These Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs are juicy, tender, and packed with Italian-inspired flavor! Made with ground chicken, garlic, and Italian seasoning, these homemade meatballs cook in just about 10 minutes in the air fryer. They're perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or stocking your freezer with an easy, protein-packed dinner!
As a cookbook author and recipe developer, I love having homemade meals ready to go for busy nights. These chicken meatballs are a great alternative to traditional beef meatballs and pair perfectly with pasta, marinara sauce, or roasted vegetables. If you're looking for more easy chicken dinners, try my Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi, Pesto Chicken Meatballs, or Chicken Saltimbocca.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: These chicken meatballs cook in just about 10 minutes in the air fryer, making them perfect for weeknight dinners.
- Juicy and flavorful: Garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasoning give these meatballs plenty of flavor while keeping them tender.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a batch ahead of time and freeze for easy lunches and dinners throughout the month.
- Versatile: Serve with your favorite pasta, toss in marinara sauce, add to grain bowls, or enjoy with roasted vegetables.
- Made with simple ingredients: You only need a handful of pantry staples and ground chicken to make these homemade meatballs.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these juicy air fryer chicken meatballs!
- Ground chicken: Use 1½ pounds of ground chicken.
- Breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatballs together and create a tender texture. Regular or Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs work well.
- Whole milk: Adds moisture to the breadcrumbs and helps prevent the chicken meatballs from drying out.
- Egg: Helps hold the meatball mixture together.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds plenty of Italian-inspired flavor.
- Olive oil: Adds moisture to the lean ground chicken.
- Italian seasoning: A blend of dried herbs adds classic Italian flavor.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: Enhance the flavors of the meatballs.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Prepare the Meatball Mixture
In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, whole milk, egg, minced garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Gently mix until just combined. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture.
Shape the Meatballs
Using a cookie scoop or lightly oiled hands, form the mixture into approximately 20 meatballs, about 1½ inches in diameter. Try to keep the meatballs similar in size so they cook evenly.
Preheat the Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Lightly grease the air fryer basket or tray with cooking spray. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one. Cook in batches if needed.
Cook
Air fry for 10-14 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the meatballs and your air fryer model.
Serve the meatballs immediately with your favorite pasta, sauce, or vegetables. You can also cool and freeze them for easy meals later!
Tina's Tips for the Best Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
- Don't overmix the meatballs. Gently combine the ingredients until everything is incorporated. Overmixing can result in dense, tough meatballs.
- Keep the meatballs the same size. Using a cookie scoop makes it easy to portion the meatballs evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer. Leave space between the meatballs so the hot air can circulate and help them brown evenly.
- Use a meat thermometer. Ground chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Start checking around 9-10 minutes to avoid overcooking.
What to Serve with Chicken Meatballs
These Italian-inspired chicken meatballs are so versatile! They're delicious with pasta, vegetables, or even tucked into a sandwich.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve them:
- With pasta:Â Toss the meatballs with marinara sauce and serve over spaghetti, rigatoni, or your favorite pasta shape.
- With creamy polenta: Serve over creamy Parmesan polenta with marinara sauce for a cozy Italian-inspired dinner.
- With roasted vegetables:Â Pair with roasted broccoli, zucchini, or potatoes for an easy weeknight meal.
- In meatball sandwiches: Add the meatballs to toasted rolls with marinara and melted mozzarella.
- In grain bowls: Serve with rice, roasted vegetables, and your favorite sauce for a simple meal prep lunch.
How to Freeze Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
One of my favorite things about these chicken meatballs is how well they freeze!
To freeze:
- Allow the cooked meatballs to cool completely, refrigerating promptly rather than leaving them at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours, or until solid.
- Transfer the frozen meatballs to freezer-safe bags or airtight containers. Divide into individual or family-sized portions for easy meals.
- Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months for the best quality.
Freezing the meatballs individually before transferring them to a container helps prevent them from sticking together. This makes it easy to grab just a few meatballs whenever you need them!
How to Reheat Frozen Chicken Meatballs
You can reheat these chicken meatballs directly from frozen, making them an easy option for last-minute dinners.
- From frozen: Preheat the air fryer to 325°F. Add the frozen meatballs in a single layer and cook for approximately 8-12 minutes, or until heated through to 165°F.
- From thawed: Reheat the meatballs in the air fryer at 325°F for approximately 4-6 minutes, or until heated through to 165°F.
- In marinara sauce: My favorite way to reheat these meatballs is in a skillet with marinara sauce or a splash of chicken stock. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until heated through to 165°F. The sauce helps keep the meatballs juicy and tender while reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key to juicy chicken meatballs is adding enough moisture and avoiding overcooking. Whole milk and olive oil help keep these meatballs tender. Avoid overmixing the ingredients and cook just until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Yes! These air fryer chicken meatballs freeze beautifully. Allow them to cool, freeze individually on a baking sheet, and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Store for up to 3 months for the best quality.
Absolutely! Bake the meatballs in a preheated 400°F oven on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet for approximately 15 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground chicken
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the meatball mixture. In a large bowl, Add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Gently mix until just combined. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.
- Shape the meatballs. Using a cookie scoop or lightly oiled hands, form the mixture into approximately 20 meatballs, about 1½ inches in diameter.
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Lightly grease the air fryer basket or oven air fryer tray with cooking spray. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer, leaving space between each one. Work in batches if necessary.
- Air fry the meatballs. Air fry for 10-14 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Cooking time may vary depending on meatball size and air fryer model. Begin checking for doneness around 9-10 minutes.
- Serve or freeze. Serve immediately with your favorite sauce, pasta, or vegetables, or allow the meatballs to cool before preparing them for freezing.
Notes
- Ground chicken: Use ground chicken that isn't extra lean for the juiciest meatballs. Ground turkey also works well in this recipe.
- Don't overmix: Gently mix the ingredients until just combined to keep the meatballs tender. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes before shaping.
- Air fryer tips: Arrange meatballs in a single layer without overcrowding. Cook in batches if needed. Cooking times vary by air fryer, so check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Storage: Store cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooked and cooled meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat frozen meatballs in the air fryer at 325°F for 8-12 minutes, or simmer in marinara sauce until heated through to 165°F. Reheating in sauce helps keep them moist.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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