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    Home > Vegan Entrees

    TVP Meatballs

    By Nandor Barta on 02/16/2023 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    These TVP meatballs are full of flavor, and won’t fall apart. They have a real meaty texture that may surprise you if you haven’t cooked with TVP yet. Serve them up with a rich marinara sauce and spaghetti for a classic and satisfying meal. Try them out today!

    A skillet from above with several baked brown meatballs in bright red sauce and chopped green herbs. A spoon is taking one ball from the middle.

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    If you haven’t heard about TVP (textured vegetable protein) before, you would be amazed by this ingredient. It is the best ground beef substitute ever. We use it to make the meatiest TVP burger, TVP taco meat, vegan cabbage lasagna, or vegan moussaka.

    Jump to:
    • What to expect from this recipe?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Cooking tips
    • Serving ideas
    • Storing tips
    • FAQs
    • More vegan meatball recipes
    • More TVP recipes
    • TVP Meatballs

    What to expect from this recipe?

    Are you are looking for the best vegan alternative to meatballs?

    • This recipe is really close both in taste and texture to ground beef. Minus the fatty, greasy part, of course. Who would want to mimic that?
    • They are juicy and not dry.
    • These balls will not fall apart during cooking.
    • They are flavorful, delicious, and easy to make.

    If you are looking for a real beef-like vegan mince substitute, we recommend choosing TVP*. This is the closest you can get ever get.

    A skillet with several baked brown meatballs in bright red sauce and chopped green herbs. A spoon is taking one ball from the middle.
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    Ingredients

    The main ingredient is TVP* (textured vegetable protein), but what is TVP? It is actually defatted soy flour, no other ingredients. They add water to it to make a paste, then it is pressure cooked, then dehydrated. The texture is spot on. So what else do you need?

    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Italian seasoning – smoked sweet paprika, Worcestershire sauce (vegan and gluten-free), dried oregano, dried basil, ground cumin, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper
    • Rice flour – but you can also use all-purpose flour
    • Tapioca starch – or any other tapioca flour substitute

    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Instructions

    Preparing TVP

    1. Boil water in a kettle and add veggie stock or bring veggie broth to boil.
    2. Take a heat-resisting bowl or saucepan and soak TVP* in the hot veggie broth for 10 minutes.
    3. When the time is up, squeeze the liquid out. As a result, you need to have moist, soft “minced meat”. See the below picture for reference.
    Light brown crumbles on a silver tray.

    Precooking onion and garlic

    1. While you wait for the TVP to get ready, peel and chop onion and garlic.
    2. Take a frying pan or skillet and pre-heat to medium heat.
    3. Add a dash of olive oil and the finely chopped onion and garlic.
    4. Cook onion and garlic until tender, but opaque, yellow and not caramelized.
    White frying pan with chopped onion.

    Making TVP meatballs

    1. Take a large mixing bowl and add TVP* (soaked and squeezed), pre-cooked onion and garlic, and the Italian seasoning (smoked sweet paprika, Worcestershire sauce, dried oregano, dried basil, ground cumin, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper).
    2. You can mix everything well with a spatula or with your hands. It will not come together at this point, but don’t worry.
    A glass bowl with light brown crumbles and 5 different spices and fried chopped onion.
    1. When you are satisfied with the result, you can add the rice flour and the tapioca starch.
    A glass bowl with light brown crumbles mixed with chopped onions and spices. White flour is added on top.
    1. Mix well. It will still seem not to be coming together at this point, but don’t worry. It will be loose just like in the below picture.
    A glass bowl with light brown crumbles mixed with chopped onions and spices.
    1. Now it is time to form the TVP meatballs. Use your hands and squeeze rather than roll. They will come together and will stay together. The mixture is supposed to be soft and on the crumblier side, so it is not too dry and dense. The high heat of the oven will activate the starch and the balls will be perfect.
    Several light brown vegan tvp meatballs on a white parchment paper before baking.
    1. Take a large baking tray or a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake the vegan meatballs in a pre-heated oven of 390 Fahrenheit (ca. 199 °C) for 15-20 minutes.
    Several baked brown meatballs on a white parchment paper

    Alternatively, you can shallow fry them in a cast-iron skillet (we use the one from UnoCasa*) for 10-15 minutes. Flip them multiple times, so you get a crispy crust all around them.

