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Caramelized Onion Meatballs with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

Festive & flavor-packed plant-based meatballs will delight family and friends over the holidays. Perfect for a fancy Friday night or larger gatherings!
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Appetizer, Dinner, Festive, Holidays, Rosemary, Vegetable-Forward Entree
Servings: 12 meatballs

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 14 oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
  • 3/4 C maple syrup
  • 1/4 C sweet orange marmelade
  • 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt fine/table
  • 1/2 tsp orange zest grated

Meatballs

  • 3 oz caramelized onion from ~9 oz raw yellow onion, cooked until almost no liquid remains
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp rosemary fresh, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp garlic roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1/2 C pecans toasted
  • 3/4 C + 1 Tbsp plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 C vegan parmesan or substitute 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 C cooked wild rice a generous, rounded cup
  • 6 Tbsp JUST egg or 6 Tbsp vegan egg replacer, such as hydrated flax or chia seeds
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning salt-free
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp salt fine/table
  • Minced fresh parsely for garnish

Instructions

Sauce

  • Combine the first 6 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until cranberries are mostly broken down. Set aside to reheat when the meatballs are ready.

Meatballs

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Caramelize the onions (this should take ~30 min!). Add the caramelized onions to a food processor with the rosemary, garlic, parsley, toasted pecans, breadcrumbs, and vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast). Process until mostly a paste (ok if a few larger bits remain).
  • Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl and add the cooked wild rice and JUST egg. Add the lemon pepper, smoked paprika, and salt. Mix with a spatula or your hands until the rice has broken down somewhat and the mixture is homogeneous (see note about adjusting consistency).
  • Shape the mixture into meatballs and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Flip meatballs. Bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and gently add to the simmering cranberry-orange sauce.
  • Simmer the meatballs, covered, in the sauce for at least 10 minutes, agitating the meatballs occasionally.
  • Garnish with parsley when serving.

Notes

Depending on how much liquid was in your caramelized onions, your meatball mixture may need a small adjustment. If the mixture is very wet and sticky, mix in additional breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can form balls without it sticking to your hands too much. If too dry and crumbly, add additional vegan egg or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture holds together when pressed.