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Home Method Air Fryer
5
/5
23 minutes minutes

Air Fryer Meatballs

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Nut Free Nut Free Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard2 Comments
Posted: 3/15/21 Updated: 4/19/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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!

close up shot of meatballs in air fryer basket
Jump to... show
1 Reasons you're going to ♡ this recipe
2 Recipe video
3 Ingredient notes
4 Step by step directions
5 Recipe tips
6 Storage/meal prep
7 Flavor variations
8 More air fryer recipes
9 Air Fryer Meatballs (fresh, frozen)

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!

Reasons you're going to ♡ this recipe

  • you need just 5 simple ingredients
  • you can prep them ahead raw or cooked
  • they are juicy and so flavorful, yet crisp on the outside

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

ingredients required to make air fryer meatballs
  • 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

meatball mixture mixed together

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.

meatball rolled held in palm of hand

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.

uncooked meatballs in air fryer basket

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

tongs flipping meatballs

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.

cooked meatballs in air fryer basket

Storage/meal prep

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

Raw meatballs

  • freeze on a sheet pan
  • transfer to a freezer bag or container

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

meatballs on white plate

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

More air fryer recipes

  • Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
  • Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Bacon
  • Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
  • Easy Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Breast
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    Air Fryer Chicken Wings
  • A blue bowl filled with crispy air fryer tofu and dipping sauce
    Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
  • 43 Easy Air Fryer Recipes You Need in Your Life!
  • close up of roasted garlic
    Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

close up shot of meatballs in air fryer basket

Air Fryer Meatballs (fresh, frozen)

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 23 minutes mins
Print Rate
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.
5

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef see note 1
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs see note 2
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions 

  • 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 over-mix.
    meatball mixture mixed together
  • Roll meatballs- use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop to measure out portions, then roll in your hands to form a ball.
    meatball rolled held in palm of hand
  • Cook- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes, then add the meatballs to the basket or tray.
    air fryer with 400F on screen
  • 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 *see note 3.
    tongs flipping meatballs

Tips:

1- choose a ground beef blend with some fat content for juicy meatballs; you may swap for ground turkey, but avoid 'extra lean' or 'turkey breast' blends.
2- breadcrumbs give the meatballs structure and help them hold their shape; you can omit for a low carb option (or swap for almond flour).
3- cooking all the way to 165°F resulted in dry meatballs; removing at 150°F then allowing carry over cooking to continue cooking as they rest resulted in juicy meatballs.
4- nutritional information represents ⅕ of the recipe batch, approximately 5 meatballs
Frozen meatballs
You may cook frozen meatballs without thawing them. Note that if your meatballs are larger than 1 tablespoon, they may take longer to cook through.
  • raw frozen meatballs- 8 minutes at 400°F, flip/shake halfway
  • cooked frozen meatballs- 6-7 minutes* at 400°F, flip/shake halfway
Storage
Store raw or cooked meatballs in an air tight container the fridge for up to 4 days (depending on the due date of your ground beef).
To freeze, arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze for 2 hours or until meatballs are frozen through. Transfer to a meal prep container or freezer bag for longer term storage (up to 3 months).
 
 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 5meatballs *note 4, Calories: 287kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 397mg, Potassium: 288mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 48IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 3mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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  1. Alex says

    Posted on 3/23/21 at Posted on 3/23/21

    How many calories is this?

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 4/19/21 at Posted on 4/19/21

      Hi Alex, apologies, the recipe has been updated with nutritional information.

      Reply

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