These air fryer stuffing balls are a fun twist on your favorite holiday side dish. They’re quick and easy to make, and using your air fryer means they don’t take up precious oven space while the roast is cooking.
Why you’ll love air fryer stuffing balls
- They are quick and easy to make, and quick to cook in the air fryer.
- Air frying them means you save oven space.
- They make a fun spin on traditional stuffing at Thanksgiving or other holidays.
Scroll down for the printable recipe card for this air fryer stuffing recipe, or read on for all the details.
What do you need?
Quantities for all ingredients are given in the recipe card below.
Breadcrumbs
Panko breadcrumbs give a slightly lighter texture to the stuffing, but you can use any type of breadcrumbs you like.
Onion
The recipe below calls for a yellow onion, but you can substitute red onion, white onion, or even shallots if that is what you have to hand.
Butter
The butter in this recipe adds flavor, so use good quality butter if you can (for this reason I wouldn’t recommend substituting margarine).
Milk
Milk adds moisture and nutrition to the stuffing. You could substitute stock or water if you don’t have milk.
Seasoning
This recipe uses dried oregano, dried rubbed sage (or 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves), garlic powder, and salt.
Egg
An egg is needed to bind the stuffing together
Dried cranberries
Dried cranberries are optional, but the flavor is perfect for a Thanksgiving stuffing. If you don’t have dried cranberries you could substitute other dried fruit such as sultanas, dried figs or dates.
Oil
A light spritz of oil helps to stop the sitting balls from sticking to the air fryer, and also gets the outsides nice and crispy.
When choosing an olive oil spray for your air fryer, look for the type that spritzes rather than an aerosol. The propellant in aerosol oil sprays can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer.
How to cook stuffing balls in the air fryer
- Finely chop the onion, and melt the butter. I usually melt the butter in the microwave. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or jug and microwave on high in 30 second bursts until just melted.
- Combine onion, butter and the other stuffing ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Preheat air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C.
- Roll stuffing mixture into golf ball sized balls.
- Spritz air fryer basket with oil, then place the stuffing balls in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching. Spritz the stuffing balls with oil.
- Air fry the stuffing balls for around 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown and have reached a temperature of 165°/ 74°C in the center of the thickest ball (use an instant-read thermometer).
Serving ideas
Serve air fried stuffing balls as a side dish to a roast dinner. Smother with gravy and enjoy! They are great for a holiday dinner, though also make great snacks (make sure you save any leftovers!).
Storage and reheating
Store any leftover stuffing balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and use within 3 days.
You can reheat the stuffing in the air fryer, air fry for 3-4 minutes until heater through.
Air Fryer Stuffing Balls
Ingredients
Stuffing ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 brown onion (finely diced)
- 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage (or 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (chopped)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
For cooking
- Olive oil spray [note 1]
Directions
- Melt butter [Note 2] and finely chop the onion.
- Combine both in a medium bowl with all the other stuffing ingredients, until well combined.
- Preheat air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C.
- Roll stuffing mixture into golf ball sized balls.
- Spritz air fryer basket with oil, then place the stuffing balls in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching. Spritz the stuffing balls with oil.
- Air fry stuffing balls for around 15-20 minutes until golden brown and 165°/ 74°C in the center of the thickest ball.
Notes
- Use a spritz type oil sprayer rather than an aerosol oil spray as aerosol propellant can damage the non stick coating of your air fryer basket.
- Approx. 30 seconds in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
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