Air Fryer Meatballs

Air fryer meatballs are crisp and browned on the outside, and so juicy on the inside! Cook them up from fresh or frozen in minutes.

When we first moved into our new home, we didn't have a stove, microwave or oven, and boy did our air fryer come in handy! Our meal rotations included air fryer chicken fajitas, air fryer salmon patties, and air fryer meatballs!

Two things we absolutely love about air fryer meatballs: 1) they cook through so quickly: you can have fully frozen meatballs cooked through in 7 minutes or less! 2) the texture is amazing: golden and slightly crisp on the outside, yet perfectly juicy on the inside.

These meatballs have become a staple in our meal prep routine, as my 7 year old even likes to have them in his school lunch!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how I cook my meatballs in the air fryer! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Ingredient notes

• ground beef- For juicy meatballs, seek out ground beef with a bit of fat content. Feel free to swap the ground beef for ground turkey, but avoid leaner blends (labelled 'extra lean' or 'turkey breast') as they will just not be as juicy
• breadcrumbs- help to bind the meatballs together; if you are low carb you could try swapping for almond flour, or you can leave the breadcrumbs out alltogether.
• worcestershire- enhances the beefy flavors in these meatballs; do not skip!
• egg- provides moisture and helps the meatballs stick together; egg replacements have not been tested

Step by step directions

1. Mix ingredients- in a bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, worcestershire, breadcrumbs and egg. Use your hands or a spatula to mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

2. Roll meatballs- use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop to measure out portions, then roll in your hands to form a ball.

3. Cook- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes, then add the meatballs to the basket or tray.

4. Flip- Cook for 3 minutes, then flip (or give the basket a little shake). Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the meatballs reach 150°F*.

* Carryover cooking will get the meatballs to 165°F, but if you wait for them to reach that temperature in the air fryer, they will be dry.

Recipe tips

Flip or shake the meatballs

To get the meatballs perfectly browned on all sides, you'll want to flip them halfway through the cook time. Use tongs to flip individual meatballs, or give the basket a very gentle shake.

Take the meatballs out early

I've found that carryover cooking is particularly strong with the air fryer, and if you're not careful, you can overcook some proteins (air fryer salmon is one example). For these meatballs, I recommend cooking to 150°F, then removing from the air fryer.

You can leave them in the basket, or transfer to a clean plate; they will continue cooking gently for several more minutes, getting them to 165°F.

Cooking frozen meatballs

Cooking frozen meatballs in the air fryer is convenient and so easy! You can cook raw frozen meatballs, or cooked frozen meatballs- most commercially available frozen meatballs are pre-cooked, so you simply need to warm them through!

Here are the cook times for frozen air fryer meatballs (1 tablespoon sized)

• raw frozen meatballs- 8 minutes at 400°F, flipping/shaking halfway
• cooked frozen meatballs- 6-7 minutes* at 400°F, flipping/shaking halfway

*eye ball it, and take them out when they are nicely browned, as in the photo below.

Different air fryer models

We've made these meatballs in three different air fryers, including a basket-style air fryer (Cosori XL air fryer), and an oven-style air fryer (Instant Pot Vortex air fryer oven), and the cook times were remarkably similar in each!

When using an oven-style air fryer, make sure that you rotate the top and bottom trays (if they have 2 trays), when flipping/shaking the meatballs.

Storage/meal prep

Meatballs can be stored raw or cooked. Here's how to do it:

Raw meatballs

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Roll the meatballs, then store:

• fridge- check the due date on the ground beef; they can potentially be stored for up to 4 days in an air tight container in the fridge.
• freezer- place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze for 2 hours until fully frozen. Transfer to a gallon-sized freezer bag, silicone bag, or reusable meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Cooked meatballs

Cook the meatballs all the way through, then cool completely before storing:

• fridge- store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
• freezer- place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze for 2 hours until fully frozen. Transfer to a gallon-sized freezer bag, silicone bag, or reusable meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

*meatballs may be cooked from frozen; see the recipe card for cook times

Flavor variations

Want to get creative with your meatballs? Here are some ideas:

• Thai curry- add 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• Taco- add 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• Italian- add 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and ¼ cup shredded parmesan
• Greek- add 1 clove minced garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, ½ cup feta cheese, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Hoisin Ginger- add 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
• Maple Chipotle- add 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, and (optional- spicy!) ½ finely chopped chipotle pepper

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More air fryer recipes

• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
• Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Bacon
• Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
• Easy Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Breast