Flavorsome Air Fryer Meatballs become one of my go-to meal prep meals in the summer season. Air fryer is an amazing tool during summer heat because it will not heat up your kitchen like the oven, and food is quicker cooked.
Since summer is approaching, the air fryer is becoming more active in my kitchen, and one of my favorite meals to make in the air fryer is meatballs. I’m making a huge batch of the air fryer meatballs, and then enjoying delicious meatballs for 3 days.
My Flavorsome Air Fryer Meatballs is a perfect meal prep recipe. Besides that, it is an allergy-friendly recipe, perfect for allium allergy, gluten allergy, lactose allergy, and egg allergy. It is also an amazing recipe for GERD, gallstones, and IBS. I hope that you will enjoy my Flavorsome Air Fryer Meatballs recipe.
Ingredients that you need for Flavorsome Air Fryer Meatballs recipe
- Ground meat
You can use any ground meat mixture, I recommend leaner cuts of meat. You can use 90/10 or 80/20 blends in case you are using beef and pork. This recipe works amazingly with ground turkey and ground chicken. - Dry basil
- Dry oregano
- Dry dill weed
- Dry thyme
- Baking soda
Add just a pinch. It will make meatballs more tender and airy. You can skip baking soda, but then meatballs will not be that tender. - Salt
- Pepper for giving spiciness to the meatball (if you don’t like spicy, or you can’t eat pepper you can omit it – it will not affect the meal).
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Bowl
- Tongs
- Air fryer accessories – pizza pan
- Airtight container
Why use air fryer accessories in an Air Fryer Meatballs recipe?
The air fryer is amazing until it is time to clean the basket. Just thinking of soaking and scrubbing the air fryer basket longer than it takes me to make a meal, gets me away a bit from using it. Don’t get me wrong, I love air fryers, but I hate cleaning the basket.
Luckily, I discovered air fryer accessories. They are so amazing, and with them, it is even easier to use the air fryer and clean it. Whenever I’m cooking meat in an air fryer I’m using a pizza pan from my air fryer accessory kit. Food tastes amazing, and cleaning is so much easier and quick.
How to make Air Fryer Meatballs recipe?
It is so easy to make a Flavorsome Air Fryer Meatballs recipe!
In a bowl, using your hands, mix ground meat, dry basil, dry oregano, dry dill weed, dry thyme, baking soda, salt, and pepper until combined. Form the meatballs, slightly larger than a golf ball. You can shape them into the size of the tennis ball too, but then you will have to bake them for a few minutes longer.
The most important step is to preheat the air fryer. Set up the temperature to 400°F/200°C and run it empty for 4 to 6 minutes. Before I wasn’t preheating the air fryer, and it took longer to cook the meatballs. With a longer time, the meatballs were drying out, and they weren’t that tasty. The key to juicy meatballs is preheating the air fryer!
Place the meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer. Use a pizza pan from air fryer accessories for easier cleaning of the air fryer. Turn down the heat of the air fryer to 355°F/180°C. Cook meatballs for 15 to 18 minutes or until browned and the center of the meatball reaches 165°F. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to store the Flavorsome Air Fryer Meatballs recipe?
Refrigerator
You can store air fryer meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer
You can freeze air fryer meatballs in an airtight container for up to a month.
Garnish for this meal
Garnish can elevate how the food looks, and it can make it look more appetizing. However, garnish can be a spot where alliums are hiding. In this recipe, I didn’t use any garnish on my plate.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground meat 450g
- 12 oz dry ziti or penne 340g
- 1 cup ricotta cheese 250g
- 5 teaspoons tomato paste
- 15 oz canned chopped tomato 450g
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 ½ cups water 600 ml
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 oz cheddar cheese or any other semi-hard cheese 120g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355℉/180℃.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil gets hot (in a few moments), add the ground meat and season with a pinch of salt. Saute the meat, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
- Once the ground meat is browned, and in small chunks, add dried basil, parsley flakes, ground rosemary, dried thyme, pepper, and additional salt to taste. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in tomato paste, canned chopped tomatoes, then add water. Simmer the sauce for about 7 to 10 minutes. While the sauce simmers, fluff the ricotta cheese with a fork.
- While the sauce is simmering, parboil the pasta, cooking it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain the pasta.
- Remove ½ cup of sauce, and spread it evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Then, toss the drained pasta with the remaining sauce in the skillet.
- Add half of the pasta to the baking dish. Evenly distribute half of the ricotta cheese over the pasta in small dollops.
- Add the remaining pasta to the baking dish, and top evenly with the remaining ricotta cheese in small dollops.
- Cover the baking dish with the aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top.
- Return it to the oven and bake for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Need more recipe ideas?
Check out these recipes:
- The Most Aromatic Chicken Breast From the Air Fryer
- Turkey Smashburger
- Low Fat Kale Meatballs Soup
- Ground Meat & Sweet Potato Skillet
- Marry Me Meatballs
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I made this recipe already twice. It is easy, and meatballs are so juicy and tasty. Thanks for the recipe 😃
Thank you for your wonderful comment!🥰
I made your meatball recipe a few times, and every time it tasted good.
Thank you for your wonderful comment! I’m happy to hear that you like it 🥰