Air Fryer Meatballs
Air Fryer Meatballs offer 6g protein and 69 calories per serving, micro-dose protein portions that scale to 20 servings in one session. Quick-preps on the stovetop as a modular protein component to add to rice, pasta, or vegetable bases. Bridges gaps between main meals when you need to hit remaining daily protein without cooking full dishes.
Ingredients
- •Parmesan Cheese(80g)
Grated Parmesan — the shelf-stable canister is fine for cooking.
- •Bread Crumbs, Dry, Plain(80g)
- •1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes (or 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley)
- •1 teaspoon kosher salt
- •Italian seasoning(5g)
- •Garlic powder(3g)
- •Onion powder(3g)
- •1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- •Red pepper flakes(1g)
- •93/7 Ground Beef(454g)
- •Egg, Whole, Large
- •Parsley, Fresh
- •Parmesan Cheese
Grated Parmesan — the shelf-stable canister is fine for cooking.
- •Pasta Sauce, Marinara, Canned
- •Bread, French Or Hoagie Roll
- •Rice, Brown, Long-Grain
Instructions
- 1Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it handy. To keep the meatballs warm between batches, preheat the oven to 300°F and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2In a large mixing bowl, add the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine.
- 3Add the ground turkey. In a small bowl, beat the egg, then add it to the bowl (you also can crack it into an open space in the big mixing bowl and lightly beat it there). With a fork or your fingers, mix lightly just until the ingredients are evenly combined, being careful not to compact the meat.
- 4Portion the meat and shape into 1 1/2-inch meatballs (you will have about 20 total), then arrange them on the first baking sheet.
- 5Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Generously coat the basket with non-stick spray. Arrange a single layer of meatballs in the basket, ensuring they do not touch so air can circulate (you will need to cook them in batches). Mist the tops with non-stick spray.
- 6Air fry the meatballs at 400°F for 7 to 9 minutes, sliding out the basket and using tongs to gently turn the meatballs over halfway through. The meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. When a meatball is cut in half, the meat should look fully cooked.
- 7Place the first batch of cooked meatballs on the second, clean baking sheet, and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
- 8While the meatballs air fry, warm the sauce on the stove, and prep any other items you’d like to serve them with them. Enjoy the meatballs hot, topped with the sauce, cheese, herbs, and any other additions.
Nutrition — Per Serving
69
calories
6g
protein
3g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 4g
- Saturated fat
- 1.3g
- Sodium
- 117 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 0.3g
20 servings per batch · ~31g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
AI Swap Engine
Set up your profile to enable swaps →Common questions
How much protein does Air Fryer Meatballs have per serving?
Each meatball contains 6g of protein and 69 calories with 3g fat and 4g carbs. At this size, they function as a snack or appetizer component rather than a primary protein source.
How long does Air Fryer Meatballs take to prep and how many servings?
Quick prep yields 20 servings (meatballs), making this one of the highest-volume batch prep options in the app. You can prepare an entire week's worth of snacks in one cooking session.
Is Air Fryer Meatballs good for fat loss?
At 69 calories per meatball with 6g protein, these work as a high-volume snack option for fat loss when you need to fill volume without exceeding calorie targets. Stack 3-4 meatballs for a 20-25g protein snack under 280 calories.
