Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf
User Reviews
4
301 reviews
Good
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
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Servings
10 servings
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Calories
392 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf
Report
Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf is a plant-based loaf combining chickpeas and black beans with cornmeal and oats for texture, flavored with liquid smoke and Italian seasoning. It’s bound together using aquafaba and enriched by sautéed onions and a tangy barbecue sauce. The mixture is baked until set, creating a savory loaf with smoky and slightly sweet notes reminiscent of classic Southern barbecue flavors without meat.
Description
This meatless meatloaf relies on chickpeas and black beans, partially pureed for creaminess and texture, while some whole beans add bite. Ground oats and cornmeal provide structure, absorbing moisture and helping the loaf hold together. The inclusion of liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce imparts a smoky, savory depth akin to Southern-style barbecue.
The preparation starts with softening onions in olive oil or vegetable broth, then combining them with seasonings and condiments before mixing with the beans and dry ingredients. The mixture is packed into a loaf pan and baked at 350°F until firm. A homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce coats or accompanies the loaf, enhancing sweet and tangy flavors.
This vegetarian and vegan-friendly meatloaf works well sliced as a main dish for dinner, offering satisfying texture and flavor suitable for those reducing or avoiding meat. The recipe instructions include careful seasoning and balancing smoky, sweet, and savory notes.
Storage notes advise wrapping the cooled meatloaf for refrigeration up to one week or freezing for up to three months, with reheating covered at 350°F for about 30 minutes advised for best texture.
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Ingredients
- 15 ounce chickpeas drain and reserve the bean liquid (aquafaba) for later - rinse the beans well
- 30 ounce black beans Drained and rinsed
- 1 cup rolled oats coarsely ground in a food processor
- 1 cup corn meal
- 3 tablespoon liquid smoke
- ½ cup aquafaba chickpea liquid from the can
- 2 teaspoon olive oil or 2 tablespoon (30 ml) vegetable broth if you don’t cook with oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced, or white onion, medium
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning dried
- 2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste, ground
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste, ground
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce We use Annie’s brand, vegan
- ½ cup vegetable broth low-sodium
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
For the BBQ sauce:
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dark molasses
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper if you don't like spicy food omit this
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce remove the seeds the pepper is optional, this will make the sauce extra spicy, if you use it make sure to remove the seeds Note: Don't add this if you don't like really spicy food
- 1 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon cilantro minced
- 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed together in a small cup until dissolved, plus ¼ cup (60 ml) water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176˚C) and line a 9” bread pan with parchment paper or grease the pan.
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add the oil or the 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth if you don’t cook with oil. When the oil or broth is hot add the onions and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir well. Add 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste, stir well, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Don’t let them brown. Approximately five minutes.
- Add the 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce , ½cup of vegetable broth, and ⅓ cup of ketchup to the onions and stir until the ketchup dissolves. Set aside.
- Process the 15 oz of drained and rinsed (reserve the liquid) chickpeas in a food processor until creamy. Put in a large bowl.
- Process 15 oz of drained and rinsed black beans in the processor until creamy. Put in the bowl with the chickpeas.
- Pulse the remaining 15 oz of drained and rinsed black beans until lightly ground into small pieces. Put in the bowl with the chickpeas and other can of black beans.
- Process the 1 cup of rolled oats until it turns into a course flour. Add to the bowl with the beans.
- Add the 1 cup of cornmeal, 3 tablespoon of liquid smoke, and add half of the ½ cup of aquafaba to the bowl with the beans. If the mixture is too dry once you mix everything together, add 1 tablespoon of broth or water to the mixture and stir. Add more as needed.
- Add the onion mixture to the beans and gently stir the ingredients until they’re well combined. For best results, use your clean hands to mix. If the mixture feels too wet, add more cornmeal by the tablespoon until it holds together and is firm. Spoon into the bread pan and press the mixture until it's evenly distributed throughout the pan, make sure that the loaf ingredients are pushed into the corners of the pan.
- Evenly spread the 1 cup of BBQ sauce on top of the loaf and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. NOTE: If you're baking this in a convection oven, check on it at 50 minutes to see if it's done. Convection ovens cook faster than traditional ovens. Additionally, the calibration of your oven will affect the cook time. Please use a long wooden toothpick or even a chopstick to test the center of the loaf.
- Cool for fifteen to 20 minutes to allow it to set before cutting.
BBQ Sauce:
- Mix the cornstarch and water together and set aside.
- Put the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until fully combined and smooth. Pour into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for twenty minutes, stir occasionally to avoid scorching the sauce.Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until fully combined and cook for five more minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use Quaker yellow cornmeal for the best consistency in the meatloaf mixture.
- Store wrapped in foil in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- For longer storage, freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat thawed meatloaf covered in foil at 350°F for approximately 30 minutes to restore moisture.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
180g
Calories
392kcal
(20%)
Carbohydrates
75g
(25%)
Protein
15g
(30%)
Fat
5g
(8%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Sodium
1308mg
(55%)
Potassium
775mg
(16%)
Fiber
14g
(56%)
Sugar
22g
(44%)
Vitamin A
389IU
(8%)
Vitamin C
5mg
(6%)
Calcium
92mg
(9%)
Iron
5mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 392 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 180g | |
| Calories | 392kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 75g | 25% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 1308mg | 55% |
| Potassium | 775mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 14g | 56% |
| Sugar | 22g | 44% |
| Vitamin A | 389IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 92mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4
301 reviews
Good
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