Description
These easy Air Fryer Meatballs are flavorful, juicy, and cook quickly in the air fryer. Made with lean ground beef, panko breadcrumbs, and seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs, and parsley, they are perfect for a quick dinner or an appetizer served with marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
For Serving
- Marinara sauce (as desired)
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF to ensure it reaches the right temperature for cooking the meatballs evenly and getting a nice browned exterior.
- Mix Ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the egg, then add panko breadcrumbs, milk, chopped parsley, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine all the seasonings and moist ingredients.
- Add Ground Beef. Add the ground beef to the bowl with the seasoned mixture and use your hands or a spoon to mix everything together thoroughly until evenly combined.
- Form Meatballs. Shape the mixture into 16 evenly sized meatballs and place them on a plate, making sure they are compact and uniform for even cooking.
- Cook Meatballs. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. You may need to cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook at 400ºF, shaking the basket halfway through cooking to brown all sides, until the meatballs are browned and reach an internal temperature of 160ºF, about 8-10 minutes.
- Rest and Serve. Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes after cooking to allow juices to redistribute. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping or spooned over.
Notes
- Use 85% lean ground beef for juicy meatballs with less fat spillover in the air fryer.
- Panko breadcrumbs help keep the meatballs light and tender but you can substitute with regular breadcrumbs if needed.
- Always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure safety and proper doneness.
- To keep meatballs warm while cooking in batches, place cooked meatballs in a low oven set at 200ºF.
- These meatballs freeze well either cooked or uncooked for quick meals later.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 298 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 441 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 119 mg
