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These Air Fryer Meatballs might just become your new favorite way to cook meatballs. They are juicy, packed with flavor, and the perfect amount of crispy. Plus, they come together in less than 30 minutes. Time to hop in the kitchen!
Serve them with your favorite marinara over pasta, as a party appetizer with toothpicks and dipping sauces, or stuff them in subs for a quick sandwich.
When I need a quick dinner that pleases everyone, air fryer meatballs always save the day! Crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and so easy to make. My kids love grabbing them right out of the air fryer like they’re sneaking a treat before dinner. With just a few ingredients and minimal effort, these meatballs have become a family favorite for busy weeknights—and even meal preps when I’m feeling organized!
Why I Love This Air Fryer Meatballs Recipe
- Quick and easy. All it takes is a little mixing, forming the mixture into meatballs, and popping them in the air fryer. You will have a delicious, restaurant-quality meatball in under 30 minutes.
- Flavorful. These air fryer meatballs are loaded with fresh herbs, onion, and the perfect amount of seasoning.
- Juicy. The air fryer does a great job at making these meatballs crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for our Air Fryer Meatballs recipe include a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage for depth of flavor, combined with breadcrumbs and an egg to bind everything together. We’ve seasoned them just right and added fresh veggies and herbs for that extra punch of freshness.
- Ground beef & Ground Italian Sausage: I like using 80/20 beef, but feel free to use a leaner product instead. I also add sweet Italian pork sausage for more flavorful meatballs
- Breadcrumbs & Egg: These two ingredients hold the meatballs together. I used plain breadcrumbs here, but you could also use seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Seasonings: I use sea salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Veggies & Herbs: I like to include fresh onion in meatballs as well as fresh parsley and cilantro.
How to Cook Meatballs in Air Fryer
Follow these straightforward steps to make delicious meatballs using your air fryer, all in under 30 minutes. Let’s get cooking! Scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Prep. Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F.
- Use your hands to mix together the ground beef, ground Italian sausage, seasoned breadcrumbs, egg, olive oil, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion, parsley, and cilantro.
- Shape the meatballs. Form the mixture into 1.5-inch balls.
- Fry. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer. Fry for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-mix. Over-mixing the meatball mixture will end you with dense, tough meatballs. Mix everything together just until incorporated. No more.
- Try to make the meatballs equal in size. This will help ensure even cook time.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer. Stacking meatballs in the air fryer will ensure that they do not brown properly. Make sure to arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer. If you run out of room, not to worry. Just cook the meatballs in batches.
- Crockpot option. If you’d prefer to cook these meatballs in the slow cooker, brown them in a skillet first to give them some color, then transfer them to the crockpot. Pour marinara sauce or jelly over the meatballs and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. They’ll turn out super tender and flavorful, just like my grape jelly meatballs!
Serving Suggestions
These simple meatballs are delicious as finger food, in subs and sandwiches, over spaghetti, or as part of a larger meal. Lighten things up by serving them with my tomato burrata salad or this crunchy kale salad. I love serving them over garlic rosemary mashed potatoes or with crispy smashed potatoes.
Add a few meatballs to my garlic butter pasta with spinach, this creamy tomato one pot pasta, or my red pepper sauce pasta.
Storing Leftovers
- Allow the meatballs to cool completely before sealing them in an airtight container and storing them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, preheat the air fryer to 250˚F, arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer, and fry for 5 minutes or until heated through. Or, reheat in the oven at 300˚F for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes To Try
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard Sauce
- Air Fryer Lobster with Cream Sauce
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- The Best Juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops
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Air Fryer Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, I prefer 80/20
- 1 pound ground Italian pork sausage, I like sweet Italian sausage, but spicy will work as well
- ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground Italian sausage, seasoned breadcrumbs, egg, olive oil, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion, parsley, and cilantro.
- Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together until a homogenous mixture is achieved. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Form the mixture into 1.5-inch balls. You can use a cookie scoop if you’d like to keep the meatballs as close to equal in size as possible.
- Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer's basket. Depending on the size of the air fryer, you might have to cook them in batches.
- Air fry for 10 to 12 minutes or until a test meatball is no longer pink on the inside or until the internal temperature registers at 165˚F on a meat thermometer.
- Remove the meatballs from the air fryer and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Ground Meat: I love using a mixture of beef and Italian pork sausage for my meatballs. You can, of course, use all ground beef or all Italian sausage if you choose.
- Breadcrumbs: I use plain breadcrumbs or pork rind crumbs for my meatballs, but you can also use seasoned breadcrumbs, panko crumbs, or gluten-free crumbs.
- Skip the cilantro if you do not like the taste of it; add more parsley if you want, or any other freshly chopped herbs.
- Don’t overmix because the meatball mixture will be dense, creating tough meatballs. Mix everything just until incorporated.
- Make the meatballs equal in size so they will cook evenly and at the same time.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and if you run out of room, cook the meatballs in batches.
- Oven Method: You can bake the meatballs at 375˚F for 18 to 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs registers at 165˚F.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Meatballs are always a hit in our house. I am glad to try to make them in the Air Fryer!
I love that I can make this in my air fryer! Really an amazing meal!
Making meatballs in the air fryer is a no-brainer! The air fryer makes everything better!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! ๐
Sounds fantastic! I would love to try this!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! ๐
I can’t believe I never thought of meatballs in the air fryer! What a fantastic idea!
Thank YOU! I hope you love it! ๐
My favorite part about this recipe is that I can get that great exterior that makes meatballs so good without having to cook them in a pan. BOOM!
I hope you enjoy them! Thank YOU! ๐