Frozen meatballs in air fryer come out tender and delicious in no time! Use your Ninja Foodi, Cosori or other brand to make this appetizer.
These frozen meatballs in air fryer were first made as a quick dinner. Then an appetizer was created. Boy are these versatile! An easy air fryer recipe to keep in your back pocket for sure. (affiliate links present)
Years ago I figured out how to make Instant Pot frozen meatballs, that was handy.
Now that I am obsessed with easy Ninja Foodi recipes I had to figure it out in that machine too.
Ninja Foodi Meatballs
If you love air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:
- THIS is my Favorite Air Fryer!
- You can find more Air fryer recipes here, we have Ninja Foodi recipes as well; bookmark them both!
- This is the best air fryer cookbook. Remember to always preheat air fryer for best results.
- Here’s a printable air fryer cook times chart here for your fridge.
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.
- Then join our Facebook page where you can share and find more ideas you’ll love. We have a Foodi social media group as well.
Sometimes I just crave some meat as a snack, but cooking frozen meat can be tricky. Throw these in, get them tender and pour some spaghetti sauce over them for a quick snack.
If you want to make cheesy spaghetti, these are a great add in as well. It doesn’t matter what brand you pick up, store brand is just fine as you can see.
Nothing else is necessary to go from rock hard frozen to tender perfection in your hot air machine. Like I have said time and time again, you can air fry everything y’all.
Here are a few questions you might be thinking about before you get started on this:
It depends on what cooking method you’re using. In a pressure cooker it takes only a few minutes. Air fryer meatballs only take about 9 minutes too.
I prefer Italian style with any brand out there, and beef vs. turkey or chicken. Pineland Farms is quite popular, I buy Farmland or Johnsonville usually.
Basically all of them are pre cooked, know that. You’re just defrosting and warming them to your liking. No real worry about raw meat in these. We’ll share how to cook frozen meatballs in air fryer here.
You don’t even need non stick spray to make these perfect. I usually use that for everything but it isn’t necessary at all.
Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs
- Bag of meatballs – frozen, if thawed you’d need less time
- Cosori air fryer or brand you have at home
If you are making this an appetizer you could toss with things like:
- Teriyaki sauce
- Spaghetti sauce
- Barbecue sauce
- Mix jar of 18 oz. grape jelly with 12 oz. chili sauce to make grape jelly meatballs
Or just throw it into a pot of Instant Pot spaghetti to add protein to your meal!
Air Fryer Meatballs
NOW if you want to make these homemade with ground beef you can do that too. OR use half ground pork to add more flavor. With some bread crumbs you can make air fried meatballs using the link above.
We love that quick and easy recipe too. BUT when we want a really fast meatball recipe we revert to this one.
Biggest tip for both is to ensure they’re in a single layer in your air fryer basket. This way the outsides can get crispy all the way around.
Using your oven on a baking sheet we have added all ingredients into a large bowl to combine it all. Parmesan cheese is a great add in for this method too.
For entire recipe including cook time, refer to our basic meatball recipe here.
Time needed: 9 minutes.
Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs
- Prepare
Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees for 5 minutes. Dump frozen meatballs into air fryer basket and cook at 380 F.
- Cook
Set timer to 8 minutes or until they are heated through to your liking. Add 1-2 minutes longer to get a crispier outside texture.
- Serve
Warm spaghetti sauce if desired and toss with meatballs to serve.
This is what they look like smothered in tomato sauce with seasonings. Great as is really.
Ninja Foodi Frozen Meatballs
Want to compare this with other cooking methods? Of course you can microwave them right out of the bag but that is my last resort for anything.
Even frozen salmon in air fryer and air fryer corndogs are SO much better than nuking them only.
BUT another winner for dinner are Crockpot frozen meatballs. Especially for a large group they’ll stay warm for hours right in the pot.
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Nutritional facts such as calories and saturated fat will vary depending on the brand. Refer to the bag you buy for very accurate information.
Frozen Meatballs in Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb meatballs frozen
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Dump frozen meatballs into air fryer basket and cook at 380 F for 8-10 minutes or until they are heated through to your liking.
- Warm spaghetti sauce if desired and toss with meatballs to serve.
Video
