Vegan Meatballs Sweet And Spicy

Need more vegan recipes? Try my vegan chili, vegan pizza, and cauliflower steak next. I try to cook plant-based dinners at least once a week in my house, and my plant-based meatballs continue to be one of my most requested dishes. With a little help from Beyond Meat, these meatballs turn out incredibly juicy and tender, with an irreplaceable meaty flavor and the perfect balance of spices. And the sauce…don’t even get me started on the sauce! You’ll probably notice most vegan meatball recipes feature a simple tomato or marinara sauce, but not these ones!

Why I love this recipe

No legumes or nuts. Most vegan meatball recipes call for lentils, oats, or cashews, but these use neither and taste the most like real meatballs. They’re nourishing. Just like regular meatballs, these are packed with protein yet relatively low in fat. Freezer-friendly. These meatballs make an easy freezer meal. Just take them straight from the freezer and put them in tomato sauce or microwave them over spaghetti. Easy to customize. Enjoy them in this sweet chili sauce or tossed in marinara sauce. Personally, I love to use them in my meatball subs!

Ingredients needed

Beyond Meat beef. My go-to ground beef substitute when I want a true meaty flavor and texture. Impossible Meat is a good substitution, but I prefer Beyond beef. Garlic and ginger. Preferably freshly minced for maximum flavor. Olive oil. To sauté the meatballs. Salt. To taste.

For the sweet and spicy sauce:

Bell peppers. I used red and yellow bell peppers for more color. Onion. Quartered. Ketchup. For sweetness, tanginess, and tomato flavor. Sweet chili sauce. For the spicy-sweet flavor. Hot chili sauce. To add extra heat to the sauce. Soy sauce. For saltiness and umami flavor. Cornstarch. To thicken the sauce and give it a glossy finish. Water. To thin out the sauce. Scallions and sesame seeds. For garnish.

How to make vegan meatballs

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Arman’s recipe tips

Use a cookie scoop to portion the meatballs. So they stay perfectly round. Use tomatoes. If you don’t have ketchup, use canned or fresh tomatoes for the sauce. Since tomatoes are juicy, you won’t need to add extra water. Add nutritional yeast. If you are afraid your meatballs will crumble and fall apart, add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast. It’s a good binder with more flavor than breadcrumbs.

Storage instructions

To store: Place leftover meatballs in sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Yes, if you’d like a more hands-off recipe, you can make them in the oven. Start by preheating the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the meatball mixture has been made, shape them into balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake them for 20 minutes or until they’re browned. Serve them with the sauce.

Add spices. Season the meatballs to match whatever spices you’re serving them with. If I’m serving them with red sauce, I like adding fennel seeds or dried herbs. Swap water for vegetable stock. Using vegetable stock for the sauce helps create a richer flavor. Use any sauce. These meatballs can be served with any sauce of choice: marinara, cream, etc. Prep the meatballs as instructed, then toss them through your favorite sauce. I’ve tested them with my pomodoro sauce and also sugo– both fabulous tomato-based options. If you don’t follow a super strict vegan diet, my cottage cheese alfredo is also a fab idea.

To freeze: Meatballs, cooked or uncooked, are best frozen without the sauce. They will last for up to six months. If they are already in the sauce, freeze them in a shallow container for up to two months. To reheat: Heat over the stovetop with a splash of water to thin out the sauce, or microwave in 30-second intervals until warm.