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–+ servings
Close up shot of meatballs with sauce and spaghetti.

Veggie Balls (Air Fried)

Whether you're vegetarian or not, you're going to love this Veggie Balls! They can be air friend or oven baked, and only take about 20 minutes to prep. It's a great gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian option!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 15
Calories 34 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven or Air Fryer
  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

Meatballs:

  • 1 + ½ Cups Fresh Cauliflower Rice
  • 1 Cup Broccoli Rice
  • ½ Cup Almond Flour
  • 1 Whipped Egg
  • 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

Seasoning:

  • ¼ Teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley

Instructions
 

  • Add cauliflower rice, broccoli rice, whipped egg, olive oil, and almond flour to a bowl. Mix until well combined.
  • Next add your salt, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, and parsley. Mix with a fork or a spatula until fully combined.
  • Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, or prepare your air fryer. Roll the mixture into 1 + ½ inch meatballs - it should make 15 meatballs. Add them to your baking sheet or air fryer.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. Air fry for about 20 minutes. You'll know they're done when they're golden brown on the outside. They will crisp up a bit more in the air fryer.
  • Once they're done you can serve them with your favorite gluten-free pasta and sauce!

Notes

How to make your own Cauliflower Rice

You can purchase pre-packaged cauliflower rice and broccoli from the grocery store, but it’s a lot less expensive to make it yourself! Start by chopping your head of cauliflower and broccoli in half. Take one half of your cauliflower and chop it into small bite size pieces. Add about two cups of chopped cauliflower into your food processor. Pulse on and off until it becomes a “rice” consistency. (Takes about 30 seconds.) Repeat until you have enough for the recipe! (Repeat with broccoli.) Whenever I make my own vegetable rice, I usually double the recipe so it's worth my time!

Helpful Meatball Tips

  1. I like to make my meatballs on the smaller side so they cook through thoroughly. If they’re too big, the center might not fully cook through and it will be a little too mushy. If you make them the right size, it should yield 15 meatballs. (About golf ball size.)
  2. After you rinse your head of broccoli and cauliflower, make to thoroughly dry them. If they’re wet when you make your vegetable rice it can change the consistency.
  3. It’s important to use a fork or whisk to whip your egg BEFORE adding it into the mixture.
  4. If you want your meatballs to stay fairly firm, I would not let them simmer in the sauce. I usually store them separately and serve on top of of the pasta and sauce.

How to store & reheat leftovers

After you make your meatballs, you can either serve them on top of your sauce and pasta, or after they cool place them in a glass Tupperware container to store in the refrigerator. I have not tested freezing them, but I bet they would store well in the freezer! To reheat just pop them in the air fryer or oven to make sure they crisp back up before serving. I would not store them in the sauce as they can easily get soggy. They're best served fresh on top right before you eat them!

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I serve with my vegetable meatballs?
I love serving mine with gluten-free pasta and my Vegan Roasted Tomato Sauce, Creamy Tomato Sauce, or Instant Pot Meat Sauce! You could also toss them in Pesto or a Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce. If you don't want to make your own, Primal Kitchen makes great sugar-free options.
Can you freeze the vegetable meatballs?
I have not tested freezing them, but I bet they would store well in the freezer! To reheat just pop them in the air fryer or oven to make sure they crisp back up before serving.
Can I use an egg replacement?
I have not tested with using an egg replacement - It might make them a bit too mushy!

Gluten Free Pasta Suggestions

The Whole Foods brand makes a delicious chickpea pasta that is organic, and only has ONE ingredient – chickpeas. They also have a Mung Bean pasta that I used in this particular recipe that tastes great, and has a nice texture. I use it for most of my sauce recipes because it doesn’t get soggy. (Wouldn’t recommend eating it without a sauce.) A lot of the gluten-free pasta products are filled with additives and “gums” that are unnecessary. Make sure to always check the ingredients! Don’t be tricked by fancy labels! My other favorite brands are Tolerant and Jovial!
For a delicious Paleo & Whole30 option, you can use zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash! Never made spaghetti squash? Check out my How to Cook Spaghetti Squash Post! If you’re interested in making your own zuchini noodles or any vegetable noodles, I highly recommend purchasing an inspiralizer.  I’ve had mine for about five years, and it’s amazing!! I use it for zucchini, broccoli, yellow squash, beets, sweet potato.. I also have two of her cookbooks! It’s a fun way to sneak in extra veggies!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 34kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 50mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
Keywords air fried buffalo cauliflower meatballs, air fryer vegetable meatballs, healthy vegetable meatballs, italian vegetable meatballs, vegetable meatballs, vegetarian meatballs
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