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    Home » Entrees

    Chickpea Meatballs

    Published: Mar 3, 2021 Updated: Jun 28, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Chickpea Meatballs

    These chickpea meatballs are seriously delicious! They are loaded with flavor and so easy to make. Serve them plain or with marinara sauce for a satisfying meal.

    Close up photo of spaghetti, chickpea meatballs and sauce in a white bowl.

    Chickpeas are awesome. They’re so versatile too. I mean we’ve made vegan tuna from chickpeas. Need I even say more. That’s how versatile these little guys are.

    So it’s no surprise really that they also work wonderfully in some vegan meatballs. These chickpea meatballs are SO tasty.

    You definitely can’t have just one. This is a ‘must eat them all’ sort of scenario. They’re delicious served on their own or smothered in marinara sauce and served with spaghetti for a fabulous vegan spaghetti and meatballs dinner.

    You can bake them or you can fry them (we baked them). Either way they’re amazing.

    And if you love making your own homemade meatballs then check out our recipe for vegan meatballs made with seitan.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Photo of the ingredients needed to make chickpea meatballs.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Chickpeas – we use canned chickpeas in this recipe for the sake of simplicity. If you have cooked chickpeas on hand then you can use 1 and ½ cups.
    • Nutritional yeast – this gives these meatballs a slightly cheesy flavor which we found delicious! But if you’re not a fan of nutritional yeast you can leave it out.
    • Breadcrumbs – you can use any brand of vegan breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
    Chickpea meatballs with marinara sauce and spaghetti in a white bowl.

    How To Make Chickpea Meatballs

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add canned chickpeas to the food processor along with chopped onion, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce and tomato paste. Process until smooth.
    Collage of two photos showing ingredients added to food processor and then processed.
    • Add smoked paprika, coriander powder and cumin and process.
    Collage of two photos showing spices added to food processor and mixed in.
    • Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add breadcrumbs and fresh chopped parsley and mix in. Use your hands to form it into a dough.
    Two photo collage showing breadcrumbs and fresh herbs added to meatball mixture and mixed in.
    • Scoop roughly tablespoon sized amounts of dough, roll them into balls and place evenly onto a parchment lined baking tray.
    • Place the tray into the freezer for 15 minutes so that the balls can firm up.
    • Remove the tray from the freezer and lightly brush each ball with olive oil.
    Two photo collage showing meatballs on a parchment lined baking tray and then brushing them with olive oil.
    • Place into the oven and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, turning the balls over once at the 10 minute mark.
    Two photo collage showing chickpea meatballs before and after baking.

    Recipe Tips

    Let the balls firm up in the freezer. The reason we place the tray into the freezer before baking is so that the balls will hold their shape really well when baking or frying.

    Bake them or fry them. You can either bake or fry these meatballs. Of course baking is a low oil option since we just lightly brush them with olive oil prior to baking. If you’d prefer to fry them then heat up two tablespoons of oil in the frying pan until hot and then fry as many meatballs as comfortably fit into the pan. Fry for a few minutes, turning regularly until golden and crispy all over. Repeat with the next batch.

    Make them oil-free. If you’d like these meatballs to be oil-free then baking would be the best option, you can simply omit brushing them with olive oil. They are slightly drier of course but once served with a sauce that won’t matter.

    Freshly baked chickpea meatballs on a parchment lined baking tray.

    Recipe FAQ

    Can they be made ahead?

    These chickpea meatballs can be made ahead of time. Make them up to the point that they would go into the freezer to firm up for 15 minutes. And then instead of baking them, move them to the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking.

    How to store chickpea meatballs?

    Keep them stored in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave.

    Can you freeze them?

    Baked meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or frying pan.

    Chickpea meatball on a fork.

    More Vegan Chickpea Recipes

    1. Vegan Falafel
    2. Vegan Chickpea Burgers
    3. Vegan Chicken Salad
    4. Vegan Meatloaf
    5. Vegan Chickpea Salad
    6. Vegan Chickpea Curry

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Close up photo of spaghetti, chickpea meatballs and sauce in a white bowl.

    Chickpea Meatballs

    These chickpea meatballs are seriously delicious! They are loaded with flavor and so easy to make. Serve them plain or with marinara sauce for a satisfying meal.
    4.90 from 19 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entree, Savory
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 25
    Calories: 37kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 15 ounce Can Chickpeas (1 can) Drained
    • ½ Small Red Onion Finely Chopped
    • 4 Cloves Garlic Crushed
    • 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
    • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
    • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
    • ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
    • ½ tsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 1 cup Breadcrumbs
    • ¼ cup Chopped Parsley
    • Olive Oil For Brushing
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
    • Add canned chickpeas to the food processor along with chopped onion, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce and tomato paste. Process until smooth. 
    • Add smoked paprika, coriander powder and cumin and process. 
    • Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add breadcrumbs and fresh chopped parsley and mix in. Use your hands to form it into a dough. 
    • Scoop roughly tablespoon sized amounts of dough, roll them into balls and place evenly onto a parchment lined baking tray. 
    • Place the tray into the freezer for 15 minutes so that the balls can firm up. 
    • Remove the tray from the freezer and lightly brush each ball with olive oil. 
    • Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, turning the balls over once at the 10 minute mark. 

