Easy Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
on Feb 27, 2021, Updated Aug 05, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
You might think you don’t have time to make your own meatballs. You do if you make these easy air fryer chicken meatballs! All you do is throw ground chicken in a bowl with a few Mediterranean style pantry flavors, bread crumbs, and an egg. Mix, make bite-sized balls and air fry for just 10 minutes.
This recipe makes 30 to 40 bite-sized meatballs. Perfect for feeding a small crowd, or you can pop them into the freezer, ready to cook straight from frozen on another day!
The easiest air fryer meatballs
These air fryer chicken meatballs are the easiest meatballs I’ve ever made. There’s absolutely no peeling, chopping, or crushing. The recipe starts with ground chicken (or turkey or even beef or pork if you can’t get chicken), then everything else you’ll add comes from your pantry. Most of the flavors are in dried or powder form. The only real ‘work’ you have to do is to crack an egg and zest a lemon.
I really enjoy the subtly Mediterranean style flavors in these meatballs – garlic, onion, lemon, oregano, mint and paprika. But of course, you can easily vary this mix according to what you currently have in your pantry.
The meatballs can be ready in around just 20 minutes – 10 minutes to prep them, and 10 minutes to get them golden and delicious in your air fryer. The recipe makes around 30 to 40 bite-sized meatballs, making these perfect for feeding a mini crowd, or for freezing for several easy dinners for your family.
I also find these chicken meatballs to be very versatile! I’ve provided quite a few ideas of ways to serve them, which you can scroll down to see. I’m sure you can think of a few of your own, too!
📌Recipe snapshot
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Serves: 6 to 8
- Key ingredients: ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, egg, lemon, garlic & onions powders, paprika, dried oregano, dried mint, salt & pepper, olive oil
- Why you’ll love these: quick & easy (20 minute recipe), no peeling or chopping (made with mostly dry pantry flavors), recipe makes a lot, many ways to serve, perfect for freezing, tasty Mediterranean style recipe
5* Review
“These were a hit! So easy, I served with Greek salad and Greek potatoes. Delicious. Putting this one into weekly rotation for dinners!” (Jen)
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
- The meat: I usually use good quality ground chicken (mince) to make my air fryer meatballs. But use turkey, beef, pork, or a mixture if you prefer.
- The ‘fillers’: Meatballs usually contain breadcrumbs and an egg. I use panko breadcrumbs (available in most supermarkets in the Asian food aisle) for ease. No blitzing of stale bread required! If you want to make the meatballs gluten-free, simply use your favourite gluten-free breadcrumbs, or skip the breadcrumbs altogether. The recipe will still work well.
- The flavors: Powdered garlic and onion, lemon zest, dried oregano, dried mint and paprika give these chicken meatballs a Mediterranean flair. These take seconds to add as no chopping is required! If you don’t have one of these flavors, no problem – just leave it out, or substitute with another herb or flavor from your pantry such as mixed Italian herbs.
- What else: Apart from a tablespoon of olive oil to keep the meatballs moist and salt and pepper, that’s it! I told you these are easy air fryer meatballs!
How to make chicken meatballs in your air fryer
If you’re a busy person (who isn’t?) you’ll love that all of the flavors in these particular Greek meatballs are in powder form – apart from the lemon zest of course. I also use shop/store bought breadcrumbs such as panko crumbs so there’s no blitzing of bread either.
Throw in the air fryer and a couple of easy sides (see ideas below!) and you have one very simple Mediterranean themed dinner idea. In a few very simple steps:
Step 1: Zest the lemon, then throw it plus everything else together. Yes, everything. I find the mixture is quite soft, especially if you’re using ground/minced chicken, so I just mix with a wooden spoon. I hate mixing with my hands!
Step 2: Roll the mixture into bite-sized meatballs. It’s quick and easy as the meatballs virtually form themselves. I usually get 30 to 40 little balls.
Step 3: Air fry for 8 to 12 minutes. A basket style air fryer tends to cook them a bit faster, but they’re ready when they’re lightly golden and starting to caramelise.
