Description

Fun Whole Food Plant Based entertaining or a tasty dinner switch up, we’ve got you covered with these irresistible Vegan Cocktail Meatballs with Healthy Chili Sauce. Tender black beans, brown rice, and savory spices come together to create delectable mini Vegan Cocktail Meatballs. These little meatballs are perfect for dunking into our tangy and zesty Healthy Chili Sauce. When it comes to fabulous party treats, these Vegan Cocktail Meatballs with Healthy Chili Sauce are guaranteed to be a hit at your next party.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Ingredients

Scale

½ cup cooked and refrigerated brown rice*
½ cup pecans, minced (measure after mincing)
1 – [ 15 oz. can ] black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon flax meal (ground flaxseed)
2 Tablespoons tamari
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup panko bread crumbs (+/-) * (gluten free or regular panko bread crumbs) *

Seasonings/Spices:

1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
½ teaspoon red pepper flake
½ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Other Ingredients:

Healthy Chili Sauce – Doubled (Recipe Card below) – keep scrolling to the next recipe card on the post.

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Place the refrigerated brown rice into the food process and pulse until the rice is broken up. The rice may not break up completely. You do not want mush. Place the processed rice into a large bowl. (You do not need to clean the food processor in between steps).
Next place the pecans into the food processor and pulse until you have a fine crumb mixture. Note: The ½ cup (packed) measurement is after the pecans have been processed. Place in the large bowl with the rice.
Next place the rinsed and drain black beans into the food process and coarsely chop, then place into the large bowl with the rice and pecans.
Add all the remaining ingredients and spices into the large bowl and mix well. The mixture should easily pull together into one large clump.
Using a small cookie scoop (about one heaping tablespoon), roll the mixture into balls and place onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Once all the balls have been rolled, place into a preheated 350 F oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Make the Oil Free Chili Sauce (doubled)
Serve glazed or fondue style.

Notes

*Rice: It is important to have completely cooled (refrigerated) rice as cooked and cooled rice allows the individual rice pieces to mix well with the other ingredients. Measure 1/2 cup cooked rice.

*Panko Bread Crumbs: If you are looking for a 100% WFPB compliant gluten free bread crumbs, you will need to make them the day before you make this dish. Food for Life Gluten Free Brown Rice English Muffins work perfectly for those who are Whole Food Plant Based and gluten free, as they are refined sugar free and oil free. If your diet does not restrict gluten, you can use any WFPB compliant Panko crumbs.

For the Food for Life Gluten Free Brown Rice English Muffin conversion to bread crumbs – Pulse one room temperature Gluten Free Brown Rice English Muffin that has been torn it into small pieces, then place them in the food processor and pulse until it is completely broken down like coarse breadcrumbs. This make take several minutes. Place the crumbs onto a cookie sheet, spread them out and let them dry out overnight, then process them in the food processor again, then measure 1/2 cup for this recipe.

We used Ian’s Gluten Free Panko crumbs for this recipe.

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Tips: The best way to serve these meatballs is to keep the sauce and meatballs separated. The meatballs hold together nicely; however, they may not hold together over a long period of time such as with continuous heat from a crockpot. We suggest keeping the chili sauce heated and using cocktail toothpicks to skewer the meatballs and dunk them in the heated chili sauce, similarly to fondue. If needed, add a Tablespoon (or more) of water to thin out the sauce.

*Makes: 30 small cocktail meatballs

*Storage: Refrigerate, use within 7 days.