Author: Are you ready to try the meatiest vegan meatballs you've ever come across? Juicy, tender, flavourful, perfect for enjoying as an appetizer with a dipping sauce and even better for topping pasta. These vegan Italian seitan meatballs have quickly become a go-to recipe in my house!
Not only are these super easy to prepare (just 10 minutes prep time), but once they are steamed they can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or they can even be frozen for another time. Perfect for making ahead of time or for meal prep.
The secret to getting the meatiest texture is to use vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is a flour made from the protein in wheat, and it's what gives bread its bouncy stretchy texture, and what makes pizza dough so awesome. Using it in combination with lentils, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, and various spices makes these seitan meatballs so meaty and flavourful it's pretty astounding.
For those of you who love counting macros, one serving (5 meatballs) contains a whopping 39 grams of protein!! Or 8 grams of protein per meatball.
Unfortunately, vital wheat gluten is a very special ingredient and there is no substitution for it. So if you are gluten-free this isn't the recipe for you. You could try my beanball recipe found in my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan which has a gluten-free option.
To make vegan Italian Seitan Meatballs:
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until you reach a paste-like texture.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until combined into a crumbly dough.
Pinch off some of the dough and roll into a vegan meatball about the size of a golf ball and set aside on a plate or dish. Repeat until all the dough is used up and you have made about 20 meatballs.
Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the meatballs to the steamer basket, cover and steam for 25 minutes, gently turning the meatballs halfway through. The meatballs will expand a bit when they steam.
Once the steaming is done, you can either prepare them right away (see below), or allow them to cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later.
Steaming the seitan is what gives it the perfect texture. Once they are steamed you can basically treat them as if they were raw meatballs and pan-fry them before serving.
To do this add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the meatballs and fry a couple of minutes per side, turning as needed until they are golden all over and heated through.
Serve with dipping sauce, add to a tomato sauce, top on pasta, or enjoy them any way you please.
I love making pasta with tomato sauce from my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan, adding the seitan meatballs on top, and garnishing with Parmegan. And I've also served them as a little appetizer with a few sauces for dipping. Let's just say that anyway I prepare these vegan Italian seitan meatballs, they have disappeared immediately.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
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Vegan Italian Seitan Meatballs
Servings: (makes about 20 meatballs)
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Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, (the kind in oil)
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 ¼ cup vital wheat gluten, (there is no substitution for this)
- 1 cup cooked lentils, (I used canned)
- 6 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
To prepare the vegan meatballs:
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until you reach a paste-like texture. Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until combined into a crumbly dough.
- Pinch off some of the dough and roll into a vegan meatball about the size of a golf ball and set aside on a plate or dish. Repeat until all the dough is used up and you have made about 20 meatballs.
- Fill a large pot with several inches of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring the water to a boil, then add the meatballs to the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 25 minutes, gently turning the meatballs halfway through, or until their internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature goes higher, that's perfectly fine—you can't really oversteam seitan.The meatballs will expand a bit when they steam. Once the steaming is done, you can either prepare them right away (see below), or allow them to cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later.
To serve:
- Steaming the seitan is what gives it the perfect texture. Once they are steamed you can basically treat them as if they were raw meatballs and pan-fry them before serving.To do this add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the meatballs and fry a couple of minutes per side, turning as needed until they are golden all over and heated through. Serve with dipping sauce, add to a tomato sauce, or enjoy them any way you please. * Learn my secret tricks to making perfect seitan in my free masterclass. Click here to learn more and register.
Notes
Nutrition
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David Berube says
Hello Sam!! Just finished your seitan meatball recipe and it is incredible how great they are!!!
Another fantastic recipe and the thing is….I’m not surprised!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks David! I’m so glad you enjoyed the meatballs. Happy cooking 😊
Alison says
Can I ask what is the measurement for nutritional yeast in this recipe? You have it as ml, but nutritional yeast isn't liquid, so should be in G? Same for dried basil...
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Alison! Great catch. It will be 10 g of nutritional yeast and 2 g basil. Thanks for pointing it out!
Alison Lentaigne says
Thank you for replying so quickly! I've just made them, they are delicious, and so easy, too. I'm going to make more, for the freezer.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks Alison! I’m so glad you liked them. Great idea making a batch for the freezer 😊
Natalia says
By far my favourite seitan recipe - quick and easy to make and absolutely scrumptious! It's become a staple in my house - thanks, Sam!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That makes me so happy to hear! I’m honored it’s become a staple in your house. Thanks so much for the kind words 😊
Roxanne says
These were delicious. I made the meatballs exactly as prescribed. Some from the top of the food processor were a little more firm than those that came from the bottom. I tried to mix it all evenly but should have done it by hand at the end. Really great recipe though. They were tender and flavorful.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Roxanne, yay! So glad you loved them 😊 Thanks so much for the thoughtful review!
Susan says
Brought to a potluck Loved by everyone. Not sure the protein content is correct. One cup cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein. How could one serving have 13 grams?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Susan, so happy you enjoyed them! The majority of the protein comes from the vital wheat gluten (which is wheat protein). Enjoy!
Marcel says
Hi Sam! Again a very amazing recipe. These vegan meatballs are incredible and quite convincing as a replacement for regular meatballs. This time, the picky room mate couldn't deny this lush and very tasty meatball replacement. I served them with coocked potatoes and cauliflower florets. The last 10 minutes I soaked the balls in a quick Italian-style tomato sauce. Guess what in the future will be on the table quite often 🙂
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
oooh that sounds delicious! I am so thrilled you and the picky roommate enjoyed them so much, Marcel! Haha 🙂
Anna says
success story: I completely adhered to the recipe except for one change. I only had 115g of vital wheat gluten instead of 185g. I blended up 70g of tvp (soy) into a powder as a substitute and it turned out perfectly fine and the "meat"balls are addictive! So in case anyone is short on vital wheat gluten, you can partially sub it for powdered tvp.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy it worked out for you Anna, and that's such a unique tip! I will have to try it!
Mindy says
Can I eliminate the sundried tomatoes or sub something in their place? Maybe 1/4 cup tomato paste? Thx
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Mindy! I wouldn’t skip the sun-dried tomatoes since they add both flavor and texture. You could try rehydrated air-packed sun-dried tomatoes (see oil-free notes) if that interests you. 🙂
Dale Charles says
so easy to make and so good!
no leftovers...taste like the real meatball and the best part..vegan. thankyou
Dale Charles says
Hi Sam, I made these Italian meatballs and they were a real hit!
Nobody could tell they were vegan...thanks you so much for the recipe.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks so much for your great review! We're delighted that you enjoyed them.