Helen’s Top Tips
- I like to use disposable food prep gloves to roll the meatballs (the mixture is a bit sticky!).
- Shake or turn the meatballs half way through cooking for a more even color.
- Try a couple of variations. Add half a cup of crumbled feta cheese into the mixture, similar to this spinach and feta chicken burgers recipe. You can also try grating zucchini into the mixture. Just blot the zucchini well with kitchen paper before adding it to remove any extra moisture.
- Air fryers: I currently use an oven style air fryer that I can fit a medium-sized baking tray into. If you have a basket style air fryer, there won’t be room for all 30 to 40 meatballs. I’d suggest only cooking as many as you need for that meal and refrigerating or freezing the rest for later. Alternatively you can cook them in 2 batches – or just bake them all in one go!
Serving ideas
There are more possibilities than you might think!
- Classic spaghetti and meatballs. Grab a jar of your favourite good quality pasta sauce or make a quick Italian marinara sauce (definitely worth the small effort). Dinner is served!
- Make chicken meatball tacos or wraps. I like classic Greek style meatball wraps with a bit of Greek salad and tzatziki dip or 5-minute Greek tyrokafteri dip inside.
- Serve classic Greek style with a traditional Greek salad (which you can make in around 10 minutes), tsatziki or 5-minute dill Greek yogurt sauce, and either homemade fries, these famous Greek potatoes, or air fryer sweet potato wedges. You won’t believe how delicious this meal is!
- I also love to serve air fryer chicken meatballs with this delicious baked eggplant with tomato and feta.
- Serve with sweet potato wedges/fries, air fried smashed Greek potatoes, a simple green vegetable like broccoli or sautéed green beans, and your favorite sauce.
- Go light with this Greek style potato salad (no mayo!).
- Make these Mediterranean roast vegetables. Pop them in the oven at the same time as the meatballs.
- Serve them on cocktail sticks at a party with a bowl of Greek tsatziki or romesco sauce on the side.
Or check out this list of 30+ easy chicken sauces to serve with your chicken meatballs!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, I do this all the time. Reheat in your air fryer for 4 to 6 minutes at 340F/170C until piping hot again. Or reheat at 350F/175 in the oven for around 15 minutes.
Definitely! Freeze uncooked or cooked between sheets of baking paper in glass containers for up to 3 months. Let defrost then cook or reheat as normal.
Alternatively, you can cook these meatballs straight from frozen but for around 50% longer. Keep an eye on them though after the 10 minute mark as all air fryers are different. You don’t want them to burn or dry out.
I sometimes shake or turn the meatballs half way through cooking. They do brown more evenly this way, but this step isn’t essential. They’ll still be delicious!
Yes, you can. Simply prep in the same way, place the meatballs on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
More easy air fryer recipes
- Try this popular mini air fryer banana bread once and you won’t look back.
- These easy baked chicken thighs can be ready in about 15 minutes.
- Cook a whole rotisserie style chicken in your air fryer in under an hour! You’ll never look back!
- These Mediterranean-style air fryer stuffed peppers are a meal-all-in-one that you can have on the table in about 45 minutes.
- These cauliflower fritters with feta and mint turn out really well in an air fryer!
- Crowd pleasing crispy air fryer chicken burgers that are on the table in just 30 minutes.
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken, UK/Australia = minced chicken – turkey, beef and pork also work
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, or any breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 lemon, zest only (then you can use the rest of the lemon for squeezing over at the end)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried mint, (1.5 teaspoons semi-dried, or 7 to 8 leaves of fresh mint, finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
To serve (optional)
- feta cheese, a little, to crumble over the top
- fresh chopped mint or parsley
- lemon wedges, (you can use the same lemon you used for the zest)
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with baking paper (if using an oven style air fryer). Preheat the air fryer or oven to 400F/205C.
- Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.1 pound ground chicken, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1½ teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried mint, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, feta cheese, fresh chopped mint or parsley
- Shape the mixture into small bite-sized meatballs and place on the baking paper.
