Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer
Cooking Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer is the most convenient way to get dinner on the table fast! This method produces perfectly cooked, flavorful and tender meatballs every time!
I love a quick and easy air fryer recipe. From Air Fryer Corn on the Cob to Checker Fries in the Air Fryer or even Steak Bites in the Air Fryer, I’m convinced there is nothing an air fryer cannot do. When you need dinner on the table fast, the air fryer is the ultimate tool for heating up food and making it crisp and delicious all at the same time.
When it comes to frozen foods, the air fryer is a real game changer. In the past your options for cooking frozen foods were baking it in the oven, which takes time to heat up and may require extra oil to keep from sticking. Or you could zap it in the microwave, which can lead to some questionable results as far as texture is concerned.
The air fryer solves both of these problems. The hot air begins circulating instantly and even frozen foods are quickly thawed and cooked. The air gives your food a crispy, delicious exterior without any additional oil or grease. The result is a dish that tastes like it was homemade but with hardly any effort!
I love using the air fryer for frozen corn dogs or even extra crispy bacon but the ultimate hack is to make these frozen meatballs in the air fryer.
Frozen meatballs in the air fryer take just minutes to cook and can be paired with just about any carbohydrates for a full meal, snack or appetizer. It’s the perfect way to get a delicious meal prepped in less than 30 minutes!
Why Make This Recipe
- Fast: Did I mention how quickly meatballs can go from frozen to perfectly tender? The air fryer does an amazing job of making the meatballs warm and juicy on the inside and perfectly golden on the outside and it all happens in less than 10 minutes.
- Versatile: There are so many ways to use meatballs. You can throw them on top of a meatball sub or spaghetti, but they are also great over rice with roasted veggies and some homemade Easy Tzatziki Sauce. Mix up some gravy and serve them as Swedish meatballs or dip in some barbeque sauce for a quick appetizer. There are so many options!
- Could Not be Easier: This recipe requires no wait time. Just pull your favorite frozen meatballs from the freezer, toss them in the air fryer and cook to perfection. It’s the ultimate convenient, time-saving dinner!
- Healthier: Frozen meatballs do not require any extra oil to cook in the air fryer which makes this a slightly healthier way to enjoy meatballs as well.
Ingredients for Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Frozen Meatballs: There’s just one ingredient… Choose any brand you love. You could even cook chicken or vegan meatballs with this same method.
Tools
- Air Fryer
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer and add the frozen meatballs.
Step 2: Cook the meatballs for 8 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure a consistent cook.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overload your air fryer. It’s important for your meatballs to be in one single layer so the air has room to pass through. This ensures consistent cooking on all sides and perfectly crispy exteriors!
- Be sure and shake the basket half way through the cooking time. Not only does this flip your meatballs and ensure all sides are cooking evenly, but it also gives you a chance to inspect your meatballs and adjust your cooking time. Some brands may cook in more or less time!
- You do not need to add any oil to your air fryer but if you find your meatballs sticking slightly, a quick spray with nonstick spray will help. Alternatively, you could use parchment paper that is designed with holes for their air fryer basket.
Recipe FAQs
You can definitely cook homemade meatballs in the air fryer. Any time I make my soft meatballs recipe, I love to double the recipe and freeze half for enjoying later.
Depending on how you made them, you may have to adjust your cooking time and I would recommend cooking homemade meatballs on parchment paper inside your air fryer.
The exact number of meatballs you can cook at once really depends on the capacity of your air fryer. It is just important to lay meatballs in a single layer to allow air to get through to all sides.
There is no need to thaw your frozen meatballs before cooking them. The air fryer does a great job of heating the meatballs all the way through.
There are so many ways to use meatballs!
I think some people get stuck thinking of meatballs only for spaghetti or meatball subs, and while those are great, there are so many great ways to use meatballs for a quick meal or appetizer. Here are a few ideas:
Serve over mashed potatoes as Swedish meatballs
Break up meatballs in a salad like a Big Mac salad
Use meatballs as a topping for homemade pizza
Serve meatballs on a skewer with dipping sauce like barbeque or sweet and sour
Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls
- Thai-Inspired Meatball Soup
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Air Fryer Barbecue Chicken
If you tried this Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb Frozen Meatballs
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once preheated, add the frozen meatballs into a single layer in the air fryer basket and set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Shake the fryer basket about halfway through to turn the meatballs.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Frozen Meatballs: There’s just one ingredien. Choose any brand you love. You could even cook chicken or vegan meatballs with this same method.
- Don’t overload your air fryer. It’s important for your meatballs to be in one single layer so the air has room to pass through. This ensures consistent cooking on all sides and perfectly crispy exteriors!
- Be sure and shake the basket half way through the cooking time. Not only does this flip your meatballs and ensure all sides are cooking evenly, but it also gives you a chance to inspect your meatballs and adjust your cooking time. Some brands may cook in more or less time!
- You do not need to add any oil to your air fryer but if you find your meatballs sticking slightly, a quick spray with nonstick spray will help. Alternatively, you could use parchment paper that is designed with holes for their air fryer basket.
