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+ servings
close up shot of meatballs in air fryer basket
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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Meatballs (fresh, frozen)

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time23 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5
Calories: 287kcal

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

Video

Notes

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).
 
 

Nutrition

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