This Vegan Barbecue Lentil Loaf is oil-free, sturdy, hearty and not mushy. This loaf is bursting with barbecue flavor! The homemade BBQ sauce is baked into the loaf, on top of the loaf and used as a dipping sauce after it is baked. If you love barbecue sauce, then this loaf is for you!
VEGAN BBQ LENTIL LOAF
I am SO excited about this Vegan Barbecue Lentil Loaf recipe! I have worked on it so much…trial after trial, to get it to my liking. Nailing the flavor was fairly easy, but texture wise, it took a few trials. I have tried several lentil loaf recipes online, even the ones that claimed to be the best. The problem I found with a few of them that I tried, was that they were on the bland side with very little flavor, but the main issue was texture.
If you have never heard of a lentil loaf, basically it is a vegetarian version of meatloaf and they are wildly popular in the vegan/vegetarian blogging world.
VEGAN LENTIL LOAF THAT DOESN’T FALL APART
Every single vegan lentil loaf I’ve tried or seen uses oats and they all were just so mushy. I love oats, but in the lentil loaf, it just was not working for me personally with the ones that I tried. Or, they don’t hold together and crumble into a mess. I want a combo of tender, but sturdy. I tried them with oats, with nuts, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, you name it.
So, it hit me….cornbread is very sturdy and chewy and hearty. Duh, I’ll add cornmeal instead of oats or flour. The day before, my mom and I had been talking about her making my Vegan Gluten-free Skillet Cornbread to bring to our Christmas gathering and a light bulb went off to try adding coarse cornmeal!
OMG. It worked brilliantly. The cornmeal not only made the vegan barbecue lentil loaf hold it’s shape so much better, it gave it substantial heartiness and believe it or not, a meaty texture. It gets cooked very well within all the moist lentil-goodness, but gives it much more chew instead of oaty mushiness, haha!
THE PERFECT BBQ SAUCE FOR A LENTIL LOAF
I decided on barbecue sauce as being a star flavor. I absolutely LOVE barbecue sauce. I created my barbecue sauce specifically for this lentil loaf. It has lots of spices and molasses for depth of flavor. I used maple syrup for a natural sweetness instead of refined brown sugar that is typically in traditional barbecue sauces.
Guess what, it is so dang delicious, I nearly ate the whole vegan bbq lentil loaf myself! The flavor of barbecue sauce in the loaf, on top of the loaf and then as a dipping sauce, was a true slice of heaven!
HOW DO YOU MAKE A VEGAN LENTIL LOAF?
First, you will need to gather these 8 total ingredients (+ salt & water):
- Lentils
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cornmeal
- Bbq sauce (homemade recipe created specifically for this loaf)
- Flaxseed
- Chipotle pepper spice
- Corn
Next, prepare the homemade bbq sauce and set aside.
Cook the lentils until tender. While the lentils are cooking, cook the onions and garlic.
Mix the lentils with the cooked veggies, bbq sauce and remaining ingredients until a thick batter forms.
Spread in loaf pan, top with sauce and bake!
This vegan lentil loaf is the perfect meatless meal that is full of flavor. The perfect side dish to serve with it are my Vegan Fluffy Mashed Potatoes. The best mashed potatoes you’ve ever had, guaranteed.
OTHER VEGAN DINNER RECIPES TO TRY:
- Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake
- Vegan Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Mexican Burrito Bowl
- Teriyaki Sweet Potato Avocado Bowl
- Cajun Cauliflower Bowl
- Easy Vegan Meatballs
- Vegan Chickpea Tomato Ragu
Vegan Barbecue Lentil Loaf
Ingredients
FOR THE LENTILS
- two 15 ounce cans or 2 cups (370g) cooked brown lentils, drained and rinsed and patted dry
- 1/2 heaping cup (80g) finely chopped white onion
- 1 packed tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup water (this is ONLY for cooking the veggies in 1st)
- 1 cup (240g) either my BBQ sauce below or your favorite, separated (SEE NOTES BELOW)
- 1/2 cup (80g) MEDIUM GRIND coarse cornmeal (It MUST be medium grind, not corn flour or regular fine cornmeal, otherwise it WILL BE DRY. I use this Bob's Red Mill. If you cannot find, order it off Amazon.)
