These baked Beyond Meat vegan meatballs are so BEYOND AMAZING, no one will be able to tell the difference!
Made using Beyond Beef and chopped spinach, these meatballs are easy to make and perfect for any holiday, party, or romantic dinner in.
Because in case you haven’t noticed, plant-based food is slaying and in a big way. From the launch of Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, to Dunkin’s Beyond Sausage, to KFC testing out their own Beyond Fried Chicken, there have been epic leaps in the vegan world.
So if you like these meatballs, be sure to check out this roundup of 15 of the most amazing Beyond Meat recipes on the internet.
Last Updated: September 14, 2021
Table of contents
A vegan meatballs recipe that non-vegans love
The thing I love most about using Beyond Meat ground “beef” is that it can be used in place of pretty much every recipe for ground beef.
And when I made meatballs for the first time using Beyond, I was totally blown away by their vegan powers. I mean y’all, LET ME TELL YOU that this recipe is out of this world amazing.
It’s so amazing in fact, that you could serve this to a group of meat-eaters and I bet they couldn’t even tell the difference. It’s that close.
This is a huge win for vegans everywhere because sometimes it’s hard to convince Aunt Sally that plant-based can taste just as good (if not, better) than conventional animal-based products. But I have literally made believers when I’ve served Beyond at parties to non-vegans.
Because let’s face it vegans: not everyone is willing to give up the “taste” of meat…yet (as I sit here, hunched over like Montgomery Burns, twiddling my fingers….).
Sometimes, they need something to ease them into it, and now we have it.
And with this recipe, I’ve taken a page right out of grandmas book, using hand-crushed golden crackers, onions, spinach, and seasonings to create the perfect vegan meatball.
You can use this recipe for holidays, parties, or even a romantic evening for two in which you pass these meatballs back and forth with your noses over a candlelit dinner. That’s amore.
But is it healthy?
One complaint I’ve heard about the Beyond products is that they aren’t healthy.
In fact, Google continued to remind me of this for weeks, sending me recommended article after article featuring interviews from nutritionists and critics everywhere.
I’m not here to argue whether Beyond is healthy or not- there are plenty of articles debating this, and I am not a nutritionist nor a doctor. But, the main thing I want to point out (other than nobody in their right mind should expect anything from Burger King to be “healthy”) is that this is still a huge win for animals. The fact that we now have plant-based options, in nation-wide mainstream restaurants is a pivotal point in how our culture views food. And ultimately, if people choose MORE plant-based options over animal-based ones, is that not a win in the long run?
Because to me, if someone is in the store and debating over purchasing a pound of actual beef over Beyond beef, and they choose Beyond? Well, that is progress friend.
Also, we know cake isn’t healthy but that doesn’t mean we rage a vendetta against bakeries. We just choose to eat cake sometimes.
I choose to eat Beyond sometimes, but I treat it the same way I treat birthday cake. As an occasional enjoyment, not a staple of my diet.
And so, I personally felt compelled to create a recipe using Beyond Beef, because to ignore that there is a demand for these products (and in turn, possibly a demand for more recipes using them) is pushing this win under the rug.
I also love serving Beyond products to skeptics, because in that moment it flips the idea of what “vegan” actually means in their mind. Vegan does not have to mean void of taste, and Beyond has proven that.
So give this a go at your next vegan dinner party or romantic dinner in.
You won’t be sorry.
Ingredients needed
- Beyond Meat beef ground, thawed. Thaw your beef ground in the fridge overnight or set in hot water for 30 minutes.
- Frozen spinach. Thawed, drained, and squeezed.
- Onions. I use sweet onions, but red onions also work here too.
- Golden crackers. Look for dairy-free or accidently vegan golden crackers. Other options include saltines or whole wheat crackers.
- Garlic. I prefer using fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Spaghetti sauce. Pick your favorite! I like using tomato and basil.
- Pasta. Use regular spaghetti, angel hair, or whole wheat.
- Parsley. This is for garnish and is totally optional.
How to make it
Step 1: Combine thawed Beyond Ground, spinach, onion, crackers, garlic, and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix meatball mixture until combined well.
Step 3: Roll into 20 golf-ball sized meatballs and line baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. If making spaghetti and meatballs, continue the steps included in the recipe box below!
Allergy Information & Substitutions
- This meatball is 100% vegan, meaning it is meat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free. It is also naturally soy-free and nut-free.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free golden crackers.
- Don’t like spinach? Omit the spinach and you’ll still have a meatball that is out of this world amazing. Just keep in mind that it may yield less meatballs.
