I Turned Lentils Into BBQ Meatballs.. and They’re Delicious! BBQ Meatballs You’ll Want to Make Again

These BBQ Lentil Meatballs are easy, budget-friendly, and packed with flavor! Made with simple pantry ingredients and cooked right on the stovetop, they’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and finished with a sweet and smoky homemade BBQ sauce. This is the kind of recipe I love: simple ingredients, minimal prep, and an affordable meal that still feels delicious and satisfying. Serve these with mashed potatoes, veggies, rice, or enjoy them on their own! INGREDIENTS Lentil Meatballs • 2 cups cooked brown lentils, well drained (about 1 cup dry lentils) • 1 cup oat flour (rolled oats blended into flour) • ¼ onion, finely diced • 2 cloves garlic, finely diced • 2 tbsp ketchup • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 2 tsp smoked paprika • 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp onion powder • ½ tsp salt • ¼ tsp black pepper • 2 flax eggs: 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 tbsp water Homemade BBQ Sauce • ½ cup ketchup, ½ cup water • 3 tbsp agave • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1½ tbsp soy sauce • 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 1 tsp onion powder Simple Sauce • ¼ cup vegan mayo • 1½ tbsp ketchup • ½ tsp apple cider vinegar • Pinch of garlic powder • Pinch of salt INSTRUCTIONS 1. Make the oat flour and flax egg. Add 1 cup of rolled oats to a blender and blend into a fine flour. Mix the ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until thickened. 2. Cook the lentils. Cook 1 cup of lentils for about 20 minutes and drain any excess liquid. Add the cooked lentils to a blender and blend until lentils are mashed. Leave some lentils intact for texture. 3. Make the mixture. Add the lentils, oat flour, onion, garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, seasonings, and flax egg. Mix until everything holds together. If it's too wet, add a little more oat flour. 4. Shape. Roll into 11–12 meatballs. 5. Make the BBQ sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. 6. Cook the meatballs. Add about 1–2 tablespoons of oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, carefully place the lentil meatballs in the skillet, leaving a little space between each one. Cook the meatballs uninterrupted for 2–3 minutes per side. Gently turn them as they cook until they're browned and slightly crisp all around, about 8–10 minutes total. Once the meatballs are browned, reduce the heat to low. Brush the meatballs generously with BBQ sauce and cook for another 1–2 minutes, gently turning them so the sauce becomes warm and sticky. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and brush with additional BBQ sauce before serving. Avoid pouring a large amount of BBQ sauce directly into the skillet and simmering the meatballs in it. Lentil meatballs can soften as they sit in the sauce. Brushing the sauce onto them instead helps preserve that firmer exterior. #lentilrecipes #budgetfriendlyrecipes #easyrecipes