Airfryer Chicken Meatballs
Get rolling these juicy airfryer chicken meatballs, packed with flavor and ready in under 30 minutes! Perfect for weeknight dinners or party appetizers.
Equipment
- air fryer (or use air fryer feature on your oven)
- 1 large bowl to make meatballs mixture
- 1 small bowl to make the sauce
- 1 garlic press or grater
- 1 ice cream or cookie scoop
- 1 pair of tongues optional to turn meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 500 g chicken mince
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 1 carrot grated
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (30 g)
- 3 spring onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce preferably light
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to brush or spray the air fryer rack
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
Instructions
Prepare the Meatball Mixture:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for the meatballs. Add the toasted sesame seed oil for that Asian inspired flavor and to keep the meatballs lovely and moist. Use your hand to mix gently, the mixture will feel more like a paste.
Shape the Meatballs:
- Use an ice-cream scoop or a teaspoon to form the mixture into evenly sized meatballs (about 2 teaspoons of mixture per meatball). Wet your hands to avoid sticking.
Cook the Meatballs in the Airfryer:
- Preheat the aifryer to to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil the air fryer basket (or rack if an oven with air fryer function) and spread the meatballs in one layer. Cook for 15 minutes until golden. Turn halfway if needed.
Make the glazing sauce:
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. In a bowl, add the ingredients for the sauce and mix. Brush or toss the hot meatballs with the sauce and return to the air fryer no more than 5 minutes. You may want to check after 2 minutes though just in case, your airfryer may dry the glaze too quick.
Serve and Enjoy:
- Drizzle with more sauce or set the sauce for dipping if you serve as appetizers. Garnish with more chopped scallions and serve with rice and an Asian slaw.
Video
Notes
Do not skip the oil in the mixture: the chicken mince is lean so that’s what will keep your meatballs soft and juicy.
Skip or half the salt if you are avoiding salty food, the soy and hoisin sauce come with salt content already.
Don’t Overmix: Only mix the meatball ingredients until combined to keep the texture tender and juicy, you don’t want them dense or stodgy.
Wet your hands with water when you roll the meatballs, it helps with stickiness.
Don’t Overcrowd: My oven has an air fryer function, so I can cook this batch in one go. Depending on your equipment, you may have to cook the meatballs in batches in your air fryer, leaving a little space between each for proper air circulation.
Turning Midway: This is optional and depends on your air fryer, I found that I did not need to turn my meatballs halfway through cooking for even browning.
Brush or Toss: If you watch the video, you will see that I brush the meatballs with the sauce, but you can also just toss them gently in a bowl to coat them evenly. They are sturdy enough not to fall apart. You may want to check after 2 minutes though just in case, your airfryer may dry the glaze too quick.
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