These air fryer chicken meatball bowls are a quick and delicious air fryer meal! Homemade chicken meatballs cook in just 10 minutes, dinner is ready in no time. Cooking these meatballs in the air fryer keeps them light and moist but also gives them a crispy exterior. Serve with pasta sauce over noodles, in a meatball sub, or in a rice bowl. Store leftover cooked meatballs in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze for 4 months!
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Highlights of the air fryer chicken meatball bowls:
- Low carb
- Simple ingredients
- Easy weeknight meal
- Kid friendly
- 10 minute cook time
- Leftovers can easily store in an airtight container
- Versatile air fryer recipe
Tools I used for this recipe:
- Glasslock Glass Food Storage Containers – the square containers are the perfect size for lunches, stain proof, and they are dishwasher safe. Great for storing leftovers.
- Tongs – a must have kitchen tool!
- USA Pan Half Sheet Pan – my go-to sheet pans, these are truly non-stick and clean up nicely
- Instant 6 qt. Air Fryer – Sleek and functional, the perfect size for 2-3 people.
- Portion Scoops – perfect for getting even sized meatballs.
If you like these Air Fryer Chicken Meatball Bowls, you’ll love these other easy weeknight dinner ideas…
Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Recipe
2 Ingredient Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Serving these as rice bowls? Check out my post on Perfect Brown Rice (without a rice cooker) or Perfect Steamed Rice (without a rice cooker) for prefect rice each time!
These air fryer chicken meatballs are perfect for weekly meal prep!
Grocery List for the air fryer meatballs:
- Lean ground chicken (could substitute lean ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey)
- Italian breadcrumbs (could substitute panko breadcrumbs or plain breadcrumbs, I like the extra flavor from the Italian seasoning)
- Large whole eggs
- Garlic cloves
- White onion
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- White rice (could substitute long grain white rice or brown rice)
- English cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Fresh mint
- Feta cheese
- Half & half or cream
- Kalamata olives
Quick Steps:
- Prepare chicken mixture
- Portion and roll in balls
- Preheat air fryer
- Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping halfway
- Serve as is or in a rice bowl
- Store any leftovers for up to a week
Are chicken meatballs healthier than beef?
Chicken is generally lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can make them better for cardiovascular health than ground beef.
How do you keep your chicken meatballs from falling apart?
A good mixture of binding agents is important. Both whole eggs and breadcrumbs are great for keeping meatballs from falling apart. A simple way to check that the meatballs wont fall apart while cooking is while rolling the meatballs. If the meatballs do not stay together while rolling, they will most likely fall apart while cooking. If your raw meatball mixture is falling apart, increase the amount of breadcrumbs as needed. You can also chill the meatballs before baking to help them hold their shape.
How do I make sure my meatballs are moist?
Cooking meatballs in the air fryer keeps the outside crispy and the inside light and moist. Ground chicken is low in fat cooking them in the air fryer is a great way to make sure they don’t get dry or overcooked.
Instructions for the air fryer chicken meatball recipe:
Rice:
- In a large sauce pan combine the rice and water, stir well. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling cover and reduce heat to low. Cook on low for 30 minutes. Remove lid, and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Cucumber & Tomato Salsa:
- In a small mixing bowl combine diced cucumber, tomatoes, fresh mint, and olive oil. Stir to combine, season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Homemade Meatballs:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Using a portion scoop or measuring spoon, scoop 1 oz. portions of the meat mixture, roll into balls. You will get about 20, 1 oz. meatballs. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F. with a cook time of 10 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the meatballs in an single layer. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping half way through. Meatballs are done once they are crispy and have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Whipped Feta:
- In the bowl of a food processor of blender combine feta, half and half, and black pepper. Pulse until creamy. Adjust half and half until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve chicken meatballs over a bed of rice, topped with cucumber tomato salsa, whipped feta, Kalamata olives, and fresh mint.
- Leftover chicken meatballs can keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Notes & Variations
- You may substitute lean ground beef
- Add extra seasoning such as garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, etc. as desired.
- Meatballs can be made larger, the cooking time will need to be adjusted as needed.
- Substitute gluten free breadcrumbs for gluten-free chicken meatballs
Air Fryer Chicken Meatball Bowls
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 2 cups White or Brown Rice, dry, or substitute riced cauliflower
- 4 cups Water
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb. Ground chicken
- 1 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 2 Whole eggs
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 small White onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
For the Cucumber Tomato Salsa:
- 1 large English cucumber, finely diced
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- Fresh mint, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Whipped Feta:
- 1, 8 oz. Block feta cheese
- 3-4 tbsp Half and half
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Fresh mint, lemon wedges, and kalamata olives for garnish
Instructions
For the Rice:
- In a large sauce pan combine the rice and water, stir well. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling cover and reduce heat to low. Cook on low for 30 minutes. Remove lid, and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
For the Cucumber & Tomato Salsa:
- In a small mixing bowl combine diced cucumber, tomatoes, fresh mint, and olive oil. Stir to combine, season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the Meatballs:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Using a portion scoop or measuring spoon, scoop 1 oz. portions, roll into balls. You will get about 20, 1 oz. meatballs. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F. with a cook time of 10 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the meatballs in an even layer. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping half way through. Meatballs are done once they are crispy and have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
For the Whipped Feta:
- In the bowl of a food processor of blender combine feta, half and half, and black pepper. Pulse until creamy. Adjust half and half until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve chicken meatballs over a bed of rice, topped with cucumber tomato salsa, whipped feta, kalamata olives, and fresh mint.
- Leftover chicken meatballs can keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
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