    Cooking tips

    • Why do you need veggie broth? – You can soak TVP in hot water as well, but veggie broth will provide additional flavors.
    • Chop finely – Chop onion and garlic finely so they will mix well with the soaked TVP.
    • Don’t recommend simmering the meatballs in a sauce – You can add these vegan TVP meatballs to a sauce, and they will NOT fall apart. However, we recommend baking them or frying them in advance before doing that. They need that crispy outer crust first.
    • No special equipment – No need to pulse it on a food processor or stir any mixture for a long time. It is super easy to make, you’ll see.
    A white serving bowl full of baked brown vegan tvp meatballs. A fork is taking a ball from the middle.

    Serving ideas

    When your “meatballs” are ready, you can serve them in many different ways.

    • Drop them into our homemade marinara sauce and make spaghetti with “meatballs”. You can even pop it in the oven top it with lots of grated cheese to turn it into a pasta bake or casserole. (Picture below.)
    • Make this amazing caramelized carrot pasta sauce or this vegan cashew alfredo sauce that complements these meatballs perfectly. Or try to add it to your vegan mac and cheese.
    • You can make a complete meal by serving them with vegan mashed potatoes to the side, fried rice, or roasted veggies (roasted asparagus, mushroom, root veggies)
    • Make a vegan meatball sandwich with vegan marinara sauce. 
    • Make meatball biscuit sliders. 
    • Put them on a stick or skewer, add a dip (like vegan BBQ sauce or vegan nacho cheese sauce) and serve them as appetizers. 
    • Stuff pita bread with veggies and these balls, and top them with vegan tzatziki.
    • Add them to your vegan shakshuka to make it more filling. 
    White serving bowl with several brown meatballs on top of spaghetti soaked in bright red tomato sauce. A fork is taking one ball from the middle.

    Storing tips

    These TVP meatballs keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. We recommend storing sauces separately, as the meatballs may soak up the sauce and can fall apart on day 3 or 4.

    They are also freezer-friendly. Thaw first, then pop them back under the broiler to get their crispy crust back.

    FAQs

    Does TVP need to be soaked?

    Yes, since it is a dehydrated product. You can use water, but for added flavor, we always use vegetable broth or veggie stock mixed in boiling water to soak the crumbles.

    Is TVP a good meat substitute for meatballs?

    You can use many ingredients to make meatballs, like seitan, tofu, mushroom, other veggies, and legumes. But to mimic the crumble chewy texture of meatballs, the consistency after soaking TVP will match that perfectly.

    A skillet from above with several baked brown meatballs in bright red sauce and chopped green herbs. A spoon is taking one ball from the middle.

    More vegan meatball recipes

    • Several mushroom meatballs on top of spaghetti with yellow creamy sauce served on a black plate. A fork is taking on meatballs from the middle.
      Vegan Mushroom Meatballs
    • Overlay photo of a frying pan. Lot of small eggplant balls in marinara sauce
      Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
    • A skillet from above with several baked brown meatballs in bright red sauce and chopped green herbs. A spoon is taking one ball from the middle.
      TVP Meatballs
    • White plate with several brownish-redish balls on top of each other sprinkled with sesame seeds. In the background a small glass jar with red sauce.
      BBQ Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
    • Black cast iron skillet with red marinara sauce and crispy brown tofu meatballs. It is sprinkled with chopped fresh green herbs.
      Tofu Meatballs

    More TVP recipes

    Start with checking out these tvp recipes or choose from the below list:

    • A burger with layers of green ruffled lettuce, yellow sauce, thin cheese slices, dark brown burger patty twice, sliced pickles and white chopped onion.
      Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
    • The corner of a glass dish with a serving spoon. The dish is full of yellow-red-brown food topped with chopped parsley.
      Meaty Vegan Moussaka
    • White frying pan with dark brown crumbles that reminds you of ground beef
      Vegan TVP Taco Meat
    • Several round-shaped breadcrumbs covered patties on a large white plate with a light orange sauce in a white bowl. Chopped parsley and lemon wedges are around for decoration.
      Crispy Vegan Chicken Patties

    THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.  

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    ⇒ GET OUR FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN E-BOOK NOW! OR CHECK OUT ALL VEGAN MEAL PLAN RECIPES! ⇐

    A skillet from above with several baked brown meatballs in bright red sauce and chopped green herbs. A spoon is taking one ball from the middle.

