Eggplant meatballs are hearty meatless meatballs that can be served as a main course, in a sandwich or as an appetizer. Whichever way you choose to serve this eggplant meatballs recipe, you will not be disappointed because these “meatballs” are yummy!
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The Eggplant Meatballs Vegetarian Style
These meatballs! Every time I make them, I know they are made with eggplant, yet when I see them covered in homemade marinara sauce, my mind says they are made with meat.
The first bite is always a surprise. Every time.
The second bite says yes! These meatballs are made with eggplant, it’s OK, and they taste delicious.
Drench the eggplant meatballs in homemade marinara sauce for an hour or more, and they will soak up all of the flavors in the sauce yum! They are lighter in texture than a traditional meatball, they contain protein thanks to the walnuts and chickpeas,they will fill you up in a healthy kind of way!
Eggplant Meatball Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Eggplant
- Water
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chickpeas
- Walnuts
- Egg
- Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
Recipe Steps for This Eggplant Meatballs Recipe
Please note that this a list of steps to give you an idea how to make this recipe. Full details are in the recipe card below.
- Prepare the ingredients. Cut the eggplant into cubes, process the chickpeas and walnuts in a food processor
- Cook the eggplant
- Cook the onions and garlic
- Add the cooked eggplant, onions and garlic to the chickpeas and walnuts and process again
- Stir in the egg and Parmesan Cheese
- Place the mixture into the refrigerator for at least an hour so that it is easy to form into balls
- Roll the mixture into balls
- Bake
Total Estimated Time to make this recipe: 1 hour 50 Minutes to 2 Hours
Eggplant Meatballs Tips and Variations
- If you are in a hurry, speed up the chilling time by placing the mixture in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meal-Prep Tip! Make a double batch of this eggplant meatballs recipe and freeze the extras. Once the meatballs have been cooked, place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until they are frozen. Remove them from the baking sheet and store them in a freezer container for up to three months.
- For vegan/dairy-free eggplant meatballs, replace the Parmesan cheese with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed combined with 2 tablespoons water)
- Serve the meatballs on a hoagie roll topped with melted mozzarella cheese, on top of your favorite pasta or zoodles, or in sauce for an appetizer.
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Eggplant Meatballs
Eggplant meatballs are a tender and flavorful alternative to their meat counterpart.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 meatballs 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound eggplant rough chopped
1/4 cup water
1 small diced onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 Egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once the water is hot hot add the eggplant chunks and water.
- Cook the eggplant while stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until the eggplant becomes tender
- While the eggplant is cooking pulse chickpeas and walnuts in a food processor until they are the size of breadcrumbs
- Once the eggplant is cooked, transfer to the food processor along with the walnuts and chickpeas
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet along with onions and garlic. Cook until they become translucent – about 5 minutes, and add them to the food processor and process again
- Place the mixture into a mixing bowl
- In a separate bowl whisk one egg and stir it into the eggplant mixture along with the cheese mix until everything is combined
- Place the meatball mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour
- Remove the mixture from the freezer, and pre-heat the oven to 400
- Roll the mixture into balls about 2 inches in size
- Place the meatballs onto a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper and bake until browned – about 15 to 20 minutes
Notes
- For vegan/dairy-free eggplant meatballs, replace the Parmesan cheese with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed combined with 2 tablespoons water)
- Serve the meatballs on a hoagie roll topped with melted mozzarella cheese, on top of your favorite pasta or zoodles, or in sauce for an appetizer.
Nutrition information is provided by Nutrifox, an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only. Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates.
Keywords: vegan meatballs, vegetarian meatballs, meatless meatballs, meatballs
This looks like a recipe my family will love! Thank you for sharing.
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Wow those meatballs look amazing and I never would have guessed for a second they were made with eggplant!
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These eggplant balls sound delicious. I love eggplant and we eat a lot of it here in Italy! As you mentioned, these would taste great with pasta!
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They are delicious with pasta!
I’ve been trying to include more vegetarian dishes into the weekly rotation, so will definitely be giving this one a try for meatless Monday coming up!
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WOW, what a great way to enjoy eggplant. I never used to like eggplant, but over the years that has changed. In fact, I have some in my fridge right now….maybe I should make this for dinner tonight.
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Such a unique way to use eggplant! I love both meatballs AND eggplant so I know this recipe would go over super well with me. YUM!!
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That sounds wonderful. I never thought to make eggplant meatballs. I do love eggplant very much so this one is definitely my kind of recipe. Can’t wait to try this soon. Love this.
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Oh my gosh I am putting all these ingredients on my shopping list right now. I love baking with eggplant but have never tried it this way and we are vegetarian so this recipe is beyond perfect for us!
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Your eggplant ‘meat’balls look like the real deal and I can only imagine how delicious they are too! I love eggplant and I love this idea. It is always nice to have new recipes and this is a great way to mix things up!
We had something similar at a restaurant recently and I was blown away! So excited to be able to make some at home now!
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What a fun way to use eggplant! I was looking for a new recipe for next week’s menu. This looks perfect.
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I love that you added nuts. Walnuts sound perfect!
What a great idea! I just got a few more eggplants in my CSA box and I can’t wait to try this!
These sound fantastic! I love all these ingredients too. I’ve actually never tried to make a vegetarian meatball, but I’m going to try this recipe. Do they hold together well when you put them in the sauce?
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Eggplant meatballs is such a great idea! I’ve never seen that before, but it seems common sense if you’re trying to make a meatless meal. Love this!!
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I love eggplant, and turning them into meatballs is brilliant!
What a great way to have your eggplant! I love that they are in the form of meatballs. We enjoy meatballs and having a meatless meal is always good!! I bet the flavor is amazing and adding walnuts to the dish is brilliant.
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I love eggplant but never seen eggplant meatballs before, they look so tempting and I am going make very soon.
I’m not personally a fan of eggplant, but my parents are vegetarian, and they eat it quite often. I’ll definitely be sharing this recipe with them, as I think they will both love it
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Cool recipe! I do meatless Monday almost every week and I am going to try this soon!
I am always looking for new ways to use eggplant! How perfect are these meatballs!! Love the addition of chickpeas!! This will be the perfect lunch paired with a salad or for a snack!
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These look fabulous. Bookmarking to make for my vegetarian brother when he comes to visit. We’ll see if I can fool my husband into believing that there’s meat in them 😉
I love eggplant! I will have to try this for a meatless Monday! This looks so yummy!
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Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!