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    Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs

    August 4, 2020 By Rene Leave a Comment

    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls.

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    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #chickpeas #veganmeatballs

    If you follow me on Instagram then you know I have been making these Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs on repeat! Not only do they make a big batch that you can eat over a few days, they are so delicious that you will want to make them again and again.

    These chickpea meatballs are so hearty - made with chickpeas (obvi), pistachios, brown rice and panko breadcrumbs. To season them we are adding smoked paprika, garlic, red onion and a chipotle pepper. It is the perfect combo to make the ultimate vegan meatballs.

    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #chickpeas #veganmeatballs

    How to Make Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs

    These meatballs are super simple. Blend most of the ingredients in a food processor then stir in the breadcrumbs and rice. Form the mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet.

    Bake them for 25-30 minutes and you are in business. It is seriously one of the easiest recipes!

    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #chickpeas #veganmeatballs

    How to Serve Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs

    You have LOTS of options when it comes to serving these meatballs. Eat them on their own with a great dipping sauce or add them to your favorite pasta dish. You can also eat them in salads or bowls.

    If you have leftovers, I also like to crumble a couple meatballs in a pan with some oil and cook them until super crunchy. Then eat them for breakfast as a hash brown alternative!

    Again, so many options!

    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #chickpeas #veganmeatballs

    Need more chickpea recipe inspo? Check out these recipes:

    • BBQ Chickpea Lettuce Wraps
    • Mediterranean Braised Chickpea Rice Bowls
    • Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Bowls with Sesame Ginger Dressing

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    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #chickpeas #veganmeatballs
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    5 from 1 vote

    Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs

    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls.
    Course Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword chickpeas, meatball
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 8 large meatballs
    Calories 163kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
    • ½ cup pistachios shelled
    • ½ red onion roughly chopped
    • 1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
    • 3 cloves garlic peeled
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro roughly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • pepper to taste
    • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs of choice
    • ½ cup cooked brown rice

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Add all of the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs and rice)* to a food processor. Pulse until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. You can leave the mixture as chunky or smooth as you like - I personally like a few chunks in there.
    • Transfer the chickpea mixture to a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs and rice until combined.
    • Roll the mixture into 8 balls (you can make them smaller and do 12 instead) and place them on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Gently flip and cook them for an additional 10-15 minutes. You want them to be crispy on the outside
    • Serve these meatballs with your favorite pasta, bowl or salad.

    Video

    Notes

    *You can add the breadcrumbs and rice to the food processor with everything else if you want to - I just wanted a chunkier texture.
    **These will last in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. If freezing, cook them completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container once cooled.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 493mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Iron: 1mg

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!

    These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #chickpeas #veganmeatballs
    « Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #112
    Chipotle Ginger Cashew Dressing »

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    Hey, nice to meet you!

    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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