    Notes

    1. Chickpeas – if you happen to have cooked chickpeas on hand (not canned) then you can use 1 and ½ cups. 
    2. Bake them or fry them. You can either bake or fry these meatballs. If you’d prefer to fry them then heat up two tablespoons of oil in the frying pan until hot and then fry as many meatballs as comfortably fit into the pan. Fry for a few minutes, turning regularly until golden and crispy all over. Repeat with the next batch. 
    3. Make them oil-free. If you’d like these meatballs to be oil-free then baking would be the best option, you can simply omit brushing them with olive oil. They are slightly drier of course but once served with a sauce that won’t matter. 
    4. Make Ahead: These chickpea meatballs can be made ahead of time. Make them up to the point that they would go into the freezer to firm up for 15 minutes. And then instead of baking them, move them to the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking. 
    5. Storing and Freezing: Keep them stored in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave. Baked meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or frying pan. 
    6. Prep time includes the 15 minutes firming up in the freezer. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Meatball | Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1.2g | Fat: 1.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 101mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 0.7g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Zinzi says

      August 14, 2022 at 2:51 pm

      For the first time I’ve tried a recipe where the balls held! I was short on breadcrumbs and topped up with couscous and they were perfect. Would add a bit of salt next time. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 15, 2022 at 11:23 am

        So glad they held up well!

        Reply
    2. Mike says

      July 09, 2022 at 5:06 pm

      Hello can you use flour like almond or coconut flour instead of breadcrumbs? And do you have to use nutritional yeast? Please let me know asap thanks! 🙂 -Mike

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 10, 2022 at 12:02 pm

        Hi Mike, I don’t think almond or coconut flour would work at all. Nutritional yeast can be omitted.

        Reply
        • Michael Castellano says

          July 11, 2022 at 4:37 pm

          What about regular flour?

          Reply
          • Alison Andrews says

            July 13, 2022 at 11:05 am

            You can try that!

    3. Marie says

      March 29, 2022 at 1:57 pm

      Thank you for simple and delicious recipes! Yum

      Reply
    4. Val says

      March 17, 2022 at 10:09 pm

      These are so tasty. The recipe is also way easier to make then I originally imagined. I will definitely double the recipe next time I make them. Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 18, 2022 at 8:22 am

        So happy you enjoyed them Val!

        Reply
    5. Ivana says

      February 22, 2022 at 12:05 pm

      These are absolutely gorgeous. Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 23, 2022 at 6:58 am

        So happy you enjoyed them Ivana! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Margaret says

      July 14, 2021 at 7:17 pm

      I served these with pasta, but I think they would also be great as the base for a Reuben, pairing very well with sauerkraut. Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 15, 2021 at 10:15 am

        Awesome! And yes I agree completely about the Reuben! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Sara Laimon says

      March 31, 2021 at 7:51 pm

      these were tasty but i found them a little dry. Perhaps because I baked instead of fried. I will make again as they’re nice to have around. Used them up crumbling into salads which was nice.3 stars

      Reply
    8. Carol Jo Dean says

      March 11, 2021 at 10:27 pm

      Can I make these with Italian seasonings instead of the ones in the recipe?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 12, 2021 at 9:50 am

        Sure you can tweak it as you like. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Anna says

      March 10, 2021 at 11:23 am

      An absolute hit in my opinion! Protein rich and mouth wateringly delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 10, 2021 at 11:30 am

        Thanks Anna!

        Reply
    10. Ken Johnston says

      March 03, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      Allison, you’ve come up with some really great recipes lately. Thanxalot!! .. Ken

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 04, 2021 at 11:29 am

        Thanks so much Ken!

        Reply
    11. Ali says

      March 03, 2021 at 7:03 pm

      Hi, Alison! Thank you for this and so many other recipes! I am going to try this recipe, but just wanted to confirm that the chick pea balls will hold their shape after cooking. I’ve made so many vegan patties or balls that fall apart after cooking, that I’m now skeptical. I did read in the recipe that freezing them prior to cooking helps, so I definitely won’t skip that step.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 04, 2021 at 11:34 am

        Hi Ali, these hold their shape SUPER well, but freezing them first before baking is an important part of the process.

        Reply
      • Janet says

        February 22, 2022 at 1:10 am

        Made these today and doubled the batch. I brushed them with tomato paste and olive oil and cooked in the air fryer. One batch I used in salad wraps and the second batch I used as meatballs with marinara sauce and added onion garlic mushrooms zucchini and capsicum to sauce and served over spaghetti. Loved them both ways. Affordable and nutritious.

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          February 22, 2022 at 8:49 am

          So happy you enjoyed them Janet!

          Reply

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    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

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