It’s totally a coincidence that I’m posting these meatballs the week before July 4th. But a happy coincidence, because these suckers are kind of perfect for Independence day. What better way to celebrate a holiday that involves pyrotechnics than with pyrotechnic-themed food? And these chickpea meatballs just happen to make a great alternative to veggie burgers!
What are Firecracker Meatballs?
I didn’t invent the concept of firecracker meatballs. They seem to be a big thing in the world of non-vegan food, and I just decided it was time for a vegan version. Usually firecracker meatballs are made with chicken and smothered in super spicy sauce. There’s really no specific recipe for the sauce — some versions are similar to Buffalo sauce, some are Asian-inspired, and some are barbecue-ish. I went with one of my favorite chicken substitutes for my firecracker meatballs: chickpeas. “Chickpeas” sounds like “chicken” and that’s what makes them one of my favorite chicken substitutes. Getting serious though, chickpeas make a great base for vegan meatballs. When lightly mashed up and combined with seasonings they have the perfect texture and seasonings for rolling into veggie balls. They’re super convenient (available in cans!) so it’s easy to keep all the ingredients for a batch of chickpea meatballs on hand at all times.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Canned chickpeas. Prefer to cook your chickpeas from scratch? That’s fine! You’ll need about 2 cups of them Panko breadcrumbs. Need a gluten-free substitute? Try oat flour, or just grind up some rolled oats in a food processor bowl to make your own oat flour. Red onion. Yellow onion can be substituted if that’s what you’ve got on hand. Garlic. Soy sauce. Use gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos if you need to keep this recipe gluten-free. Smoked paprika. Ground cumin. Canola oil. Just about any high-heat oil can be substituted, such as olive oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil. Water. Cornstarch. Hot sauce. Use a mild, vinegar-based hot sauce. Frank’s is my choice for this dish, but Cholula or Crystal would also be good choices. Brown sugar. Make sure this is organic to keep the recipe vegan. Fresh Chives.
How They’re Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by placing your chickpeas into a food processor bowl, along the panko breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, soy sauce, paprika and ground cumin.
Pulse everything until the ingredients are finely chopped and well-mixed. Don’t overdo it or your meatballs will be mushy in the middle!
Roll your chickpea balls and place them on a baking sheet or in an oven-safe skillet. Lightly oil them so they brown, then bake them up! While the balls bake you can heat up your sauce on the stove. Simmer some hot sauce, brown sugar, and water for a few minutes, then thicken the mixture by adding a cornstarch slurry. When the chickpea meatballs are done baking, pour the sauce over them.
Sprinkle with chives and serve!
Leftovers, Storage & Make Ahead Options
Chickpea meatballs and firecracker sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days, or in the refrigerator for about 3 months. Both the meatballs and sauce can be made ahead and stored together or separate (separate is better)! You can also blend up the chickpea mixture in advance and chill until you’re ready to use. Then on the day of serving, roll, bake, sauce, and serve!
More Vegan Meatball Recipes
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