Baked Chickpea Zucchini Balls (Vegetarian Meatballs)

Zucchini is one of the veggies you will find in my refrigerator anytime. It's a family favorite. Lately, I am in love with quick and easy zucchini soup and chickpea zucchini balls. These flavorful vegetarian meatballs make a perfect snack or appetizer, especially when paired with a dipping sauce. You could even call them zucchini falafel!

Let's get started!

What is special about this dish

• Loaded with zucchini's goodness.
• Easy to prepare.
• Use them as an appetizer with a dipping sauce, or add them to a salad or a curry base.
• Bake them in the oven or Air Fry for a healthy low-fat dish.
• Call them just zucchini balls, meatballs, bites, or zucchini falafel. Any name will work.

Ingredients

• Zucchini - To prepare these meatballs, buy fresh and firm medium-sized zucchini. I prefer to grate the zucchini to give the zucchini balls a nice texture.
• Chickpeas - Use home-cooked chickpeas or canned ones. Drain all the liquid before using them.
• Chia seeds - Add them to help absorb excess moisture from the zucchini and to help bind the mixture.
• Garlic - Avoid using store-bought preserved garlic, as it lacks flavor. I always use fresh garlic in my recipes.
• Herbs - Use fresh parsley for the flavor and added green color. If you do not have parsley, use fresh cilantro instead.
• Seasonings - Generously season with salt and black pepper. Optionally, add some jalapeno or paprika for a spicy kick.

See the recipe card for quantities and more details.

Recipe variations

• Spicy zucchini bites - add paprika or jalapeño for a spicy kick.
• Flavors - use dried herbs like thyme, oregano, or fresh cilantro
• Make them into fritters - Shape the balls into mini patties, and you will get chickpea zucchini fritters.
• Add more chickpeas and less zucchini, or skip the zucchini and make falafels.
• You can shallow fry these meatballs or fritters in a frying pan with some cooking oil on the stovetop.
• Add parmesan or feta cheese to the mixture to make cheesy zucchini bites.

How to make zucchini balls?

Step 1: Prepare grated zucchini

Clean zucchinis well with water. Trim one end and grate using a box grater on its largest size. Add some salt, mix well, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Salt will help to leach out water from the zucchini over time. Squeeze excess water using your hands or place the mixture in a cheesecloth and twist until all the excess water comes out. Then, use this grated zucchini in the next step to prepare zucchini meatballs with chickpeas.

Step 2: Prepare chickpea-zucchini mixture

Add cooked chickpeas, garlic cloves, chia seeds, parsley, and seasonings in a food processor jar. Pulse to form a uniform mixture.

Combine the grated zucchini after removing the excess water with the chickpea mixture. Mix well.

Step 3: Making zucchini balls

Divide the zucchini-chickpea mixture into small equal portions. Then, shape them to form meatballs and arrange them on a baking sheet without touching each other. Lightly brush the balls with some cooking oil before baking.

Step 4: Baking

Bake them in a preheated oven at 400F until well done. Lastly, turn on the broil mode for 1-2 minutes to get a nice brownish color and crust on the zucchini balls.

Serving suggestions

• Serve oven-baked zucchini balls with tahini sauce, creamy avocado dip, tomato sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce for a healthy appetizer or snack.
• Use them in this shawarma hummus bowl to replace the chicken. Or add them to this roasted veggie quinoa bowl or vegetarian naan wraps.
• Serve them with homemade tomato sauce and pasta with parmesan cheese for a meatless pasta and meatballs version.
• Add them to sweet potato and wild rice salad or brown rice lentil salad to make them interesting.
• Replace chicken with zucchini chickpea meatballs in this Indian butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, or chicken in tomato sauce for a vegetarian version.

Helpful tips

• Remove as much water as possible from the grated zucchini. This will help shape the balls nicely without making them too soggy or wet. Do not throw the nutritious zucchini water away; use it in making soups, cooking quinoa, kneading dough, or curries.
• Also, drain water from your home-cooked or canned chickpeas. Pat dry them using a paper towel to remove excess water.
• If you feel the chickpea-zucchini mixture is too wet or soggy, you can add some breadcrumbs to achieve the desired consistency.
• Use a cookie scoop to measure the mixture and to get even-sized meatballs.