Sticky Sesame Lentil Meatballs

There’s nothing I love more than good ol’ lentil meatballs. There are so many possibilities for what you can do. And, once they’re made up, there are so many ways you can use them. Whether they’re in a pasta sauce or thrown on a bed of rice with a yummy sauce, meatballs are seriously a dream. That’s why I think you’ll love this Sticky Sesame Meatball Recipe.

Why you’ll love this lentil meatball recipe: 

• Versatile: Make a different sauce if you’re not into the sticky sesame, throw them into a pasta dish, whatever you wish!
• Quick & Easy: The prep time is only 15-minutes for these bad boys!
• Protein-Packed: With the help of peanuts and lentils, these meatballs are protein-packed and filling

Ingredients:

Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make these sticky Sesame Lentil Meatballs: 

Ingredient Notes for Lentil Meatballs: 

Peanuts: Peanuts are a low-cost superfood that delivers significant health benefits. With just a handful of peanuts, you’re getting a load of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They can even help you decrease your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline. A one-ounce serving of peanuts offers you: 

• 7 grams of protein 
• 19 vitamins and minerals
• Healthy fats 
• Fiber 

Sauce: For this recipe, I made a delicious sticky sesame sauce made with sesame oil, soy sauce, orange juice, hoisin sauce, sweetener (like honey or maple syrup), and rice wine vinegar. The sauce is delicious, flavorful, and Asian-inspired. However, you can definitely swap this sauce for any sauce you love!

How to make vegan meatballs: 

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, stir till well combined, and set aside.

2. In a food processor, process the peanuts till a ground meat-like texture is achieved, then set aside.

3. In a medium pot, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and gently cook your onions and garlic on medium heat for 5 minutes.  Stirring frequently to prevent burning.

4. To the pot, add salt and pepper.  Stir till all the onions and garlic are coated with the seasoning.  Cook down the onions for 5 minutes before adding the lentils, chickpeas, or rice to the pot.

5. Remove the lentil mixture from the pot and gently pulse in the same food processor (you can also use a hand blender) till a crumble develops.

6. Transfer the lentil mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. To the bowl, add the peanuts and the remaining ingredients. Stir till well combined.  Set ahead in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

8. Once cooled, you now form “meatballs”. I used a 1 1/2 tbsp. ice cream scoop to measure the size. I then rolled them and placed them on the baking sheet.  Cook them for 35-40 minutes total, flipping and turning at least twice to avoid any burning. At the halfway mark, remove the “meatballs” and lightly coat with 1/4 of the sauce. Just before the balls are completely cooked.  Add another 1/4 of the sauce to the “meatballs” and cook for the remaining 5 minutes.

9. Serve these vegan meatballs with white rice, sesame seeds, green onions, and as much sauce as desired.

FAQ & Expert Tips: 

Storage: Place the balls in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to one week. You can also, bake, seal and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.  You can also premake, not bake and store in the freezer for up to two months.  Cook them in a preheated 400F oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 1 hour or until golden. Make sure you flip and move to avoid burning.

Pre-make: If you want to premake the recipe I suggest making the recipe up till the baking step.  Have them rolled and prepped in the fridge before baking.  You can do this up to 48 hours in advance.

Servings: This recipe serves 4 as a main meal but around 6 as an appetizer.

Oil: If you prefer to make this recipe oil-free, then simply use water or vegetable stock to cook/steam the ingredients like the onions/garlic and peanuts. I recommend 3-4 tbsp. water or stock to replace the 1 tbsp. olive oil.

Gluten-Free: If needed, use gluten-free panko and gluten-free hoisin.

Other recipes you’ll love:

• Greek Salad Dressing
• Greek Meatballs with Whipped Feta
• Vegan Pastitsio Recipe
• Vegan Lemon Rice Soup
• Vegan Crab Cakes
• Vegan Ramen

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If you want more deliciousness at the click of your finger, be sure to check out FoodByMaria’s Newest Mini Cookbooks. Limited time offer of 3 for $20USD.

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Sticky Sesame Lentil Meatballs with Peanuts (Vegan)

5 from 1 vote

These stick sesame lentil meatballs are easy, delicious, and the perfect dinner or lunch recipe.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Vegan Meals

Cuisine Chinese Cuisine Inspired

Servings 12 -14 Meatballs

Calories 131 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the Vegan Meatballs:

• 2 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 small white onion finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup chickpeas rice, or lentils
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts pulsed in food processed till ground meat is achieved, should take around 15 seconds

For the Sauce:

• 2 tbsp. sesame oil (you can also use spicy sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Juice of 2 large oranges around 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 4 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
• 3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp red pepper chili flakes

Serve with:

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• sesame seeds as desired
• finely chopped green onion as desired

Instructions

 

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, stir till well combined, and set aside.
• In a food processor, process the peanuts till a ground meat-like texture is achieved, then set aside.
• In a medium pot, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and gently cook your onions and garlic on medium heat for 5 minutes.  Stirring frequently to prevent burning.
• To the pot, add salt and pepper.  Stir till all the onions and garlic are coated with the seasoning.  Cook down the onions for 5 minutes before adding the lentils, chickpeas, or rice to the pot.
• Remove the lentil mixture from the pot and gently pulse in the same food processor (you can also use a hand blender) till a crumble develops.
• Transfer the lentil mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. To the bowl, add the peanuts and the remaining ingredients. Stir till well combined.  Set ahead in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Once cooled, you now form “meatballs”. I used a 1 1/2 tbsp. ice cream scoop to measure the size. I then rolled them and placed them on the baking sheet.  Cook them for 20-30 minutes total, flipping and turning at least twice to avoid any burning.
• NOTE: if you have a strong oven, please check on them at 20 minutes.  If you have an oven that needs a bit more love... you may need to cook them for 40 minutes.  Each oven is different.  I cooked mine for 35 minutes and it worked perfectly.
• At the halfway mark, remove the "meatballs" and lightly coat with 1/4 of the sauce. Just before the balls are completely cooked.  Add another 1/4 of the sauce to the "meatballs" and cook for the remaining 5 minutes.
• Serve with white rice, sesame seeds, green onions, and as much sauce as desired.

Video

Notes

Storage: Place the balls in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to one week. You can also, bake, seal and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.  You can also premake, not bake and store in the freezer for up to two months.  Cook them in a preheated 350F oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 30 minutes or until golden. Make sure you flip and move to avoid burning.

Pre-make: If you want to premake the recipe I suggest making the recipe up till the baking step.  Have them rolled and prepped in the fridge before baking.  You can do this up to 48 hours in advance.

Servings: This recipe serves 4 as a main meal but around 6 as an appetizer.

Oil: If you prefer to make this recipe oil-free, then simply use water or vegetable stock to cook/steam the ingredients like the onions/garlic and peanuts. I recommend 3-4 tbsp. water or stock to replace the 1 tbsp. olive oil.

Gluten-Free: If needed, use gluten-free panko and gluten-free hoisin.

Nutrition

Serving: 14 | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.2g | Protein: 3.2g | Fat: 6.9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Sodium: 357.3mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 8.3g

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