Vegan Barbecue Meatballs
These Vegan Barbecue Meatballs are a meal by themselves, healthy, and delicious to boot. Beans and oats and a few spices make these meatballs perfectly textured and a great vehicle for the homemade barbecue sauce. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free recipe.
Servings: 20 meatballs
Calories: 50kcal
Ingredients
For meatballs:
- 14 oz canned or cooked pinto beans (drained)
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sage
- Salt to taste
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral oil (to fry meatballs. The meatballs will absorb very little oil if you fry at a temperature of 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit)
For barbecue sauce:
- 1 cup tomato ketchup
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Make meatballs:
- Place all of the meatball ingredients except the oil in the food processor and pulse a few times until the oats are broken down into small bits. The mixture should be evenly mixed and when you take a piece in your palms and roll into a ball, it should hold its shape.
- Divide the mixture into 20 1-inch meatballs.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed fry pan or skillet. I used the Lagostina 10-inch fry pan for this.
- Place the meatballs in a single layer, without overlapping or overcrowding. Fry, turning over occasionally, until the meatballs are browned on all sides.
- Remove the meatballs to a plate lined with paper napkins and set aside.
Make the barbecue sauce:
- Place all of the ingredients for the barbecue sauce in a small saucepan. I used the Lagostina 1 ¾ quart saucepan for this.
- Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Place the meatballs in a bowl or skillet and pour the barbecue sauce over them. Coat the meatballs thoroughly and serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.8g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 1.8g | Fiber: 1.5g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1.4mg