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Holy meatballs! I mean, vegan meatballs! This recipe isn’t your traditional meatball recipe because it’s completely plant-based and perfect for any vegetarian or vegan in your family. However, you may just be able to trick those meat lovers in your family with this easy vegan BBQ meatball recipe. 😉
Why You’ll Love These BBQ Vegan Black Bean Meatballs
- Almost Too Much Like Meat: These vegan BBQ meatballs are savory, sweet, and seriously taste just like the real thing.
- Versatile: Perfect with BBQ sauce or tossed in pasta sauce – these meatballs work with any dish.
- Meal-Prep Friendly: Great for family dinners, appetizers, or meal prep – you can even freeze them for later.
Ingredients
Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats: The secret ingredient that makes these meatballs incredibly meat-like! These gluten-free oats not only create the perfect texture when combined with black beans, but they’re also packed with fiber, protein, and essential minerals. Oats help bind the meatballs together while adding a hearty, satisfying texture that mimics traditional meatballs.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Black Beans: These protein-packed beans are loaded with fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin B6. They help support heart health and lower cholesterol while creating the perfect meat-like consistency.
How to Make These BBQ Vegan Black Bean Meatballs
- Add your “meat” ball ingredients into the processor and blend till everything is well combined. You want to ensure there is no loose flour from the oats, this is how you know you’ve done blending.
- Begin rolling into “meatballs” I like using a tbsp. to measure or even a small ice cream scoop. Please note, you’re balls will cook differently depending on the size you roll them. Once your balls are rolled, set them into the fridge while you prepare your BBQ sauce.
- Into a medium-sized pot add your oil and heat on low for a 1 minute. Add your onions and cook for 5 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Add your garlic and cook for another minute. Add the remainder of your ingredients and simmer on medium for around 10-15 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking or burning. Taste and ensure it has the flavours you desire. If it’s perfect then remove from heat, once cooled enough to handle use a hand blender to thicken and blend. Set aside.
- Into a large non-stick, pan heat your olive oil for 1 minute or so. Add your balls and cook for around 1 minute on each side. Add your desired amount of BBQ sauce to the pot and cook for around 5-6 minutes, on medium, with the lid on, until your balls are cooked throughout. A way to test this is to cut into one and check if it’s hot in the middle and steaming. That’s when you know you’re ready to eat all this deliciousness!
- Serve hot with Rice, on their own or with salad!
Tips and Tricks
- Perfect Texture: Combine the oats and black beans thoroughly for the most meat-like consistency.
- Make Ahead: These can be frozen in a sealed container and thawed when needed.
- Versatile Sauce: While BBQ sauce is amazing, feel free to use any sauce you prefer.
Variations
There are so many ways to make these vegan BBQ meatballs – here are a few ideas to mix it up:
- Toss them in Grandma’s Pasta Sauce for an Italian twist.
- Try different sauce combinations.
- Serve them as appetizers or as a main dish.
Best served with
- Garlic Confit Tomato Basil Pasta
- Warming Caesar Salad (with a twist)
- Viral Gigi Hadid Pasta Recipe (Spicy Vodka Pasta Recipe)
- Fluffy Greek Pita Bread Recipe
How to Store Leftovers
Store these vegan BBQ meatballs in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Common Questions
The secret combination of Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats and black beans creates a surprisingly meat-like texture and savory flavor that will fool even the pickiest eaters.
Yes! These vegan BBQ meatballs are perfect for meal prep and can be frozen in a tightly sealed container and thawed when needed.
Combine the oats and beans thoroughly, and don’t skip the binding ingredients. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes before forming the balls.
Save this recipe for later
Ingredients
For the “Meat” Balls:
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats
- 1 400 ml can of black beans, strained and drained
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil – plus some for cooking
- 1 heaped tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup white onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 1 ½ tbsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
For the BBQ Sauce:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- season to taste
- 1 tbsp. hot sauce
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcester sauce
- ½ – 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp. molasses, optional
- Garnish with fresh Mint
Instructions
Start Cooking- Add your “meat” ball ingredients into the processor and blend till everything is well combined. You want to ensure there is no loose flour from the oats, this is how you know you’ve done blending.
