These meatballs are perfect for an appetizer or main dish. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce or over some spaghetti for a hearty meal.
Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs are deliciously moist on the inside with a slightly crisp outer coating. They are so much healthier than their deep fried counterparts and just as delicious!
Of course you can use any ground meat – beef, turkey, pork, or lamb. These can be used in traditional spaghetti and meatballs, in One Pot Beef Stroganoff, or Sweet Honey BBQ Meatballs. The options are endless!
Ingredients
Gather your ingredients and let’s get started.
- Ground chicken – or beef, turkey, pork
- Onion
- Bread Crumbs
- Egg
- Seasoning
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To make these meatballs, start by mixing together ground chicken, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
Start by adding your ingredients to a large bowl.
Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Then, use a cookie scoop or your hands to form the mixture into small balls. I like to use a cookie scoop because it helps keep the balls all uniform in size.
TIP: Place the meatballs on a wire rack that has been placed inside of a baking sheet and then put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This helps them firm up so that they don’t fall apart when cooking.
Variations
You can change the flavor to fit your taste buds and family. You can add spice, crunch or even fun ingredients!
- Spicy – add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or banana peppers
- Deluxe – add crispy onions or minced onion
- Kid friendly – add crushed potato chips (ketchup chips!)
Storage
After you’ve formed the meatballs, you can cook them right away or store them for later. To store them, place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1-2 hours. Once they’re frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
These meatballs will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to cook them, there’s no need to thaw them first – just place them directly into your sauce and simmer until cooked through.
Top tip
Don’t over mix the meat mixture! For the best meatballs you want the ingredients combined well but not squished.
Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop or your hands to form the mixture into small balls.
- Place the meatballs on a wire rack that has been placed inside of a baking sheet and then put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This helps them firm up so that they don’t fall apart when cooking.
- After the meatballs have been in the freezer for 30 minutes, remove them from the wire rack and place them in your air fryer. Cook at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or over some spaghetti for a hearty meal. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
