfectly to bind ingredients while offering the yummy crunch and coating we often desire for these types of food! Chickpea flour is used in equal parts to water and lends well to any desired seasonings(i.e. 1/2 cup flour mixed with 1/2 cup water)….this is the measurement i would use for this recipe in place of the breadcrumbs and flaxseed. …think you’ll love it! I’m planning to do the same when adapting this recipe. Hope this helps?☺
I’m I missing something, but where does it say what to do with the flax egg?
Step 2 in the instructions
“Next you are going to make your flax egg. Take a small bowl, add flax seed, water and mix well. Set aside”
That is all it takes to make a flax egg…ground flax seeds mixed with water. 😉 You then add the flax egg to the food processor with all the other ingredients and blend. My apologies if I did not mention that in the instructions.
Hi.
Can I use quinoa to replace the rice?? Also, what can replace the flax as I can’t have seeds or nuts??
Quinoa could work. I like the rice because for me it gives it a more hearty texture. I would try maybe flour. The flax seed is only there to work as a binder.
The flavor is good, but for me with a small food processor, it was just too much of a hassle to make them. A little odd that 3 out of 4 ratings come from people who have not yet made the recipe. What are you rating, the pictures? They ARE very nice…
I’m sorry to hear that. I have a very large food processor so it was simple for me to just through everything in there. I will make a note of that in the recipe. A large food processor makes a great difference in doing recipes like these. As for what people are rating, I don’t know why people rate the way they rate or for what reason. Thank you got the compliment on the photos.
Update: After having these around for a couple of days I do have to say they were worth the work even with the small food processor. I find myself snacking on them ALL THE TIME: pre-workout, post-workout, nothing-to-do-with-workout 😉 Convenient, well-rounded snack for me. Thanks for the wholesome recipe!!
Great!! ????I am happy you enjoyed them!!
I’m making these tonight and they look great! Any ideas on how to sub the breadcrumbs with a gluten free flour? I have almond flour on hand… just curious!
I never tried it with flour but I am sure it will work. Flour is a great way to bind plant based burgers or meatballs. Or you can try gluten free bread crumbs. But I am sure the flour will work just fine!
Made these tonight served on a bed of spaghetti squash. They were so hearty and flavorful!! I am NOT a mushroom eater, but these tasted nothing like mushroom and were absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the feedback so glad you like them!!
Hi, I don’t eat mushroom, actually I think it should not be eaten. What can I use to replace the mushrooms? Thanks.
Janet
I would try walnuts as a replacement. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup. Or you could just omit them entirely without a replacement at all.
What about zucchini as a mushroom substitute in these?
Sure! Go for it! Try any veggie you like! 😉
Just trying this recipe now. Red or green lentils?
Green ???? Red could work tho I never tried it with red.
These sound super yummy and can’t wait to try makin them. What would you suggest I use in place of Worcester sauce (it’s not vegan as far as I’m aware)?!?!
Hi Jodii
There are vegan Worcestershire sauce brands I use Annie! My apologies I will be putting that in the recipe to make that clear. Only vegan ingredients on this blog! lol Thank you for pointing that out. You can purchase it at your local Whole Foods.
These look SO good and am thinking about making a big batch as freezing them as you suggest- for upcoming maternity leave! 🙂 How would you suggest cooking/heating them up after freezing? Oven? Or thawing them and cooking them in pan like the original recipe?!
Hi Holly!
For meal prep purposes, I suggest after molding them into balls, pop them in the freezer. Then when you are ready to cook them, thaw in refrigerator and cook in pan as suggested ????
Gina Gina Gina! Girl! I’ve never eaten vegan meatballs but this recipe right here!!! All I have to say is “I’m making this! I think I have lentils too and ground flax seeds! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipe!
Thank you!!! Lol It truly is my favorite vegan meatball recipe and I have tried them all! Even down to the mock meats. They are ok but just simple plant based ingredients do it for me! ????
Let me know how the turn out!
Wow! These Vegballs look fantastic! I’m sure they are quite addictive and adaptable, going from BBQ sauce to an Asian teriyaki or hoisin glaze. I’m going to try them out soon!
Great idea with the sauce! Let me know how they turn out!
First I have to say that your photos are fantastic and make me really want to become a vegan one day. Second- I don’t usually like lentils but I will give your balls 🙂 a try ,I am sure I will change my mind! Thank for the idea!
Thank you for the compliment! I am sure this recipe will change your mind too. I always want to eat this dish! lol
Just made this for my fussy dad ( I’m slowly trying to get him to eat vegan and raw to reverse his diabetes) and we both loooooved it!!! I didn’t have any canned lentils so I boiled 15 oz of lentils and the meat balls turned out so delicious. The liquid smoke and the worchestire sauce really highlight the BBQ flavor; you really don’t miss the meat at all!! We paired it with a fresh and simple spinach salad. ????
Awesome! I am so glad you both enjoyed them! The texture really works that rice does something magical lol
HAHAH…wonder if I could get my son-in-law who HATES mushrooms to eat this? I should experiment and see. Sounds delicious to me….and hey you can never go wrong with lentils. Healthy, nutritious and totally delicious.
You should! lol He would not even notice them in there so it would be a great sneaky way to get him to have some mushrooms lol
What a great way to incorporate more lentils into your diet. These look so yummy!
Lentils are my favorite! I could eat them every day lol Thank you!
I’m loving all of the herbs in this…especially the cilantro…so yum!
Cilantro is my favorite!
These sounds delicious. Will have to try them.
Please do and let me know how you like them!
These look and sound amazing. I love lentils so can’t wait to try this recipe!
Let me know how it turns out for you! ????
Looks great! Going to try this on a high carb day for me!