We love these tasty homemade Air Fryer Meatballs served with our favorite pasta sauce or even in a meatball sub!
Ground beef and pork are combined with our favorite Italian inspired flavors make these juicy bites a crowd pleaser! Save on time, clean up, and even calories by using the air fryer!
Air Fryer Meatballs
Air Fryer Meatballs are crisp on the outside and juicy inside!
An air fryer is quick cooking (I have this air fryer here), these meatballs will cook in almost the time it takes to boil your pasta. Heat up some marinara sauce you’ve got the perfect Spaghetti and Meatballs dinner!
These meatballs don’t just have to be a meal, they’re great for snacking or as an appetizer too!
Ingredients and Variations
MEAT The meat is the most important part of any great meatball recipe! Lean ground beef and pork are the perfect blend of flavor and ensures they’re juicy.
SEASONINGS Italian seasoning along with Parmesan and onion powder are our favorites. I prefer onion powder in this recipe as they cook quickly and raw onion may not have a chance to cook through properly.
EGG & BREADCRUMBS Egg and breadcrumbs hold everything together.
How to Cook Air Fryer Meatballs
- Combine all of the ingredients.
- Form and place in the Air Fryer basket.
- Cook according to recipe below.
- Let meatballs rest a few minutes before serving.
Air Fryers can vary slightly, check your meatballs a couple of minutes early to ensure they don’t overcook. The meatballs should be 165°F in the center.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Meatballs
Fresh or frozen meatballs are easy to pop into soups or stews. We absolutely love them in our Spaghetti Carbonara or Italian Wedding Soup. Don’t forget some Cheesy Breadsticks. Mix up a brightly flavored Tossed Salad and dinner is served!
Leftovers
- Keep leftover meatballs in an airtight container or a zippered bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to a month.
- Reheat meatballs by microwaving them a minute at a time on high until they are heated through, or place them on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler for a few minutes until they are crisp again.
More Air Fryer Favorites
- Air Fryer Steak – tender & juicy
- Air Fryer Fish & Chips – a family favorite
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings – ready in 30 minutes
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders – perfect for dipping
- Air Fryer Pork Chops – 12 minute cook time
Did your family love these Air Fryer Meatballs? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Juicy Air Fryer Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound lean ground pork
- ⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except beef and pork in a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Add beef and pork and mix to combine. Divide into 16 meatballs.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
- Place meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer. Turn air fryer down to 380°F.
- Cook meatballs for 12-14 minutes or until browned and the center of the meatball reaches 165°F.
- Rest 3 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pork
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Thank you for sharing this recipe. Just made these amazingly delicious meatballs. So easy and cooking them in the air fryer instead of baking in hot oven or tediously browning on stove just made them perfectly cooked and nicely browned. Will be making these again and again…
Hello, I haven’t tried you’re meatball recipe yet. What does the 2 Tbsp of milk do? Can it be left out or subbed with almond milk? I’m lactose intolerant. Thanks!!
It adds moisture, almond milk will work just fine.
Great recipe. Was so simple my 9yo son just made it for me for our dinner. It’s the first time he has made me dinner. Thanks so much.
I love that, Eraz! So happy this recipe worked out perfectly for him. It’s so fun when they start cooking!
Have a good meatloaf recipe?
Sure do! This is our favorite meatloaf recipe.
Delicious! A little crunchy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. Yum!
What air fryer do you use?
We use a Cosori air fryer but any brand will work for our air fryer recipes!
Hello, how big is each meatball? I can’t get a sense from the pics. Is it golf ball sized? Or slightly bigger? I want to ensure they are super juicy. Thanks
We weigh our meatball mixture with a scale then divide it by 16 to get our meatball sizes!
Making these for the 2nd time tonight. Used ground Turkey and they were awesome. Froze half the meatballs and reheated just what we needed for lunches and keto snacks throughout the week. I used a scoop which made then super easy to prepare and they were so very tasty! Thanks for sharing!
That’s a great idea, Patty. This would be perfect for quick lunches!
I only used 1 pound ground sirloin so only used; between 1/3-1/2 Italian bread crumbs, 1/8 c milk, 1 egg, italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 meatloaf seasoning packet & Lawry’s Pollo Asado seasoning. Cooked in Ninja Foodi air fryer, sprayed basket & cooked for 12min. Very good quick & easy meatballs. Would upload pic but didn’t see where you could do that.
Hi Lisa, we would love to see your pictures. Tag us on Instagram using @spendpennies!
Can you add real minced garlic?
Yes, fresh garlic can be added to this recipe!
I’ve tried a lot of recipes. This was the best meatball recipe and the fastest ever. I used a cookie scoop. So fast. Extras are going into freezer. Thank you!
Using a cookies scoop is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing Angelina!
OMG!!! Awesome recipe for Italian meatballs and the Italian seasoning! Some of the best meatballs I have ever made!
Came out great in the air-fryer! Can you use this same recipe in a crockpot? If so, how long do you recommend to cook?
Hi Tom, for crockpot meatballs we love using this recipe.
Very undercooked on inside and outside burnt
Hi Rena, we find if divided into 16 equal portions they are the perfect size to cook inside and out perfectly. Hope that helps!
Every time I make these -perfect. I make and freeze for spaghetti and meatball subs. They are delicious. I have made with all-beef, only once with pork.
Yay! So happy to hear that, Patricia!
I been looking for more recipe on food that I can cook in my air fryer.
You’re in the right place Rosie! You’ll find the Air Fryer recipes here!
I overcooked a little bit but still came out juicy! Picky Italian boyfriend approved!
I made these today for my meatball subs.. OMG! They are so good. Very well balance of flavors. Thank you for this recipe. It will be going into my monthly rotation for sure. :)
These would be perfect in a meatball sub Ashley! So glad you loved them.
Great Recipe. Do you recommend a larger air fryer for family of 5 with the basket and shelf for efficiency? Tks
I have this 5.8QT which is great for us (usually 4 ppl eating). I haven’t tried one with a shelf as of yet so I can’t say for sure how much extra space it will provide.
Excellent recipe with simple ingredients and great results in my new Air Fryer
So glad you enjoyed it Brenda!