If you've been searching for a hearty plant-based alternative to traditional meatballs, this tofu meatballs recipe is for you. Made with simple pantry ingredients, these meatless meatballs have a savory flavor and satisfying texture that holds up beautifully to sauces or gravy. With the option to bake or air fry them, they're easy to make without breadcrumbs or eggs, and can be prepared gluten-free.
These tofu meatballs are simple to make in under an hour and very versatile. Serve them with spaghetti and a quick sauce made from tomato paste. Or make a comfort-food meal with Instant Pot vegan mashed potatoes and vegan gravy.
Keep this recipe in your rotation for cozy weeknight dinners or casual entertaining. And don't be surprised if you find yourself doubling the batch and freezing some for later!
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These were great! They taste good, very flavorful and the texture was spot on. I used firm tofu and they still turned out perfect. I made a vegan onion gravy to put on them. Delish!
- Nichole H.
Ingredients
Tofu: I recommend Hodo Organic Extra-Firm Tofu or super firm high-protein tofu which don't require pressing. You can find super firm at most supermarkets including Trader Joe's and Sprouts. If you use extra-firm tofu that's packed in water, use a tofu press to remove the excess liquid before making this recipe.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to make tofu meatballs
- Make a "flax egg" by whisking together flax meal and water.
- Use a food processor to grind rolled oats into a coarse flour.
- Crumble the tofu.
- Fold in the flax mixture, ground oats, and remaining ingredients.
- Roll the tofu mixture into balls (I find this easier to do with wet hands), then brush with olive oil.
- Bake or air fry, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Serving suggestions
Tofu meatballs are delicious served in a variety of ways. You can eat them plain or with a sauce:
- Serve them with spaghetti and marinara or vegan pesto sauce.
- Enjoy them in grain bowls with roasted vegetables and vegan garlic yogurt sauce.
- Turn them into a holiday meal with olive oil mashed potatoes, green beans, Mediterranean sourdough stuffing, vegan gravy, and cranberry raspberry sauce.
- Make them Hawaiian-style with vegan teriyaki sauce and fresh pineapple chunks over rice.
No matter how you serve them, these tofu meatballs add a hearty, flavorful touch to any meal.
Made this recipe? Have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 And for even more recipes, join my email list for community, inspiration & to chat directly with me!
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Vegan Tofu Meatballs (Oven Baked or Air Fried)
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds, (flax meal)
- 3 Tablespoons water
- ½ cup rolled oats, (choose certified gluten-free, if necessary)
- 14-16 ounces extra-firm tofu, pressed (Or use super-firm tofu without pressing.)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon tamari, (or substitute soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax seeds and water to combine. Set aside.1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds, 3 Tablespoons water
- Add the oats to the bowl of a food processor. Process until a coarse flour is formed. Set aside.½ cup rolled oats
- If baking, pre-heat the oven to 400°F. If air frying, pre-heat the air fryer to 425°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, crumble the tofu with your hands until it resembles the texture of ground meat.14-16 ounces extra-firm tofu
- Add the flax seed mixture, oat mixture, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, tamari, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined.2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon tamari, 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Use your hands to form the tofu mixture into about 14 balls about an inch in diameter. Lightly squeeze so that the mixture stays together. Place the balls on a lined baking sheet or in the basket or tray of an air fryer. Brush each ball with the olive oil.1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes or air fry for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
K B says
Made these tonight to go with our pasta. I did add in some crushed fennel to mimic Italian sausage we used to eat and it was perfect! Storing the meatballs separate from the sauce so they don’t get mushy when we eat leftovers tomorrow.
Amy Katz says
I love your idea of adding crushed fennel seeds! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
KB says
I had leftover tofu “meat” from what fit in our pan so I cooked it on the stove stop like ground meat would be. It’s perfect and I’m going to freeze to add to marinara the next time we have pasta. Again, I also added crushed fennel in the original recipe to give it an Italian sausage taste. We loved the meatballs I added it to when making this.
Simina says
The best tofuballs I've tried until now. Will definitely save the recipe and make it again.
Amy Katz says
This is amazing to hear, Simina! Thank you for coming back to leave a rating and review. 🙂
Shellie says
These are fantastic. I only had a 16 oz. package of tofu, but that worked fine. I air fried them without oil and they came out perfect. We'll definitely be having these often. Thanks Amy.
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy to hear this, Shellie!
Dennis says
Great recipe, Amy. I made the meatballs yesterday for dinner. I doubled the recipe, which I don't often do when trying a new recipe. I used firm tofu (I didn't have extra firm) and used a medium ice cream scoop to make the balls. I made about 32 balls. They held together quite well...the flax/water mix worked well to hold them together. I heated them for about 40 minutes (20 min./side) to ensure they held together. They tasted great, and my wife loved them. I cooked some elbow macaroni and made a quick marinara sauce. Definitely a keeper!
Amy Katz says
Thanks so much, Dennis! Sounds like a delicious dinner.
Cheneé says
Can I replace the oats with flour as I cannot eat them. Thanks!!
Amy Katz says
I haven't tested it, but that should work.
linda says
Hi Amy
I have a flax/chia blend. Will that work as a sub for just the flax seed binder?
Amy Katz says
If it's ground, it should work. But not if it's the whole seeds.
Nichole Hanna says
These were great! They taste good, very flavorful and the texture was spot on. I used firm tofu and they still turned out perfect. I made a vegan onion gravy to put on them. Delish!
Amy Katz says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the tofu meatballs, Nichole!
Shirley says
I'm allergic to flax, chia, sesame and tree nuts. Is there anything I can use instead of flax in this recipe as a binder? Thanks.
Amy Katz says
Hi Shirley, I haven't tried using it in this recipe, but Bob's Red Mill makes a powdered egg replacer. The ingredients are potato starch, tapioca flour, baking soda, and psyllium husk fiber.
Gracie says
I just made these and they're so good! Used a real egg instead of flax and added some minced mushrooms. I love them and my family loved them. Thanks for the recipe!
Marsha Myers says
Would it work well if I didn’t brush with oil? We don’t use processed oil. Will do these tonight! Thanks.
Amy Katz says
Yes, you can leave off the oil. I hope you enjoy them!
Maria says
Thanks for the recipe. Delicious and customizable. I’ve made them three times this month. I appreciate it, Amy!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy you are enjoying the recipe, Maria!
in2insight says
These are so easy to make, are delicious and pretty dang healthy too.
Encouraged by how versatile these are, made them into fish-less patties by subbing the Italian spice with 1 tsp of Old Bay and 1 tsp of seaweed granules.
Used 1/4 to measure and then flattened them before baking as written.
Who needs over processed expensive ones when these are just amazing?!
Thank you for sharing.
Amy Katz says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Love your additions, too.