    TVP Meatballs

    Nandor Barta
    These TVP meatballs are full of flavor and won’t fall apart. They have a meaty texture that may surprise you if you haven’t cooked with TVP yet. Serve them with rich marinara sauce and spaghetti for a classic and satisfying meal. Try them out today!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 minutes mins
    Baking time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course
    Servings 20 balls
    Calories 69kcal

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Non-stick baking sheet
    • Regular parchment paper
    • our Cast-iron Skillet by UnoCasa

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1+½ cup TVP (Soy) -> What is TVP?
    • 4 cup Veggie broth
    • 1 Onion (small)
    • 3-4 cloves Garlic
    • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
    • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
    • 1+½ tsp Basil dried
    • 1+½ tsp Oregano dried
    • 1 tsp Ground cumin seeds
    • 2 tsp Salt
    • ⅛ tsp Black pepper
    • ½ cup White rice flour
    • 4 Tbsp Tapioca starch -> tapioca starch substitutes

    Choose your sauce

    • Healthy Vegan Marinara Sauce pictured
    • Caramelized Carrot Sauce
    • Vegan Mac and Cheese Sauce
    • Vegan Cashew Alfredo Sauce
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    Instructions
     

    Preparing TVP

    • Boil water in a kettle and add veggie stock or bring veggie broth to boil. Take a heat-resisting bowl or saucepan and soak TVP in the hot veggie broth for 10 minutes.
    • When the time is up, squeeze the liquid out with your hands. As a result, you need to have moist, soft “minced meat”. 

    Precooking onion and garlic

    • While you wait for the TVP to get ready, peel and chop onion and garlic. Take a frying pan or skillet and pre-heat to medium heat. Add a dash of olive oil (1 Tbsp) and the finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook onion and garlic until tender but opaque, yellow, and not caramelized.

    Making TVP meatballs

    • Take a large mixing bowl and add TVP (soaked and squeezed), precooked onion and garlic, and the seasoning (smoked sweet paprika, Worcestershire sauce, dried oregano, dried basil, ground cumin, balsamic vinegar, olive oil (2 Tbsp), salt and black pepper). Mix everything well with a spatula or with your hands.
    • Taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed. Then add the rice flour and the tapioca starch and mix well. It will not come together at this point, but don’t worry.
    • Use your hands and squeeze rather than roll to form meatballs. The mixture is supposed to be soft, and on the crumblier side, so it is not too dry and dense after baking. The oven’s high heat will activate the starch, and the balls will be perfect.

    Baking or frying

    • Bake the TVP meatballs in a preheated oven of 390 Fahrenheit (ca. 199 °C) for 15-20 minutes.
    • If you prefer on a stovetop, take a frying pan and heat it on medium heat. Add a bit of coconut or olive oil if you don’t have a non-stick pan. Fry them for a couple of minutes on each side to give them a nice brown color. 
    • Serving suggestions above the recipe card!
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    Top tips to make perfect TVP meatballs

    • Why do you need veggie broth? – You can also soak TVP in hot water, but veggie broth will provide additional flavors.
    • Chop finely – Chop onion and garlic finely. It will be easier to mix them well with the soaked TVP.
    • Don’t recommend simmering the meatballs in a sauce – You can add these TVP meatballs to a sauce, and they will NOT fall apart. However, we recommend baking them in advance before doing that. They require that crispy outer crust first.

    Video

    [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Uk86PXaH” upload-date=”2021-01-25T19:29:00.000Z” name=”Real Meaty Meatballs with TVP” description=”Are you looking for easy and meaty vegan meatballs? I mean meaty in texture and in taste. These meatless meatballs recipe will deliver. They are juicy, full of flavors, not mushy at all, and will not fall apart! Make these delicious tvp meatballs today and serve them with a rich marinara sauce on spaghetti.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”true”]

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    TVP Meatballs
    Amount Per Serving (1 ball)
    Calories 69 Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 2g3%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2g
    Sodium 455mg20%
    Potassium 28mg1%
    Carbohydrates 8g3%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin A 211IU4%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 35mg4%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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      5 from 8 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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    1. Debby

      January 31, 2023 at 11:05 pm

      5 stars
      I added all the spices and let sit overnight in the fridge so the tvp could @marinate”.
      These tvp “meatless balls” came out very good.
      I put the garlic and onion in a chopper then sautéed them just a bit. Then I chopped up cilantro and added to the mix. I needed only 1/3 cup wheat flour because I added half cup nutritional yeast. I used only 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to just a bit or hot water to dissolve.
      The uncooked mash stuck together very well.

      Reply

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    Portrait of Emese and Nandi My Pure Plants

    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

    More about us →

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      Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls
    • A burger with layers of green ruffled lettuce, yellow sauce, thin cheese slices, dark brown burger patty twice, sliced pickles and white chopped onion.
      Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
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    • Vegetable stew in a red white enameled Dutch oven with lots of chopped vegetables like potatoes, carrots, mushroom, celery and red kidney beans. Topped with freshly chopped green herbs.
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