Homemade meatballs are a hassle, right? Not these easy Greek air fryer chicken meatballs. All you do is throw ground chicken in a bowl with a few Mediterranean flavours, panko crumbs and an egg. Mix, make bite-sized balls and air fry for just 10 minutes. No air fryer? Just bake.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Greek chicken meatballs (called keftedes or kef-ted-es in Greek) are a particularly tasty version of meatballs.

I don’t post a recipe here unless I can really get behind it, but this one I can REALLY get excited about. I think you will too and here’s why:

• It’s Greek style, which is always something to get excited about. Add garlic, onion, lemon zest, dried oregano, mint and paprika for a classic Mediterranean burst of flavour.

• They really are very easy chicken meatballs. No peeling, chopping or crushing. Just throw everything in a bowl and stir. Most of the flavours are in dried or powder form. The only real ‘work’ you have to do is zest a lemon.

• They’re ready in around 20 minutes. If you’re oven baking them, 30.

• The recipe makes 30 to 40 bite-sized meatballs. Perfect for feeding a small crowd.

• They’re very versatile. Scroll down for serving ideas!

About the ingredients

The meat: I usually use good quality chicken mince/ground chicken to make my Greek meatballs. But use turkey, beef or even pork if you prefer.

The ‘fillers’: Meatballs usually contain breadcrumbs and an egg. I use panko breadcrumbs in my recipe 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.

I like these organic gluten-free breadcrumbs in case you’d like to give them a try.

The flavours: Powdered garlic and onion, lemon zest, dried oregano, dried mint and paprika. These take seconds to add as no chopping is required!

What else: Apart from a tablespoon of olive oil to keep the meatballs moist, that’s it! I told you these are REALLY 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 flavours 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. I use disposable gloves for this part! 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. Alternatively, bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If you shake or turn the meatballs half way through cooking you’ll get a more even colour, but it isn’t a disaster if you forget!

A note on different types of 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!

How to serve Greek meatballs

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. Yum.

• Similar-but-different to the above – serve classic Greek style with a traditional Greek salad (which you can make in around 10 minutes), tsatziki and either homemade fries, these famous Greek potatoes or just toasted bread with olive oil and salt. You won’t believe how delicious this meal is!

• I love to serve air fryer chicken meatballs with either this delicious baked eggplant with tomato and feta or these classic gigantes or Greek giant beans. Complete the meal with these 2-minute olive oil toasts or, for a low-carb option, with these amazing crispy halloumi fries (with air fryer option). I usually make the eggplant on a different day, though. It re-heats really well.

• Serve with sweet potato wedges/fries, air fried smashed Greek potatoes, a simple green vegetable like broccoli or sautéed green beans, and your favourite sauce – even ketchup, a nice chutney or mayo/aoli will do! As I have an oven style air fryer I can fit the wedges in the basket and the meatballs on a baking tray below. If you don’t you can just bake everything, or cook in batches. Broccoli can be microwaved, steamed or sautéed on the stovetop in just 10 minutes!

• Make these Mediterranean roast vegetables. They’re healthy and colourful crowd pleasers, and you can pop them in the oven at the same time as the meatballs. Prefer not to use the oven at all? No worries, just make quick sautéed frozen butternut squash instead.

• Make the meal Italian by serving with this incredibly delicious pan fried gnocchi with cherry tomato sauce. Or how about serving them with a simple cold pasta salad like this orzo pesto salad on the side?

• Serve them on cocktail sticks at a party with a bowl of Greek tsatziki on the side.

Ways to vary them

• I usually make Greek chicken meatballs, but you can use any other kind of ground/minced meat instead if you prefer.

• I sometimes throw half a cup of cubed feta cheese into the meatball mixture. Other times I sprinkle a little over the top of the meatballs after they’re cooked. If I’m serving the meatballs with a Greek salad though I skip extra feta of course!

• Grate a little zucchini into the mixture. It’s a little extra work, but it’s worth it if you want to add some hidden goodness for a picky child! Just make sure you blot the zucchini well with kitchen paper before adding it to remove any extra moisture.

FAQ

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.

Or browse this list of 10 best easy Greek chicken recipes.