Home » Recipe Index » Main Entrees

Air Fryer Meatballs

When you want something easy, tasty, and filling, you can’t go wrong with air fryer meatballs!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer.

Air fryer meatballs on spaghetti and sauce on a plate

Cooking meatballs in the air fryer is a quick way to turn raw meatballs into juicy meatballs for spaghetti coated in your favorite pasta sauce.

They cook faster than baked meatballs in the oven, but still get that perfect texture when using this recipe.

I’ve included some helpful tips to make air fryer meatballs so they come out great for dinner!

Air Fryer I recommend: Large, easy to clean, square basket, burner on top and bottom. Click to see it.
Ingredients needed for making air fried meatballs

How to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F.

STEP TWO: Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into a bowl until just evenly combined.

Ground beef mixture in a bowl

STEP THREE: Scoop up roughly a quarter of the meat to create a 2-inch meatball, then place it in the air fryer basket or air fryer tray in a single layer.

Raw meatballs in air fryer

STEP FOUR: Air fry meatballs for 10-12 minutes, or until the meat’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F using a meat thermometer.

Cooked meatballs in air fryer

Helpful Tips to Make The Best Homemade Air Fryer Meatball Recipe

  • Use a ground beef leanness between 70% to 80% to allow the meat to retain moisture — 90% lean ground beef tends to taste more dry
  • Use a food processor to dice up the onion and garlic into small and consistently-sized pieces
  • Don’t overmix to get a moist and juicy inside and avoid tough air fryer meatballs
  • Use a medium ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to get consistently-sized fresh meatballs that cook evenly
  • Rotate the air fried meatballs after 5 minutes of cooking or use a silicone liner to keep the meat from sticking
Closeup of cooked meatballs in air fryer

How Long to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer

Air frying meatballs take just 10 to 12 minutes in to cook in the air fryer.

Large meatballs – add about 2 minutes more for larger meatballs

Mini meatballs – these will cook in about 6 to 8 minutes depending on size

What to Serve with Air Fryer Meatballs

Cooked meatballs stacked on a plate

Air Fryer Meatball Recipe Variations  

  • Use a different ground meat such as ground chicken, ground turkey, ground lamb, or even italian sausage — you can even mix and max the protein!
  • Use fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a fresher Italian meatball flavor
  • Stuff the meatballs with mozzarella cheese wrapping the ground beef around the cheese for cheesy variety

How to Reheat Air Fried Meatballs

Store leftover meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze up to 6 months in freezer-safe container.

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 320 degrees.
  2. Place the cooked meatballs in the air fryer and air fry meatballs for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are warmed thoroughly.
Closeup of air fryer meatballs on spaghetti and sauce on a plate

How to Cook Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 320 degrees F.
  2. Place frozen meatballs in the basket or tray, cooking meatballs in the air fryer for 9 to 11 minutes, until they reach 165 degrees F using an Instant Read Thermometer.

More Meatball Recipes

More Air Fryer Beef Recipes

Love air frying? Join our newsletter! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or join our free Facebook Air Frying Community.

purchase my cookbook here!
Yield: 4 servings

Air Fryer Meatballs

Cooked meatballs in air fryer

A delicious freezable air fryer meatball recipe that's perfect as an appetizer or with spaghetti!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (or 1/4 cup fresh Italian herbs, chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
  2. Add ground beef, Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to a bowl.
  3. Mix to combine ingredients by using as little movement as possible.
  4. Form the ground beef mixture into 2-inch meatballs and place in the air fryer in a single layer, not touching.
  5. Cook the meatballs for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Meatballs are done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
  6. Remove the meatballs from the air fryer and enjoy immediately, store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

How to Reheat Meatballs in the Air Fryer:

1. Preheat air fryer to 320 degrees.

2. Cook meatballs for 3-4 minutes, until heated thoroughly.

How to Cook Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer:

1. Preheat air fryer to 320 degrees.

2. Cook meatballs for 9-11 minutes, until heated thoroughly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 447Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 711mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 38g

This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo on Instagram tagging @EverydayFamilyCooking! I love to see your pictures!


samantha

About Samantha

I’ve always had a love of cooking and creating new recipes, so it only made sense to create a food blog so I could share those recipes with you. This site is designed to provide easy and flavorful recipes with as little ingredients as possible. That means you still get great flavor combinations without all that extra time and effort. Read more...

2 thoughts on “Air Fryer Meatballs”

Leave a Comment

SEEN ON

as seen on promo graphic

SEEN ON

as seen on promo graphic
Skip to Recipe