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chicken meatballs over pasta in a plate with a fork
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Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs

Air fryer chicken meatballs are the best! They are so crisp, light and juicy, you'll never go back to pan frying or baking them again! Serve solo as a snack or with marinara sauce and pasta for a complete dinner.
Course Snack
Cuisine Italian
Keyword air fryer chicken meatballs, easy chicken appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 18 balls
Calories 61kcal
Author Saima Zaidi

Equipment

  • Air Fryer 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex
  • Bowl medium sized
  • Small ice cream scoop optional

Ingredients

  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional, for a touch of heat
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp parsley
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 pound ground chicken
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Take a medium-sized bowl and add the breadcrumbs. Pour the milk and let sit for 2-3 minutes or until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk and become soft.
  • Add the black pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, parsley, oregano, garlic, egg and olive oil and mix well.
  • Add the ground chicken and mix it in with the rest of the ingredients, using your hands or a spoon. Do not over-mix.
  • Scoop out about two tablespoons of the chicken mixture and shape into a ball. Repeat until all the mixture is over. You can also use a small ice cream scoop to do this if you don’t want to use your hands. (If using an ice cream scoop, you can scoop out the balls directly into the basket of your preheated air fryer also).
  • Preheat your air fryer to 380 Fahrenheit and set the timer to 12 minutes. Brush the basket with oil if you wish. Place the balls in the basket in a single layer. Flip the meatballs halfway through cooking. At the end of the cooking cycle, the meatballs should be browned and cooked through. Serve hot.

Notes

Tips for making soft chicken meatballs
  1. If possible, use thigh meat. Thigh meat is darker and juicier than breast meat and doesn’t dry out as easily thanks to the fat in it.
  2. Don’t skip the olive oil.
  3. Follow the steps of the recipe in the order they are written. Mixing the seasonings into the breadcrumbs and milk rather than directly into the ground chicken means there is no over-mixing, which results in more tender and juicy meatballs.
  4. Do make sure NOT to over-mix the chicken. 
  5. Don’t overcook the meatballs in the air fryer. 12 minutes at 480 F for medium-sized meatballs is optimum. Depending on your air fryer, however, the time can change slightly. Check for doneness before serving. 
  6. For serving suggestions, look at the body of the post. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1ball | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg