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BBQ vegan lentil meatballs are a protein packed dish made with simple plant-based ingredients of lentils, rice and mushrooms! No mock meats!
I created this recipe in 2017 after seeing an Instagram post of BBQ turkey meatballs and zucchini.
I knew I could easily make a plant based version, but I had no idea it would become as popular as it has become! It is one of the most popular recipes on the blog!
These vegan lentil meatballs are the most tested tried and true recipe on the blog (see recipe testimonials below), and when you try them for yourself, you will find out why!
What are Vegan Meatballs made of?
Some recipes use the a vegan mock meat product. However this recipe uses simple, affordable, and easily accessible plant-based ingredients you can find anywhere.
What do these Meatless Meatballs taste like?
This recipe has great texture and flavor! The liquid smoke gives it an extra oomph so to speak. The lentil balls also have a GREAT like the texture because of the rice.
And the best think about it is, they aren't mushy. In the original recipe, some reported that they were mushy and wet.
So I went back to the drawing board and I'm happy to report that this updated recipe has solved that problem!
Now I am a Midwestern St. Louis gal, so I made these lentil meatballs in my vegan bbq sauce but these can also work with spaghetti sauce over some pasta!
Can I meal prep this recipe?
YES!
These this makes for a great meal prep. You can make a HUGE batch ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months!
What can I Serve with these Vegan Meatballs?
You can make them really small and serve them as a appetizer! I like eating as part of main dish served alongside the following sides:
- vegan potato salad
- vegan baked beans
- dairy free mac and cheese
- chickpea cucumber tomato salad
- vegan corn salad
How to Make BBQ Lentil Balls?
*Please read detailed and printable recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions
Cook Veggies and Make Meatballs
- Cook mushrooms and onions. Then add cooked veggies to a food processor with lentils. (Photos 1 & 2)
- Add seasonings to a bowl along with processed veggies and lentils. Mixed together until fully combined. (Photos 3 & 4)
Baking and Saute Instructions
- Scoop mixture and form into a ball. (Photos 1 & 2)
- To bake, dip in BBQ Sauce and add on a baking sheet. Bake until meatballs are done. (Photos 3 & 4)
- To sauté, add to a hot pan to caramelize. Then add BBQ sauce over lentil balls, fully coating and simmering for a couple of minutes.
Substitution, Cook, and Storage Tips:
- DO NOT use red lentils for this. They are too mushy for this recipe.
- Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator 4-5 days once cooked. DO NOT store at room temperature.
- To freeze, do it before you cook your vegan balls. Form into balls and add it to a Reusable Storage Bag or Glass Containers and freeze for up to 3 months. (Be sure to date it).
- When ready to cook, thaw out in refrigerator overnight and heat according to the recipe instructions!
How Does this Recipe Help with Vegan Weight Gain?
This is my GO-TO post-workout meal! I eat it with roasted broccoli (or green beans), and a baked Garnet Sweet Potato all the time.
This recipe is packed with protein containing 15 grams of protein per serving! The lentils contain such amino acids that help with building curves like valine (a BCAA that helps with muscle growth and muscle repair).
Be sure to read our vegan weight gain guide for more information on how to gain healthy weight and curves on a vegan diet!
What People Are Saying About This Recipe
These are SO bomb! So flavorful! So, so good. I’m making another batch for the freezer these are so good. -Kiki (via comments)
These are phenomenal! The flavor and texture were both excellent. - Charlotte (via comments)
More Lentil Recipes You'll Love:
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BBQ Vegan Lentil Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms (16-ounce package)
- 2 cups cooked lentils, divided note 4
- 1 cup cooked brown rice note 3
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ⅔ cup instant oats
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- handful parsley and cilantro
- 2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire
- ¼ cup vegan BBQ sauce
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ - 1 cup extra Vegan BBQ Sauce
Equipment
Instructions
- Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are fully translucent. Once cooked turn off the heat and set aside.
- Take half your lentils and add to a food processor along with your cooked mushrooms and onions. Process until just combined. The mixture will be wet and sticky. It should hold and bind together without a problem.
