Mushroom Meatballs
Looking for vegetarian meatballs? Try mushroom meatballs! These meatless meatballs are made with mushrooms and bulgur for a hearty appetizer or main meal!
Mushroom meatballs are perfect if you’re looking for vegetarian meatballs that will make everyone happy. These meatless meatballs are made with mushrooms and bulgur, making them hearty as a heavy appetizer or for a main meal! This recipe comes from my cookbook, Meat to the Side.
Today is the day! My cookbook, Meat to the Side: A Plant-Forward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate is officially released into the world!
To celebrate, I am sharing one of my personal favorite recipes from the book. Picking favorites is never easy, but when I started working on Meat to the Side, I knew early on that I wanted to have a meatless meatball recipe that would make even the most enthusiastic carnivore happy.
As I developed it, I had my friend Rochelle’s meatballs in mind – she makes the best meatballs with a mixture of ground meats that is somehow hearty, satisfying, and light as air, all at the same time. This gold standard was what I hoped to achieve with these vegetarian meatballs.
Bulgur is the secret to these meatballs. They add texture and body to the mushroom meatballs, without weighing it down. And when they simmer in marinara sauce, the flavors come together for the comfort food you crave, without the meat!
Meatless Meatballs
If you are suspicious when you eye a meatless meatball recipe, I’m here to assure you that you have nothing to fear. There are a few secrets to making these meatballs, well, more “meaty.”
Let’s start with the mushrooms. Finely chopping them gives you some of the texture we need, but the secret is seasoning them with a touch of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce to bring out that savory umami that makes them instantly more meaty.
And while I do use some panko breadcrumbs, the other big secret, as I mentioned, is bulgur. I use a medium bulgur wheat, similar to the type of bulgur you use in tabbouleh. This enhances the texture of the meatball without weighing it down.
The final key is giving the meatballs time to rest in the refrigerator before cooking. I find that this helps them to hold their shape better, as well as further development in the flavor. Four hours is ideal, and you can certainly make this in advance and let it sit overnight.
As for cooking the meatballs, well, it’s no different than your standard meatball. I like to bake them in the oven to firm them up, then simmer in a good quality marinara sauce. It’s utterly delicious with crusty garlic bread or with pasta!
More Plant-Forward Recipes
Even the meat lovers in my life admit that they don’t miss the meat at all in this meatball recipe. If you’re looking for more plant-forward recipes, check out my book. This recipe is just one of the many delicious recipes that will help you get more veggies in your life!
Mushroom Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup medium bulgur wheat
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound cremini or white mushrooms finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onions
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus more for garnish
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- Toasted Italian bread for serving
Instructions
Prepare the meatball mixture:
- Place the bulgur in a medium bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and fluffed up. Depending on the fineness/coarseness of the grind, this can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour. It should yield about 1⁄2 cup of hydrated bulgur.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions, season with the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and cook until the mushrooms have wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off – about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Drain the bulgur thoroughly and add it to the mushrooms. Mix in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, parsley, eggs, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Cook the meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop 2-tablespoon portions of the mixture onto the prepared pan. Using your hands, roll each portion into a ball, pressing to compact it.
- Place the meatballs onto the prepared sheet with room around each.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm to the touch.
- Bring the marinara sauce to a bubble in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for 45 minutes.
- Garnish the meatballs with chopped parsley and serve with toasted bread.
I Loved this recipe, it was great and the meatballs were so tasty
Can this be made ahead? I want to serve it with gravy for our Thanksgiving vegetarians.
Hi Alanna! Yes, there are several ways you can make this ahead. One way (as I mention in the recipe), is to make the meatball mixture and refrigerate it overnight before making the balls. Or, you can form the meatballs and refrigerate overnight. You can also try to make the entire dish and reheat, however be sure to refrigerate the meatball mixture well and then bake it long enough so as to make sure it holds up to the sauce! Good luck!
Wonderful, thank you! I was hoping to make the mixture two days ahead and bake the day of. I am in europe so we will celebrate on the weekend. I will test it out.
You’re very welcome, Alanna! That should work out nicely — enjoy the recipe and your celebration!
This is literally the only meatball recipe and my husband and I use anymore! It’s great!
Hi Madalyn! I can’t tell you how happy this makes me! I’m so glad you both love the mushroom meatball recipe!
What else can you use instead of bulgar wheat?
Hi Wendy, I have not fully tested alternatives, but if you can not use or obtain bulgur wheat, you can experiment with using rolled oats or cooked quinoa. I’m sorry I don’t have a more precise answer for you at this time. If you give this a try, please let me know how it turns out.
Try these
Hi Marisa! I believe you probably meant to share/email this recipe, but it looks like you left a comment instead! Next time, there is an email button under the “Share This” part under the recipe card that should help. Hope you enjoy the Mushroom Meatballs!
Hello!
Just wanted to let you know that my wife and I tried this recipe the other night. It so happens that my inlaws were there too. They like the recipe so much that they ask for the leftovers to go!
Anyways, thanks a lot for sharing this. Excited to send the next recipe here to my wife.
Have a great day!
Timothy, thank you SO much for stopping back to let me know how much you all liked the mushroom meatballs — I can’t think of a better compliment than to know your inlaws asked for the leftovers to go! :) Thank you and happy holidays!
A recipe like this always inspire and you have made and described everything so nicely that really helped me so much to make such a delicious recipe at home. I am looking forward for more of such yummy recipes in coming days.
You’re very welcome!!
yummy! And they look really good too, nice alternative, thank you
Thank you so much, Sabrina!!