- 3 tablespoons (24g) ground flaxseed
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili spice (gives a hefty kick of heat, so ONLY use 1/4 tsp if sensitive)
- 1/2 cup (85g) frozen sweet organic corn
5 MINUTE BBQ SAUCE (This sauce is STRONG, so it stands out in the loaf, giving amazing flavor. Makes 1 1/2 cups, plenty for the loaf and for dipping!)
- 1/2 cup (120g) tomato paste, not sauce
- 1/2 cup (120g) water
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow wet mustard
- 2 tablespoons (40g) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar (do not sub with another vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons unsulphured regular molasses
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- Keep in mind, this is a LENTIL LOAF, it's not meat, so don't expect it to taste like traditional meatloaf. However, it is phenomenal and flavorful with an amazing texture as long as you follow the recipe. I used my homemade barbecue sauce recipe for this loaf. It's the only flavor that I can vouch for. The end result has a nice kick of heat and is incredibly flavorful.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper hanging slightly over the sides for easy removal later. Make sure to spray the sides that the paper doesn't touch, so it doesn't stick.
- Add the1/4 cup water to a pan over medium heat. Once simmering, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. All the water should be gone now before the next step.
- Add only one can of the lentils to a large bowl and mash well into a paste. This will hep to bind the loaf. Add the other can of lentils.
- Add the cooked onion/garlic mixture to the lentils. Add only 3/4 cup (180g) of the barbecue sauce to the lentil mixture. Add the chipotle spice and another good pinch of salt and stir together well.
- Add the cornmeal and flaxseed and stir around for a good minute or so until it becomes really thick and sticky. Lastly, gently stir in the corn.
- Add the batter to the loaf pan and spread out flat on top and evenly to the corners. Let it sit for 10 minutes before baking, so the cornmeal soaks up some liquid. This will help the end product have great texture.
- Spread 4-6 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce all over the top evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until firm and a toothpick basically comes out clean with no lentil batter. I noticed the version with canned lentils was done a few minutes faster. The version where I tested cooking my own lentils first was done at 60 minutes.
- It is crucial to let the loaf sit for at least 20 minutes to firm up. It will firm up a lot while cooling. If you try to cut it hot, it will fall apart. I let mine sit 30 minutes and it was still very warm. Gently lift up the loaf with the parchment paper and very carefully transport it to a serving platter using spatulas. Carefully slice it. Spread extra barbecue sauce on top while still warm right before serving. Add chopped fresh parsley on top for garnish and presentation, if desired.
Notes
"Smoky Mesquite" and both were phenomenal. Choosing a smoky one is key, here. LENTILS: I originally wrote this recipe and posted it 10 years ago and when I wrote the recipe, I included cooking the lentils yourself. However, over the years I have had so many people ask to make it with just canned lentils for time and convenience. I have finally done that and yes, it is so much easier and faster! The recipe now reflects that above. If you still want to follow the directions of cooking the lentils yourself, here are those directions:
- 1 cup (193g) uncooked lentils (DO NOT USE RED)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Thank you for posting! This tasted just like the barbecue meat loaf I used to make. The only difference is a slight starchy texture, but I expected that, being that it’s made with lentils 🙂
Wow! That is so awesome to hear! Thank you so much for the feedback, I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it that much!
I made this tonight and just had to let you know how AMAZING this turned out!! I can’t wait to make this for my family when I get home from school. Thank you for sharing this!!
Yay! So happy to hear that is was such a hit, I truly appreciate the feedback, thank you so much!!
I have got to try this! I’m sure hubby will even like this one, and he’s a meat eater unfortunately
Please let me know if you try it Julie! Thank you so much!
This was such a great recipe. I had to tweak some of he ingredients for what I had/could find. My 10 month old LOVED this, so I used the left over BBQ and a very similar recipe to make lentil sloppy joes. Thanks so much for the recipes!
I am in process of making this now and have a question. My package of lentils says to not use salt while cooking as it toughens the skin and takes longer to cook. I went ahead and cooked it without the salt but I wonder if you did that on purpose to give it more texture? Have you tried it both ways?
Hi Laura! The salt is added to flavor the lentils. The texture doesn’t matter since you’re mashing part of them. The salt cooks into the lentils so they are more balances in flavor. Just taste the batter after everything is mixed and add more salt if necessary. Thanks!
can I make more than one loaf and freeze one?
