Lentil meatballs make a quick and protein-rich vegetarian recipe perfect for busy weeknights.
They are great for a meatless meal, and ready in 30 minutes. We serve lentil meatballs with a rich marinara sauce and pasta, or with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.

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Why you will love lentil meatballs

These vegetarian meatballs are a comfort food meal with rich marinara sauce.
We recommend serving them with slices of toasted bread to sop up the sauce leftovers.
Or go all-in Italian-American and serve them with al dente spaghetti and grated parmesan 🇮🇹.
If you love recipes with lentils (that are family-friendly too), you will enjoy these Italian lentil meatballs.
The recipe is inspired by Nico’s nonna Lidia’s polpette di lenticchie (polpette means meatballs and lenticchie means lentils in Italian).
She would use breadcrumbs to give structure and parmesan cheese to give character and umami to the mixture.

This recipe is a fantastic vegetarian dinner idea or finger food; the lentils are blended with parmesan, egg, herbs, and breadcrumbs.
This mix make a satiating a protein-rich meat alternative, perfect for those trying to reduce their meat consumption.
You can also make vegan meatballs by using our tofu meatball or lentil patties recipe.
Do not forget the marinara sauce, it takes the meatballs to a different flavor dimension 😋.

Ingredients

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
LENTILS: either canned lentils or dried lentils.
If you use canned lentils rinse them under water and let them drain well.
If you use dried lentils it is best to use green or brown lentils as they give more texture to the balls.
To cook dried lentils just boil them in water for 20-30 minutes.
Avoid split red lentils as they do not have the right texture for shaping.
BREADCRUMBS: Breadcrumbs of any kind will do, even panko breadcrumbs work well.
They are used to dry the lentils and give firmness. If you don’t have breadcrumbs you can substitute with flour.
PARMESAN: Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese is fine. To give it even more of a flavor boost you can use Pecorino Romano.
For dairy-free, substitute with vegan parmesan cheese.
GARLIC AND ONION: both are needed to give flavor.
OREGANO: you can substitute it with fresh or dried thyme.
PARSLEY: serves to give freshness to the patties.
TOMATO PASTE: has two purposes. First, to increase the umami and flavor of the patties. The second is to give a more palatable color to the mixture.
How to make lentil meatballs
This is a quick recipe so start by heating the oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Now add all the ingredients to a food processor.
TIP: Chop the garlic, onion, and parsley into small pieces so the blender will blend them faster. If you use dried lentils, cook them in water for 20-30 minutes until soft. Discard the lentil cooking water.

Blend intermittently for a few seconds. Every now and then stop, open the food processor, and clean the sides of the bowl, then start blending again, always intermittently.
Tip: It only takes a few seconds. Do not blend too much or the mixture will become too smooth and the meatballs will lose texture and consistency.

Now shape the meatballs by creating round and small balls, rotating small pieces of mixture between your hands.
Arrange the balls on the baking sheet with baking paper.
Tip: If you notice that the mixture is too wet and sticky and cannot stay together when you shape them, you can add more bread crumbs or flour.

I recommend brushing the meatballs with olive oil or spraying them with oil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes.
If you want to cook them in the air fryer, 10 to 12 minutes at 400°F (200°C) will be enough.
You can also cook them in skillet on medium heat. The meatballs cook in 10-12 minutes for 5-6 minutes per side.
TIP: Give the balls a gentle press before cooking them in the skillet. It is much easier to cook them in the skillet when they have two sides instead of a round shape.

Serving suggestions
AS AN APPETIZER: You can serve these delicious patties as a snack, appetizer, or entrée with a dip or spread.
We recommend tzatziki sauce, a babaganoush, tahini sauce, avocado spread, or marinara sauce.
They are a tasty finger food idea for gatherings, game nights, and holiday celebrations.

AS A MAIN DISH: Our favorite way to serve them is in a tomato sauce, as if they were meatballs.
While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, you can make the marinara sauce:
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add 1 clove of grated garlic and sauté for a few more seconds.
Now add the peeled tomatoes, water, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes while the meatballs cook in the oven.

Add the cooked meatballs to the marinara sauce and finish cooking for five minutes to meld the flavors.

Serve with fresh basil leaves, artisan bread or with pasta.
For an added serving of vegetables, accompany the meatballs with:
Questions
Can I cook lentil meatballs in a pan?
You can also cook these lentil meatballs in a skillet. First, make meatballs that are more flattened in shape instead of round. Imagine making mini burger patties.
This way the patties will cook faster, so you won’t risk having them burned on the outside and raw on the inside.
To cook them in a skillet first heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.
Then cook each ball about 5 minutes per side.

Variations
- Vegan lentil meatballs: see our recipe for lentil patties that you can easily shape into balls for an egg-free alternative.
- Tofu meatballs: try tofu in a new and surprising manner with Italian herbs and spices.
Tofu
Tofu Meatballs
30-Min Meals
Lentil patties
Storage
Lentil meatballs are perfect for vegetarian meal prep because of their versatility in storage.
Fresh they keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container, keeping their flavor and texture intact.
For longer storage, you can freeze them either raw or cooked.
To freeze the meatballs raw, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart, and leave them in the freezer for 2 hours.
Once hardened, transfer them to a freezer food bag. This method will allow you to maximize freezer space.
If you end up with leftover cooked meatballs instead, you can freeze them after letting them cool completely. Stored in a freezer bag, they will keep for 3 months.
When you want to enjoy them, you can thaw them gradually in the refrigerator for a few hours, or cook them directly while frozen.
To reheat them, either the microwave or air fryer are good options that will keep their texture and flavor intact.

Similar recipes
VEGETARIAN PATTIES: tofu meatballs, chickpea fritters, falafel, black bean burger, zucchini fritters.
LENTIL RECIPES: Lentil vegetable soup, lentil curry, mujadara, mushroom wellington, stuffed zucchini, curry lentil soup, lentil chili, lentil bolognese.

Lentil Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 small cans (15-ounces each) lentils or 3 cups/480 g cooked lentils or 1 cup/200 g dried lentils
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup parmesan grated
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C.To a food processor, add all ingredients.
- Pulse for a few seconds, scraping down the sides of the food processor once or twice.Don't overblend. The mixture should be coarse.Shape mixture into small balls by rolling it between the palms of your hands.Arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush or spray with a thin layer of oil.
- Oven-baked: 400°F / 200°C for 30 minutes.Air-fryer: 400°F / 200°C for 10 to 12 minutes.
HOW TO SERVE LENTIL MEATBALLS
- You can serve lentil meatballs as an appetizer or snack with dips such as tzatziki, tahini sauce, baba ganoush, or marinara sauce.
- Alternatively, you can add them to a delicious marinara sauce, simmer for 5 minutes and serve with pasta or bread.
Love
Loved these Lentil Meatballs!
They came together really well and made enough to freeze into individual meals. Thank you, this is a keeper!
Fantastic, Lorraine! So wonderful that you liked them 🥳
Thanks so much for your valuable comment, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
The Lentil meatballs are delicious.
Wonderful, Anthony!! I’m super happy that you enjoyed them 🥰 Thanks so much for your comment.
Uuuhh, these are amazing guys! They remind me of Swedish meatballs (vegetarian version) that I once had in a restaurant with lingonberry sauce. Thanks so much for this recipe.
So happy you like them, Nina! Great idea with a “Swedish” serving suggestion – mashed potatoes would also go well with such a meal 🙂
Kindest, Louise