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Black cast iron skillet with red marinara sauce and crispy brown tofu meatballs. It is sprinkled with chopped fresh green herbs. Vegan Parmesan cheese is next to it on top of a cheese grater.
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Tofu Meatballs

Tossed in an Italian-style seasoning and cooked to golden-brown perfection, these tender, juicy, and delicious vegan tofu meatballs will have you believing you are dining at an authentic Italian restaurant! The key is minced frozen tofu. They are easy to make, incredibly versatile, and ready to serve in just 40 minutes.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword meatless meatballs, tofu meatballs, vegan meatballs
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 14 balls
Calories 60kcal
Author Nandi Barta

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • our Cast-iron Skillet by UnoCasa
  • TofuBud (pressing tofu in 15 minutes)

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Firm tofu measured as drained and squeezed
  • ½ cup Breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • ¼ cup Dairy-free milk
  • ½ Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Oregano dried
  • 1 tsp Basil dried
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
  • 1/8 tsp Black pepper

Choose your sauce

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

Instructions

Pre-cooking onion and garlic

  • Take a frying pan or skillet and pre-heat to medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook on medium-low heat the onion and garlic until tender but opaque, yellow, and not caramelized.
  • Add onion and garlic with the remaining oil to a bowl and blend it with a hand blender.

Preparing tofu

  • For the best result, use frozen tofu. Thaw it overnight, then squeeze it hard. Use your hand or a milk bag. You will have a sponge-like texture at the end.
  • Use a food processor to chop the tofu into smaller crumble-like pieces.

Mixing and forming meatballs

  • Add tofu crumbles, breadcrumbs, dairy-free milk, cornstarch, onion and garlic paste, 1 Tbsp olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and nutritional yeast to a large mixing bowl. Mix everything well with a spatula or with your hands.
  • Form small balls (1 Tbsp size) with your hands.

Baking or frying

  • Bake the tofu meatballs in a preheated oven of 390 Fahrenheit (ca. 199 °C) for 15-20 minutes.
  • Or 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 on each side for a couple of minutes to give them a nice brown color. 
  • Serving suggestions above the recipe card!

Video

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