The Best Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
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These bite-sized air fryer chicken meatballs are one of my go-to appetizers for parties and holidays, because you get lots of servings without a lot of work! The meatballs come out nice and juicy (never dry!), and they’re amazing with any of your favorite sauces. Plus, they’re super customizable, so you can use them in my Italian meatball sliders or to make three ingredient BBQ grape jelly meatballs.
How are you all doing in this record heat wave? I mean, it was bad enough up here in the mountains, but my husband was in Phoenix all weekend, where it was like 107°F. Just, HOW? I know I should be able to handle it, having grown up in the desert, but I’m good on all that!
And now that it feels like I’m going to melt all the time, I personally have zero interest in turning on the oven. So instead, I’ve been leaning on my beloved air fryer. To be honest, I was a little nervous to cook meatballs in the air fryer, but they actually come out really great!
Like my air fryer BBQ chicken wings, I like to use a high heat so the meat is golden-brown on the outside and juicy on the inside. Paired with some of the tricks I learned in culinary school, the meatballs are super flavorful and never dense.
I usually serve the meatballs with some kind of sauce, like my roasted tomato sauce or this easy lemony pesto. But if I need a store-bought option, Calabrian chili spread is my go-to!
93/7 ground chicken
I tested this recipe with a few different kinds of ground chicken, and my go-to has been anything from 90-93% lean. Anything more than 93% led to meatballs that were very dry and underwhelming. Typically, I use 93/7, because that’s what’s most readily available at my local supermarket.
Just avoid the 99% lean ground chicken, because it’s all chicken breast, which has very little fat. You want some of the fat for tender meatballs. 🙂
Air fryer directions
Don’t compact the meatballs too much, or they will come out dense. You want to roll them just until they’re spherical, but don’t press them together too much.
Keep them warm for a party
My fryer is pretty small, so I have to cook the meatballs in batches. To keep them warm, I usually just add them to a pot or slow cooker of warm sauce. Set it to LOW so the sauce doesn’t burn!
You can also place the cooked meatballs on a sheet pan and set them in a low oven for up to 1 hour.
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Easy Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (15 milliliters)
- 1 cup finely chopped sweet onions (140 grams)
- 1-1 1/4 cups Panko breadcrumbs (65-80 grams)
- 2 pounds 93/7 or 90/10 ground chicken (900 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (15 grams/3 big cloves)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (40 grams)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, more to taste, I use Morton
- 1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper, more to taste
- Neutral oil or cooking spray for greasing
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion. Sauté until the onions are softened and golden-brown on the edges, about 5 minutes. Spoon the onions into a large mixing bowl and cool until the onions are warm (not hot).
- To the bowl of onions, add 1 cup (65 grams) of Panko breadcrumbs, ground chicken, garlic, eggs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix the meat mixture with a rubber spatula until it's well-combined. Don't over-mix or the meatballs will be dense! If the mixture is very wet and hard to roll, add another 1/4 cup (15 grams) of breadcrumbs.
- Use a #60 scoop to divide the meat mixture into 1 Tablespoon portions. Then dampen your hands with a little water (this keeps the meat from sticking), and roll each portion of meat into a loose ball. You should have about 60-64 small meatballs.
- Grease the basket of an air fryer with neutral oil or cooking spray. Place as many meatballs as you can in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one. Air fry the meatballs at 375°F (190°C) for 6-7 minutes, tossing them halfway through, until they are golden-brown and reach 165°F (74°C) in the centers. Repeat with the remaining meatballs until they're all cooked.
- To keep the cooked meatballs warm, you can place them on a sheet pan and keep them warm in a low oven for up to 1 hour. Or, add them to a pot or slow cooker of sauce over low heat.
