How To Make Air Fryer Meatballs
Meatballs | Air Fryer Meatballs are a versatile and flavorful staple in many households. They’re easy to make, delicious to eat, and can be served as a main dish, side dish, or snack. Cooking meatballs in an air fryer is a great way to get that crispy, browned exterior without all the added oil of traditional frying. In this post, we’ll take a look at how to make perfect air fryer meatballs.
We love these tasty homemade meatballs served with Spaghetti sauce. Meatballs are an American Italian dish. What is great about meatballs is that you can store them for a few days, and split them into many easy dinner recipes.
What differentiates this meatball recipe from others is soaking the sandwich bread before adding it to the meatballs. When cooked, the bread puffs up, making these meatballs extra soft and juicy.
What Ingredients do you need to make Italian Meatballs?
- White Bread: The best bread for this is plain white sandwich bread, but other bread can be substituted. Trim off the crusts and dice them up into small pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup of milk or cold water. Stir it lightly and keep it aside. Wait for 5-6 minutes or until it absorbs all the water. Mash it up very well with a fork. Adding the bread crumbs helps to keep the moisture in the meatballs.
- Garlic
- Italian or flat-leaf parsley
- Ground Meat: For meatballs, most recipes call for just ground beef. A mixture of ground beef and pork produces a smooth and tender texture.
- Black Pepper
- Onion
- Parmesan Cheese
- Egg
Meatballs can be prepared in a variety of ways, including baking, frying, steaming, or braising in sauce. When you make meatballs on an air fryer it is crispy outside and juicy inside.
Meatballs
Ingredients
- 3 slices white bread crusts removed, diced or you can substitute with 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs.
- 1/3 cup cold water or milk
- 1 lb lean ground beef, 80/20 fat content
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
Instructions
- Stack 3 slices of white bread and trim off the crust on the edges, and dice them. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl, pour in just enough milk to (1/3 cup) cover, and keep aside to let the bread soak in for 5-6 minutes. After soaked use a fork to coarsely mash up the breadcrumbs to a sauce-like consistency.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil or butter in a pan, then add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions are light brown and fragrant.
- Place the ground beef and pork into a large mixing bowl and add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, and sauteed onion and garlic.
- Use your hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined, avoid over-mixing the ingredients.
- Gently form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and set aside.
- Preheat the air-fryer to 380°F.
- Put shaped balls in a single-layer in the air-fryer basket.
- Cook half the meatballs at 380°F until lightly browned and cooked through 12-14 minutes. You can also check with a meat thermometer, center of the meatball reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
- Serve warm meatballs as an appetizer or serve over rice, pasta, or noodles for a main dish.
Notes
That’s it! It’s that easy to make perfect air fryer meatballs in no time. The air fryer provides a crispy exterior while keeping the interior juicy and delicious. Plus, using an air fryer is much healthier than traditional frying methods, as it uses less oil.
If you’re looking for an easy and healthy way to make meatballs, give this air fryer recipe a try. It’s a quick and delicious way to enjoy this classic dish in a new way. So why wait? Grab your air fryer and get cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Freeze Meatballs?
It is easy to freeze and freezes very well. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap to prevent them from sticking. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet. Then, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until firm on top. Once frozen, place them in a large Ziploc bag. You can keep them in the freezer for about 2 months. Thaw and heat them up when you’re ready to use them.