These oven-baked tofu meatballs are inspired by the fresh herbs and seasonings used in Greek meatballs. Serve them in pasta, or over garlicky yogurt with a balsamic tahini drizzle!
I'm always seeing Greek meatball recipes pop up on my feed, and as a vegetarian recipe developer I figured it was high time to develop my own vegetarian take.
These tofu meatballs are heavily inspired by Greek meatballs, while claiming no authenticity due to the use of tofu instead of meat.
But fear not: tofu is a fantastic protein source, and it yields a vegetarian meatball that has a soft inside and firm, crisp outside.
I love these bean-based mushroom meatballs, but since tofu is an inexpensive and high-quality protein source, I knew that I had to find a way to make another version of "meatballs" using tofu.
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Recipe at a glance
- Quick prep: This recipe takes about 15 minutes of active time. The onion and garlic are grated instead of diced, so minimal chopping is required.
- Oven-baked: Cooking time is hands-off because these tofu meatballs are baked in the oven.
- Versatile serving options: Serve with butter pasta, or simmer in tomato-based pasta sauce with spaghetti. In this recipe I serve the tofu meatballs over garlicky yogurt and marinated lentils, but they're also great in pita with hummus.
Ingredients
- Tofu: I use extra-firm tofu. The tofu has to be pressed for this recipe, so don't skip that step!
- Herbs: We're using parsley, oregano, and mint. Fresh herbs work best because they have the strongest flavor. I typically use a mix of fresh and dry based on what's available at the store. One tablespoon fresh chopped herbs can be substituted with one teaspoon dry herbs, as needed.
- Breadcrumbs: This is necessary for binding. I did not test this recipe with anything other than breadcrumbs, but I know from other recipes (like these sweet potato black bean burgers) that oat flour is typically a good gluten-free substitute.
- Black-eyed peas: Any variety of white bean works here (think cannelinni, great northern, etc.) but I like using black-eyed peas because they have a great earthy flavor. Unseasoned black-eyed peas should be available at most grocery stores next to seasoned black-eyed peas. Note that seasoned black-eyed peas typically include animal products.
- Soy sauce adds a touch of umami flavor. Use tamari for a gluten-free swap.
- Grated onion and garlic are primary flavor contributors. Grating the onion and garlic instead of chopping it creates smaller pieces that distribute more evenly throughout the meatballs.
- Eggs: One egg helps hold the tofu meatballs together. I also tested this recipe with flax eggs and unfortunately they did not work as well.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you begin: Start by pressing the tofu for at least 10 minutes. I use this tofu press but if you don't have a tofu press, you can wrap tofu in paper towels or a kitchen towel and weigh it down with cans or a cast iron skillet.
- Using clean hands, crumble the pressed tofu into a bowl as if you were making a tofu scramble. The tofu should be a variety of sizes, with some pieces more crumbled than others. Don't squish it into a paste!
- Stir the tofu together with the eggs, breadcrumbs, grated onion, grated garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. I find a spatula works best here, folding until the mixture is holding together.
- Form the tofu mixture into balls. They should hold together well. If the mixture is crumbly, see below for tips. Transfer to a lightly oiled or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- The tofu meatballs are ready when golden on the outside. They should still be a bit soft when pressed.
FAQ
The tofu meatballs can be made dairy-free, but egg-free doesn't work as well. I tried to make this recipe work with flaxseed eggs, but the meatballs turned out too wet or fragile. Unfortunately, they just work best with eggs.
To make dairy-free meatballs, simply use your favorite vegan feta in place of regular feta.
I have not tested these meatballs without feta, but I do know that they work with an equal amount of dairy-free feta. The cheese helps bind the meatballs together, so proceed with caution if omitting it entirely.
Yes, but the texture is much better if they are baked. Because tofu makes the meatballs relatively soft, they are a bit crumbly if pan-fried.
I found that letting them chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before pan-frying helps a lot. Another option is to par-bake them for 10 minutes and then pan-fry, as this helps firm up the meatballs.
