The Best BBQ Vegan Meatballs

This BBQ vegan Meatballs is made with simple plant-based ingredients of lentils, rice, mushrooms, and BBQ sauce. It’s a vegan protein packed dish! These lentil meatballs can serve great as a post-workout entree or as an appetizer for your party or game day events!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• 15 oz BPA free can of lentils (if using dried use green lentils yield 2 cups when cooked)
• 1/8 cup chopped cilantro (optional, tho I highly recommend)
• 1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2/3 cup old fashioned gluten free oats
• 2 -3 tablespoons BBQ sauce (more or less depending on your taste)
• 2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

Instructions:

1. Cook brown rice according to directions and set aside.
2. Next you are going to make your flax egg. Take a small bowl, add flax seed, water and mix well. Set aside.
3. Next add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium high heat. Add chopped onions and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are fully translucent. Once cooked turn off heat and set aside.
4. Open your can lentil, pour into a colander and rinse excess sodium off. Add to a food processor.
5. Then add cook veggies, cooked rice, flax egg, oats, cilantro, salt, garlic powder, dried basil, 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke to food processor. Blend in your food processor fully until mixture is completely combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
6. If mixture is two wet, put mixture refrigerator for about 30 minutes so that it can stiffen up. (I would caution against adding flour. I have found that personally sometimes flour can give it a pasty like taste tho some have added flour to stiffen up this recipe with great success.)
7. BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
8. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F. Start to form your lentil balls placing each one on a pan lined with parchment paper. Brush Barbecue sauce on each lentil ball (as much as you like to your liking).
9. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes total. In about 10 minutes, once they start to crisped up, flipped them for an even cook. You can add more barbecue sauce if you like. Once fully cooked, take out oven and allow to cool. Serve with you favorite sides or as an appetizer.
10. PAN FRYING INSTRUCTIONS:
11. Start to form your lentil balls placing each one on a pan lined with parchment paper. Place in refrigerator for one hour to help firm up.
12. Once fully set, remove from refrigerator, grab a pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot place each ball in hot oil pan and heat all the way through for about 2 minutes on each side until the lentil balls form a caramelized coating on each side. Do not leave unattended.
13. Add 2 tablespoon of BBQ sauce to pan and turn down heat. Make sure you coat every lentil ball and simmer for a 1 to 2 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Serve with you favorite sides or as an appetizer.

NOTES:

• Substitutes and Additions:
• The original recipe called for breadcrumbs but some stated it did not hold as well as oats. You can use either breadcrumbs or oats whatever works better for you.
• Freezes really well! To freeze for later use, make a big batch, form your balls and keep in the freezer for a month. When you are ready to cook let them slightly thaw and bake and or pan fry.
• Try forming these into patties for a plant-based veggie burger...yummm
• You can make smaller balls so it can serve as an appetizer.
• Experiment with different sauces with these lentil balls! (A vegan gravy sauce or top over spaghetti!)
• The rice helps give it a hearty texture but you can substitute the rice with quinoa or walnuts