- Begin rolling into “meatballs” I like using a tbsp. to measure or even a small ice cream scoop. Please note, you’re balls will cook differently depending on the size you roll them. Once your balls are rolled, set them into the fridge while you prepare your BBQ sauce.
- Into a medium-sized pot add your oil and heat on low for a 1 minute. Add your onions and cook for 5 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Add your garlic and cook for another minute. Add the remainder of your ingredients and simmer on medium for around 10-15 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking or burning. Taste and ensure it has the flavours you desire. If it’s perfect then remove from heat, once cooled enough to handle use a hand blender to thicken and blend. Set aside.
- Into a large non-stick, pan heat your olive oil for 1 minute or so. Add your balls and cook for around 1 minute on each side. Add your desired amount of BBQ sauce to the pot and cook for around 5-6 minutes, on medium, with the lid on, until your balls are cooked throughout. A way to test this is to cut into one and check if it’s hot in the middle and steaming. That’s when you know you’re ready to eat all this deliciousness!
- Serve hot with Rice, on their own or with salad!
105 people are discussing this recipe. Join in
How many people should this serve? I can’t see it on there. Thanks, Sophie
Hey Sophie! This yields around 12-14 so it depends on whether you’re making it as an appetizer or main!
Okay great thank you!
what size can of beans?
Hey Leanne! Just updated that for you, it’s 400ml! Enjoy making them!
Hi there. I don’t have a food processor. Is there an alternate way to make this? Also, could I use Bob’s steel cut oats instead of the rolled oats?
Thanks!
Do you have a high speed blender? I would not recommend steel cut oats in this recipe. They cook at a different pace and would have an entirely different consistency which I didn’t test. Let me know if you have a blender!
I tried this recipe, and although it turned out a meaty texture, I found it to be too bread like. Would it be possible to cut down the oats and make them more dense?
Hey Stacey, we are currently trying to rework this recipe but I think our verdict will end up being so cut the oats in half completely. I hope this helps. Thanks for letting us know. How did you find the flavour?
Chia instead of flaxseed??? And ive added
Hello! I’m not sure what you mean hun? You’ve added chia instead of flaxseed? That shouldn’t be a problem but the flax seed add fun texture and add that more meat like crunch.
Let me know how that worked for you!
Hello there 🙂 Can i replace oat flour with flaxseed flour or chickpea flour? Thank you !
Hi! Can I use white beans instead of black?
I think that should be fine! Let me know how it goes!
Hello there! I didn’t text either of these but I feel like chickpea flour should be fine! I would a little bit less though as it’s a thicker flour. Let me know how it goes!! xxx
Hi looks great but it’s not clear to me wich ingredients are the sauce and which are the balls…
maybe that’s why someone said it might be to liquid, that they thought all ingredients listed are for the the meatball mixture…
tnx!
Hello there! It says right in the ingredients, for the BBQ sauce:. I hope this helps!
Can these be made without the sauce? Can I just bake them As is and toss with marinara sauce?
Would these make a good meatball sub?
100% would be perfect for that!
Of course! All my recipes are honestly quite forgiving. I want you to feel comfortable and safe in the kichen. Do what works for you and your families palette. They are honestly amazing!! If you have another favourite sauce then toss them in there too! They freeze great as well 🙂
Hi! I just made these and they are delicious! Can you tell me if the balls hold together well if left in a crockpot with the sauce? I’d like to make them again as an appetizer to take to a party.
Hey Brenda!! Yes, I am so glad you loved them – they are a favourite in our home. I haven’t tried that yet but I am going to say yes only based on how hearty and thick they are. I don’t see it being a problem, if anything it’ll add even MORE flavour to these bad boys. Please let me know how that goes!!
I don’t see how this recipe can work. Way too little liquid for the mix of 1 cup of oat floor AND 1 cup of rolled oats added to the remaining “meat” ball ingredients to form them into balls.
Hi Jimmy! This recipe works perfectly fine. Let me know what you think after you make them please 🙂
I can’t wait to make these for friendsgiving on sat. I didn’t see ho.e many this actually makes. I’m having a party of 15 should I double or triple the ingredients? Thank you in advance!
Hey Hun!
This is amazing. Oh it should say! I would triple the recipe. THEYRE SERIOUSLY SOOO GOOD!