This post contains affiliate links.
These eggplant meatballs are the perfect accompaniment to a large bowl of pasta (and making vegetarian meatballs means everyone can join in on a single meal)! Our community has enjoyed these on their own or as a component in Italian dinners – see comments!
save this recipe!Who doesn’t love a giant bowl of fresh pasta? It’s a classic family meal that takes no time to put together, and just about everyone enjoys it. It’s even quite easy to make a couple of different noodles (gluten-free, anyone?) and set out the sauce separately for everyone to make their own perfect sauce-to-noodle ratio. To make the meal heartier, why not add meatballs?
This eggplant recipe has lots of traditional Italian flavor, making it a perfect substitute to meat-based items. Vegetarians and meat-lovers alike will enjoy the classic taste and the texture is nice and chunky – perfect for Meatless Monday. I love to keep a batch of these on hand ready to serve for quick dinners!
Reader rating
“These were incredible! Excited to make some more meals with them like meatball sandwiches and perhaps even smaller pieces in a ziti bake.” —Marie
grab these ingredients
Super easy here, and the same ingredients you would add to a classic beef and veal recipe! Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements!
- Eggplant: When roasted, this veggie has just enough “chew” to give it the perfect meaty texture. Plus, eggplant is a healthy vegetable packed with fiber to keep you full!
- Bread Crumbs: Buy or make your own bread crumbs, but I recommend using a seasoned variety to add flavor! You can also use gluten-free breadcrumbs here.
- Parmesan Cheese: Another classic Italian flavor, this adds some oomph.
- Eggs: We need these to bind everything together! They work well with the cheese and bread crumbs to ensure your meatballs don’t fall apart.
dietary restrictions?
These aubergine meatballs are a vegetarian meat-substitute for traditional meatballs, but they are not vegan meatballs. I haven’t found the perfect egg substitute that still gives a great meatball texture. You can try using a dairy-free cheese and gluten-free bread crumbs if you need those alterations, but you’ll want to keep the eggs in.
How to make Vegetable Meatballs
Italian eggplant meatballs take a bit of time, but what classic Italian dish doesn’t? Jump to the recipe card for full instructions!
Step 1: Roast the Eggplant
Prick your eggplant all over with a fork to ensure the steam escapes while roasting. When it’s done, you want the eggplant to be very soft and blistered on the skin. This can take as long as 45 minutes, and you’ll want to rotate it a few times for even cooking.
the best type of eggplant
The classic Italian eggplant is best here (it’s what I use in the pictures), but you can use just about any type of eggplant you have on hand.
Step 2: Mash Them
Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove the peel and add the flesh to a large bowl. Mash it up with a potato masher, leaving some larger chunks for great texture.
Sarah’s Tip
If you’re serving these to someone who’s picky about textures, you can pulse it in the food processor until it forms a rough paste (rather than mashing).
Step 3: Stir It All Together
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl of mashed eggplant and stir to combine well. Next up, please give it a chill in the fridge for a good 30 minutes. This will make it easier to form into meatball shapes.
Step 4: Roll the Meatballs
Roll your eggplant mixture into the perfect meatballs! Depending on how big your eggplant was and the size of your meatballs, you will determine how many you make. Place the rolled meatballs on a parchment-lined pan.
Step 5: Bake
Bake the meatballs until they are firm to the touch and no longer “wet” inside. You might need to cut one open to check things out.
Step 6: Sauté
If you’re enjoying these meatballs on their own, go ahead and give them a quick sauté in some oil. This will make them brown and crispy on the outside. It’s totally optional to do this if you’re serving them in a sauce.
make these ahead of time
These do take a bit of time, start to finish, so feel free to make them ahead. You can roll them and set the entire sheet in the fridge to chill before baking them up later on. You may need to add a couple minutes to heat them through.
ways to enjoy your meatballs
- Sauce it Up: Choose your favorite Alfredo or marinara sauce and serve these babies over your choice of pasta.
- Sandwich it In: Add these in a hoagie roll with your favorite cheese and run them through the broiler for a delightful dish.
How To Make Eggplant Meatballs (Step-By-Step Guide)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs eggplant, about 2 medium eggplants
- 2 cups Italian bread crumbs, 240 g
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, 57 g
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Roast: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Prick the eggplants all over with a fork. Set on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, flipping the eggplant a few times during cooking. It's finished when it's very soft and the skin is blistered. Remove eggplant from oven and turn oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Mash: Let eggplant cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin. Transfer to a bowl and use a potato masher to mash it into a chunky paste (some larger eggplant chunks are okay, they add texture to the meatballs).
- Stir: To the bowl of mashed eggplant add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Transfer to the fridge and let chill for at least 30 minutes (this will make rolling easier).
- Roll: Roll mixture evenly into 20 to 24 meatballs. If the dough is too sticky to roll, you can add a dash more breadcrumbs or some flour. Set finished eggplant meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until firm and cooked through (split one open to make sure it's not too moist on the inside still).
- Saute (Optional): For an optional finish, saute the cooked meatballs in a large skillet over high heat with a splash of olive oil until golden brown and crispy. This step is best if you're eating the meatballs on their own. If enjoying them with marinara or incorporating them into a dish, you can skip this step!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
These were incredible! Excited to make some more meals with them like meatball sandwiches and perhaps even smaller pieces in a ziti bake.
Such a great ideas, Marie! 😀
Can you freeze these for later use?
I haven’t tried freezing this so I can’t say for sure, but I think you could!
These are AMAZING!
So happy to hear you liked them, Marianne! 😀
Is there a way to lower the sodium level?
These were excellent. I was pleasantly surprised by how similar the texture was to beef meatballs. I will definitely be making these ahead and freezing the next time as this was very time consuming.
So happy you loved them, Jenn! 😀
These are really good. Sort of surprisingly good really.
For the eggplant meatballs can you use anything else to bind instead of eggs. As I am vegan ?
Thank you
Unfortunately, I haven’t found the perfect egg substitute for these meatballs, but I’m working on it! But I do have an easy recipe for vegan meatballs on the site using seitan. Hope this helps 😊 https://www.liveeatlearn.com/seitan-meatballs/
I am grain free. What can I substitute for the bread crumbs?
You should be able to substitute the breadcrumbs with almond flour or flaxseed meal to keep it grain-free. Use the same amount and adjust as needed if the texture feels too wet or dry. Enjoy!
Made ’em. LOVE ’em! Will make ’em again. Only had one eggplant so cut the recipe in half. Will stock up on eggplant so I can double the next batch. My husband’s stomach doesn’t do well with tomato, so we’re going to have them with pasta, EVOO, oregano, and titch of butter. Thank you for the recipe. I love eggplant.
So happy you loved it, happy eating!