This is likely due to too much moisture, either from the tofu or the grated onion. Add another egg, or an extra breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons at a time, until the meatballs hold together. Another option is to add ground flaxseed 1 tablespoon at a time, as this absorbs extra moisture.
Serving ideas
This recipe is part of my higher protein vegetarian meals series because they are fantastic in a variety of meals.
Here are some ways to serve Greek-inspired meatballs:
- In pita with hummus, arugula, cucumber, and marinated lentils. Or skip the pita and serve over quinoa or rice.
- Simmered in tomato sauce with pasta and vegetables like lemon garlic green beans or steamed broccoli.
- On a mezze platter alongside rosemary white bean dip, veggies, olive, and marinated artichoke hearts.
- Added to butter-based pasta dishes like this sweet corn and pepper pasta or mushroom spinach pasta.
Storage tips
- Leftover meatballs are best within 3-4 days.
- For best quality, reheat tofu meatballs on the stovetop in an oiled pan. This will re-crisp them.
- I have not tried freezing this recipe but I think it would freeze well. Let the meatballs thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, or reheat them from frozen in simmering pasta sauce.
More creative ways to cook tofu
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Greek-Inspired Tofu Meatballs
Ingredients
Tofu Meatballs
- 14 ounce block extra firm tofu see note #1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint see note #2
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
- ¼ medium sweet yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup black eyed peas see note #3
- 1 large egg see note #4
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 ounces feta crumbled
Assembly
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt, to taste
- water, as needed
- 5.5 ounce container plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 ½ cups marinated lentils see note #7
- ½ medium cucumber sliced thinly into half moons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Press the tofu for 10 minutes using a tofu press or by weighing it down with a heavy skillet or cans. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil with the mint, parsley, and oregano.
- While the tofu presses, use the medium holes on a box grater to grate the onion. Use the small holes or a microplane to grate the garlic.
- Add the black-eyed peas to a medium bowl. Mash with a fork, until mostly broken down. After 10 minutes, crumble the pressed tofu into a bowl as if you were making a tofu scramble. The tofu should be a variety of sizes, with some pieces more crumbled than others. Don't squish it into a paste!
- Stir the tofu and black-eyed peas together with the oil and herbs, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, cumin, optional red pepper flakes, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and crumbled feta. I find a spatula works best here, folding until the mixture is holding together.
- Form the tofu mixture into balls. They should hold together well. If the mixture is crumbly, add an extra egg.
- Transfer to a lightly oiled or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. The tofu meatballs are ready when golden.
- To make the garlicky yogurt, whisk together the Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 clove grated garlic, and a pinch of salt. Make the tahini drizzle by whisking together ⅓ cup tahini, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is a drizzle-able consistency.
- Assemble bowls by adding yogurt to the bowl, topping it with lentils and sliced cucumber, then the meatballs. Drizzle with tahini, to taste. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Tofu: I tested this with extra firm and firm tofu and both work well, just make sure to really squeeze the water out of the tofu.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs add a ton of flavor, so I recommend using them if they're available. If not, replace 1 tablespoon fresh herbs with 1 teaspoon dry.
- Black-eyed peas: An equal amount of white beans works as well. I like using black-eyed peas because they have an earthy flavor.
- Egg: I tested this with flax eggs and it did not work well as a direct swap and resulted in much softer meatballs. For firmer meatballs, add a total of 2 eggs.
- Dairy-free option: An equal amount of vegan feta can be used in place of dairy feta.
- Pan-fry option: These meatballs are quite delicate, so if pan-frying note that they may crumble. The better option is to par-bake them (10 minutes) then pan-fry until golden.
- Marinated lentils: I typically cook 1 cup dry lentils which yields 2.5-3 cups lentils, or 2 cans lentils. Mix drained lentils with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, zest of the lemon, 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (red wine vinegar also works), a sprinkle of dry or fresh herbs, salt to taste.
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