Cauliflower Quinoa Meatballs
Vegetarian meatballs for the win! These Cauliflower Quinoa Meatballs are protein-packed, vegan and gluten free and perfect for meal prepping for the week ahead.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: cauliflower meatballs, quinoa meatballs, vegan meatballs
Servings: 24 meatballs
Calories: 75kcal
- 2 cups quinoa cooked
- 2 cups cauliflower rice cooked, moisture squeezed out
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup breadcrumbs regular or gluten free
- ¼ cup gluten free all purpose flour see notes
- ⅓ cup almond milk or milk of choice
- 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoon water)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
If you haven't already, cook the quinoa and cauliflower rice according to the package instructions, squeezing any excess moisture out of the cauliflower rice using a cheese cloth or nut milk bag (or a few paper towels); place them into a large mixing bowl.
Make the flax eggs: stir 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal and 5 tablespoons water together in a small bowl, then let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes until the flaxseed absorbs the water.
Next, add the garlic, breadcrumbs, flour, milk, flax eggs, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and oregano to that same bowl.
Use a fork to stir and mash everything together.
Wet your hands, then use your hands to form the mixture into 20-24 meatballs; place them on a plate or platter. The mixture will be a little wet, so you'll have to press it together in your hands to form it into meatballs.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add the meatballs and pan-sear them for 5-8 minutes until they're golden brown on the outside. Be careful when turning them because they're a little fragile! You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
Optional: pour marinara sauce (or sauce of choice) into the skillet and heat it for 1-2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and enjoy!
*Calories are per meatballs and are an estimation
*Flour options: Buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, gluten free all purpose flour, or regular all purpose flour
*Turn the meatballs slowly and gently, as they may start to fall apart if you turn them too quickly. They shouldn't though, as long as you're careful.
Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg