Easy Air Fryer Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy and disclosure policy.
These Air fryer Cheese Stuffed Meatballs are juicy, cheesy, and full of flavor! They are ready in 10 minutes and make an easy meal or a delicious appetizer!
Easy Air Fryer Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
This Mozzarella stuffed Air fryer meatballs made with ground beef, spices and herbs is moist, tender, and so flavorful!
I hardly use my oven to make meatballs after I bought my Air fryer. Whether it’s cheese-stuffed meatballs or Chicken meatballs, I find it easy to make it in the Air fryer than on the stovetop or the oven. They come out nice and crispy every time.
These meatballs get cooked in 10 minutes. You’ll have to do 2 batches with a pound of ground meat but it’s faster than the other cooking methods. They come out juicy with great texture and full of flavor, thanks to the spices, herbs, and both parmesan and melted cheese inside.
These are so easy to make. All you have to do is mix all the ingredients in a bowl, scoop, stuff it with cubed cheese and shape them. My kids love to get involved and get their hands dirty in shaping the balls.
They can be served with spaghetti for a traditional spaghetti with meatballs. If you’re on a low carb/keto diet, serve them on top of zucchini noodles. I love to serve them with marinara sauce as an appetizer for guests.
If you’re looking for more healthy Air fryer recipes, dinner or appetizers, check my Air Fryer Recipes collection.
Why we love making cheese stuffed meatballs in the Air Fryer:
- Juicy and flavorful
- Melted cheese inside
- Easy to make
- Quick
- Easy weeknight meal or an appetizer
INGREDIENTS
- Ground beef – use lean ground beef
- Egg
- Bread crumbs – panko or regular breadcrumbs. I’ve used both.
- Parmesan cheese – grated.
- Garlic cloves
- Italian seasoning
- Paprika powder – Use cayenne pepper for more heat
- Kosher Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Parsley
- Milk
- Mozzarella cheese – I used mozzarella cheese, but other great choices would be Burrata, Monterey jack, Havarti or even Cheddar cheese. Cut the cheese into half an inch cubes.
How To Make Mozzarella Stuffed Air Fryer Meatballs
Making cheese stuffed meatballs in Air fryer is a breeze. Here’s how to do it:
- Into a large mixing bowl, add ground meat, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, chopped parsley, milk, and mix until combined.
- Scoop the meat mixture using a cookie dough scoop and place them in a baking sheet. This makes about 16 to 18 balls.
- Cut the mozzarella cheese into 16 to 18 cubes. Slightly flatten the meatball and place the cheese in the middle and shape it into a ball completely covering the cheese.
- Preheat the Air fryer to 375F.
- You can line the Air fryer basket with a foil or spray with cooking oil and place the meatballs on it.
- Air fry the meatballs for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned flipping halfway.
- Remove and cook the next batch.
- Once all the meatballs are cooked, you can put all together to warm for a few minutes in the Air fryer.
- Serve with marinara sauce.
What Air Fryer to Use
Best Basket Type Air Fryer: Cosori 5.8 quart
Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer: Power Air Fryer
Best Tips
- You can use an aluminum foil to catch grease and for easy clean up because cheese will ooze out from the meatballs.
- Don’t overcrowd the Air fryer. Cook the meatballs in two batches to cook evenly.
- Air fry until they are golden brown or use a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature. The temperature should be 160F.
- After cooking, place the remaining meatballs in the air fryer and warm them for a minute or two, if you prefer.
What Other Meats Can I Use To Make Meatballs?
I use ground beef in this recipe. You can use ground lamb too. If you want to use ground turkey check out my Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs recipe.
How To Store and Reheat Air Fryer Meatballs
Store the cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Reheat them in the microwave.
How Long To Cook Meatballs In The Air Fryer?
A good starting point will be 10 minutes. Check in 1 or 2-minute increments. Depending on the Air fryer model it might take more time.
If you are cooking frozen meatballs, cook them for 12 to 15 minutes.
How To Know When The Meatballs Are Done?
You don’t want to overcook your meatballs. They become dry. A visual way to tell whether the meatballs are done is that they turn from pink to a golden brown.
The most accurate way is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 160F for doneness.
Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs
These air fryer meatballs are great for freezing. And makes a great dish for meal prep. I always make them on my meal prep days for their convenience.
You can freeze the Air fried meatballs in a freezer bag and freeze them for 3 months. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat them.
If you’re freezing raw meatballs, place them on parchment paper and freeze. Remove the frozen meatballs and put them in a freezer bag and freeze for 3 months.
To Air Fry Frozen Uncooked Meatballs from this recipe or from a box,
- Preheat the Air fryer for 400F.
- Air fry them for 12 to15 minutes until they are browned and cooked through. Check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer if needed.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Meatballs
For an appetizer or snack, I like to serve the meatballs with marinara sauce.
As a main meal, serve them with spaghetti and sauce, on top of zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.
Use them on salads or in meatball subs. They’re delicious in any way.
Are Meatballs Healthy?
Yes, they are. Use lean ground meat if possible to cut down on the extra fat content.
If you want gluten-free air fryer meatballs, replace the breadcrumbs with a gluten-free one.
For low-carb or keto meatballs, you can use almond meal instead of panko bread crumbs.
More Air Fryer Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Air Fryer Garlic Steak Bites
- Crispy and Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Shrimps
- Air Fryer Chicken Nugget
- Air Fryer Crispy Roast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
Love air frying? You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or join our Free Facebook Air Frying Group.
If you like this recipe, I’d love it if you can give me a rating and comment! Share it with your family and friends! ❤️
Recipe
Air fryer Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
Equipment
- cookie dough scoop
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg large
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbs milk
- 3 to 4 oz mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Into a large mixing bowl, add ground meat, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, chopped parsley, milk, and mix until combined.
- Scoop the meat mixture using a cookie dough scoop and place them in a baking sheet. This makes about 16 to 18 balls.
- Cut the mozzarella cheese into 16 to 18 cubes. Slightly flatten the meatball and place the cheese in the middle and shape it into a ball completely covering the cheese.
- Preheat the Air fryer to 375F.You can line the Air fryer basket with a foil or spray with cooking oil and place the meatballs on it.
- Air fry the meatballs for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned flipping halfway. Remove and cook the next batch.
- Once all the meatballs are cooked, you can put all together to warm for a few minutes in the Air fryer. with marinara sauce.
Notes
- Store – in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
- Reheat – in the microwave.
- Freeze – cooked meatballs in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in your preferred method.
New fav around here, the kids absolutely loved them!
These are so good! My kids couldn’t believe there was cheese in them! What a fun and delish recipe!
I’m glad to hear that! Thank you!
I made these for our Superbowl party and they were a huge hit!
Thank you! We made it for Superbowl too!
Hubby requested these for this week’s menu because they were so good last time!
Awesome!
I never once thought to cook meatballs in the air fryer. Thanks to you, this is my husbands new favorite snack! This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Glad to hear that Glenda! Thank you!
Hi, just wondering if the breadcrumbs are fresh or dried. Thanks for your help. Kathy
Hi Kathy, both fresh and dried breadcrumbs will work!