Tips and Tricks
How many meatballs does this recipe make? I use a scale to measure out meatball portions of 1.5 ounces. Doing this, I get 12 meatballs from this recipe. If you make the meatballs bigger, you will get less meatballs.
How do you reheat chicken meatballs? If the meatballs are cooked and coming from the fridge you can either microwave them for a minute or two or reheat them in the air fryer at 360F for 3-5 minutes or until warmed through. If the meatballs are coming from the freezer, you can reheat cooked ones at 390 F for about 7-8 minutes.
Do these meatballs need breadcrumbs? Nope! These are low carb meatballs made without breadcrumbs. When I was testing them, they stayed together well without the breadcrumbs, so I didn’t find the need to add them.
What do you serve these meatballs with? I love to serve these meatballs in either a pita with tzatziki with cucumbers, onions and red onion or on a salad with a lemon vinaigrette. You could also just eat them as is and either dip them in sauce or eat them with your favorite roasted vegetables like roasted cauliflower or zucchini.
How do you keep chicken meatballs from being dry? Ground chicken has a lot less fat than ground beef or pork and therefore they can dry out pretty easily. The best way to keep these meatballs juicy is by not overcooking them. Having the meatballs all the same size ensures even cooking. If you do not have a meat thermometer but want to make sure you don’t overcook the batch you could do a tester meatball and just cook one at a time. This will allow you to hone in on the timing of your particular air fryer.
How do you store chicken meatballs? If you’re storing them to eat for meal prep or as leftovers, you can store cooked chicken meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. You can also store the meatballs frozen cooked or uncooked for up to three months.
Method
How do you cook chicken meatballs in the air fryer? Preheat your air fryer to 390 F. Once it is preheated, spray the tray with an oil spray to prevent sticking. In a single layer, add six meatballs and lightly spray the top of the meatballs. Cook for eight to nine minutes without flipping until turning golden brown and 160 F internally. If you have a bigger air fryer and you can easily keep the meatballs in a single layer, that will work as well. If not, do it in batches.
How do you make greek chicken meatballs in the air fryer? Start by mixing all the ingredients except oil spray together in a large mixing bowl. I mix well with my hands until it is all combined. Then, using a scale I measure out 12 1.5 ounce chicken meatballs and place them on a plate. Preheat your air fryer to 390 F. Once it is preheated, lightly spray the basket or tray with oil and place half of the meatballs in a single layer and cook. Lightly spray the tops of the meatballs and cook for about eight to nine minutes. Meatballs are done with slightly browning on top and 160 F internally. Remove meatballs and repeat with remaining meatballs. Eat with roasted vegetables, on a salad or pita.
Freezer Tips
How do you freeze chicken meatballs? I prefer to freeze meatballs fully formed but raw, I find they come out juicier, but you can do this method with either raw or cooked meatballs. Once they are formed, I place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet tray and put the meatballs in a single layer, being sure they don’t touch. Cover the meatballs lightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about an hour until frozen solid. This method will keep them from sticking together when frozen. Once they are frozen, remove them from the sheet tray and place in an airtight container like a ziploc or tupperware for up to three months.
Can you cook meatballs from frozen? Yes! Preheat your air fryer to 390 F. Once preheated, spray with oil just like normal and place meatballs in a single layer. Lightly spray the tops with oil and if raw cook for 11-13 minutes until they are turning brown and register 160 F internally. If you are cooking them from frozen but they were previously cooked, you have to be careful not to overcook them. Cook for seven to eight minutes and check to see the internal temperature, you don’t want it to get over 160 F or you risk them being dry.
Substitutions
Can you substitute other types of ground meat for this recipe? I have truthfully never made these with anything other than ground chicken but any ground meat should work fine. Ground turkey would be the easiest substitute but ground beef or pork can vary greatly in fat content, so they may be a bit different in texture.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tablespoon garlic paste or 4-5 grated garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon dried onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Oil spray
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together in a bowl. Using your hands or a spoon to mix well.
- Using a scale, measure out 1.5 oz portions and place on a plate. This will make about 12 meatballs. If you don’t have a scale, visually divide the meatball mixture in half and then in half again. Use each of the halves to make about 3 meatballs. This will make sure there are 12 meatballs all about the same size.
- Preheat your air fryer to 390 F. Once heated, lightly spray with oil spray so nothing sticks.
- Add 6 meatballs in a single layer and lightly spray the tops with oil spray and cook for 5-8 minutes until 160 F internally and golden brown on top. No need to flip them.
- Remove and allow to rest for 3 minutes before serving with pita, salad or with roasted vegetables and rice. Repeat with the remaining 6 meatballs until all meatballs are cooked.
Notes and Accommodations
- If all 12 meatballs fit in a single layer easily, you can cook them all at once.
- Each air fryer is different and therefore cooking time may vary, start with 5 minutes and check on them.
- If your meatballs are bigger than 1.5 oz each, they may take longer to cook. The best way to check doneness is with a meat thermometer.
- Store cooked meatballs in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freeze raw or cooked meatballs on a sheet tray before placing in an airtight container for up to three months.
- To cook frozen raw meatballs for 9-11 minutes or cooked meatballs for 5-6 minutes until 160 F internally.