Name: Air Fryer Ground Chicken Meatballs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound ground chicken; 1 large egg – lightly whisked; 1/4 cup breadcrumbs – I used gluten free; 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon dried parsley; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

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These Ground Chicken Meatballs are super juicy, packed with flavor and they go perfectly with everything. They cook in under 10 minutes in the air fryer and come out wonderfully crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Plus, these meatballs are low in fat and are gluten free!

Round bowl filled with air fryer chicken meatballs with cooked brown rice and zucchini in the bowl with it with more bowls of it around it.

Ground Chicken Meatballs are a wonderful simple and easy recipe you can make in minutes and enjoy all week long as an easy protein with any meal or as a healthy snack. They only require a few simple ingredients like ground chicken, garlic, onion, parsley, egg and breadcrumbs and they cook in under 10 minutes right in the air fryer!

These chicken meatballs are just as delicious as these Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs that are also so quick and easy to make.

We love any meatballs in our family and these leaner, lower fat chicken meatballs cooked in the air fryer make a fast meal for busy weeknights that we all love!

Insided of a cut ground chicken meatballs with more behind it.

Why You’ll Love This Ground Chicken Meatballs Recipe

You can make it in 10 minutes.
It is made with real, whole ingredients that you probably have all the time.
Perfect meal prep recipe that is packed with protein.
These chicken meatballs go with everything and they make a healthy and delicious protein.
Super juicy and crispy meatballs everyone will love.
Delicious and gluten-free!

What is ground chicken?

Ground chicken is just raw chicken breast that is ground up in a meat grinder so it can be used for making chicken burgers, or meatballs like in this recipe or it can be added to soups and chilis.

You can make your ground chicken by placing raw, chopped-up chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs into a food processor and pulsing it a few times to grind it up or you can buy it at almost any grocery store.

Ingredients needed to make ground chicken meatballs

Ingredients for air fryer ground chicken meatballs in bowl with labels over each ingredient.

Ground chicken – you will need about 1 pound of ground chicken that you can buy at almost any grocery store. You coals also grind up boneless chicken breast in a food processor and make your own ground chicken.
Breadcrumbs – any breadcrumbs will work in this recipe. I used gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Parmesan cheese – grated parmesan cheese adds a nice cheesy, salty flavor to the meatballs and helps them bind together. Use vegan parmesan cheese if you need to keep this recipe dairy-free.
Egg – you will need 1 large egg, which is used to help bind all the ingredient together.
Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil helps the meatballs become golden as they cook. You could also use avocado oil.
Seasoning – I used a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper. You can certainly use any seasoning you like in this chicken meatballs recipe.

Recommended Kitchen Tools

Mixing bowl
Ice cream scoop
Air fryer

Get the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions in the recipe card below.

How to make ground chicken meatballs in the air fryer

Add all meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well with your hands.
Roll the meatball mixture into even-sized balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and place them onto a lined baking sheet or clean plate.
Preheat the air fryer to 400° F. Place a liner inside the air fryer basket for easier clean up and spray the liner with cooking spray if using a parchment liner. Place the meatballs in a single layer into the air fryer basket.
Close the basket and cook the meatballs for 7-9 minutes. Continue cooking until you have cooked all of the meatballs. This recipe makes 12-15 meatballs.
Remove the meatballs from the air fryer and let them cool, serve warm with your favorite sauce if desired.

Raw ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, and spices in a mixing bowl.

Raw ground chicken meatball mixture in mixing bowl.

This ground chicken meatballs recipe is a quick and easy weeknight protein that the whole family will love! Plus, they are wonderful for meal prepping.

My favorite part about this meatballs recipe besides the fact that it is so crazy delicious is that it’s really easy to make that even my 10-year old could make it.

Recipe Variations

You can use ground chicken or ground turkey in this recipe.
Use any spice blend you like. I used garlic powder, onion powder and dried parsley.
Make these ground chicken meatballs dairy-free by using vegan parmesan cheese or you can leave it out all together and add in about 2 extra tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
Use any type of breadcrumbs in this recipe. I used Italian-seasoned gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Cooked lean meatballs in a bowl with brown rice, zucchini and some tzatziki.

Ways to serve chicken meatballs

These air fryer chicken meatballs are so great paired with so many things. Here are a few of my favorite recipes to pair with them with.

Enjoy them with some Oven Roasted Broccoli or some Sautéed Spinach With Garlic.
Serve them over some Butternut Squash Noodles for a yummy low-carb meal.
Pile them on top of some Mashed Butternut Squash or Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
For an even healthier complete meal, serve them with this Easy Kale Salad With Lemon.

Expert Tips for making the best chicken meatballs

Use the highest quality chicken you can afford. I used organic, pasture-raised ground chicken.
These meatballs come out perfectly cooked in 7 minutes if you measure and roll the meatball mixture into 1 tablespoon size meatballs. The cooking time depends on your air fryer since air fryers vary.
Place the meatballs into the air fryer basket in a single layer so they do not stick together and they cook evenly on all sides. Cook them in batches if you are using a smaller air fryer.
For easier clean up use an air fryer parchment liner or you can just spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. I like to also spray the liner so that the meatballs do not stick to it.
Let them cool for a few minutes before serving since they will continue to cook a little bit more while cooling.
To make these chicken meatballs in the oven, place them onto a lined baking sheet and cook them at 400° F for 20-25 minutes.

Cooked golden air fried chicken meatballs on a lined pan.

Storing and Reheating Tips

Storing: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat portions in the air fryer at 350°F or in the microwave until warmed through.

Freezing: Let the meatballs cool completely, place them onto a lined baking sheet, and chill them in the freezer for 1 hour. Transfer the meatballs to a freezer-safe container and keep them in the freezer for up to one month. Defrost them overnight in the fridge then warm them in the air fryer.

Reheating: Reheat portions in the air fryer at 350°F or in the microwave until warmed through. To reheat from frozen, defrost them overnight in the refrigerator then reheat as noted above.

More Delicious Meatball Recipes To Try!

Did you make this ground chicken meatballs recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.