It’s so EASY to make delicious Air Fryer Italian Meatballs, to add to a favorite sauce for pasta, or to make a yummy meatball sandwich!
If you have an air fryer, then you know how many foods can be cooked or “fried” in them, without using a lot of oil. Normally I fry my meatballs for spaghetti in oil, in a large skillet on the stove, but wanted to give the old air fryer a go at it, too!
Using an air fryer has become a fun challenge for me, ever since I used birthday gift cards to purchase one last year. My husband and I have sure enjoyed using ours and trying new recipes. We appreciate this appliance that cooks with highly heated air rather than using a lot of oil to prepare food.
So… this time I made meatballs! The result was delicious tasting air fryer Italian meatballs, which were added to homemade spaghetti sauce, and then combined with hot cooked pasta! The process for making the meatballs was practically effortless, and I would whole-heartedly make them this way again!. Here’s how to make Italian meatballs in an air fryer.
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Prepare The Meatballs
This step is simple. Simply combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, spices (including salt and pepper), and Parmesan cheese in a medium sized bowl.
Measure out heaping Tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll each portion between the palms of you hands to form meatballs. Place them on aluminum foil or wax paper, and then lightly spritz them with non-stick baking spray or oil on top and bottom.
The air fryer Italian meatballs recipe calls for only a half pound of ground beef, so the recipe (as written below), should yield about 11-12 medium-sized meatballs, which yields approximately 3 servings.
Place the meatballs in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before cooking. Begin preheating your air fryer towards the end of the refrigeration time.
Time To Cook the Air Fryer Italian Meatballs!
Okay, now you should have 11-12 lightly sprayed (and lightly chilled meatballs), right? Right! Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Once the air fryer is pre-heated, place the meatballs into the basket, leaving a bit of space between each one.
I have a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer, so all the meatballs fit nicely in the basket. If you are making a double portion, you may have to cook the air fryer Italian meatballs in two batches.
Cooking Meatballs In An Air Fryer
Cook the meatballs at 400°F. for approximately 8 minutes in the air fryer. Half way through the cooking time, gently flip the meatballs to the other side using tongs. I found this was so much easier than turning meatballs in a skillet where they sometimes stick to the oiled pan, regardless!
Since some air fryers tend to run really HOT, plan to check on the meatballs around the 7 minute mark, to ensure you don’t overcook them. Mine cooked perfectly in 8 minutes, but it is always best to keep an eye on them.
Okay, They Are Fully Cooked – Now What?
You can eat the meatballs as soon as they are fully cooked, just the way they are. BUT… I think they are best added to a pot of spaghetti or marinara sauce!
Just toss them into the pan, and spoon the sauce over the meatballs. Heat the sauce and meatballs through before serving.
When done, add the meatballs and sauce to cooked pasta OR make a wonderful tasting meatball sandwich! Honestly, the meatballs aren’t hard at all to make! Using an air fryer to cook them let me work on other parts of the meal (hands free) while they were cooking!
The air fryer Italian meatballs have good flavor (thanks to garlic powder, Parmesan, onion powder and oregano), and will be a wonderful addition to your meal! Throw some extra Parmesan cheese on top and dig In!
I hope you will have an opportunity to try this recipe. We are really enjoying our air fryer, and are grateful for the many food items that can be prepared in it. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Looking For More AIR FRYER Recipes?
You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few Air Fryer recipes include:
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Original recipe source: The “Cosori Air Fryer Recipes” owner’s recipe book that came with the purchase of my air fryer. Page 22
It's so EASY to make delicious Air Fryer Italian Meatballs, to add to a favorite sauce for pasta, or to make a yummy meatball sandwich!
- ½ pound ground beef (75/25 recommended)
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ⅛ cup milk
- 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper (¼ tsp. each)
- non-stick cooking spray
Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, salt, pepper, spices, and Parmesan cheese in a medium sized bowl. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
Measure out heaping Tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll each portion between the palms of you hands to form meatballs. Place them on aluminum foil or wax paper, and then lightly spritz them with non-stick baking spray or oil on top and bottom. The mixture should make about 11-12 medium-sized meatballs, which yields approximately 3 servings. Place the meatballs in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before cooking. Begin preheating your air fryer towards the end of the refrigeration time.
Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Once pre-heated, place meatballs into basket, leaving space between each one. If you are making a double portion, you may have to cook the meatballs in two batches. Cook the meatballs at 400°F. for approximately 8 minutes in the air fryer. Half way through cooking time, gently turn meatballs to other side using tongs. Check on meatballs around the 7 minute mark, to ensure you don't overcook them.
Once meatballs are done, they're ready to eat. Eat them as is, or add them to a pot of spaghetti sauce to combine with cooked pasta, or make a meatball sandwich! Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
Can I substitute milk with almond milk or can I just leave the milk out? I am afraid almond milk will change the taste.
Thanks
Desiree
Hi, Desiree… thanks for writing. I would use the almond milk over leaving it out. As long as you use plain, unsweetened, the taste difference shouldn’t be too noticeable. Take care, and have a great day.
These were delicious. I tripled the recipe and used the beef, pork , and veal blend ground meat. Thank you for sharing.
Good morning, Tracy! So glad you enjoyed this meatball recipe. I bet they were delicious using the blended meats (I’ve never seen a blend like that in our grocery stores). Take care, and have a great day.