Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs

These delicious air fryer chicken meatballs are THE BEST. They are in easy way to get in protein and are incredibly simple to make. With just lean ground chicken, bread crumbs and a few fresh herbs you will have delicious meatballs to make for an easy weeknight meal. The best part, you can play around with the ingredients to your liking. You can swap out the ground chicken for ground pork, ground beef or ground turkey. If you want a little heat, add red pepper flakes to your meat mixture prior to air frying.

What air fryer do you use?

I have the COSORI Air Fryer Oven Combo 5.8QT Max XL Large Cooker, linked here. I have had it for years and love using it for this recipe because it makes perfectly golden brown meatballs without drying them out.

That being said, you don’t need an air fryer to still have juicy chicken meatballs. You can bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. 

Can you make this ahead of time?

Yes! These air fryer chicken meatballs reheat terrifically while remaining tender. This is why they are one of my favorite ways to meal prep. Reheat in the microwave, oven or air fryer for a few minutes. 

Can you make this recipe gluten free?

Yes, very easily. Simply use your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs in place of typical Italian breadcrumbs. If you can only find plain, add additional Italian seasoning to your crumbs before combining. 

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs.

Ground Chicken: this recipe uses one pound of 96/4 ground chicken. You can substitute with ground turkey, beef or pork. 

Italian Breadcrumbs: for this recipe I am using Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs. 

Seasonings: this recipes uses garlic powder, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper. Play around and add some of your favorite flavors for different combinations. 

How to make this air fryer chicken meatball recipe:

Step 1

Preheat your air fryer.

Step 2

While the air fryer is heating, combine chicken and all seasonings (minus parsley) in a large mixing bowl and mix well to combine. 

Step 3

Using a 1/4 measuring cup measure out 2 oz. meatballs and roll. This recipe makes 8, 2 oz. meatballs or 16, 1 oz. meatballs. 

Step 4

Spray the air fryer pan with nonstick spray and lay out meatballs in the air fryer basket in a single layer, careful they do not touch. 

Step 5

Air fry at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. 12 minutes for 2 oz. meatballs and less for smaller. Cooking time will depend on the size of your meatballs.

Step 6

Serve as a meal in spaghetti, on a roll as a sandwich or as a snack / appetizer with dipping sauces. 

Serving ideas…

These ground chicken meatballs can be served so many ways! Serve with spaghetti or zucchini noodles, on a hoagie with marinara sauce and Parmesean cheese for a meatball sub or just enjoy alone as a snack or appetizer. Pair with dipping sauces like marinara, barbeque and ranch. 

If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of our other easy air fryer recipes!

• Air Fryer Beef Taquitos
• Air Fryer Sesame Chicken
• Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups
• Air Fryer Blackened Chicken
• Spicy Air Fryer Tortellini