- Air fry for 8 to 12 minutes until starting to go golden brown (basket-style air fryers tend to cook faster than oven-style air fryers). Cook in 2 batches if necessary. Turn or shake lightly half way through cooking. If baking, bake for around 20 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through. Turn half way through cooking.
- Serve with lemon wedges, a Greek salad, tzatziki and bread, sweet potato wedges and vegetables, or turn into Greek wraps or tacos.lemon wedges
Can these be frozen? if so cooked or uncooked?
Hello! Yes, you can freeze them uncooked or cooked between sheets of baking paper in glass containers for up to 3 months. Let defrost then cook or reheat as normal. Alternatively, you can cook these meatballs straight from frozen but for around 50% longer. Keep an eye on them though after the 10 minute mark as all air fryers are different. Let me know how you get on! I hope you enjoy them!
I’d like to serve these at a party, could you make them a day or two before? If so, would you suggest baking them ahead of time & reheating or leaving them uncooked to bake the day of?
Hello Izzy! I’m so happy you’re going to give these a try! I’ve actually made them ahead both ways, but given a choice I would shape them on a baking tray and cover them until ready to bake. Alternatively you can just mix up the meat with the other ingredients ahead and keep that covered in the fridge, then shape just before cooking. They’ll be the tastiest and juiciest this way. I would just pick meat with a good date on it at the supermarket and the mixture will be fine in the fridge for a day or two before baking. I hope you enjoy them!
I don’t have an air fryer – how would I use a traditional oven? Would love to make this as it sounds delish!!
Hello Oraia! It’s fine to bake instead of air fry! Just bake for around 20 minutes at the same temperature as mentioned in the air fryer instructions, until lightly golden and cooked through. Turn half way through cooking. I hope you enjoy them!
Hi!
How can I reheat these
Meatballs at work? We only have a microwave :(… can I reheat them in a slow cooker?
Hello Tania! Actually the microwave is perfect! just cover them and reheat on reduced heat so that they don’t go dry and tough. Start with a minute or two and go from there if they aren’t hot enough. I’m not sure about reheating in a slow cooker as I’ve never tried it. I would imagine it would work if there was a bit of liquid in it, but you wouldn’t want to overcook them. Enjoy!
Hello! This recipes looks so good! Do you know how many meatballs is in a serving? Trying to watch my portion sizes, thanks!! 😊
Hi Marissa! Nice to hear from you! There are 6 to 8 servings at about 170 calories per serving. Of course how many each person wants to eat depends on exactly how big they are but if they’re small (about a large teaspoon) I’d say 4 to 6 would be an average serving for one. I hope that helps a little, and that you give them a go. Let me know what you think!
Sorry, I forgot to ask if I can bake these in a regular oven – what temp and how long. Hope to try them this weekend. Many thanks.
Hello, Edith, yes you can! Bake for around 20 minutes at the same temperature. Hope you like them!
Could I make these larger to serve as a meal – they sound so very delicious. Thanks
Hello Edith! I usually do serve these as a meal, but you can definitely make them a bit larger if you like. You may need just 5 minutes extra cooking time, but no more than that. Enjoy!
These were a hit! So easy, I served with Greek salad and Greek potatoes. Delicious. Putting this one into weekly rotation for dinners!
So glad you enjoyed them so much, Jen. Thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂
Hi. Could I coarsley chop rotisserie chicken to use instead of ground? Sounds great!
Hello Cindy! I actually wouldn’t recommend that – I think ground meat is better for meatballs. You can use any kind of ground meat you like though – not only chicken.
I’ll definitely be trying the meatballs, so versatile.
Everything crossed for your move to your new home.
Hi Ann! I’d love to know what you think of the meatballs. They really are very easy and versatile, as you say. Thanks for the good wishes, too. We’re pretty excited about about upcoming reno although it’ll be a lot of work. I hope all is good where you are! Australia seems to be doing pretty well again. So grateful 🙂