Sure, if you don’t mind doing the extra work! I haven’t tried freezing one personally, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It doesn’t have any odd starches in it, so I think just reheating it at a low temperature in the oven would work fine. 🙂
This was one of the BEST dishes that I have ever made! It did take a little while from start to finish, but it was well worth every minute!! I used a 9X4 loaf pan and cooked it for the full hour and it turned out perfectly! Even after letting it sit for half an hour it was still hot! I did have to strain out some of the excess water from the lentils. I will definitely cook this dish again and it is sure to please meat lovers too!
Yay Reagan!! I’m so happy to hear you loved it so much! Your feedback made my day!! We love it at my house so I am glad to hear it was such a hit with you as well!
Okay, since me and my husband loved the lentil loaf SOOO much, we are sharing it with my sister and her boyfriend. We are all early eaters, and since this dish takes a while, do you have any suggestions for how to “speed things up?” Is there a possibility to cook the lentils ahead of time?
Hi Reagan! Yes, I would just prepare the lentils the day before and that should work just fine! Just check the consistency of the batter and if it is a bit stiff (after sitting in the fridge overnight), just add a tad more bbq sauce!
http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2013/07/sunday-dinner-multitasking-slow-cooker.html
Here is a method for cooking a lentil loaf in a slow cooker (with baked potatoes!). I tried it once (not with this recipe) and it worked well.
We had this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! It tastes divine and the texture is perfect. Thanks so much for coming up with this.
Wonderful Diana!! I’m so happy to hear you loved it so much! I really appreciate the feedback! Thank you!
Brandi this lentil loaf is wonderful! I cooked the lentils and made your barbecue sauce the day before to save time. The loaf came together in minutes and looked so pretty! I used corn kernels I had cut from cobs and froze last summer. While I was making it, my husband kept saying ewwww I hate lentils – guess who was licking his plate?! It was nice and firm but still very moist. Your barbecue sauce was killer! I left the hot spices out of both the loaf and the sauce since we are wimps and it still tasted great! I cut it in slices and plan on making sandwiches this weekend at our arts and crafts show. I’ll let you know how the cold sandwiches taste and I bet the answer will be fantastic!!!
Yay! Diana, I am so happy to hear you loved the loaf so much and the barbecue sauce! The barbecue sauce is my favorite too! Thank you very much for leaving feedback, I truly appreciate it!
Hi! I had a quick question… I am new to your sight and I’m not sure what the ‘+’ sign means. For example 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon garlic powder.. does that mean two tablespoons?? Hope to hear back from you 🙂
Hi Alaia! That is the plus sign, so it just means “plus”, so it’s 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon 🙂
I’m the only vegan in my house so I usually cook two meals every night. Tonight I made your lentil meatloaf, with a few of my own tweaks, and unbelievably my husband ate 2 huge pieces. Loved it. I didn’t tell him what it was until after. LOL. Thanks!
Yay! Thank you so much for making it and the review Michelle! So glad it was hubby approved!!
Hi Brandi – my mom made this for a Sunday night dinner about a month or so ago. My whole family LOVED it and I am excited to try my hand at it! Do you think I could use a can of lentils? I’m just wondering if the amount would be the same. I have two busy little boys and like to cut down on time if I can. Someday I’ll get around to cooking a large batch and freezing them….but until then… :)!
Hi Katie! I’m so happy to hear your family loved the loaf so much!! I haven’t tried it with lentils from a can…they tend to be a little wetter than cooking them yourself. But it should still totally work, just if anything, you may need to add another tablespoon or so of cornmeal. You want the batter to be thick and sticky, but not stiff. Let me know how it turns out!
This looks amazing!! I have an allergy to flaxseed and was wondering if I could sub the flaxseed with eggs?
Hi Angela! Thank you! If you try it, just do one egg because the flaxseed is not mixed with any water, it is just there to help bind the loaf. I have not of course tried it with egg, so I don’t know if it will be too much liquid, maybe add another 2 tablespoons cornmeal to compensate. The batter should be thick and wet, but not stiff. Please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Josh was just telling me today that he was craving a lentil loaf with mashed potatoes…this is perfect! Sounds amazing, Brandi! And of course looks delicious!
It’s super flavorful and the best loaf I’ve had, I hope you like it! But you gotta like bbq sauce and a spicy kick! 🙂
Hi, I saw this on facebook, not sure which page, someone suggested it. A little time involved, but sooo worth it!!!! Thank you for sharing, I will make this often!!!
Wonderful Cindy!! I’m so glad to hear that! Yes, it’s super simple but does take some time, since you have to cook the lentils first (they are better than canned), but yes, I find it so worth it too! So glad you enjoyed the loaf and thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it!
The amazing smells of this loaf are wafting through my kitchen as I type…can’t wait to taste it!!
I doubled the recipe, as so many loaf recipes are chincy and end up too small for our family, but your recipe was the perfect size to fill a loaf pan so now I have TWO! 🙂
Do you think it would freeze well?
And do you think it would reheat well without a microwave?
Thanks for dinner tonight!
Hi Bianca! Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that! Yes, it reheats very well. I would just slightly reheat it in the oven on a very low setting until just warm. I haven’t tried freezing it, so I can’t say, but I would see why not and then just reheat it on low in the oven. 🙂
I never made a lentil loaf nor are we vegans but this loaf was awesome. 2 out four kids really liked it and my husband like it as well. I did add some cilantro and I also sauté the oinion and garlic in olive oil. 😉 For sides I made roasted sweet potoato and broccoli. I also made your spicy tahini sauce last week and that was the bomb as well 🙂 I think I just found my new favorite site:)
I made this for dinner for my family on Sunday. I’m plant based, my husband and 16 year old son are not. They both tried it and liked it, my picky hubby even said the texture was spot on for “bean loaf” LOL. I brought left over “lentil loaf sandwich” to work for lunch on Monday. While enjoying my left overs a “meat eater” coworker jokingly asked if I had given up “that whole vegan thing” When I explained what I was eating his response ” I thought that was actual meat loaf! It looks like meat!” I had brought enough and invited him to try some. He asked for the recipe to make for his fiancee! 🙂 Made me feel great to share the recipe and the response I had to it.
Hi there,
I was wondering if I could use physsilym (sorry about spelling!) husk instead of the cornflour? I have no corn flour but heaps of the husk?
Hi Ronni! I wouldn’t recommend that since the coarse cornmeal is the magic ingredient here that gives it such a wonderful texture. Subbing that will definitely alter the result. Also, it’s really hard for me to say without testing it and I don’t want to take a chance and ruin the recipe. I have actually never even used phsyllium husk either. The good news is that cornmeal is super cheap, so it’d be best to use that so you get the best results from the recipe. Thank you!
Hi again!
So I have given it a go! I’ve used the husks in another bread before and it was awesome!
Anyway, I tried the husks and it worked! My husband and I aren’t vegans or vegetarians and we plan on having this again!
Oh, and I had no molasses so used 2 teaspoons of honey and a table spoon of muscavo sugar! SOOOOO GOOD!!!
Thank you!!
Awesome! I am so glad it worked out! Thank you so much for letting me know!!
Absolutely delicious!!! We loved it, so filling and the BBQ sauce was so good my girlfriend and I started thinking about everything we could put the sauce on!! Definitely a recipe to keep!
Excellent recipe. Delicious lentil loaf.
Thank you so much Katie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback!
Oh, Brandi, I don’t know where to start. I’ve had quite a few delicious lentil loaves using oats, but I love to mix things up and do things differently sometimes. But WITHOUT oats, lentil loaves are so hard to keep sturdy and NOT mushy.
And 2 minute BBQ sauce with NO sugar and only 4 tsp of sweetener?? Where do I sign up? Rocketing to the top of my to-make list now. 🙂
PS After all of your “brainwashing” LOL, I am now the owner of 4 jars of Dastony’s raw tahini. Can’t wait to put them to use in your recipes!
Thank you so much Liz! I agree, lentil loaves can be tricky! The ones I’ve tried have been dissapointing in either taste, or specifically texture. So, I had to come up with an alternate type of base and the cornmeal just WORKS! I have so many other ideas now! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it, so let me know! Oh, and I’m so glad you love the Dastony raw tahini, there really is no better brand on the market in my opinion. I have made homemade tahini at home, but it just doesn’t taste nearly as fresh or smooth.
I made this last night, using our go-to BBQ sauce, since I had it on hand. It was wonderful! My husband, who still eats SAD but tries to eat “my food,” then complains because my food tastes “all the same,” loved it! I will have to only do this once in a while, as I am not a domestic goddess (I have labeled the recipe with prep, cooking and sit times–a total of 3 hours), but this was definitely worth my Sunday!
I am looking forward to trying the BBQ sauce recipe sometime, as well.