You guys knew I’d be back with another veggie meatballs recipe, didn’t ya? I promise you’re going to love these Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs. These cauliflower meatballs — or veggie meatballs or or literally whatever you want to call them — are about to make your next weeknight meal EPIC. Having Vegan Teriyaki Meatballs pre-made and sitting in your fridge. Waiting for you to add it to every meal. On top of pasta. With rice. Quinoa. Squished down into a hoagie. Squished into little sliders between bread. Slathered in an easy and thick teriyaki sauce that’s clinging to it and… I think you get the picture. Meal prep friends! What a wonder it can add to our weeks. These vegan teriyaki meatballs are:
Firm enough to stick a fork in and not fall apartStill moist enough on the insideCovered in a thick and syrupy homemade teriyaki sauceThe perfect texture Freezer friendly — just freeze without the sauce!Meal prep friendly — make like 40 and add it to everything in life.
Notes on the Ingredients
Roasted cauliflower — I love roasted cauliflower, and it’s the perfect base for these veggie meatballs. Roast it before ricing it for such a lovely depth of flavour! Quinoa — My favorite ancient grain! I love the texture quinoa adds to these vegan meatballs Egg substitute — Where there’s meatballs, you need a binder — but how can you make meatballs without eggs? You can use egg replacers ( I prefer Bob’s Red Mill) or make a flax egg! Red onion — I love the slightly sharp bite of red onion. You can use white or yellow onions in a pinch. Garlic — Everything is better with garlic, and these Asian-inspired meatballs are no exception. Can you ever use too much? Breadcrumbs — Every meatball needs some breadcrumbs! This helps hold everything together without being too dense. Coconut oil — You need to brown the “meatballs” before adding the yummy sauce, and I always cook mine in coconut oil for the best char. Soy sauce — I usually use a light soy sauce or liquid aminos as the base of this sticky sweet sauce. Choose your fav! Sugar — You can use raw brown sugar or coconut sugar for this teriyaki sauce. You just need a little sweetness to balance the sauce. Sesame seeds — I love the extra nutty crunch of sesame seeds! Cornstarch — To make this luscious sauce stick to the meatballs, I recommend a little cornstarch. Rice wine vinegar — If your teriyaki sauce is missing a little tang, this is what you need.
How to Make Vegan Meatballs
First, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, water, ground ginger, sesame seeds, and rice wine vinegar. Simmer it all for a few minutes, and set aside until the end. Then, chop up the cauliflower and roast it in a little oil until it’s beautifully golden brown. Pulse the roasted cauliflower in your food processor for a few minutes until it’s completely riced. Now, mix your riced roasted cauliflower with the cooked quinoa, egg replacement, red onion, black pepper, salt, garlic, and breadcrumbs. Mix everything together until all your ingredients are totally combined throughout. This helps keep everything together! To make the meatballs, use a tablespoon or scoop to make evenly sized meatballs, then roll them with your hands. Cook for a few minutes on all sides, but be sure not to overcrowd the pan! This will lead to steamed veggie meatballs without that golden char. When all the meatballs are cooked, put them back in the warm pan over no heat and add the sauce. Mix it all together until everything is coated and delicious! If you’re feeling very extra like me you can cook down some really ripe pineapple in the sauce. Here’s some tips and tricks to make the best vegan meatballs every single time:
Mix, mix, mix. If your meatballs aren’t staying together, keep mixing! An even distribution of the roasted cauliflower rice, quinoa, and other yummy ingredients will help hold everything in place when you sauté them.Don’t crowd the pan. If you add too many meatballs to the sauté pan at once, they’ll still cook — but you won’t get that golden char on the outside. Be sure to leave a little room around each meatball, and sauté them in batches if you need. You can tent the cooked veggie meatballs with foil to keep them warm.Turn off the heat. When you add the sauce, make sure the heat is off and the pan is slightly cooled down. Otherwise, the sauce could splatter and thicken way too much.
Related Recipes
Cauliflower Fried RiceQuinoa BurgersVegan Cranberry MeatballsCrispy Quinoa PattiesSweet and Sour Cauliflower Wings
Enjoy friends! If you make this recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
