How to Cook Meatballs in an Air Fryer

Meatballs are versatile comfort food. Whether you enjoy them as appetizers or pair them with pasta and sauce, this air fryer meatballs recipe will have you making tasty meatballs in a fast, easy, and healthy way.

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What you'll need:

• Air fryer
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 small onion
• 1 egg
• ½ cup Ketchup
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

How to cook meatballs in an air fryer

[toggle title="Step 1" type="open"]Chop the onion into small pieces.

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[toggle title="Step 2" type="open"]In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Using your hands will lead to a blend that is as even as possible. Every meatball should have the same balanced blend of flavours so take the time to mix well. Just be careful not to overwork the meat which can lead to toughness.

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[toggle title="Step 3" type="open"]Using your hands, shape the mixture into 24 balls of equal size. The balls should be about the size of a golf ball. Getting them as even as possible is key so that they all cook evenly.

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[toggle title="Step 4" type="open"]Place half of the meatballs in the air fryer's fry basket. Set the temperature to 190°C/375°F and cook for 15 minutes.

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[toggle title="Step 5" type="open"]Remove the fry basket after 10 minutes and give it a good shake around then replace the fry basket and continue cooking for the last 5 minutes.

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[toggle title="Step 6" type="open"]Repeat the same process for the remaining batch.

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Tips and Considerations

To form perfectly equal meatballs, you can use a cookie scoop or a melon baller. Alternatively, you can form the meatball mixture into a square pan and then cut it into even squares.

Each square can then easily be formed into a ball shape. Or, you can be unique and make "meat squares" instead of meatballs!

If your air fryer has an issue with food sticking to the bottom of the fry basket, you should spray the bottom of the fry basket with a little cooking spray before making these meatballs.

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This will also lead to a delicious slightly crisp and caramelized bottom to each meatball, so it might be worth doing even if your fryer doesn't have an issue with food sticking.

Feel free to experiment and get creative with your ingredients. This air fryer meatballs recipe uses classic meatball flavours, but there are endless ways you could make these meatballs unique.

Try adding some minced garlic or add a little sweetness with some brown sugar or throw in some Asian flavours.

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This air fryer meatballs recipe works great for party snacks. For ease of serving, just insert a toothpick into each meatball.

You can try a mixture of different meats, like beef, veal, and pork, and you can also try turkey or chicken meatballs for a healthier option.