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Air Fryer Meatballs

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5 from 1 review

These air fryer meatballs come together in just 30 minutes with simple ingredients you might already have on hand. They're juicy and tender on the inside with a slightly crisp crust on the outside. Perfect for a big bowl of spaghetti, creamy Italian meatball soup, or meatball subs!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 16 oz. ground beef (85/15)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated yellow onion (squeeze the juice out of them)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the air fryer to 375 degrees. 
  2. Add 1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs to a small bowl and pour 2 tablespoons of milk over the breadcrumbs. Let them soak while you prep the other ingredients.
  3. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons grated onion, 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 egg yolk, and a few large pinches of salt and pepper to a large bowl. Add milk-soaked breadcrumbs as well. Mix until well combined.
  4. Add ground beef to the bowl and use your hands to thoroughly combine the ingredients but do not over-mix.
  5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop meatballs. Lightly oil hands and roll meatballs into round, uniform meatballs. Place them in the air fryer basket or on the air fryer tray, spacing them out so there's about a half inch between them. 
  6. Cook for 6-12 minutes or until they are cooked through.
  7. Serve with a big bowl of spaghetti or add them to creamy Italian meatball soup and enjoy!
  8. If you loved this recipe, leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Equipment

Notes

  • Don't forget to soak the breadcrumbs. This will help create another binding element that works in tandem with the egg, and it adds extra moisture so the meatballs don’t dry out. 
  • Add the meatballs in a single layer. When you place the meatballs on the air fryer tray or in the basket, make sure they are in a single layer and spaced out a bit. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
  • Cooking time will vary depending on what type of air fryer you have. I use the Instant Vortex and find that about 6-8 minutes is enough for my meatballs when I use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop.

Nutrition