- Add more Italian spices for a zesty meatball, such as Italian seasoning.
- Want it to be cheesy? Top your meatballs with vegan mozzarella cheese, vegan parmesan, or nutritional yeast.
More vegan meatball recipes:
- 5-Ingredient Mozzarella Bean Balls
- BBQ & Cranberry Bean Balls
- Vegan Swedish Meatballs
More Beyond Meat recipes + information
- 15 Of the Best Beyond Meat Recipes on the Internet
- An Informative List of the Best Vegan Meat Substitutes + Bonus Recipes
- Celebrate Childhood with this Beyond Meat Sausage Slaw Dog
Beyond Meat Vegan Meatballs that are beyond amazing
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb Beyond Beef ground, thawed
- 1 cup packed frozen spinach, that’s been thawed, drained, and squeezed
- ⅔ cup onion, diced small
- ¼ cup salted golden round crackers, crunched into crumbs gluten free if needed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Other Ingredients:
- 28 oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 1 lb spaghetti pasta gluten free if needed
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F (204° C). Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine meatball ingredients, using your hands to mix well. Roll into 20 golf-ball sized meatballs and line baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While meatballs are baking, prepare the pasta according to package directions. After the 20 minutes is up, pull out the meatballs and, using a spoon, rotate the meatballs (to prevent sticking on bottom). Pour your jar of spaghetti sauce on top of meatballs, stir to coat. Pop back in the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Once pasta is finished cooking, drain and return to pot. After the 5 minutes is up, pull the meatballs out of the oven and top with fresh parsley, if using. Serve meatballs over pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make these meatballs gluten-free by using gluten-free golden crackers.
- Don’t like spinach? Omit the spinach and you’ll still have a meatball that is out of this world amazing. Just keep in mind that it may yield less meatballs.
- Add more Italian spices for a zesty meatball, such as Italian seasoning.
- Want it to be cheesy? Top your meatballs with vegan mozzarella cheese, vegan parmesan, or nutritional yeast.
Nutrition Information
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Pat
Amazing! I ad libbed a bit but great start. I used a small amount of fresh minced spinach and BAM!
Ashley
Made these meatballs for meatball subs and LOVED them! Baked for 20 minutes and then transferred to the sauce pan on the stove to cook for 5 minutes with the sauce. Best meatballs I’ve ever had! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Randi Tisdall
Wonderful Ashley!! Thanks so much for your feedback, I’m glad you enjoyed them:)
JudytheBaker
This recipe was just sent to me by a friend. She adores it!
Any suggestion on avoiding using any crackers? I must eat low carb. The Beyond Beef and sauce already have plenty of carbs already.
what if i used an egg to “glue” it all together?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Judy! Glad to hear it was recommended to you! I understand your thoughts for wanting it low carb. My suggestion is to try the recipe without any crackers at all– just make sure you dice the onion very finely so it doesn’t make them hard to pack together. The Beyond typically holds together pretty well on it’s own, so the crackers are for added flavor + help bulk up this recipe just a touch. You may get 1-2 less meatballs, but then you can see how it goes without the crackers. Since this is a vegan recipe and website, I cannot recommend eggs, since the purpose of this recipe is to not use animal products.
If you try it without the crackers, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Judy
Thank you Randi, I will give that a try.
It wasn’t until this morning that I remembered about no eggs. It was one of those “got milk” moments.
I made a yummy vegan tofu meatball, and it doesn’t have any crackers. It’s from Heavenly Fan, on YoUTube. So i will remember to chop the onion well.
Thank you, Judy
Randi Tisdall
Lol it’s ok, it happens! Thanks for sharing, and I hope you come back and make these:)
Marissa
Yum! I am the only Vegan in our household but this is approved by everyone and let’s us enjoy meals together instead of making two separate dishes.
Randi Tisdall
Oohh wonderful Marissa! That makes me so happy! Thank you for your review and feedback!
Portia
Hi! A little confused about pouring the tomato sauce on top of the meatballs while on the pan and cooking together for the last 20 minutes. I can’t picture pouring a jar of sauce on a baking pan. Is this correct?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Portia! To clarify, the 9 x 13 baking pan is the same as a casserole dish, which has about 2 inch depth. I think you may be confusing baking “pan” with a flat baking “sheet”, which in that case would get messy lol. Also, please note that you only bake the meatballs with the sauce for 5 minutes (see step 2). Hope this clears some things up! If you make them, I’d love to hear your feedback. Thanks!
