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Garbanzo beans replace beef in these absurdly tasty vegan chickpea meatballs. With a garlicky hint of spice from Calabrian chili bomba, you are going to find out real quick why this is one of the yummiest plant-based meatball recipes you've ever loaded up into a sub.
Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
Regular breadcrumbs swap out for gluten-free ones with zero other changes needed, it's already built into the ingredient list.
These use canned chickpeas already, so there's no soaking or cooking a pot of dried beans, straight to the food processor.
Cook a big pot of dried chickpeas instead of grabbing the canned ones, they're pennies on the dollar and freeze great.
Ease up on the salt if you like, the recipe already lists it as "to taste," right?
No walnuts on hand? Any tree nut or seed works fine in this one, pine nuts would be an especially awesome swap.
Pulse the chickpeas and walnuts until they're crumbly, then stop. If it starts looking smooth, you've already gone too far.
After rinsing give those chickpeas a proper pat down with paper towels before they go anywhere near the food processor.
With moistened hands, shape into even tablespoon-size balls, pressing firmly so they hold together.
Oodles more tips, step-by-step recipe photos, info on weird ingredients, and FAQs are all still here. I just tucked 'em out of the way so you can start cooking sooner.
What makes this recipe extra special compared to the 40 zillion other classic meatball recipes out there is the combination of walnuts AND chickpeas pulsed together and then pan-fried to becomes a ground meat-like texture before anything else happens.
Then we're loading them up with bomba calabrese which is a spicy Calabrian chili paste that I am truly strung out on.
These chickpea meatballs are faithful to marinara on weeknights but on the weekends? Vegan carbonara. Vegan pesto pasta. Both incredible. Both significantly better with a side of vegan garlic bread because you worked hard today and you deserve to mop that plate clean and get a kiss on the forehead from the Garlic Goddess.
These are some unique and tasty meatballs!! And so cute on a plate. =)
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🥰 Why you'll adore this chickpea meatball recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Yup, another one of my vegan Italian recipes that lets the animals live their best unbothered lives while you live YOUR best life over a large bowl of 'sgetti.
🌶️ One Ingredient That Does the Most: This spicy Calabrian chili paste is the reason these meatballs taste like something you'd order at a restaurant and then immediately try to reverse engineer at home.
🌬️ Air Fryer Friendly Too: If you're trying to keep the oil situation minimal these meatballs air fry beautifully at 375°F for about 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through until golden and crispy on all sides.
🌾 Easily Gluten-Free Too: Swap the regular breadcrumbs for your favorite gluten-free breadcrumbs and that's literally the only change you need to make. Everything else in this easy recipe stays exactly the same.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Before any vegan recipe gets a spot on this blog it has to survive my wildly large international squad of over 1,000 recipe testers. They tested the heck out of it and it passed anyway because that's just the kind of recipe this is.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🟠 Chickpea Meatballs Ingredients
Canned Chickpeas
Canned chickpeas are high in protein, high in fiber, and apparently also high in potential because just look what we're doing with them today! The main tip here is not to over-process them or mushy meatballs (aka balls of hummus in disguise) become your spirit animal. Oh, and save that can's liquid, because aquafaba is basically vegan sorcery juice and you'll need it to rock out a batch of vegan ladyfingers to make my vegan tiramisu with.
Bomba Calabresi
Spicy, a tiny bit smoky, and complex in a way that a dry spoonful of Italian seasoning could only dream about while sitting in the corner wearing a dunce cap.
Trader Joe's sells an affordable one, which they simply call "Bomba Sauce" which works perfectly here. Just check the label of any others you find because some brands sneak anchovies in there. Chili paste, a little harissa sauce, or crushed red pepper with a little extra tomato paste added all work as swaps.
Breadcrumbs
While you can do this recipe with regular ol' breadcrumbs, I personally reach for panko every time because the texture is just better and I will die on that hill. GF breadcrumbs swap in with no problem and gluten-free panko is a thing that exists out there somewhere if you can get your hands on it.
Marinara Sauce
Jarred is totally fine, no judgment here whatsoever but my quick vegan pasta sauce is the best option for this and can be made any time of the year with canned tomatoes.
Pesto people I see you too. Forget serving these with tomato sauce. My pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, walnut pesto, and spinach pesto all go absolutely feral over these. Like a goose in the night, sneaking into the spaghetti factory with a briefcase of basil, and a weird goose-like smirk upon his/her/their face part of the goose.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯 Variations
Lentil Meatballs
Almost beefy, lentil meatballs were the first delicious vegan balls I ever used to make, wayyyy back before the birth of my first daughter when I worked as a chef in Shrewsbury NJ.
Tofu Meatballs
My tofu meatballs have a kinda superior texture. Basically the tofu gets pressed, shredded, and pan fried with garlic and seasonings before being used in place of meat. It's kinda wild, and I am pretty sure you'll love 'em.
Gluten-Free Black Bean Meatballs
These vegan meatballs made with black beans are a solid option when you're skipping bread crumbs but still want something that doesn't fall apart on you and make you yell, waving your fists at the skygods.
Vegan Swedish Meatballs
For when you're over marinara. My vegan Swedish meatballs have more pizzazz that a planet made by Ikea. Wait, that planet exists. -It's called hell. Anyway, these little guys are insane, so go make them, OK?
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖How to make chickpea meatballs
Ready to become the most legendary chickpea meatball maker in your entire zip code? All others will fear you and scream when they see you in the neighborhood. Follow these step-by-step instructions with tips and nail these on the very first try. The full printable recipe card is also waiting for you at the bottom of the page if you're the type who figures it out as they go.
