Vegan Black Bean Meatballs

Legumes are a really underappreciated food group we should all be eating more of! Preparing flavorful and wonderfully textured black bean meatballs is a fantastic way to fall in love with them.

This easy meatless dinner idea is called meatballs, but it’s fully vegan and made from really accessible and healthy ingredients!

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Perfect for satisfying those comfort food cravings, you can drown them in herbed marinara sauce and serve them with your favorite pasta.

For more meaty vegan recipes, check out our chickpea meatloaf, kidney bean burgers, lentil mushroom loaf, cauliflower chicken wings, and falafel tacos.

Look at the recipe

• Scrumptious meatless dinner idea
• Easy to make & customizable
• Kid-friendly & meat eater-approved
• Weight loss- and budget-friendly
• High in fiber, protein & minerals

In terms of kitchen utensils, you only need a food processor and baking sheet to make these black bean meatballs!

Find instructions for homemade marinara sauce and zucchini noodles further down in the article.

Ingredients needed

• Black beans — you’ve probably guessed that one.
• Mushrooms — adding that earthy umami flavor & wonderful texture.
• Carrots — some finely chopped veggies make the meatballs even healthier & lower in calories!
• Rolled oats — they help bring the meatballs together.
• Herbs & spices — parsley, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic and soy sauce are our flavorings of choice!

Sounds really straightforward, right? You probably have most of the ingredients already at home. If not, find some ingredient swaps below!

How to make black bean meatballs

Let’s start by making a flax egg (easy homemade binder) out of ground flax and some warm water. Give it a quick stir and let it sit in a small bowl to thicken for around 5 minutes.

Then, preheat your oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Process ingredients

Place the black beans, mushrooms, carrots, oats, parsley, thyme, smoked paprika and garlic powder in your food processor. 

Process until a crumbly mixture forms, then add soy sauce, your flax “egg”, salt and pepper. Pulse until everything is incorporated and don’t overdo it! We want some texture in our black bean meatballs.

Form the vegan meatballs

Using your clean hands, form little balls out of your black bean mixture. Line them next to each other on your prepared baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch.

Bake for 20 minutes

Once all of the beanballs have been created, place your baking sheet in the oven and bake them for around 20 minutes. Be sure to flip them halfway through so they bake evenly!

In the meantime, you can prepare your pasta, zucchini noodles or sauce to go with the black  bean balls!

Storage & serving suggestions

Serve your homemade vegan meatballs warm with marinara sauce (let them simmer in the sauce for a few minutes to soak up the flavor!) and over your favorite pasta, rice or zoodles.

If you’ve never heard of the latter, read how to spiralize vegetables here!

Another great combo is to serve them over mashed potatoes and drowned in creamy vegan gravy.

We also love these black bean balls with BBQ sauce as a meatball sandwich topped with vegan cheese! They are also suitable for adding to a vegan appetizer platter.

Any leftover black bean balls can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or frozen for a couple of months.

Let them thaw at room temperature and reheat them in the oven or microwave at your convenience!

Tips & adjustments

Meal prep this recipe

These black bean meatballs are a great beginner-friendly meal prep recipe! Even though they are simple enough to make during a weeknight, you can also set aside some time during the weekend to make them in advance.

In this case, we recommend that you bake them until they are almost done, then let them cool completely and store them in the fridge for an upcoming dinner.

All you need to do, once you’re ready to eat them, is to pop them in the oven for a few more minutes or let them cook for a while in marinara sauce before serving.

Food swaps

Don’t have cooked black beans? No problem, you can use kidney beans or cannellini beans instead! The color will just be different, obviously.

You can also add some breadcrumbs, textured vegetable protein or cooked quinoa to your mixture if you prefer these ingredients.

If you’re cooking for picky eaters, feel free to omit the carrots. Add a handful of (roasted) nuts or seeds to the meatballs to make them heartier and higher in calories!

Feel free to use different herbs and spices like mustard, tomato paste, oregano or vegan Worcestershire sauce when making the beanballs.

Stovetop instructions

Instead of baking the meatballs, you can sauté or fry them in a skillet with oil (or use non-stick cookware for an oil-free version).

They need around 8-10 minutes on each side — be sure to turn them occasionally so they cook evenly.

More vegan dinner ideas

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out the following goodness next!

• One-Pot Pasta Marinara
• Creamy Vegan Lasagna
• Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Hearty Vegan Chili
• Lentil Carrot Soup

Print Pin

Vegan Black Bean Meatballs (Easy & Healthy)

by Alena Schowalter

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Make these Italian-flavored vegan black bean meatballs with homemade marinara sauce for a family-approved meatless dinner! This recipe idea is so easy, healthy and comforting and can be served over pasta or zucchini noodles.

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Serves 4

Ingredients

Black Bean Meatballs

• ▢ 1 flax egg 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp warm water
• ▢ 5 oz button mushrooms 140 g
• ▢ 1 small carrot roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 cup rolled oats 90 g
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh parsley 7 g, chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon thyme dry
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups cooked black beans 215 g, drained
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ Salt & pepper to taste

Herbed Marinara

• ▢ 1 red onion diced
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 3-4 tablespoons vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano dry
• ▢ ¼-½ tsp cayenne
• ▢ 2 14- oz cans crushed tomatoes 800 g
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

To serve (optional)

• ▢ 2 medium zucchini 500 g, spiralized or shaved into noodle-shapes
• ▢ Spaghetti cooked
• ▢ Nutritional yeast
• ▢ Fresh basil leaves
• ▢ Vegan cheese shreds

Instructions

Make the vegan meatballs

• Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C and line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Combine ground flax and warm water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to create an egg replacement.
• Add mushrooms, carrots, oats, parsley and spices to your food processor. Pulse a few times to break everything down, then add the black beans.
• Process until a crumbly mixture forms, then add the soy sauce and flax egg; pulse until just incorporated.
• Form the mixture into small balls with your hands. Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are not touching each other, and roast for 20 minutes. Check after 10 minutes and flip them to ensure they bake evenly.

Make the marinara

• While the meatballs are roasting, add onion, garlic and a splash of vegetable broth into a medium-sized saucepan and place over medium-high heat.
• Season with salt, pepper, oregano and cayenne and cook for around 4-5 minutes, until the onions are soft and fragrant, stirring occasionally.
• Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, then stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low and let the marinara simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the meatballs are done in the oven.
• Gently submerge the meatballs in the sauce and cook just until the sauce starts to bubble, around 2-3-minutes.

Serving suggestion

• Serve the baked meatballs and herbed marinara over zoodles (zucchini noodles) or spaghetti and top with nutritional yeast or vegan cheese shreds. Enjoy!

Notes

• You can swap black beans for kidney beans or white beans. Adding some TVP is great for more protein and chewy texture!
• Make the vegan meatballs heartier by adding a handful of nuts or seeds to the food processor when making them and frying them with some oil in a skillet instead of baking them.
• Any leftover black bean balls can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days and frozen for 2-3 months.
• Nutrition information has automatically been calculated for the meatballs and tomato sauce only.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Show Nutrition Label Hide Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Black Bean Meatballs (Easy & Healthy)

Amount per Serving

Calories

259

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3

g

5

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Sodium

 

520

mg

23

%

Carbohydrates

 

51

g

17

%

Fiber

 

13

g

54

%

Sugar

 

13

g

14

%

Protein

 

13

g

26

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated automatically, their accuracy is not guaranteed.

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