Make dinner in under 30 minutes with these incredibly quick and easy Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs! The meatballs bake up perfectly golden brown on the outside and stay moist and flavorful on the inside in just 10 minutes with the help of your air fryer.
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Why You'll Love These Chicken Meatballs
- One bowl recipe! These air fryer chicken meatballs are mixed together in just one bowl, then rolled into balls, and placed in the air fryer basket. With easy prep, your cleanup will be a breeze, making this a great weeknight dinner option!
- Simple, but packed with flavor! This recipe takes lean protein (ground chicken) and mixes it with spices, pesto, and parmesan cheese for a simple main dish that's packed with Italian flavors. It's great for meal prep, busy weeknights, and for adding protein to your favorite meals.
- Lots of serving options! These air fryer meatballs are a basic recipe that can be elevated by your favorite sauces and side dishes. Serve on top of homemade spaghettios or other pastas with a side of salad and garlic bread.
Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Ground Chicken: Ground chicken is my protein of choice. However, if you prefer ground turkey that would work just as well! Ground beef would also work, but would be slightly greasier with the addition of the pesto.
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use plain breadcrumbs to help bind the meatballs together. Panko would work too, if that's all you have on hand.
- Parmesan Cheese: The parmesan cheese gives some nutty, salty flavor to the meatballs, while also helping them bind together as the cheese melts.
- Pesto: I love adding pesto for great depth of flavor. A fresh store-bought kind would work well. I like buying mine in the refrigerated section of the grocery store instead of the shelf-stable jarred pestos. If you aren't a fan though, you can simply leave it out or add one of your favorite sauces, like barbecue or marinara instead.
⭐️ See recipe card below for descriptions and quantities of each ingredient.
Instructions
- Step 1: Spray your air fryer basket with nonstick spray.
- Step 2: Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Step 3: Form the mixture into 25 meatballs (about 1 ½ tablespoons each) and place meatballs in the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Step 4: Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Step 5: Serve meatballs warm with marinara sauce or extra pesto for dipping.
⭐️ Tip: There's no need to preheat your air fryer! Because these meatballs are so small, they cook up quickly. The 10 to 12 minute cook time includes heating the air fryer as well.
Substitutions and Alterations
- Ground Chicken - If you prefer, you can use ground turkey instead of chicken. If you choose to use ground beef instead, I'd recommend using a lean ground beef like 90/10.
- Parmesan Cheese - Shredded mozzarella cheese or grated asiago would work well.
- Pesto - If you don't have pesto, you can leave it out. Barbecue sauce, marinara sauce, or teriyaki sauce would also be great substitutes.
- To make this gluten free - Use gluten free breadcrumbs!
- To make this dairy free - Use plant based parmesan cheese and pesto!
How to Store Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
To store: Store air fryer chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Freeze the meatballs individually on a baking sheet. Then, once frozen, place them in a zip top bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Perfect for meal prep!
To reheat: Place frozen meatballs on a lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake chicken meatballs for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Top tip!
Make sure all meatballs are rolled to about the same size! I like to use a cookie scoop to get identical-sized meatballs. If the meatballs are different sizes, they'll cook in different amounts of time, leaving some dry or some undercooked. Similar sizes helps ensure all meatballs remain perfectly moist and juicy in the middle!
Related Recipes
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Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Leave a comment with a rating at the bottom of this page!
Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup pesto
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Spray your air fryer basket with nonstick spray.
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Form the mixture into 25 meatballs (about 1 ½ tablespoons each) and place meatballs in the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Serve meatballs warm with marinara sauce or extra pesto for dipping.
Notes
- Ground turkey would work instead of ground chicken if you prefer!
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- To make this gluten free - Use gluten free breadcrumbs!
- To make this dairy free - Use plant based parmesan cheese and pesto!
Nutrition
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