Step One
Pulse Fiction:
Add the walnuts and chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms. Do not process into a paste.
Step Two
Hot Stuff Baby This Evening:
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, once the oil is hot, add the chickpea and walnut mixture and sauté, stirring regularly, for 6-7 minutes until lightly browned and beginning to crisp in spots.
Step Three
Onion Dues:
Add the diced onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Step Four
Nuclear Bomba:
Stir in the chopped parsley, diced tomato, bomba calabresi, tomato paste, paprika, oregano, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the fresh parsley wilts and the tomato starts to break down, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Step Five
Bread Pitt:
Transfer the cooled mixture to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and water. Vigorously squeeze the dough as you mix it, so that the breadcrumbs get fully moistened and you end up with a shaggy meatball dough.
Step Six
Balls Boutique:
With moistened hands, shape into evenly sized tablespoon portions, pressing firmly so they hold together.
Step Seven
Ball You Need is Love:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Arrange the meatballs on a lightly oiled parchment paper-lined baking pan, and drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake for 18 minutes and then flip the balls over with a spatula. Continue baking for 6-8 minutes until browned and crisp on all sides.
Air Fryer Option: Place the meatballs in a single layer in your air fryer basket, leaving a little space between each one. Air fry at 375°F for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden brown and crisp on the outside.
Step Eight
Spaghett Me to the Church on Time:
Warm the marinara sauce in a separate pan over medium heat until heated through. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and simmer briefly to coat. Serve warm over pasta dishes, on grilled sourdough bread with peperonata, or in a sub, garnished with chopped parsley.
💡Serving Ideas
If you're actually plating these chickpea meatballs like a civilized human and not just eating them straight outta the pan, you've got options. Keep it low effort but still hot girl Italian dinner, with something like vegan carbonara. That stuff hits sooo different with crispy meatballs. Otherwise serving them on pesto pasta keeps it lighter so you don't immediately need to unbutton your pants halfway through din din.
At some point you should probably add something green so you don't feel like a cartoon character, a quick arugula salad with vegan parmesan cuts through all that richness. And garlic bread… yeah. If it's not there, the meal feels incomplete and you know it.
👉Top tips
- Stop Before You Make Hummus: Pulse the chickpeas and walnuts until they're crumbly, then stop. If it starts looking smooth, you've already gone too far and there's no coming back from that.
- Dry Your Chickpeas F'realsies: After rinsing give those chickpeas a proper pat down with paper towels before they go anywhere near the food processor. Extra moisture is the number 1 reason these might come out without a ground beef-ish texture.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
You betcha! If you've got an air fryer, you'll love how these come out of it. Air fry at 375°F for 14-16 minutes, carefully flipping the balls halfway through.
They come out less dry than baked, but still not quite as juicy as when you fry them in a pan, which is also an option.
A little bit, but not really. Same chickpea energy, completely different outcome. These are softer and built for marinara, not tahini and pita. If you want the real falafel experience with all the mezze sides, that's exactly what I cover in my falafel and mezze class.
Yes, just use gluten-free breadcrumbs or another binder like oat flour that still gives structure.
🧊 Refrigeration
Store the chickpea meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, preferably with some sauce to keep them from drying out.
❄️ Freezing
Allow the meatballs to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container in a single layer or separated with parchment, and freeze for up to 3 months.
🌡️ Thawing
Transfer the meatballs to the refrigerator and thaw overnight, or gently reheat from frozen in sauce over low heat.
🔥 Stovetop reheating
Place the meatballs in a pan with marinara over medium heat, cover, and warm for about 5-8 minutes, turning occasionally until heated through.
✌️You'll also love these vegan Italian recipes:
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Chickpea Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatball Mix:
- ½ cup walnuts
- 15.5 oz. canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- ⅓ cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup tomato diced
- 4 teaspoons bomba calabresi
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup breadcrumbs regular or gluten-free
- 3 tablespoons water use more if your mix feels too dry
To Bake & Serve the Meatballs:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Add the walnuts and chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms. Do not process to a paste.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the chickpea and walnut mixture. Sauté the broken bits of chickpeas and walnuts, stirring regularly for 6-7 minutes until lightly browned and beginning to crisp in spots.
- Add the diced onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped parsley, diced tomato, bomba calabresi, tomato paste, paprika, oregano, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to wilt the parsley and for the tomatoes to break down slightly. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool fully.
- Transfer the cooled mixture to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and water. Firmly squeeze the contents of the bowl together until a firm meatball dough is formed.
- With moistened hands, shape into even tablespoon-size balls, pressing firmly so they hold together.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Arrange the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking pan lightly coated with oil, then drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake for 18 minutes, turn with a spatula, and continue baking for 6-8 minutes until browned and crisp on all sides.
- Warm the marinara sauce in a separate pan over medium heat until heated through. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and simmer briefly to coat. Serve warm over pasta or in a sub, garnished with chopped parsley.
Notes
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Sekhar says
Do you have a recommended substitute for walnuts to use in this recipe? We have a walnut allergy (also cashew/pistachio/pecans/hazelnuts), so just wondering what might work best to replace the walnuts.
Adam Sobel says
Any seed or tree nut that you CAN mess with should work fine. Pine nuts could be an awesome option
Kimbi from San Diego says
These are some unique and tasty meatballs!! And so cute on a plate. =)