The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!
Making meatballs in the air fryer may be our favorite way to cook them!
In this recipe, the meatballs are made from a simple blend of ground beef, pork, onion, and a few other ingredients. These small meatballs are juicy on the inside and nicely crispy on the outside!
Served up with your favorite dipping sauce, these meatballs make the perfect snack or appetizer. But you can also serve them for dinner or use them as an ingredient in another dish.
Ingredients
- Ground beef – Either lean ground beef or medium ground beef.
- Ground pork – Either lean ground pork or medium ground pork.
- Breadcrumbs – We use unseasoned breadcrumbs, but you can use Italian-style breadcrumbs if you prefer.
- Yellow onion – One small yellow onion, finely chopped. Alternatively, you can use a white onion.
- Egg – One medium or large egg. Acts as a binder.
- Dijon mustard – We like Dijon mustard, but you can also use yellow mustard if you prefer. Honey Dijon mustard is also an option.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor of the meatballs.
- Black pepper – Adds a hint of spice. Use freshly cracked black pepper for the best taste.
- Paprika powder – Adds extra flavor; we use mild paprika, but you could also use hot or smoked paprika if you prefer (keep in mind that smoked paprika can be overpowering).
Recipe Tips
- These meatballs are made with beef and pork – but you can also make turkey meatballs in the air fryer for a tasty, leaner meatball!
- We don’t recommend using extra lean ground beef or pork. The fat adds a lot of flavor.
- Be sure to chop the onion really fine so that the meatballs end up more uniform.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer so the meatballs cook and brown evenly. If you need to cook in batches, don’t forget to clean the air fryer in between to remove the grease.
- The exact cooking time can vary depending on the size of the meatballs and your air fryer. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Step by Step Instructions
If you’d like to see visuals for how to make meatballs in the air fryer, you can follow the process photos in this section.
First, peel the onion and cut it into very small pieces.
Then add the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, chopped onion, egg, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika powder to a mixing bowl.
Mix everything together with your clean hands until it is well combined. If the mixture feels very wet and it’s difficult to form meatballs, add some more breadcrumbs.
Form approximately 14 small meatballs in the palms of your hand and set them aside on a plate.
The meatballs should all have approximately the same size so they will cook evenly.
You can make the meatballs slightly smaller or larger, but keep in mind that the cooking time will be slightly different than indicated below if you change the size.
Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it is hot, place the meatballs into the air fryer basket. Leave some space between them so they can cook and brown evenly.
If your air fryer is very small, you might have to cook these meatballs in two batches.
Cook the meatballs at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for about 13-15 minutes or until browned on the outside and fully cooked through.
Every air fryer is slightly different, so your cooking time might vary a bit.
Remove the cooked meatballs and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Then serve them hot.
Air-fried meatballs (when made small) make a really nice appetizer. You can serve them with some Dijon mustard for dipping.
Of course, you can also serve them for dinner or use them as an ingredient in another dish. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
If you have leftover meatballs, allow them to cool and then store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
To reheat them, you can place them back in the air fryer or reheat them in the microwave.
Related Recipes
For more air fryer meat recipes, check out these options:
- Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
- Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
- Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs
- Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Air Fryer Bacon
Air Fryer Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, unseasoned
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
Instructions
- Add the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, chopped onion, egg, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and paprika to a bowl.
- Use your clean hands to mix everything together until well combined. If the mixture still feels overly wet, add a few more breadcrumbs.
- Form approximately 14 small meatballs in the palms of your hand and set them aside on a plate. They should all have approximately the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the air fryer is hot, place the meatballs onto the tray leaving some space between them. If your air fryer is very small, you might have to cook these meatballs in two batches.
- Cook the meatballs at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for about 13-15 minutes until browned on the outside and fully cooked through. Since every air fryer is slightly different, your cooking time might vary. If you made the meatballs larger, your cooking time will be longer.
- Remove the cooked meatballs and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Then serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- We don’t recommend using extra lean ground beef or pork for this recipe. The fat adds a lot of flavor.
- Chop the onion really fine so that the meatballs end up more uniform.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer so the meatballs cook and brown evenly. If you need to cook in batches, don’t forget to clean the air fryer in between to remove the grease.
- The exact cooking time can vary depending on the size of the meatballs and your air fryer. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
This recipe was first published in March 2021 and updated in July 2024.
