Air Fryer Meatballs

Air Fryer Meatballs are perfect little bites of meatiness that cook up beautifully in the Air Fryer. I don’t know who said that Homemade Meatballs take too much time and effort to make, but they definitely need to see this Air Fryer recipe.

Disclosure – I may get a small commission for purchases made through links in this post.

Key to Success #1 – Don’t Go Lean On This One

Usually, I’m a big proponent of using very lean meats in recipes but these Air Fryer Meatballs really need some fat to keep them tender under high heat.

I recommend using a mixture of beef and pork that has between 10-15% fat when combined.

If you want to use lean ground beef, just combine it with ground pork that has a little more fat.

Or you can use all ground beef if you prefer.

(NOTE: The Air Fryer that I have is no longer sold but this Air Fryer is a Best Seller and has over 21,000 5-star reviews on Amazon.)

Key to Success #2 – Make Consistent Sized Meatballs

For these Air Fryer Meatballs, we’re going miniature on the size so you can use a small cookie scoop to form the meatballs.

The small cookie scoop portions out about 2 teaspoons of dough … or meat.

This is a good side to form a 1-inch meatball.

TIP! If you don’t have a small cookie scoop, try using a 1/2 Tablespoon to portion the meat.

Of course, you can make larger meatballs but you will need to increase the cooking time.

The small meatballs cook in about 6 minutes and the larger 1-1/2-inch meatballs cook in about 10 minutes.

It’s important to make meatballs that are the same size so that they will cook in the same amount of time.

Otherwise, you may have some meatballs that are perfectly cooked while others are undercooked.

Key to Success #3 – Use a Meat Thermometer

With such a short cooking time for these meatballs, it’s important to use a meat thermometer to make sure the meatballs are cooked thoroughly.

I recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer to check the temperature of the meatballs while air frying.

Check the temperature at the 6-minute mark.

If they are at 165 degrees F, then you’re good to go.

If not, check them every minute or two until they reach the proper temperature.

For the most tender meatballs, do not over-cook them.

If you’re interested in making a larger batch of meatballs in the oven, check out our Easy Oven Meatballs recipe.

Save this Air Fryer Meatballs recipe to your favorite Air Fryer board!

Check out these other great Air Fryer recipes:

Air Fryer Pretzel Dogs

Air Fryer Pork Chops

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

Air Fryer Crispy Bacon

Air Fryer Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Air Fryer Beef and Bean Chimichangas