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Learn how to make air fryer meatballs that are tender, juicy, and healthy. Ready in a just 10 minutes, these make a fast and satisfying dinner!
I love turning to my air fryer when I need to cook my family something healthy and delicious but in a fraction of the time!
If you loved my air fryer whole chicken, air fryer pork tenderloin, or air fryer ribs, you’ll surely love our air fryer meatballs!
Like my air fryer turkey meatballs, they turn out perfectly moist and juicy!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Quick and easy. Like air fryer hamburgers, these meatballs take half the time of grilling or pan-frying. I often make this on busy weeknights as they cook in less than 10 minutes.
- Healthier. Thanks to the air fryer, these meatballs don’t need ANY oil, but don’t fret: they turn out just as juicy as you’d expect them to!
- Easy clean up. While I love stovetop firecracker meatballs, you know what a mess it makes…not with an air fryer, though!
- Perfectly cooked. The air fryer creates a perfect balance of a crispy, seared exterior and a juicy, tender interior.
What I love the most about this recipe is its versatility. They can be made with various types of ground meat (such as pork, lamb, or chicken) and served with various sauces and side dishes.
Ingredients needed
If you regularly make meatballs, you’ll be familiar with the similar ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
- Ground beef. Choose ground beef with some fat, like 90/10 or 85/15. I don’t recommend using extra lean or fat-free ground beef, as no matter what else you add the mixture, it always dries out!
- Breadcrumbs. Regular breadcrumbs are fine, but I find panko breadcrumbs to hold in so much more flavor.
- Parmesan cheese. Always use freshly grated parmesan cheese, as it cooks much better with the meat than the pre-shredded kind. It also has a much better flavor too.
- Italian seasoning. A mix of different herbs, such as oregano and basil. If you plan on serving these meatballs in a tomato-based sauce (our homemade sugo or pomodoro sauces are family favorites!), do not skimp on this!
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
- Garlic powder. I’ve tried these meatballs with both fresh garlic and garlic seasoning, and the powder works best for the air frying. If I was baking or pan-frying these, then I’d use the fresh kind.
- Eggs. Room temperature.
- Milk or water. For the extra moisture needed. I like using milk because it’s just so much more flavorful.
How to cook meatballs in the air fryer
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 190C/375F.
Step 2- Prepare the meatballs. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well.
Step 3- Shape. Now, wet your hands to roll out and prepare 24-28 meatballs.
Step 4- Cook the meatballs. Grease the air fryer basket and place a single layer of meatballs. Let them cook for 10-12 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
Step 5- Rest and serve. Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe tips and variations
- Make the meatballs all roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket; leave plenty of room for air to circulate the meatballs. This will help them cook evenly and prevent them from steaming instead of frying.
- To avoid overcooking, use a meat thermometer to ensure the meatballs have reached a safe internal temperature of at least 160°F. This is a MUCH easier way to check than having to cut the meatballs in half every time.
- Add diced vegetables. Finely diced vegetables like onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini can add flavor and moisture to your meatballs. They are also a sneaky way to pack in extra veggies too!
- Use flavored breadcrumbs. To intensify the Italian flavors, I sometimes use Italian-flavored breadcrumbs, which make such a difference.
- Try different sauces. Coat your meatballs in a sauce before cooking them in the air fryer. We like to give them an Asian twist by coating them in bulgogi sauce, katsu sauce, and even an eel sauce.
Storage instructions
To store. Put leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze. In freezer freezer-safe container, meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating. Reheat them in the air fryer or microwave until warm enough to serve.
Frequently asked questions
When referring to cooked meatballs, they only need 5 minutes in the air fryer at 190C/375F. Give them a shake halfway through so all sides heat up nicely.
If they are thawed before adding them to the air fryer, they will cook in 12-15 minutes at 190C/375F. When frozen meatballs are added to the air fryer, you must wait a few more minutes to enjoy them.
Yes! If you are using pre-made and frozen meatballs, you can add them directly to the air fryer and cook as instructed. The only difference is to adjust the cooking time to compensate.
More delicious meatball recipes
Do you love meatballs as much as I do? Here are some other ways to enjoy them.
- Ground chicken meatballs– My family LOVES this with some Asian sauces.
- Lamb meatballs– A severely underrated meat to use for meatballs.
- Vegan meatballs– Slight oxymoron, but incredibly delicious.
- Eggplant meatballs– Super meaty for a non-meat recipe.
Air Fryer Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 190C/375F.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well.
- Using lightly wet hands, shape the mixture into 24 meatballs.
- Grease the air fryer basket and place a single layer of meatballs on the base.
- Air fry for 10-12 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
- Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Only made half this recipe for the four of us, and it was delicious! 🤤 Definitely adding to my recipe notebook to make as my go to spaghetti meatballs!! Made 18 one-inch or so diameter meatballs! (We like them a bit smaller 😉)
Thank you for this great recipe!
I did not have clove garlic, so I used garlic salt instead and omitted the plain salt and used 88/12 ground beef.
I do love these balls. your balls are very nice!! Thank you for this delicious recipe!! : -)
Meatballs from air fryer? Really amazing. You are very creative.
Tried them today with veal mince, the recipe yielded the best meatballs I’ve had yet!
I usually just make meatballs for my husband since I am not really a fan of red meat, but I loved them too.
This isn’t the first recipe I follow from here and since I’ve loved every other recipe I’ve tried, I knew it would be a hit, thank you for sharing!
I used a homemade mix of italian herbs and had to substitute the cheese for some sort of soft melting-type cheese I had in the fridge (even added an extra egg because I had to use up the box), so the recipe works really well with adjustments.
Love to hear that, Ellie!
Wow such an interesting recipe!
Delicious, with so many variables you can do. Thanks!
Best meatball recipe! Very easy to make…. for a quick dinner when you don’t feel like “cooking.” The air fryer does the best job of giving the outside a “crisp” exterior and the inside was tender.
Are your macros in this recipe based on 90/10 or 85/15 ground beef? T
85/15 🙂 If you use 90/10 it would have fewer calories 🙂
Superklasse! Tolle Zutaten! So macht man die auch in Italien, bin begeistert! Jetzt auch für den Airfyer, Danke!
Came out great! Added minced onion……delish!!!
What is the best/correct way to check internal temperature in an airfryer please?
meat thermometer 🙂
Could these be made the night before and cooked shortly before serving, the next day?
Absolutely, just brush them with a touch of water before doing so.
What can you substitute the bread crumbs with to make it Keto?
Try my keto bread crumbs- https://thebigmansworld.com/keto-bread-crumbs/
What air fryer do you use/recommend?
I will link to it in my post 🙂