Meatless Meatballs in Marinara Sauce Recipe (2024)

What do folks think about giving the onion & garlic a quick sauté first? I’m just thinking that 7 minutes under a broiler may not be enough to temper those raw flavors.

Yes this is processed but don’t forget real meat is processed with grave impact on our environment/health and immense animal suffering

Look forward to trying this! I know that Beyond Meat is heavily processed but for those of us vegan/vegetarians who still sometimes crave meat (like me), it still is better than meat if eaten in moderation. A tip: I made Sam Sifton's NYT recipe for Picadillo with Beyond Meat and vegan chorizo and it was delicious!

I made these last night for dinner for 3 committed vegetarians and 2 meat eaters, using the Beyond Meat for the first time. Once I overcame my disgust at the meatiness of the Beyond Meat, I followed the recipe as written. We all liked it, but the 2 meat eaters liked the meatballs the best. Both of them thought that they were indistinguishable from meatballs made with ground beef. I really had to remind myself that it was not meat. It was certainly an easy and quick meal.

Impossible Meat is a much better alternative to Beyond Meat. No question.

Added in Flaxseed meal (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water and let sit for 5 mins). Balls did not fall apart.

My daughter is vegetarian, not vegan. This recipe was a great starting point for broadening our protein options! The first time, I followed this recipe and everyone liked it - except me! The second time, referencing Melissa Clark’s classic meatball recipe, I sautéed garlic, onion, and shallots; mixed in 1 bunch of chopped scallions 1 cup chopped basil; and to get the fresh herbs to bind, I added two eggs and increased the Panko to 3/4 cup. Fried in olive oil for a nice crust. Fresher flavor!

Having tried meatballs with both Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat, I find the flavour of Beyond Meat is too over-powering and then lingers long after you've eaten. Impossible Meat was much nicer, letting you taste the other ingredients.

@WL, I’m a longtime vegetarian, so my tastebuds may be off here, but I think the Beyond Meat really benefits from the fresh brightness of the raw onion/garlic. It makes a tasty greasy burger, but, in other contexts, Beyond Meat can taste a little not-fresh.

I only had half the amount of Impossible Burger meat but realized it too late; I'd already mixed the spices, onion, and panko. Decided to try it anyway. The result was fantastic! The meatballs were incredibly flavorful and very "meaty." Broiled them for 10 minutes; they came out perfectly. Will definitely make this recipe again.

Yeah these don’t hold. The mixture was very cold but there’s no binder and I balled them up the best I could and broiled. They couldn’t be lifted from the sheet without crumbling. Disappointed.

I followed the recipe exactly, using Impossible "meat." I did not give myself time to chill the mixture, so I popped it in the freezer for about 25 minutes. The meatballs held beautifully and tasted great! I put my boiler setting on my oven to high, and left them in for 7 minutes. I ended up using Rao's marinara rather than making my own, and this was a quick weeknight meal. This was a fantastic recipe that satisfied both me, an omnivore, and my boyfriend, a vegan.

I made two batches at once, one using Beyond meat and one Impossible. The impossible was easier to shape (less sticky), browned faster, and produced a nicer, slightly firmer texture. In the future I’ll stick with impossible for these. Used less salt and soy sauce based on other comments, full amount would definitely be wayyyy too much, I suggest halving both. I also added an egg, because we’re not vegan and life’s too short to have your meatballs fall apart. Awesome recipe!

We liked these (and the ease of making them) but are fairly low-salt eaters, and the 1 1/2 t of salt plus the tamari made them very salty.

The crumbles are the wrong sort of "meat." Those are for recipes where you would normally break up hamburger as it cooks, like to use as a pizza topping, in tacos, or for a sauce with meat in it (rather than meatballs).What you want for this recipe is a brick of meat that looks similar to buying a package of uncooked ground beef, like this: https://www.beyondmeat.com/products/beyond-beef/

These are excellent, though I find it better to use less salt as suggested in the notes

I agree with other commenters: You can use 1 pound of plant-based vegan ground beef and keep the portions of everything else the same. And the recipe works well. ... With a pound of spaghetti and a nice veggie salad, I find this makes a hearty 4-portion meal.

I’ve now made this recipe twice with Impossible Burger to rave reviews from vegans and meat lovers. I followed the recipe as written with the exception that I doubled the onions (highly recommend). No need to sauté the onion and garlic. I broiled the meatballs on the lower range (7 minutes) and allowed them to cook the rest of the way in the marina. That did the trick. The meatballs literally melted in our mouths. Cannot recommend this recipe enough!

Chef john( not me ) has a vegan recipe . I use impossible and bake them . Serve on side with marinara , spaghetti. They will fall apart in sauce .I will try this recipe though

I have made meatless meatballs many times. There is no need to buy expensive meat substitutes like Beyond Meat. The best I've ever had are made with lentils cooked until very soft--these make a good "meat" loaf too. Use your favorite recipe for either. Chances are you will find it tastes just like you made it with meat. I prefer matzoh meal or regular bread crumbs to panko and much less salt than suggested here. Either way, definitely bake rather than saute or fry.

Can the ‘meat’ be substituted with a certain amount of ground canned (rinsed and dried) chickpeas, does anyone know? And if so, does any additional liquid need to added?

Try with tempeh that has been steamed or boiled for 2-3 minutes, then food process, add egg to bind.

These meatballs are great. I lightly sautéed the onions, garlic, and fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, basil) before adding to the meat mixture. Because we’re not vegans I added 1 egg, some ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Sautéed the meatballs in a pan so that they browned.

Excellent recipe and delicious with Beyond Meat. I did add an egg, and I baked the meatballs instead of broiling them. I made the Marinara Sauce she recommends, and the two were fect together. This recipe will be used often by me. It was a hit with vegetarians and meat eaters.

First time making meatless meatballs. Used 24 oz of Impossible following Clarks gen outline, but added an egg, a bit of evoo, fresh bread crumbs, parm, herbs (basil, thyme, dash of nutmeg) in addition to her ingreds but no soy. We like smaller meat balls so went w 1.25 oz. Turned out very nicely browned which we then simmered in sauce. Made enough to freeze. Tasted really delic. Honestly couldn't tell it was fake meat and was even better 2nd day. Will make again for sure.

Used Impossible burger and it was really good!

Add fennel for Italian

Question, does impossible beef have any fat? I’m thinking of using Trader Joe’s ground non-beef, it has little to no moisture. I’m guessing I should add olive oil. Any thoughts?

Just made these for Christmas Eve. Followed a suggestion in the comments and sautéed the onions and garlic just until translucent. Cool it then combined with the other ingredients then followed as the directions said. Came out really great. I’m not vegan but made this for vegans/vegetarians to enjoy and it’s very tasty. Texture is just like beef meatballs.

Made this for my vegan friends and was surprised at how good it was. Didn't inform hubby of that this was vegan before sharing a bite with him, and he thought they were excellent and well-seasoned. This recipe is a keeper: thanks!