Air Fryer Meatballs Recipe
Your air fryer is the secret to perfect meatballs that are crispy on the outside, but tender and juicy on the inside. Youll come back to this air fryer meatball recipe again and again.
How to Make Air Fryer Meatballs
Follow these simple steps to create delicious air fryer meatballs that will become a household favorite.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces lean ground beef
- 4 ounces ground pork
- cup grated Parmesan cheese
- cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- teaspoon salt
Directions
Step 1: Preheat your air fryer to 350F (175C).
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt. Mix everything thoroughly until well-combined.
Step 3: Shape the mixture into 16 equal meatballs. You can use a small ice cream scoop to make the process easier and ensure uniform size. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet.
Step 4: Carefully place half of the meatballs into the basket of your air fryer. Cook them for 8 minutes at 350F. After 8 minutes, shake the basket to ensure even cooking, and then cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 5: Once cooked, transfer the meatballs to a serving plate and let them rest for 5 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining meatballs.
Step 6: Serve the meatballs warm and enjoy!
How Long to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer
In a preheated air fryer at 350F (175C), the meatballs will cook for a total of about 10 minutes. Remember to shake the basket at the 8-minute mark to ensure an even, crispy exterior.
How to Store Air Fryer Meatballs
If you have leftovers, these meatballs can be stored in an airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They also freeze well, making them perfect for meal prepping. To freeze, place the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze for 4 hours. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe . When you're ready to cook, air fry them for 12 minutes, shake, and then cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
These air-fried meatballs are perfect on their own or served with spaghetti and marinara sauce. They can also be enjoyed as an appetizer, in a sandwich, or over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles.
Community Tips
- "Really liked how these turned out," raves Anna Dorothea. "Much better than in the oven tender inside with a brown crust outside. I did cook them at 375F instead of 350F and liked the result. Definitely a keeper!"
- "I made the recipe as written and they were perfect," according to Peg. "My husband loved them and they were gone the next day. I won't fry or bake meatballs again. Fast and easy."
- "Made mine with a venison and beef mixture," says Kayla. "I also placed a small ball of mozzarella cheese in the middle and it was great!"
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
- Calories: 457
- Total Fat: 33g (42% Daily Value)
- Saturated Fat: 13g (67% Daily Value)
- Cholesterol: 114mg (38% Daily Value)
- Sodium: 634mg (28% Daily Value)
- Total Carbohydrate: 8g (3% Daily Value)
- Dietary Fiber: 1g (2% Daily Value)
- Protein: 30g (60% Daily Value)
- Calcium: 146mg (11% Daily Value)
- Iron: 3mg (17% Daily Value)
- Potassium: 402mg (9% Daily Value)

Comments
UpbeatBao5789
10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM
Very easy. Kept the meatballs plain as they're for my 16 year old toy poodle who has kidney issues. I was instructed to do this method by Dr Harvey's nutritional specialist. I'll do it this way for me too!
Karen Lopez
05/09/2023 05:20:37 AM
Absolutely delicious and so simple.
kayla
01/26/2021 11:06:24 PM
Made mine with a venison and beef mixture. I also placed a small ball of mozzarella cheese in the middle and it was great! I used the same seasonings and put it in my Ninja Foodi. 8 min on the bake function and 4 in the air fryer function. My go to recipe for meatballs!
Tina Curran
07/17/2022 11:43:42 PM
Used Ultrean air fryer, and modified the recipe (only 1lb beef, added 1/2 pack onion soup mix, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, egg) Made 16 meatballs. I preheated to 400, lowered to 380 and cooked the first 8 for 12 minutes - too long. OK, but too long. The next batch I cooked for 10 minutes, and they were perfect. I didn't need to toss or shake, because they moved around on their own.
shopper
01/08/2022 12:25:10 AM
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I made this with the following deviations: 1). Instead of pork, I used hot Italian sausage (Costco) 2). I ended up with 15 balls rather than 16. 3). I rolled the meatballs in parsley before cooking. 4). I cooked all 15 balls at once in the air fryer, using 350 degrees for 10 minutes, turning them over, then for another 10 mins. Very, very tasty!!! I made 4 batches. Had one batch for dinner. The other three I will cook and freeze tomorrow, so I have "meatballs ready to thaw, heat and eat" for future meals. So glad I found this recipe.
Kate1114
08/17/2020 12:56:56 AM
These were delicious. I made them smaller - slightly bigger than a golf ball and 10 min was good in air fryer. Used the two cloves of garlic but they were big cloves. They were still awesome. This one is a keeper.
Porsche d
05/08/2020 01:31:08 AM
I added extra parmesan cheese because we loooove cheese and used teriyaki sauce to give it a lil bang it was soooo good!
SneakyOat1163
10/22/2023 07:14:20 PM
An easy, very delicious recipe. I added oats in place of breadcrumbs, grated onions and potatoes instead of parmesan cheese and the meatballs tasted really good. Photo before dishing up ;). Thanks!!
Gymrat
02/28/2024 09:09:35 PM
I'm new to air frying, and I found the instructions to be most helpful. I can't comment on the recipe because I used my regular meatball ingredients, which is similar except I use milk instead of an egg, and no cheese. The air fry time and temp was perfect, and clean up a breeze. Thank you for the air frying lesson!
Vickie
02/02/2024 07:25:58 PM
The meatballs were delicious, juicy, and very flavorful. The cooking time is too short at that temperature. I had to take it up to 425 to finish cooking for another 5 or 6 minutes. I also used ground instead of pork.
Lydia Elise Lightcap Rhoads
09/05/2021 12:43:16 AM
This was great and I had a meatloaf mix in freezer. Beef, pork and veal. Added bacon bits!! It was the best, ever!!!
Jason
08/20/2025 12:29:55 AM
Recipe is pretty solid; family all enjoyed the meatballs. Cooked ours at 370 for the 8, then 2 mins and only reached 135-degrees. Cooked them for another 5-7mins for 165 internal temp. Stayed juicy though and went great with the spaghetti I prepared. Will make again, for sure!
mr
08/06/2025 11:33:22 PM
This is the second time I've made this recipe. It's turned out great both times. The only difference is I use a 50/50 pork to beef ratio (1lbs. Beef, 1 lbs. Pork). Yummy
Joseph Walker
04/21/2025 11:50:20 PM
Can’t believe how flavorful this turned out.
SnappyDill7973
03/28/2025 02:51:45 AM
So easy! I love simple and yummy recipes. Thanks a bunch.
Katie
09/18/2024 01:06:59 AM
I love this easy meatball recipe. I took the suggestion of someone else and added 2 T of relish to it and it gave a nice bite. I also turned the heat up to 375 F and cooked for 13 minutes.
Luftherz
08/11/2024 06:47:38 PM
I don't know why I hadn't thought of making meatballs in the airfryer sooner, because this recipe is bomb. The meatballs had the perfect crust/crunch on the outside and perfectly moist inside. I'm impressed. This is a keeper!
Eddie Coyle
03/17/2024 01:26:31 PM
I agree I will never bake meatballs again. The mess is less, and contained. I turn them after 10 minutes possibly not neccessary. If you want to go authentic Italian, use beef, pork
Texzilla
03/17/2024 02:23:04 AM
Great recipe. I make 1/2 beef 1/2 pork. More garlic. And I might add chopped fresh jalapeño and parsley.
Jim Beauchamp
01/17/2024 06:15:37 PM
Easy and quick supper. Will be making again!