I love experimenting with my air fryer to make short work of cooking on weekdays. After making and sharing recipes for air fryer French fries, air fryer tofu and vegan air fryer chickpeas, I am now totally groovin’ on these scrummy vegan air fryer meatballs. They take just minutes to put together and most of the work is done by the food processor. Shape ’em, pop ’em into the air fryer for 14 minutes, et voila! Yummy meatballs. If you’re looking to eat healthy this veganuary, you can’t do better. These are made with good-for-you chickpeas, walnuts and mushrooms, with lots of flavor and spices rolled in, and without any added oils. I do recommend that you brush on some oil or spritz them with cooking spray before they go into the air fryer to add some color to the meatballs and help them cook evenly. But if you’re looking for a no-oil option you can forego that step.
What’s in these meatballs?
Chickpeas Dry shiitake mushrooms (preferable to fresh mushrooms because of the texture) Walnuts Garlic Ground cumin Red pepper flakes Dry sage Soy sauce/tamari or vegan Worcestershire sauce Smoked paprika Salt and ground black pepper Cooking spray or a tiny bit of vegetable oil Parsley (optional)
How to make vegan air fryer meatballs
Substitution ideas
You don’t need any breadcrumbs in this recipe. But if you want to use some anyway, add half a cup to the food processor after you process the chickpeas. Mix and form the meatballs. For chewier meatballs, add another cup of dried, reconstituted mushrooms. You can add ½ cup breadcrumbs if the meatballs don’t hold together as well with the extra mushrooms. Change up the flavorings to your liking. Instead of the cumin, add a teaspoon of garam masala or curry powder. Change up the herbs. Instead of sage, use thyme or oregano or rosemary. If you’re soy-free, skip the tamari/soy sauce/Worcestershire sauce and use 1 tablespoon tomato paste instead for more umami.
Freezing the air fried vegan meatballs
Freeze the meatballs after air frying. Let them cool, then place in a ziploc bag or tupperware with an airtight lid. Reheat on the stovetop in a hot skillet sprayed with oil, or in the air fryer for at 375 degrees for about 6-8 minutes until heated through. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
Sauce ideas for the vegan air fryer meatballs
Barbecue sauce Mushroom Sauce Swedish Meatball Sauce Marinara Sauce
Recipe card
Love these vegan air fryer meatballs? Check out more gluten-free vegan recipes on Holy Cow!
