Air Fry for
12-15 min
At
350 °F
Are you ready for a simple and quick meatball appetizer made in the air fryer? These Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs with BBQ glaze is the recipe you’ve been looking for.
“I'm making these for a small get together this weekend. I love how fast they are to make in the air fryer rather than the slow cooker.”
Why we love these!
- Kid-Friendly – little hands love dipping these into ketchup or ranch!
- Perfectly cooked – the air fryer makes meatballs that are juicy inside and crispy on the outside.
- Quick and Easy – Air fryer frozen meatballs are ready in under 10 minutes.
- Budget-friendly – Stock up on frozen meatballs next time you see a sale! It’s super convenient to have a bag on hand for an easy weeknight meal or impromptu gathering.
- Versatile – Use these as an appetizer, a snack, or a meal.
We’ve made air fryer meatballs from scratch before. That recipe is delicious and pretty simple. This recipe for frozen meatballs in the air fryer is even easier!
What you need
- Frozen Meatballs – This recipe is specifically for frozen, fully-cooked meatballs.
- BBQ Sauce – I like a sweet and tangy sauce on my meatballs, but again, use whatever you like.
- Spray Oil – Use your favorite oil in a spray bottle when air frying. Aerosol oil sprays can damage the finish on your air fryer basket, so be sure to avoid spraying oil directly onto the basket.
- Parchment paper – I suggest using parchment paper liners for less cleanup.
Steps to Make
- Decide which brand of frozen meatballs you want to make in the air fryer.
- Portion out the quantity of meatballs you’d like to air fry.
- Put the meatballs into the air fryer basket or tray. Spritz the meatballs with some oil. Air Fry at 350F/177C for 12-15 minutes.
- Open the air fryer to stir or shake the meatballs as they cook. Watch/check on the meatballs, you may need to extend the cook time.
- Remove the meatballs from the air fryer and place them into a bowl. Top the with BBQ sauce (of your choice) stir to coat the meatballs.
- Portion out your meatballs onto serving plates and enjoy!
Tips to keep in mind
- Don’t crowd the basket – It’s always best to give your food breathing room in the air fryer basket. Since the air fryer cooks by circulating hot air, you want that air to be able to surround each individual meatball.
- Add a bit of oil – While it’s not completely necessary, I find that a small amount of oil sprayed onto the meatballs makes the outsides nice and crispy. You can leave it out if you prefer.
- Give it a shake – You don’t need to be too precise with this step. Just gently shake the air fryer basket to move the meatballs around at least once during the cooking time.
- Avoid Overcooking – Overcooked frozen meatballs can be dry. Watch for the exterior to be slightly browned, and check that they are heated through by using a kitchen thermometer.
Storing leftovers
If you’re not eating them right away, store your cooked air fryer frozen meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
For the best texture, I suggest air frying the meatballs right before you plan to serve them.
Serving Ideas
- Serve on a platter with toothpicks as a party appetizer with Frozen Popcorn Shrimp or Air Fryer Potato Skins.
- Serve these BBQ air fryer meatballs as a meal with some french fries and a salad.
- These would also be yummy as a sandwich with a little cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion or even as meatball lasagna!
- Serve them with pasta for a classic spaghetti and meatballs dinner.
Mix up the sauces
A BBQ sauce is an easy options, but there are lots of other great options that will give you super tasty meatball appetizers.
- Tomato Sauce – Marinara, or your favorite spaghetti sauce.
- Asian Sauces – You can find bottled General Tso’s, Sweet Chili, or Teriyaki sauces at the store and they are super tasty with frozen meatballs.
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs – The classic appetizer recipe uses a bottle of Heinz chili sauce and a jar of grape jelly.
- Sweedish meatballs – Combine a can of cream of mushroom soup with a half cup of beef broth and a 1/4 cup of sour cream. Simmer to heat it through and add in the meatballs once they are cooked.
- Gravy – Meatballs with gravy is a super simple meal served over noodles or rice!
You can also enjoy your air fryer frozen meatballs without any sauce at all. Kids might like to dip their meatballs in ketchup, or you can slice the meatballs to add to salads or meal prep lunches for the week.
FAQs
First, be sure to check the packaging to find out if your meatballs are raw, partially cooked, or fully cooked. Most frozen packaged meatballs are fully cooked, but you should never assume.
Second, use a food thermometer to ensure that the frozen food is cooked all the way. The USDA recommends that all ready-to-eat or fully cooked frozen foods be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Nope! Cooking frozen meatballs directly from frozen is the best, fastest, and safest way to do so.
You sure can! Mini meatballs will cook in the air fryer the exact same way, but will likely need less time in the air fryer to cook through.
Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package Frozen Meatballs 10-20 ounces
- Spray Oil
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce use your favorite type
Instructions
- Decide which brand of frozen meatballs you want to make in the air fryer.
- Portion out the quantity of meatballs you’d like to air fry.
- Put the meatballs into the air fryer basket or tray. Spritz the meatballs with some oil. Air Fry at 350F/177C for 12-15 minutes.
- Open the air fryer to stir or shake the meatballs as they cook. Watch/check on the meatballs, you may need to extend the cook time.
- Remove the meatballs from the air fryer and place into a bowl. Top the with BBQ sauce (of your choice) stir to coat the meatballs.
- Portion out your meatballs onto serving plates and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
- Several factors affect how the meatballs cook (brand, size, type of meat), so watch them closely.
- Ingredients in different brands of meatballs can affect the way that they brown.
- You may need to add extra time if your meatballs are large, or if you are cooking a larger amount.
- Avoid adding more meatballs to the air fryer than will fit in a single layer.
- Spray oil helps the meatballs to become browned and beautiful. For vegan meatballs, you’ll definitely need this, but for pork or beef you may not, since there is a good amount of fat already in the meat.
- The nutrition facts for this recipe are dependent on the brands of meatballs and bbq sauce that you choose.
Nutrition
I’m making these for a small get together this weekend. I love how fast they are to make in the air fryer rather than the slow cooker.
Yes, the air fryer is super fast!
do they work really well? then I will buy 1 also.
Yep, we think so!