Garlic, Parmesan, and parsley give these juicy chicken meatballs plenty of savory flavor, while the air fryer adds lightly browned edges. They’re made from fresh ground chicken—not frozen meatballs—and work just as well tucked into a warm pita as they do tossed with marinara.
Makes: About 20 meatballs, serving 4. Estimated time: 35–40 minutes, including prep, preheating, and one 10–12-minute cooking batch. If your basket cannot hold the meatballs in a spaced single layer, allow roughly 10–12 additional minutes for each extra batch.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken, preferably a blend containing dark meat rather than breast-only
- 1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 cup prepared marinara sauce, optional, for serving
How To Make It
Soften the breadcrumbs.
In a large bowl, stir together the panko and milk. Let stand for 3 minutes while you grate the Parmesan, chop the parsley, and prepare the garlic. The crumbs should feel damp rather than sit in a puddle of milk.
Mix the seasoning base, then add the chicken.
Add the egg, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to the damp breadcrumbs. Stir until evenly combined. Add the ground chicken and gently fold everything together with a fork or clean hands, stopping when no large streaks of breadcrumb mixture remain. Avoid kneading or squeezing the meat into a paste; mixing just until combined helps prevent dense meatballs.
Shape the meatballs.
Divide the mixture into about 20 portions, roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons each. With lightly dampened hands, gently roll each portion into a ball about 1 1/2 inches across and place on a plate or tray. Aim for similar sizes, not perfectly smooth surfaces. If the mixture sticks heavily to your hands, refrigerate it for 10–15 minutes before continuing; add that chilling time to your total.
Prepare for cooking, then preheat.
If serving with marinara, measure it into a small saucepan so it is ready to warm while the meatballs cook. Wash your hands and clean utensils and surfaces that touched raw chicken. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C), usually 3–5 minutes or according to its instructions. Keep any meatballs waiting for a later batch covered in the refrigerator.
Arrange and air-fry.
Carefully brush the basket’s cooking surface with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add as many meatballs as fit in one layer with about 1/2 inch between them; cook all at once if they fit. Air-fry for an estimated 10–12 minutes, gently turning with tongs after 5 minutes. Start checking at 7–8 minutes, since air-fryer strength and meatball size can shorten the cooking time. Warm the optional marinara over low heat while they cook. Comparable fresh chicken meatballs cook quickly at this temperature, so treat the clock as a guide rather than a doneness test.
Check the centers.
Insert an instant-read thermometer sideways into the center of several meatballs, including the largest and ones from different parts of the basket. Each checked meatball must reach 165°F (74°C) before removal. If needed, continue cooking in 1–2-minute increments. Light golden patches are welcome, but exterior browning and interior color cannot replace a temperature reading.
Rest briefly and serve.
Transfer the cooked meatballs to a clean plate and let stand for 3 minutes. Cook any remaining batches, checking them early too. Spoon warm marinara over the meatballs just before serving, or offer it alongside for dipping. Add pasta and a green salad for dinner, or serve with rice and roasted vegetables.
Tips
- Choose chicken with some fat. A blend containing dark meat gives you more margin against dryness than very lean breast-only chicken. If breast-only is what you have, keep the milk and oil in the mixture and be especially attentive to the early temperature check.
- Keep a soft mixture soft. Ground chicken can be tackier than ground beef. Damp hands and a small scoop make portioning easier. Don’t keep adding breadcrumbs just to make it handle like beef; too much can leave the finished meatballs firm and bready.
- Turn gently rather than shaking hard. Let the meatballs cook undisturbed for the first 5 minutes so their surfaces can set. If one resists the tongs, give it another minute before trying again.
- Don’t chase a dark crust. Once the centers reach the required temperature, remove the meatballs even if they look paler than beef meatballs. For this dish, a tender center matters more than deep browning.
- Make a small flavor change. For a little heat, add 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. For a brighter version, add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the mixture. Keep wet sauces outside the meatballs so the mixture remains easy to shape.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow, airtight container within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the surrounding temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Use refrigerated meatballs within 3–4 days. Store the sauce separately if you want to preserve their browned surfaces.
For longer storage, freeze the cooked meatballs in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag. Label with the date and use within 2–3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat refrigerated meatballs in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C), checking after 3 minutes; roughly 4–6 minutes is a starting estimate. Alternatively, warm them gently in covered marinara, adding a splash of water if it thickens. Whichever method you choose, heat the centers to 165°F (74°C). Reheat only what you plan to serve, and use the thermometer—not extra browning—to decide when they’re ready.
