These air fryer chicken meatballs are the absolute best! They’re loaded with flavour, tender and juicy. Plus, they’re so easy to make. Perfect for a weeknight dinner and for meal-prep.
And even though they’re light and healthy, they’re still so comforting. If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t worry, you can bake them too!
- Air fry OR oven bake these meatballs.
- Prepped in one bowl.
- No chopping board required.
- Try turkey, pork or beef too – they all work.
- Easy clean up.
- Freezer friendly.
- Meal prep friendly.
- They go with practically anything.
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That last point is really important because you can make them to go with the sides your family loves most. Everything from a simple side salad to mashed potatoes to pasta to couscous – this list goes on. You can even put them inside tacos!
I never used to be a meatball lover but a few simple ingredients and a couple of genius steps changed all that. Now, I’ll happily eat this in our weekly dinner rotation and love them each and every time.
Ingredients & substitutions
Jump to the recipe card below for detailed quantities and instructions.
- Chicken mince / ground chicken: If you have the choice between chicken breast mince and just chicken mince, choose the latter; it has chicken thighs as well as breast meat so they’ll turn out more juicy. Having part of the thigh in the ground meat means a little fat as opposed to spectacularly lean chicken breast. This recipe also works with turkey, pork or beef with no other changes.
- Panko breadcrumbs and milk: This little combo is a big part of why these are the best chicken meatballs. The bread crumbs absorb the milk, distributing it evenly throughout the mixture to add moisture but milk also helps to tenderise meat. Powerful combo in meatballs and a great trick for any meatball recipe. If you want to make these gluten-free, replace the breadcrumbs with gluten free dried breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan: These are not cheese-flavoured or cheesy meatballs at all. The finely grated Parmesan is worked through the mixture and is used more like seasoning here.
- Parsley just adds a little freshness here. You can use dried or fresh. If you want to get creative you can try different herbs too, like oregano, thyme or sage.
These chicken meatballs are so versatile. Feel free to play around with the herbs and spices to create your own flavour combination. I prefer fresh onion and garlic over both onion powder and garlic powder. The fresh variety add texture and moisture as well as (IMO) being a better flavour. But do what works for your taste buds.
How to make air fryer chicken meatballs
These air fryer chicken meatballs are simple enough for the kids to get involved too.
Jump to the recipe card below for detailed quantities and instructions.
1. Soak the crumbs
Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl then let them sit for a few minutes to absorb.
2. Add everything else
Grate the onion while the bread crumbs are soaking then add that to the bowl along with the ground chicken, garlic, parmesan, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Give it all a good mix.
3. Roll the chicken meatballs
Divide the mixture into 24 and roll into balls. These will be really soft so use delicate hands. If you have time, chill them for 10-15 minutes to help keep them as round as possible.
4. Cook the meatballs
Spray the basket of a preheated air fryer with spray oil then place your meatballs inside. Spray them really well too, then cook for 10 minutes, turning them over at the half way point.
The size of your air fryer will dictate how many you can cook at once. I use a Phillips XXL air fryer and I can fit them all in, in two layers. I generally don’t though, since the more you fit into the air fryer, the less colour they get in the end.
If you choose to do them all in one hit, since the meatballs are very soft, place a piece of foil on the tray of the second layer and don’t forget to spray it before placing the meatballs on top. When turning them, you’ll need to carefully lift the tray out to turn the lower ones before replacing it again.
Can I bake chicken meatballs?
These meatballs can be baked or grilled/broiled too. Using the baking method results in meatballs with much less colour but they still taste great. You can even cook them in a frying pan if you like.
- Baking instructions: Place the raw chicken meatballs onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper at least an inch apart. Bake at 200C/ 400F for 20 minutes, turning halfway.
- Oven grill/broiler instructions: Set the oven grill / broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil, then spray well with oil spray. Place the meatballs on top at least 1 inch apart. Place under the preheated grill for 5-6 minutes. Flip them over and grill on the other side for 5-6 minutes until cooked through.
How to serve them
It’s probably quicker to say how you can’t serve these airfryer chicken meatballs since they’re just so versatile.
