This really easy air fryer meatball recipe uses just five ingredients. Make a batch to freeze. Then cook the frozen meatballs in an air fryer whenever you need to get dinner on the table in double-quick time.
Air fryer meatballs with spaghetti is one of my daughter’s favourite meals. It’s also a great recipe to serve up when friends come to visit. Along with pizza, spaghetti and meatballs seems to be a meal that’s universally adored by kids. But this air fryer recipe isn’t just for children – every adult I’ve made it for loves it just as much! Rich, flavoursome tomato sauce on top of succulent meatballs and slurpable strands of spaghetti – it’s reliable, familiar comfort food at its very best.
Why air fryer meatballs are so good?
Air fryer meatballs are so very good. They retain their succulence and have a satisfying crispiness on the outside. Once you’ve tried cooking meatballs in an air fryer, it’s a dish you’ll return to time after time.
With air fryer meatballs:
- They hold their shape perfectly
- You can cook a small batch without using the oven or hob
- There’s no fat flying around the kitchen when air frying like when you fry them on the hob
- You can control the heat more easily so that the air fried meatballs cook thoroughly before crisping up on the outside
- You need less oil than when frying meatballs on the hob and the fat drips away while the meatballs are cooking
- You don’t need to stand over them while they cook
- It’s easy to scale up to feed a crowd – meatballs cook so quickly in the air fryer, you can easily cook several batches in a short space of time
- Easier clean up – air fried meatballs mean no fatty frying pans
- You’re free to heat up the sauce and cook the spaghetti while the meatballs are air frying
Why cook frozen meatballs in the air fryer?
Once I discovered that you can cook meatballs from frozen in an air fryer, I like to keep a batch of frozen meatballs in the freezer at all times. Of course, you can easily buy meatballs to freeze from the supermarket – and these will cook in the air fryer in just the same way. But making homemade meatballs is so easy and by making them yourself, you know exactly what ingredients have gone into them.
It takes just a few minutes prep. And once you have a tray full of homemade meatballs, you can simply freeze them, (see tip for how to freeze meatballs), ready to air fry from frozen when you need them.
How long to cook frozen meatballs in air fryer?
To air fry frozen meatballs, spritz the meatballs with a little olive oil and place them in the air fryer basket. Air fry on 180C (350F) for 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. These timings are based meatballs that are about the size of a pingpong ball. You can add or remove minutes for different sized meatballs.
To check your meatballs are properly cooked, take the largest meatball and cut through the thickest part. The meat inside should be nicely brown, not pink. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 160F (71C). If you’re cooking the meatballs from chilled, rather than from frozen, they will take a little less time.
Ingredients for air fryer meatballs
Beef mince – I use beef mince but you could use a mixture of beef and pork mince, just pork, chicken mince, or turkey mince
Egg – the egg acts as a binding agent to bring the mixture together
Breadcrumbs – these also help the mixture bind together and add texture to the meatballs
Garlic – the garlic adds flavour but it’s optional so you feel free to leave it out if you’re not a garlic fan
Mixed herbs – I use Mediterranean mixed herbs to flavour the meatballs but you can use your favourite dried herbs or spices
See recipe card for quantities
How to make homemade meatballs to air fry from frozen (or to cook right away)
To make air fryer meatballs, I tip a pack of beef mince into a bowl, break it up slightly and add the breadcrumbs, herbs, egg and seasoning. Then it's just a case of forming the mixture into balls.
I usually set a handful of meatballs aside to cook rightaway. The rest, I freeze for another day.
Unfrozen meatballs take around 8-10 minutes to cook in the air fryer at 180C (350F), turning half way through the cooking time. To cook the meatballs from frozen, allow around 12 minutes at 180C (350F). Whether you cook your meatballs from fresh or frozen, make sure they are thoroughly cooked before serving by cutting one in half. If there are still pink parts inside, pop them back in the air fryer for a couple more minutes.
Tip: How to freeze meatballs
To freeze air fryer meatballs to cook another day, simply line the freshly made meatballs on a tray in a single layer. Place the tray in the freezer until the meatballs are hard. Once hard, you can tip them into a freezer bag, ready to air fry from frozen later. Label and date the bag. The meatballs will keep well for up to 2 months. When you're ready to cook, just take out what you need and place straight into the air fryer - no need to defrost.
Substitutions
- Switch the beef mince for a mixture of beef and pork mince, just pork, chicken mince, or turkey mince
- Swap the mixed herbs and garlic for your favourite dried herbs or spices
Variations
Want a change from spaghetti and meatballs. Here are some other ways to enjoy air fryer meatballs:
- Creamy meatball pasta
- Meatball parmigiana
- Meatball curry
- Swedish meatballs from frozen meatballs
- Meatball soup
Yes, you can cook meatballs in an air fryer from frozen with no need to defrost them first.
For medium-sized frozen meatballs (about the size of a ping pong ball), allow 12 minutes at 180C (350F), turning once.
We use a Ninja air fryer for cooking meatballs and for medium-sized frozen meatballs (about the size of a ping pong ball), we allow 12 minutes at 180C (350F), turning once.
No, using this method there's no need to defrost the meatballs before cooking them in air fryer.
When using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of meatballs when cooked should be: 71C (160F)
The easiest way to tell if a meatball is done, is to cut it in half through it's thickest part. The inside of the meatball should be brown with no pink bits. If you see blood or pink, you need to put the meatballs back into the air fryer for a little longer.
You can freeze raw meatballs for up to 2 months. After this time, they will still be safe to eat if kept frozen but may begin to lose their shape and texture slightly.
If you have previously cooked freshly made meatballs (that haven't been previously frozen), you can freeze the cooked meatballs. When you're ready to eat them, reheat in your air fryer until piping hot all the way through. You can freeze them with or without a sauce.
Frozen Air Fryer Meatballs
Ingredients
- 500 g Beef Mince
- 3 tablespoon White Breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Dried Mixed Herbs
- 1 Egg (beaten)
Instructions
To prepare the meatballs
- Place the mince into a large bowl and break up roughly with a wooden spoon.
- Add all of the other ingredients and mix until combined (don't over mix or the meatballs may be a little tough).
- Take small spoonfuls of the meatball mixture and form into balls by rolling the mixture in between your palms. The meatballs should be roughly the size of a ping pong ball.
- Place each meatball onto a tray as you go, ready to freeze. (You can set some aside to cook straightaway if you wish). The frozen meatballs will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To cook the meatballs from frozen
- Place the frozen meatballs into your air fryer and spritz with a little oil.
- Air fry on 180C (350F) for 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Check the meatballs are thoroughly cooked by cutting one in half and ensuring the insides are brown all the way through. Serve with your favourite pasta sauce.
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