- Take your mixture and add it to a large mixing bowl. Next the other half of your lentils, cooked rice, sea salt, garlic powder, basil, instant oats, breadcrumbs, parsley, cilantro, vegan worcestershire, bbq sauce, and liquid smoke. Mix together until fully combined.
PAN FRYING INSTRUCTIONS
- Start to form your lentil balls placing them in a bowl. (I use an ice cream scooper to scoop out mixture). Grab a large 15 inch cast iron pan (or whatever skillet you have on), add 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, place, balls in a pan and heat all the way through for about 2 minutes on each side. The lentil balls will form a caramelized coating on each side. Do not leave unattended.
- Add ½ to 1 cup of Vegan BBQ Sauce to the pan and turn down the heat. Make sure you coat every lentil ball and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides or as an appetizer.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Start to form your lentil balls placing each one on a pan lined with parchment paper. (I use an ice cream scopper to scoop out mixture).
- Brush lentil meatballs with 1 teaspoon of oil (this will help them get that caramelized color as if you were pan-frying them) and extra barbecue sauce (as much as you like).
- Place in the oven for about 20 minutes total. After 10 minutes, flipped them on the other side for an even cook. You can brush on an extra layer of BBQ sauce if you like and finish baking.
- Once fully cooked, take out the oven and allow it to cool. Serve with your favorite sides or as an appetizer.
Video
Notes
- UPDATED: This recipe has been updated due to people finding the mixture too wet. Thanks to the feedback, I made 3 important changes:
- I took away the need for a flaxseed egg so less ingredients are needed.
- I added breadcrumbs to the mixture for a better hold and more texture.
- I processed only half of the lentils in a food processor that way it the mixture has some texture and isn't so wet.
- READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE: It is important to follow instructions as written and read through the entire post and recipe. If you try to do this recipe on your own outside of the direct instructions and measurements, you take the risk the recipe not turning out correctly.
- MORE LENTIL MEATBALLS: The same flavor is there but now the mixture holds a lot better and it makes more meatballs! I have tested the new version 3 times and it's PERFECT. Please leave comments for any questions or concerns of how the updated recipe turned out for you!
- PRE COOKED RICE: Please NOTE the rice needs to be bought pre cooked or you will have to add additional steps in cooking those things yourself. Any pre cooked rice will do but I like Tasty Bite Organic Brown Rice. If you want to cook your own, I like Trader Joes 15 Quick-Cook Rice. ½ cup of dried rice equals 1 cup of cooked rice. Cook according to package directions.
- PRE COOKED LENTILS: Lentils need to bought pre cooked as well or you will have to add additional steps. I used 2 15 ounce cans of lentils. (Be sure to pat your lentils dry as much as possible with a paper towel if using can lentils). If you want to cook your own, 1 cup of dried lentils equals 2 cups of cooked lentils. Cook according to package directions.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on July 1, 2017, but was republished with meal prep and storage tips on October 31, 2021.
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© Gina Marie Hoskins. Vegan With Curves. All Rights Reserved. Unless noted otherwise, all images, recipes, & content are copyright protected and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. My images and written content are NOT to be used without prior permission. Read full Copyright Disclosure.
© Gina Marie Hoskins. Vegan With Curves. All Rights Reserved. Unless noted otherwise, all images, recipes, & content are copyright protected and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. My images and written content are NOT to be used without prior permission. Read full Copyright Disclosure.
Inese
Am going to make it tonite I love lentil
Gina Marie
Awesome let me know how it turns out for you!
Gina Marie
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out!
DESIREE DELIZ
I followed your instructions I doubled up on
The ingredients and it came out perfect!
Delicious, thank you.
Gina Marie
Awesome! So glad it worked! People have reported it was too mushy so I will be updating this recipe next week as I have retested some things. I will putting the original in the notes for those who it worked for tho 😊 Thank you for your feed back!!
Maria
I am using a loaf pan because batter was too mushy. I’m waiting now to see how this turns out as a meatloaf!
Gina Marie
Oh no! So sorry to hear that! I hope it comes up well! I will be updating the recipe soon as I have noticed some have mentioned it being too mushy! Thank you for the feedback!
