These soft and moist Mushroom Meatballs are simple to prepare and make a perfect vegetarian dinner!
How about some vegetarian meatballs, people? You are probably feeling a little skeptical about these right now, but let me assure you – these Vegetarian Mushroom Meatballs are fantastic! They are super moist and have a wonderful earthy and nutty taste. You only have to taste these once, and they will surely end up in your “Favorites” list…
I cook a lot of vegetarian dishes, because my husband and I are trying to save some animal lives. I believe that people consume way too much meat on a daily basis, and, if we all cut back on meat even a little bit, it would have a significant impact. Plus, it’s better for your health. What are your thoughts about that?
Even a major meat lover won’t be disappointed with these meatless meatballs. 🙂
FRYING VS. BAKING MUSHROOM MEATBALLS
Let’s talk about the cooking process a little. Once you roll the mushroom mixture into balls, you’ll have to decide whether you want to fry these or bake them. I’ve tried doing both and they both turned out great. And while frying the meatballs does give them a nice crust, the baked meatballs taste almost the same, but they are healthier. So, I’ll leave this choice to you. If you decide to bake these, however, make sure you have these Silicone Baking Sheets. I’ve recently purchased these and I cannot believe I lived so long without them.
Mushroom Meatballs Garnish Options
Garnish the meatballs with some fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese or some feta cheese. Oh, I love feta so much! Of course, I couldn’t resist topping these meatballs with feta. My husband and I ate them with bread. Dipping the bread in the Marinara-Feta sauce and biting the mushroom meatballs was AN AAAAMAZING EXPERIENCE!
WHAT TO SERVE MUSHROOM MEATBALLS WITH
Serve these mushroom meatballs with pasta, rice, quinoa, couscous, or fresh salad. I also love enjoying these with a slice of crusty bread.
You’ll also enjoy these mushroom recipes:
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VEGETARIAN MUSHROOM MEATBALLS
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 20 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 cup quick cook oats
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 24oz jar Marinara sauce
- parsley to garnish
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, saute the onion in olive oil on medium-low heat for about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, increase the heat to medium-high and cook them for 10-15 minutes. You’ll need to wait until the water evaporates and then keep cooking the mushrooms until they brown nicely. Add garlic, stir, and transfer the mushrooms into the mixing bowl. Let them cool down.
- Add the rest of the ingredients excluding marinara to the mixture. Stir the mixture nicely and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, possibly overnight for the flavors (and texture!) to develop.
- When ready to cook, using a tablespoon as a measure, form small balls from the mixture. Fry the balls in a small amount of vegetable oil until they turn brown or bake them in a preheated oven at 400F for 15 minutes.
- Add marinara sauce to the medium saucepan. Place the meatballs on top and cook the meatballs in the sauce on a low heat for about 15 more minutes.
- Garnish with grated Parmesan or fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this recipe for my boyfriend last night. He has been vegetarian for about 4 months now and I’m just easing into it. This was such an amazing dish and so flavorful. I used Portabella mushrooms and fried the balls and then baked them. I would prefer to eat this over meat anytime. Thanks for sharing Tonia and I’m so excited to try more meatless recipes.
Thank you so much, Amy! I was also easing into it. Now, I am about 85% vegan hoping to go 100% by the end of the year. I am so glad to hear you enjoyed the “meatballs”!
Hello. I agree. We should be saving animal lives. I was vegetarian/ pescatarian for over a year before the covid19 crisis started. Now trying not to waste food, I sometimes eat meat and makes me feel emotionally sick. But I don’t want to waste food, the other members in my house aren’t on the same page with me
On a separate note, I wound up with too many portobello mushrooms from a recent bjs order – have you tried making these with those types of mushrooms as well? Thank you for your time.
Hi Denise! Thank you for your kindness! And yes, you can use portobello instead. Happy Cooking!
Hi Denise, I am experiencing the same thing you are! My family believes that meat must be in every meal, but I’m trying really hard to remain as true to veganism and vegetarianism that I can. Stay strong!
Hi,
I’m a pescatarian, and whenever my family eats meatballs I always have to have something different, so this is super exciting! Is there anything I can substitute the garlic with?
You can use garlic powder, or skip garlic altogether, Lara!
What kind of mushrooms did you use?
Hi Nikki! I used regular white button mushrooms.
I made the mixture last night so it could sit in the fridge overnight to marry everything together. I saw a comment from someone asking if they can use regular oats and you suggested pulsing them first. I assumed my oats were “regular” too, so I pulsed them. Then later when I clicked on the “quick cook oats” link in your ingredients list, I realized those are the same oats I have (Quaker). So, I tossed my pulsed oats and measured out a cup of “unpulsed” oats. So now I’m not too sure what “regular” oats are. 😁. After reading the other reviews, I think I will pan fry the shroomballs for a few mins first, and then pop them in the oven for like 10 mins to hold their shape once they go in the sauce. Would that work? Looking forward to dinner tonight and hoping my husband doesn’t taste the mushrooms! 😆
HI Jamie! Hope your “meatballs” turned out great! Regular oats are much thicker and take longer to cook. Check out this image: https://www.google.com/search?q=regular+vs+quick+oats&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS862US862&sxsrf=ACYBGNRmhkFmhllz-jkxI1OXg4geZuefVg:1581122584112&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwioq-PP3MDnAhUHh-AKHU9WAMIQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&biw=1920&bih=937#imgrc=UKif5T5sldpl-M
Here is a short and useful article: https://www.thespruceeats.com/differences-between-rolled-steel-cut-instant-oats-3054045.