This is THE best meatball recipe – EVER! Air Fryer Meatballs take just 10 minutes to cook and are the best you will ever eat! Crisp on the outside but perfectly juicy on the inside, they are perfectly cooked and so delicious.
Made with a mixture of pork, ground beef, and Italian seasonings, this is the perfect classic Italian meatball recipe. Only, it’s so much faster!
Don’t have an air fryer? No problem. We’ll show you how to make them in your oven, too!
Recipes with meatballs are a staple at my household. I have tried almost every one you can think of.
I love making spaghetti and meatballs, meatballs in gravy, or even almôndegas (Portuguese meatballs) with Portuguese rice.
There is something about a classic meatball recipe everyone loves. You just can’t go wrong with them! Whether your favorite is a traditional, old-school Italian meatball recipe or Thai Chicken Meatballs, there is a recipe out there for everyone.
Best Ever Fast Meatball Recipe
Needless to say, I’ve tried plenty of meatball dishes, and my most recent experiment was making them in the air fryer. And that experiment? It was a resounding SUCCESS! I can’t believe they’re ready in just 10 minutes, but they are. And they are amazing.
My favorite homemade meatball recipe is without a doubt this Air Fryer Meatballs Recipe. Let me tell you, when you take a bite out of one of these, it will make you a believer. This will be your new favorite – I guarantee it!
Serve them in their own meatball sauce recipe over some pasta. We even have an in-post guide included with our sauce recipe on how to cook meatballs in sauce.
Love pasta? Get even more Comfort Food Pasta Recipes like spaghetti and meatballs!
Homemade Meatball Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- Sea salt to taste
I use a mixture of pork and ground beef in my air fryer meatballs for the flavor and juiciness. My favorite addition? Adding a cup of Parmesan cheese! It adds that extra something, something.
How to Make Meatballs
- Place 1 pound ground pork and 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat 4 eggs. Then, add them to the bowl with the meat.
- Mix in 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Stir it all together.
- Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese to the mixture. Stir to combine completely.
- Divide the mixture into balls by rolling the meat into a ball shape using your hands.
The mixture is enough for 3 dozen medium-size meatballs. You should be able to fit about a dozen on each air fryer tray.
How to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer
- Add meatballs to your air fryer tray, evenly spaced apart so none of them are touching.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Swap the trays: move the bottom tray to the top rack, and the top tray to the bottom rack. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- After taking out of the air fryer, sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
How to Cook Meatballs in the Oven
- Add evenly spaced balls to a baking sheet and bake in your oven at 425°F for 15-20 minutes.
- After removing from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
What to Serve with Meatballs
These Italian meatballs are my favorite for serving with pasta, but you can serve them with so much more!
Meatballs with beef gravy is a classic comfort food choice. And, it’s an even better meal if you serve it over creamy mashed potatoes!
Serve these meatballs up with some melted cheese and my best ever meat sauce recipe on some sub rolls. This will be a surefire favorite in your house, especially with a side of air fryer frozen French fries covered in garlic Parmesan fry seasoning.
Meatballs go well with roasted vegetables, too. Try them with roasted vegetables with cheese sauce. A simple side of green bean almondine or air fryer asparagus fries with lemon garlic aioli dip is delicious, too!
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These are the best Italian-style meatballs I have ever had, and they are so simple to make in so little time. This is the ultimate meatballs recipe: crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and perfect for pairing with sauce!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments below and with a rating! I love to hear from you.
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⭐ Try more of our best air fryer recipes!
- Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
- Air Fryer Steak and Lobster Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Ham (perfect for leftover Ham and Cheese Sliders!)
Air Fryer Meatballs
🍳 Equipment
- Air fryer OR oven
🥘 Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- Sea salt to taste
🔪 Instructions
How to Make Meatballs
- Place 1 pound ground pork and 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat 4 eggs. Then, add them to the bowl with the meat.
- Mix in 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Stir it all together.
- Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese to the mixture. Stir to combine completely.
- Divide the mixture into meatballs by rolling the meat into a ball shape using your hands.
How to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer
- Add meatballs to your air fryer tray, evenly spaced apart so none of them are touching.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Swap the trays: move the bottom tray to the top rack, and the top tray to the bottom rack. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- After taking out of the air fryer, sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
How to Cook Meatballs in the Oven
- Add meatballs to a baking sheet and bake in your oven at 425°F for 15-20 minutes.
- After removing from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
Video
Notes
- This meatball mixture makes about 3 dozen medium-size meatballs.
- Serve with best ever meatball sauce recipe for a delicious combination of flavors!
Debbie Chambers says
Hi, your nutrition label shows the calories as being 579 – is that per meatball? Or per serving? How many in a serving are there to equal 579 calories? Thank you, they do sound very good! Debbie
Em Beitel says
Hi Debbie! Thank you so much for your question! We’ve updated the recipe for accuracy. This recipe will make about 3 dozen medium-sized meatballs, so that’s about 129 calories per meatball. For the 579 that would’ve been about 4 to 5 meatballs per person.
We hope you love them! Please let us know what you think!