Vegan Meatballs Recipe (with Chickpeas and Seitan) (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep vegan meatballs from falling apart? ›

How can you keep vegan meatballs from falling apart? As the recipe is written, the meatballs should hold together; however there is always some variability in ingredients. If your dough is too loose, try grinding more oats into flour and add them to the mixture.

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

*The vegetarians and vegans out there needn't despair: Gelatin substitutes, like pectin, kosher gelatin, agar, and carrageenan, can often be used instead—just follow package instructions to calculate the proper usage and amount.

Aquafaba is the liquid from a carton of cooked garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. All you do is strain the liquid from the beans into a bowl and that is your aquafaba. You can also create your own aquafaba egg replacer by soaking 1 cup of dried chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight.

Making great meatballs is all about memorizing a basic ratio that you can adjust to suit your taste. Start with a pound of ground meat — any kind will work, even fish if you want to take it in that direction. Add ½ cup bread crumbs for lightness, a teaspoon of salt, and an egg to bind it together. That's all you need.

Rolled Oats

Oats are the perfect substitutes for breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf. While they aren't ideal for a crispy coating, they add the right amount of texture to bind meat, eggs and flavorings together into a delicious Italian-inspired feast.

One trick to making sure meatballs are totally tender once they're cooked is to use a binder. Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat.

You want them firm enough so they don't fall apart when cooking, while still keeping a tender, juicy texture. That is why it is key to use a binder or two.

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Should I put egg in my meatballs? ›

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

Too much egg, therefore, is not a good thing. It will make your meatballs spongy and over-absorbent (in a bad way), so that they run a high risk of being soggy and too heavy.

Plant-based gelatin alternatives

Cornstarch and agar agar (an algae-based product found in the seaweed section) have both been used to successfully replicate these tricky textures. Like gelatin, both cornstarch and agar agar are activated when combined with a hot liquid.

Gelatin is not vegan. However, there is a product called “agar agar” that is sometimes marketed as “gelatin,” but it is vegan.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, while gelatin is a cooked form of collagen. As such, they share multiple characteristics and benefits ( 1 , 2 ).

When meatballs are packed together too tightly, they cook up tough, rubbery, and chewy. → Follow this tip: Being gentle is the name of the game when it comes to forming meatballs. Consider oiling your hands so the mixture won't stick to them, and then gently and quickly form the meat into evenly sized balls.

How to stop meatballs from falling apart. Making them with just meat and seasoning alone can result in the meatball becoming dry or falling apart during cooking. For this reason, many recipes will include a binding ingredient like egg, and a filler like breadcrumbs.

Tenderizing the Meat:

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.