Juicy Air Fryer Meatballs Recipe

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Air Fryer Meatballs are crispy on the outside, perfectly juicy on the inside, and take just 15 minutes to make. This is your classic Italian meatball recipe at its best!

Jump to:

• Best Air Fryer Meatball Recipe
• Air Fryer Meatballs Tools
• How to Make Meatballs in the Air Fryer
• Meatball Internal Temperature
• Air Fryer Meatball Sauce
• How to Freeze Meatballs
• How to Reheat Meatballs
• How to Store Meatballs
• 📌 Pin it for later!
• Easy Air Fryer Recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Best Air Fryer Meatball Recipe

At our house, we are obsessed with meatballs! We love them with Sunday Gravy and honey sriracha sauce and in Italian Wedding Soup and Instant Pot Meatballs. But from the first I made them in the air fryer, they quickly became our favorite way to prepare them.

I’ve been experimenting with making air fryer recipes, and I thought, “why not make meatballs in the air fryer?” It’s one of the best ideas I have ever had! I can’t believe how quickly they come together and how crispy but juicy they are.

Being Portuguese, I even enjoy making almondegas, Portuguese meatballs, in the air fryer!

There is something about the crispy outside and the soft and juicy inside. This recipe truly resembles your grandmom’s old-fashioned fried meatballs without the guilt!

Air Fryer Meatballs Tools

• Air Fryer Oven
• Aluminum foil
• Mixing bowl

Ground beef meatballs are easy to make in just minutes. Once you have them all rolled and ready to go, they cook in no time.

The best part about air fryer meatballs is how quickly they cook and the results! Crispy outside, juicy inside… they are truly the best.

How to Make Meatballs in the Air Fryer

How to Make Meatballs

1. Place 1 pound ground pork and 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat 4 eggs. Then, add them to the bowl with the meat.
3. Mix in 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Stir it all together.
4. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese to the mixture. Stir to combine completely.
5. Divide the mixture into meatballs by rolling the meat into a ball shape using your hands.

How to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer

1. Add meatballs to your air fryer tray, evenly spaced apart so none of them are touching.
2. 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

1. After meatballs are rolled, add them to a baking sheet and bake in your oven at 425°F for 15-20 minutes. 
2. Sprinkle with sea salt and add to your favorite sauce.

Meatball Internal Temperature

Always cook your meatballs until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

I love to follow this beef temperature chart and use a meat thermometer to ensure the perfect meatball temperature.

Air Fryer Meatball Sauce

For the best meatball sauce ever, give my Easy Meatball Sauce Recipe a try! It’s the perfect complement to these crispy, juicy meatballs.

I also love meatballs dipped in my Garlic Butter Sauce. So good!

How to Freeze Meatballs

This recipe makes enough for 3 dozen meatballs, which means it’s perfect for freezing!

1. Mix the beef and roll out your meatballs. Place any you’re not intending to use on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they aren’t touching!
2. Add to the freezer for about 1 hour until they’re frozen solid. Remove from the baking sheet and add to a freezer-safe bag or container. Label with the freezing date.

When ready to enjoy, cook in the air fryer for 15 minutes instead of 10.

How to Reheat Meatballs

Reheat leftover air fryer meatballs in the microwave in 1-minute intervals until heated through, or on a baking sheet under the oven broiler for about 3-5 minutes until crisp and heated through.

How to Store Meatballs

Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container or zip-lock bag for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 3-4 months.

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Easy Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
• Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Nuggets
• Air Fryer Steak and Lobster
• Air Fryer Frozen Steak Fries
• Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
• Air Fryer Breaded Mushrooms
• Air Frye Ham

Make this dish with one of the gifts in our Gift Guide for Foodies!

Enjoy this dish as a part of a Tapas Menu!

📋 Recipe