You could serve them in a classic Italian tomato sauce, spaghetti and meatballs style. They work great as Swedish meatballs too. They’re equally as good served over mashed potatoes with a simple chicken gravy as they are turned into Thai red curry meatballs.
Try them with this creamy mushroom sauce or how about peppercorn sauce (maybe just maybe that could level them up enough for entertaining). This chimichurri sauce is great with them too, then serve them with rice.
These air fried chicken meatballs work well in tacos and sandwiches too. Try a chicken meatball sub with this marinara sauce.
They’re even delicious enough to serve as an appetiser, maybe with that chimichurri, or this mojo verde or even this Romesco sauce for dipping!
There are truly so many unique dinners you can create from just a simple batch of these air fryer meatballs. I’d love to hear your ideas – comment below with how you’d serve them.
Tips and tricks
- Don’t overcook the meatballs. They should be turning golden brown on the outside and just cooked inside. If using a meat thermometer, the temperature in the centre of a meatball should be 74C/165F.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. If your air fryer is small, it’s best to cook these in two batches. You want enough space for air to be able to easily circulate.
- If you do cook them in two batches, place the first batch on a warm plate, covered with foil, while the second batch bake. Once the second batch is done, return the first batch to the air fryer and cook for 1-2 minutes to make sure they’re hot when you serve.
- The more meatballs you cook at a time, the less colour they will get.
Storage
Leftover air fryer meatballs should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
They’re great frozen too. Freeze the cook meatballs in a freezer safe airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.
You can freeze the raw meatballs too. Line a baking sheet (one that fits in your freezer) or a couple of plates with baking paper. Place the meatballs on top and freeze, uncovered until solid. Once solid, transfer them to a container or ziplock bag.
Can I cook meatballs from frozen?
Yes, you can cook these whilst frozen. Just follow the same steps in the recipe but cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or so. Cut one open or use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (32g / ~1 ⅙oz)
- ¼ cup milk (60ml)
- 500 g chicken mince (ground chicken) (1.1lb – notes 2)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese finely grated, not packed (20g/1 ½oz)
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley (or ¼ cup chopped fresh)
- ¼ cup coarsely grated red onion (¾ of a small onion / 60g/2oz)
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Spray oil as required
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking tray or plate
- Air fryer
Instructions
- See notes for oven-baking instructions.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- You can go ahead and pile the remaining ingredients on top, just don’t mix it for at least the 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- Form into 24 meatballs. I use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, with the mixture slightly rounded to divide the mixture. Use damp hands to roll into balls to stop them sticking to your hands. It’s a sticky mixture so use light hands and work quickly. Don’t be tempted to add more breadcrumbs or flour as you’ll dry out the meat.
- Preheat air fryer at 200C/400F for 3 minutes.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil or brush with oil if you don’t have a spray oil.
- Add up to half the balls to basket with space around them. Spray the tops with oil.
- Air fry at 200C/400F for 10 minutes, turning halfway.The internal temperature for fully cooked meatballs is 74C/165F.
- Transfer the meatballs to a warm plate and cover with foil while you cook the second batch. At the end, return the first batch to the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to make sure they’re hot through.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Weight of ground chicken: If your chicken is measured in oz rather than grams, it’s really important to get at least 1.1lb. Even 1 ¼, if it’s easier, will be better than just getting 1lb as it’s such a soft mixture.
- Oven-baked chicken meatballs: Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place the meatballs onto a large baking sheet lined with baking paper – at least 1 inch apart. Bake the meatballs for 18-20 minutes, turning at the halfway mark, until cooked through.
- You can cook these all in one batch if you air fryer is large enough or has a second layer tray. Keep in mind, the more meatballs in the air fryer at once, the paler the meatballs will turn out. The less meatballs you cook at one time, the darker the outside.
- If you don’t have spray oil, you can just brush the air fryer basket and meatballs with a little vegetable oil or olive oil.
- This recipe is very versatile. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices. While I prefer fresh garlic, garlic powder will work (around ¼ teaspoon would be enough).
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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2 Comments on “Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs (or baked)”
I love the different ways these can be served! I had them just like the photo – with mashed potato and green beans and they were divine!
So happy you love them, Scott. Thanks so much for dropping back to leave a review.