Tofu Meatballs Recipe
This technique is truly crazy. You might be a wee bit shocked how tofu transforms first into a great ground beef texture, and then into crispy, herb-packed, skillet-fried meatballs. These are so texturally on point they'll have your meat-eating friends doing a full forensic investigation of their plate.
Servings: 14 meatballs
Calories: 117kcal
Cost: $11
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Meatball Mix:
- 14 oz. extra-firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion small dice
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- ½ cup tomato diced
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 teaspoons tamari
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
To Fry & Serve the Meatballs:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Grate the pressed tofu using the large holes of a box grater and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the grated tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally for 7-8 minutes until evenly lightly browned and crisp all around.
- Add the diced onion and garlic and continue to sauté over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the diced tomato, chopped parsley, water, tomato paste, tamari, oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture somewhat resembles ground meat. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool fully.
- Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a bowl and add flour until a firm, workable dough forms.
- Shape into evenly sized balls (about 4 teaspoons in size), pressing firmly so they hold together.
- Heat the olive oil in a clean skillet over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the meatballs in a single layer. Cook, turning regularly, 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 the meatballs warm, ideally over pasta garnished with chopped parsley, or in a sub.
Notes
🧇 Press-idential Suite
If your tofu still feels wet to the touch, you didn't press it long enough and that extra moisture is the number 1 reason meatballs come out soft and fragile. 20 minutes minimum and really mean it.
🍳 Fry Me to the Moon
Golden brown color all around before anything else hits the pan is the whole move here. That crispy tofu texture soaks up the tamari, tomato paste, and other ingredients and transforms into something that genuinely resembles ground beef in the most unhinged and delightful way.
Nutrition
Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg