Dairy-Free Meatball Subs

Hearty and filling, these dairy-free meatball subs are a comfort food classic! Perfect for a filling weeknight dinner, these hoagies stuffed with homemade meatballs, drenched in marinara sauce, and topped with some vegan cheese are deliciously dairy-free!

Three dairy-free meatball subs in a white baking dish on a trivet with parsley sprinkled on top of the subs.

If I’m being totally honest with you, I don’t think I have had a meatball sub before starting on this recipe. Probably because when I go to sandwich places the only thing I want is a roast beef sandwich. When I started working on this recipe there were a few things I wanted to make sure I got right. For starters, I wanted the juiciest meatballs to stuff the hoagies.

While looking for juicy meatballs, I stumbled upon a recipe that used a slice of bread soaked in milk instead of bread crumbs for the base. I was sold. For starters I didn’t have any breadcrumbs in the house and I also had some bread that was begging for an oat milk soak.

Once the meatballs were assembled, a simple simmer in sauce, stuffed hoagie, and vegan cheese topping took these hearty meatball subs to the next level. If you are a fan of this comforting Italian sandwich but looking to ditch the dairy, this recipe is a must-make.

A green plate with two meatball subs topped with vegan cheese and parsley with a small white bowl of marinara in the top left.

Why We LOVE These Dairy-Free Meatball Subs

Juicy, filling, and so fun to eat, what’s not to love about a warm and melty meatball sub? My love for these sandwiches goes beyond their deliciousness. Some other reasons I love this dairy-free meatball sub recipe include…

  • Comforting and filling. Juicy meatballs, sweet marinara sauce, crispy baked bread, and vegan cheese, these delicious subs are the ultimate comfort food.
  • Excellent freezer meal. Package cooked meatballs in the freezer to save for a later date.
  • Minimal hands on time. Once the meatballs are in the skillet, this easy meatball sub recipe can be made with minimal hands-on time.

Dairy-Free Changes to Meatball Subs

There are a few things to keep in mind when you plan to make a dairy-free meatball sub.

  • Dairy-Free Meatballs– Many meatballs are made with cream or cheese, these homemade meatballs use oat milk and no added cheeses for a deliciously moist finish.
  • Vegan Cheese– If you plan to top these meatball subs with some non-dairy cheese, here are a cheeses I have tried and liked on these meatball subs:
  • Dairy-Free Bread– Check to make sure the hoagie rolls you use for these dairy-free meatball subs are made without milk or cheese before you buy them.
A white baking dish with a diary-free meatball sub topped with vegan cheese and parsley.

How to Make The BEST Dairy-Free Meatball Subs

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Sliced Bread- Chopped into cubes and soaked in non-dairy milk for added juicy flavor to the meatball.
  • Oat Milk- Soaked the sliced bread to add a moist mixture perfect for juicy meatballs. You can use any unsweetened plant-based milk such as coconut milk or a plant-based heavy cream alternative.
  • Worcestershire- Adds a delicious savory flavor to the meatballs.
  • Spices- A blend of parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper season the meatball meat.
  • Egg- Used to bind all of the meatball ingredients together.
  • Ground Beef- The meat in these meatball subs. You can also try using ground turkey or ground chicken if you wish.
  • Spaghetti sauce- A large jar of tomato sauce cooked with the meatballs.
  • Hoagies- You’ll want sturdy hoagies to cup and cradle the meatballs in these filling subs.
  • Cheese- You can use a dairy-free cheese slices, shreds, or a liquid vegan cheese to top these homemade meatball subs.
Ingredients for dairy-free meatball subs on a white counter.

Step-By-Step Directions for Meatballs

  • Soak bread. In a large bowl stir together chopped bread cubes and oat milk. Allow to sit for at least 3 minutes.
  • Season the meatballs. After 3 minutes, add the ground beef, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt, pepper, egg, and onion to the bowl.
  • Mix to combine. (If you want to use your hands to squish all of this delicious meaty goodness together, I’m not here to stop or judge you, okay?)
  • Form meatballs. Scoop the meatball mixture into 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls. I used my handy 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop for this task.
  • Cook meatballs. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until hot. Add the meatballs into the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Flip meatballs. After 5 minutes, turn the meatballs over and cook an additional 5 minutes to brown the other side.
  • Sauce and simmer. Next pour the jar of marinara sauce over the meatballs, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Assemble the Dairy-Free Meatball Sub Sandwiches

  • Prepare for baking. While the meatballs are cooking, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Cut hoagies. If the hoagies are not sliced, slice until they are almost cut through.
  • Fill with meatballs. Place 3 meatballs per hoagie and cover with sauce. I would recommend placing all the meatballs first then go back and hit them with the sauce to make sure your sauce to sandwich ratio is equal for each sandwich.
  • Top with cheese (optional). Next, top with dairy-free cheese, such as Chao slices or Violife Mozzarella shreds.
  • Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes until cheese is melty and the hoagies are crisp.

How to Prepare Meatball Subs for the Freezer

If you are making these to prep and freeze for a later date, here is how I would prepare them.

  • Follow the directions as stated until the meatballs finish cooking in the marinara sauce.
  • Freeze the meatballs with sauce until you are ready to bake them.
  • Remove the meatballs from the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight.
  • Assemble the meatball subs by placing 3 meatballs, topping with sauce, and covering with cheese. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze until you are ready to thaw assemble.
  • Follow baking assembly and baking directions listed above and enjoy!

What do you put on a dairy-free meatball sub?

Some other toppings you might want to include on your homemade meatball sub include:

  • Cooked peppers
  • Caramelized onions
  • Fresh basil or parsley
A green plate with a dairy-free meatball sub topped with parsley with a bowl of marinara sauce to the left.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

When you are ready to whip up a batch of these dairy-free meatball subs, here are some helpful kitchen tools you might like to have on hand.

Serving Suggestions for Meatball Subs

Want to go all out with these filling dairy-free meatball subs? Here are some sides that would pair perfectly with these sub sandwiches.

  • A side salad. Add a little green to your plate with a simple garden salad.
  • French fries. A fresh plate of fries will compliment these subs perfectly.
  • Pasta salad. Balance the warm, comforting flavors of a meatball sub with light and fresh pasta salad.

Dinner Recipes to Try Next

If you tried these filling Meatball Subs and enjoyed them, feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! Or, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!

You can also get delicious dairy-free recipes and tips by signing up for my newsletter!

A dairy-free meatball sub from the side on a green and white plate with another dairy-free meatball sub sandwich behind it.

Dairy-Free Meatball Subs

Filling and flavorful these dairy-free meatballs subs are the perfect Friday night dinner at home!

Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Marinara Sauce, Meatball, Sandwich, Sub
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 Subs

Ingredients

Meatball Ingredients

  • 1 Slice of Bread
  • 2 Tablespoons Oat Milk or other non-dairy milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Pepper
  • ¼ Onion finely diced
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 lb Ground Beef

Meatball Subs

  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 24 ounces Marinara Sauce
  • 6 Hoagies
  • Vegan Cheese

Instructions

Make the Meatballs

  1. In a large bowl stir together chopped bread cubes and 2 Tablespoons oat milk. Allow to sit for at least 3 minutes.

  2. After 3 minutes, add 1 pound ground beef, 1 Tablespoon parsley, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 egg, and ¼ minced onion to the bowl.

  3. Mix to combine throughly.

  4. Scoop the meatball mixture into 1 ½ Tablespoon sized balls.

  5. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil until hot. Add the meatballs into the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.

  6. After 5 minutes, turn the meatballs over and cook an additional 5 minutes to brown the other side.

  7. Next pour the jar of maranara sauce over the meatballs, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Assemble the Meatball Subs

  1. While the meatballs are cooking, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with foil. If the hoagies are not sliced, slice until they are almost cut through.

  2. Place 3 meatballs per hoagie and cover with sauce. I would recommend placing all the meatballs first then go back and hit them with the sauce to make sure your sauce to sandwich ratio is equal for each sandwich.

  3. Next, top with dairy-free cheese, such as Chao slices or Violife Mozzarella shreds.

  4. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes until cheese is melty and the hoagies are crisp.

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