Charlotte
These are phenomenal! I tried another plant-based "meatball" that was way more work (involved oven-drying cooked beans and many more steps) that beer were horrible, so I approached this recipe with some trepidation, but it was truly delicious. The flavor and texture were both excellent. The only issue I had was that my mixture still seemed a little wet even after a stint in the fridge, so I added another 1/4 cup of oats (this time quick cooking), and then stiffened it enough to hold its shape. The resulting product was perfection. I misted mine with olive oil and baked at 400 degrees, turning them over once, till they were super crispy, then finished them on the stove with the sauce. I can't wait to try them with different flavorings to use with marinara sauce. Thanks for this recipe!
Gina Marie
Awesome! So glad you enjoy! And I do have plans to update the recipe to prevent them from being to wet. I will be retesting it. It will take some time as I run this blog by myself so I thank you and everyone else for the feedback and suggestions! And also thank you for your patience!
Dawn Stangle
I would really like to try this but was wondering if I could use just regular cooked white or brown rice instead of the basmati? And can I use sesame or sunflower seeds in place of the flaxseed? I'm afraid they would upset my stomach.
Thank you.
Gina Marie
Yes regular rice will work just fine! The purpose of the flaxseed is to form a substitute for an egg? Flaxseeds gel up when mixed with water to act as an binding agent. Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds don't have that capability and will not be a good substitute for it. However you can substitute with ground chia seeds.
Mallory
Sooo yummy! Meatballs are a favorite around our house and everyone loved these. The texture is really good for a “nonmeat” meatball. I followed the recipe exactly and pan fried them. Just perfect
Gina Marie
Awesome! The rice really helps with the texture a lot! Glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Pat
I made these tonight and I left out the bbq sauce since my husband isn't a fan and I used quinoa. AMAZING! Really really good. I froze half to see how they hold up. I will be making these often!
Gina Marie
Awesome! And yes the BBQ sauce is totally optional these vegan meatballs can take on any flavor you like. So glad they worked out for you! Thank you for your comment!
Karen T
I'm surprised that you use Worcester sauce in this recipe, as it contains anchovies....
Gina Marie
Hi Karen
The recipe ingredients states that I used "vegan worcestershire sauce" There are no anchovies used in vegan worcestershie sauce. If you click the link you can see the specific brand and I used and in the video I also explained this as well.
Hope that helps!
Christie
Would I make this with 1/2 cup cooked rice or uncooked rice?
Gina Marie
1/2 cup of cooked rice. I will updated that in the recipe. Thank you for catching that!
Amanda
Do I use 2 cups dry lentils?
Kenyatta
Hi! I'm just wondering if you had a preference between the pan fried neat balls or the oven baked?
Gina Marie
I prefer them pan fried
Maria
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!
Gina Marie
"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!
Michelle
I can't believe how yummy these were and so easy to make!
Delicious!
Hillary
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.
Gina Marie
So glad you enjoyed them!!
Brenda Torgerson
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?
Gina Marie
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.
Laura
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! ?
Gina Marie
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.
Crhpgirl
Appreciate the nutritional info! Am I missing the serving size? I don't see it. Can't wait to try this recipe!
Gina Marie
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!
Chrpgirl
Oops!! Nvm, I see it..
Julia
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!
Rita Nagle
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!
Gina Marie
I am so happy you enjoyed them! You are so welcome!!
Stefanie P
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!
Gina Marie
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!
Stefanie P
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!
Gina Marie
You are so welcome! Thank you for your feedback!
Pamela
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!
Gina Marie
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!
Devon
I agree. Adding more oats to the recipe would be helpful! Left my mixture in the fridge for 30, and when that didn’t work, I put them in the freezer for 30. Unfortunately, they are still piles of mush when attempting to place them on a pan. I see comments have been made to adjust the recipe, but yet the recipe still remains the same. I’m looking forward to the revised recipe.
Gina Marie
Hi Devon.
Sorry, you are having so much trouble with the recipe. As a food blogger, I have to follow a strict seasonal schedule with the other content on my website. This recipe is on the schedule to be retested and updated but it takes time as run this blog alone. Thank you for your feedback!
Jasiri
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?☺
Devon
This is helpful! I do think the only issue with the recipe was/is the flaxseed “egg” as the “binding agent”.
Thank you for input on the chickpea flour! Will be utilizing that next time!