These air fryer chicken meatballs are my go-to for just about everything. Quick weeknight dinner? Check. Party appetizer? Absolutely. Game-day snack? You bet. They easily adapt to any situation, and everyone loves them.
These air fryer chicken meatballs can’t do?
These chicken meatballs are super tasty, and easy to prepare. But my favourite thing about them is that they can be served in a million different ways, and for just about any occasion.
I also love that I can prep them earlier in the day, and keep them tucked away in the fridge until I’m ready to cook. Ideal for hectic weeknights or when I’m having friends over. These meatballs can easily steal the show as a main dish or be transformed into a crowd-pleasing appetizer or party snack.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken mince/ ground chicken: I like to use lean ground chicken meat. You could substitute ground turkey for a turkey meatball recipe, or ground pork (or ground beef for that matter).
- Courgette/ zucchini: to keep the meatballs moist and tender. (Tip for parents of fussy eaters: this is a great recipe for getting hidden veggies into them – just peel the zucchini first to get rid of the tell-tale green color!).
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use panko breadcrumbs as these seem to give a lighter texture, but you can use any breadcrumbs you like or try a gluten-free alternative. You can substitute ¼ cup of the panko crumbs for Parmesan cheese for extra flavour.
- Seasoning: this recipe uses all-purpose seasoning but you can substitute another seasoning mix (or see the recipe card for an easy homemade mix).
- Salt: I use fine sea salt, but kosher salt or cooking salt will also work. If you are using table salt reduce the amount by one-third as it is finer ground.
Let’s make these chicken meatballs in the air fryer!
1
Prepare the meatballs.
Shred or grate the courgette. Add to a large bowl with the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, paprika, and salt and mix to combine thoroughly. You may want to use your hands to do this (they are going to get messy during the next step anyway).
Shape chicken mixture into balls around 2-3 cm/ 1-inch in diameter. I have a tablespoon scoop that I use to do this, but a cookie scoop or ice-cream scoop would also work. Use wet hands to shape the meatball mixture, and try to make equal-sized balls.
2
Pop them in the air fryer.
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C/ 360°F. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just set it to air fry for 3-4 minutes.
Place the chicken meatballs in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching. Give them a quick spritz or brush with oil.
Tip: If your air fryer is prone to food sticking, give the basket a quick spritz with oil before adding the meatballs, or use an air fryer liner.
3
Air fry.
Air fry the chicken meatballs for 8-12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on a number of factors, so you should always test the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer to check they have reached the safe internal temperature of 165°F/ 74°C.
Serving ideas for chicken meatballs
- Serve over a bed of spaghetti with marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Stuff into pita bread with tomatoes, cucumbers, and tzatziki sauce.
- Serve in long rolls with marinara sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese.
- Fill corn tortillas with chicken meatballs, shredded lettuce, salsa, and a sprinkle of cheese.
- Serve as an appetiser or snack with a selection of dips, such as BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ranch dressing, or creamy garlic dip.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container and use within 2-3 days.
Freeze raw meatballs in a freezer-safe container. Once they are frozen you can pop them into a ziplock plastic bag for easier storage. Use within 3 months.
To cook frozen meatballs, there is no need to defrost them first. Place them in the air fryer as you would if cooking them from fresh and air fry at 360F/180C for 12-15 minutes. It is really important to check that they have reached the safe internal temperature, so use an instant read thermometer to ensure the biggest one has reached at least 165°F/ 74°C in the center.
Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 500 g / 1.1 lb chicken mince/ ground chicken
- 2 medium courgettes/ zucchini
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose seasoning mix (Note 1)
- Light olive oil
Directions
- Shred or grate the zucchini. Add to a large bowl with the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, and seasoning. Mix to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
- Shape chicken mixture into 2-3cm/ 1-inch sized balls using a tablespoon or a cookie scoop.
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C/ 360°F.
- Place meatballs in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching (if your air fryer is prone to food sticking, give the basket a quick spritz with olive oil first).
- Air fry chicken meatballs for 8-10 until golden brown and cooked through. Check that temperature in the center of the largest meatball has reached at least 74°C/ 165°F in the centre.
Notes
- You can make a simple homemade seasoning mix from: 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
