Vegan Sweet and Smoky BBQ Meatballs

Food lovers rejoice! It’s time to swoon because for summer we are cranking out some of the sweetest, smokiest, yet completely vegan recipes ever! This sweet and smoky bbq meatballs recipe is no exception! Check out the beauty of these. They are by far one of our best recipes, and one of our favorite thing to have as an appetizer, or as the star of a show at a barbecue. The best kept secret has been revealed, so get your friends and make this delicious recipe! Add it to a sub, serve it beside rice, or have it on its own. It’s good!

Vegan Sweet and Smoky BBQ Meatballs

Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 package of extra firm tofu, mashed
• 1 cup panko Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ small onion, diced fine
• 3 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried basil flakes
• Sea salt to taste

For the Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup of Smoky Mesquite BBQ Sauce, we used Stubbs
• ¼ cup Concord grape jelly
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 green onions

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Next, mash tofu well in a large mixing bowl.
3. Next, prepare other ingredients, and food process sunflower seeds for your meatballs until fine crumbs are formed. Add sunflower seed crumbs to the large mixing bowl, along with all other prepared ingredients for the meatballs.
4. Begin forming evenly sized balls now with the meatball mixture. If mixture is too wet, add some more breadcrumbs, mix and form the meatballs. Place each meatball on the prepared baking pan.
5. Once all meatballs are formed and lined on the baking pan, place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes on the bottom rack, and then switch for baking 15 minutes on the top rack.
6. While the meatballs are on the last 3-5 minutes baking, prepare your sauce on the stove in a large pan over low-medium heat, by combining all sauce ingredients and stirring well. Once well combined, remove meatballs from oven, and using a spatula, place them in the large pan of sauce, and gently stir until covered with the sauce. Allow simmering to well incorporate flavors. You may have to increase your heat to medium if you have an electric stove.
7. Remove promptly from heat, and serve as a side item, or as a main dish with rice or in a sub sandwich.