Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
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These Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs are a new favorite! Light and full of flavor from all the fresh herbs. They’re great with pasta, on a sandwich or as an appetizer! (And they’re healthy!)
What You Will ❤️ About Chicken Meatballs
- Easy to Make – Mix it all in a bowl, roll in to balls and air fry! Can’t get easier!
- Done in 10! These meatballs are ready from the air fryer in just 10 minutes of cook time!
- Flavor!!! You might not think chicken meatballs are going to be flavorful – but I put in a lot of FRESH herbs which really make a difference.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Meatball Recipe
Simple ingredients – grab some fresh herbs if you can – but dried will work. I really like these “lightly dried” herbs from Gourmet Garden – they’re almost like fresh and much better than the jarred/canned herbs!
- Lean Ground Chicken – you could also substitute ground turkey, ground pork or ground beef
- Binder: Panko breadcrumbs, Milk, Egg – I learned from Chef Michael Psilakis many years ago that a good non-egg binder for meatballs is bread or bread crumbs and milk! I like to combine the two for added texture.
- Herbs & Spices: Onion Flakes, Minced Garlic, Fresh Parsley, Rosemary, Oregano, Salt – mixing fresh and dried herbs really adds flavor dimension to your meatballs.
- You could add or swap seasonings – other good would be onion powder instead of flakes, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder instead of minced garlic, or basil instead of rosemary
- Dijon Mustard – this is sort of a mix of the two – it’s wet so it helps bind but also adds a flavor punch!
This recipe was made using the Paula Deen Air Fryer.
How to Serve Meatballs
Meatballs are actually pretty versatile – there’s a lot more you can do with them than just put them on pasta – although that’s delicious! You could even make a double batch for an easy meal prep option! Here’s a few ideas:
- Pasta – I topped spaghetti with meatballs and added some marinara sauce with a little Parmesan cheese! You could also go extra healthy and serve over zucchini noodles.
- Meatball Wrap – Spinach, mozzarella cheese and marinara with meatballs in a tortilla make a delicious lunch!
- Casserole – this Dump & Bake Meatball Casserole is quick, easy and comforting dish!
- Meatball Subs – Greek meatball wraps with these chicken meatballs and they are probably my favorite!
- BBQ Sauce – Dip them in your favorite sauce for a yummy high protein snack!
Get Heather’s NEW cookbook – Air Fryer Cooking for One today!
How to make Chicken Meatballs in the Air Fryer
Meatballs are easy to make – and please – just get your hands in there! You can wash them off! Don’t handle them too much as you’re making them into balls – it can toughen them up.
- In large bowl, combine panko and milk and set aside for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add onion flakes, garlic, chicken, egg, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mustard and salt. Combine meat mixture gently with hands.
- Gently shape meatball mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place balls in a single layer in air fryer basket.
- Cook at 400 for 7 minutes – open the basket and gently turn them – then air fry 3 minutes more. Check meatballs in the center with a meat thermometer until internal temperature of the meatballs is 160º. Remove and keep warm You may need to do in 2 batches.
- You can line your air fryer with parchment paper but these are so low fat they didn’t really make a mess.
- Serve over pasta with marinara, in sandwiches or as appetizers on their own.
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can keep in the freezer up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Adding breadcrumbs soaked in milk adds a little texture and doesn’t really change the taste at all. This loosens up the meat so they’re not so dense. Also – not overhandling the meatballs as you’re making them will keep them tender.
Best Air Fryer Accessories
Here’s my ultimate list of best air fryer accessories – whether you have a basket- or oven-style appliance! I’ve also included a price guide as well as my favorite recipes for those accessories.
More Meatball Recipes
Air Fryer Recipes with Chicken
Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp onion flakes
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary crumbled
- 1/2 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
- In large bowl, combine panko and milk and set aside for 5 minutes.1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp milk
- After 5 minutes, add onion flakes, garlic, chicken, egg, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mustard and salt. Combine meat mixture gently with hands.1 lb ground chicken, 2 tbsp onion flakes, 2 tbsp garlic, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, 1/2 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- Gently shape meatball mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place balls in a single layer in air fryer basket.
- Cook at 400 for 7 minutes – open the basket and gently turn them – then air fry 3 minutes more. Check meatballs in the center with a meat thermometer until internal temperature of the meatballs is 160º. Remove and keep warm You may need to do in 2 batches.
- You can line your air fryer with parchment paper but these are so low fat they didn’t really make a mess.
- Serve over pasta with marinara, in sandwiches or as appetizers on their own.