Betsy
So yummy!
Randi Tisdall
Thank you Betsy!
sara
Thank you for this recipe. We’ve had this twice for Meatless Monday. I am the only one trying to go vegetarian in a family of 6 meat lovers. They LOVE it! My 11 year old daughter declares this the best meatballs of ALL meatballs!! It’s quick, easy and delicious!
Randi Tisdall
Aww yay Sara! This is great to hear, I’m so glad everyone loves it! And I have to agree with your daughter, they really are the best meatballs of all meatballs lol.
kc
has anyone tried freezing the meatballs after cooking?
Randi Tisdall
I have not tried this, but I’m sure it would work perfectly! I would probably line a baking tray with the meatballs first, freeze, and then transfer to an air tight freezer bag. You may need to extend the baking time by 5 min, but I think you’ll be fine with this one!
Adriana
Do you think this recipe would work as a hamburger patty as well?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Adriana! YES I do think this would work beautifully as a patty! I would say you could probably get 5-6 good sized patties out of this recipe.
Gigi
I absolutely love love the Beyond/Impossible Meatballs~
I brown them, ( little oil/Parmesan butter then place into a warmer~ Pour spaghetti sauce over & wait for compliments!!
Rich
Do you have nutrition information for this recipe?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Rich, thanks for asking! Unfortunately I do not have nutritional info for this recipe at this time. It really varies depending on the type of crackers, pasta, and sauce you use. I recommend using one of the many free nutritional calculators available online. Sorry to disappoint, but I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Narda
How much fresh spinach would need to be used to replace the frozen?
This looks an excellent recipe and I’m going to try it tonight, even if
I don’t find out my answer!
Randi Tisdall
Hi Narda, good question! If you’re using fresh spinach, I would say about a pound would do. Although you may want to cook it for a couple minutes to make it easier to mix in. Hope this helps!
Tulip
Can you cook these in the tomato sauce with out them feeling apart?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Tulip, these hold together perfectly in the tomato sauce! I’ve never ad a problem with them falling apart, and I’ve made this several times. Hope you get to make them soon!
Steve
Made these for the first time last night, but substituted fresh spinach for frozen and they were really good. I could see these fooling an unsuspecting carnivore.
I’m sure I’ll make them again but try some additional seasonings. This was my first time working with Beyond Meat. I noticed a slight artificial meaty/smokey smell before cooking, but it was not off-putting. An added bonus was the ability to let my 4 year old help make meatballs without the concerns of working with actual raw meat.
Randi Tisdall
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Steve! And yes, that is a bonus when working with plant-based- no worries about sanitizing the countertop afterwards! Since you enjoyed these, I hope you check out the Beyond slaw dogs I just posted here. Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Marci
Hi,
What brand of salted golden round crackers do you use? Are they like Ritz crackers? I need vegan, gluten and nut free,
Thanks!
Marci Karoll
Randi Tisdall
Hi Marci! I used Sprouts brand vegan crackers, but you can use whatever vegan, gluten-free crackers you can find! Another good option is using gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. Here is a link to some crackers from Amazon (affiliate) that looks like they would work: Mary’s Gone Crackers (Gluten-Free Vegan)Hope this helps!
Kamryn
Lance has gf nf and vegan crackers very similar to ritz!
Randi Tisdall
Thanks for the recommendation Kamryn!
Lorayne Michaels
Hello, can I make these the day before, refrigerate them and then bake? Thanks
Randi Tisdall
Absolutely! This is a great make-ahead meal!
James
Tastes good but the meatballs didn’t stick together, they fell apart when turning them in the oven
Randi Tisdall
Oh dear! Sorry to hear that James. Maybe they weren’t packed tight enough? I usually only turn them once. I hope you’ll try them again!
Barb
What would you substitute for the golden crackers. I don’t want to have to go out and buy special. Would panko crumbs work?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Barb, good question! Yes, panko breadcrumbs should work great here!
Greg
Panko worked well. I also added crushed fennel seeds and crushed coriander and a few red pepper flakes to give it more Italian sausage flavor.
I have made meatballs before with Beyond Beef, and these are the best I have tried. Thank you!
Auset
Thanks so much! My son didn’t even realize it wasn’t meat and initially refused to eat as he is a vegan. Once convinced, he loved the flavor as well as the texture. Thanks again
Randi Tisdall
Oh wonderful! So glad this recipe was a hit. I can understand your sons speculation though lol, as I have done the same thing in the past!