Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs

Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs are a super tender and flavorful meatball made with ground chicken. Made in the air fryer, these meatballs only take 10 minutes to cook!

Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs on a white background with fresh parsley sprinkled around them.

One food that my kids are alway excited about is meatballs. Whether it's spaghetti and meatballs (they love my Spaghetti Meatball Casserole!), Tortellini Meatball Soup, or meatball subs, they love them!

While I typically make my homemade Beef Freezer Meatballs, I wanted to lighten things up a little bit with ground chicken. Even better, I wanted to make them fast to make so I used my air fryer! Turns out, they are so flavorful and delicious and easily got my kids approval.

This recipe has 2 pounds of ground chicken, which means it makes quick a few meatballs. I like to do this so I can freeze half of the meatballs for later. If you only want one batch, this recipe can easily be halved!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Easy - this recipe is a breeze to mix up and make in the air fryer.
  • Flavorful - this recipe gets a ton of flavor from the fresh garlic, fresh parsley, and Parmesan cheese.
  • Lower Fat and Protein Packed - these chicken meatballs are lower in fat than typically beef meatballs but still full of protein.

Ingredients

Ground Chicken - lean ground chicken keeps these meatballs lower in fat and calories compared to traditional beef meatballs. You can use ground chicken or ground chicken breast.

Ricotta - I love using ricotta in meatballs to keep them super tender!

Parmesan Cheese - this adds some salty Parmesan flavor to the meatballs.

Egg - 2 large eggs give the meatballs moisture and also helps bind them.

Breadcrumbs - this helps bind the chicken meatballs together.

Shallot - one finely diced shallot adds a ton of garlicky-onion flavor to the meatballs.

Fresh Parsley - this adds delicious fresh flavor to the meatballs.

Fresh Garlic Cloves

Variations

Dried Herbs - if you don't have fresh parsley and fresh garlic on hand, you could use dried parsley (1 teaspoon) and garlic powder (1 teaspoon) instead. You could also add some dried Italian seasoning or onion powder for even more flavor.

Different Meat - instead of ground chicken you can definitely use ground turkey or ground pork. You can also check out my Freezer Meatball recipe that uses ground beef.

Breadcrumbs - I didn't have breadcrumbs on hand so I made my own. You can use regular breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs.

Salt - regular salt helps enhance the flavors.

Add Buffalo Sauce - you can add ¼ cup of buffalo sauce to these meatballs for Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.

Step by Step Instructions

Photo 1. Add all of the meatball ingredients into a large bowl.

Photo 2. Mix together until just combined. I like to start with a wooden spoon but usually have to roll up my sleeves and finish mixing with my hands.

Photo 3. Using a cookie scoop, form the ground chicken mixture into meatballs and place on a baking sheet or plate.

Photo 4. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and then add raw meatballs to the basket in a single layer. You don't want to crowd the basket. This will likely have to be done in batches. Air fry for 10 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165 degrees F.

Expert Tips

Don't Over Crowd the Air Fryer - you don't want the meatballs on top of each other, as it will affect how crispy they become on the outside as well as cooking time.

Serving Suggestions - there are so many uses for this chicken meatball recipe! You can add them to marinara sauce for classic spaghetti and meatballs. You can use them in a meatball sub, on top of zucchini noodles or regular noodles, or in my Spaghetti Meatball Casserole, Asian Chicken Meatball Bowls, or Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs! They'd even be a delicious appetizer with some Tzatziki sauce or buffalo sauce.

Storage - these can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Freezer - you can absolutely freeze these cooked meatballs. Simply place in an airtight Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Large Batch - This recipe uses two pounds of ground chicken, which means it makes quick a few meatballs. I like to do this so I can freeze half of the meatballs for later. If you only want one batch, this recipe can easily be halved!

Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs on a white background with fresh parsley sprinkled around them.

Recipe FAQs

How long to cook chicken meatballs in the air fryer?

These chicken meatballs are cooked 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Are chicken meatballs healthy?

These meatballs are lower in fat than beef meatballs and still full of protein. If you want to make them gluten free, just use gluten free breadcrumbs. If you want low-carb meatballs, you can use almond meal instead of breadcrumbs.

Why make meatballs in the air fryer?

It cuts down a lot of cooking time compared to baking and is less messy than frying. It also makes them a little crispy on the outside, compared to baking.

Other Meatball Recipes to Consider

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate

Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs

Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs

A large batch of air fryer chicken meatballs - they're perfect to make for a crowd or freeze half for later!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 366kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground chicken
  • 1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs
  • 15 ounces whole-milk ricotta
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 shallot finely diced
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese grated also works
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper.
  • Using a cookie scoop, form the meatball mixture into meatballs, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a plate until ready to cook.
  • Working in batches, add a single layer of meatballs to the air fryer basket.
  • Air fry for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs is 165 degrees F.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

This makes a large batch of meatballs. You can half the recipe or freeze the leftovers. 

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 727mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 503IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 2mg
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