Easy Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
These chicken meatballs are made in the air fryer for a quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing party appetizer! With parmesan, garlic, and herbs, they're full of flavor and amazing with any of your favorite sauces. Plus, this recipe makes 64 little meatballs, so you can feed a big crowd!
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.
Notes
I've found that different brands of ground chicken have different amounts of liquid. You may need anywhere between 1 and 1 1/4 cups of Panko, depending on how wet the meat is.
I do not recommend using anything higher than 93% lean ground chicken, or the meatballs will come out dry.
Feel free to add more salt if you like! I typically stick to 1 1/2 teaspoons since I toss the meatballs in sauce.
You can serve these meatballs with red sauce, pesto, pepper spread, BBQ sauce, or whatever else you like. Either mix them with warm sauce or serve the sauce on the side.
Feel free to swap the spices with any herbs you like. You can also swap the Parmesan with an extra 1/4 cup (15 grams) of breadcrumbs.
Serving: 1meatball, Calories: 29kcal, Carbohydrates: 1.7g, Protein: 3.2g, Fat: 1.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 16.3mg, Sodium: 48.8mg, Potassium: 9.5mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 0.3g
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