Air Fryer Greek Chicken Meatballs are the perfect weeknight dinner. They are packed with herbs, garlic, and spices which give them a complex, delicious flavor. Since they’re made with lean ground chicken, they’re light and on the healthier side. Plus they’re shockingly easy to make and come together in just 30 minutes!
Your air fryer is the perfect appliance to make meatballs. They come out with a browned, crisp exterior but are still nice and moist on the inside. Using an air fryer also gives you a super short cooking time (only 10 minutes!) and easy clean-up.
What Are Greek Meatballs?
Like regular meatballs, Greek meatballs (also known as keftedes) are made from a base of ground meat, bread crumbs, and egg. What sets them apart is the herbs and spices. Garlic, shallot, parsley, cumin, and mint make these meatballs burst with vibrant flavor!
Greek meatballs also differ from regular meatballs in the way that they are served. While regular meatballs are often served over pasta, Greek meatballs are served over salad, by themselves as an appetizer, or as part of a mezze platter. Traditional Greek meatballs are made with various combinations of beef, pork and lamb. For this recipe, we’ll use ground chicken, which is the perfect canvas for our herbs and spices and keeps things a bit easier.
Ingredients and Equipment
The central ingredient in this recipe is ground chicken. Ground chicken thighs and ground chicken breast both work well. Breadcrumbs and an egg are used to help bind the ingredients together and make the meatballs nice and tender.
Next you’re going to need garlic and shallot. Make sure that the shallot is super finely chopped, we don’t want chunks in our meatballs.
The herbs and spices are what really make this recipe shine. We’re going to use a combination of cumin, salt, chopped parsley, and chopped mint for flavor. None will overwhelm, and all will blend together to create a harmony of flavors that’s simply awesome.
The only piece of special equipment you need to make this recipe is an air fryer. Other than that, all you need is a mixing bowl, a knife, a cutting board, and a spatula.
Swaps and Substitutions
Greek meatballs may seem fancy, but they’re made from a simple list of ingredients, all of which are easy to find and many of which you already have at home. If you’re missing an ingredient or two, here are some quick swaps you can make…
If you don’t have shallots on hand, you can replace the shallot with ¼ cup of finely chopped red onion. This won’t make a huge difference in flavor. The fresh herbs can also be replaced with dry herbs. If you’re using dried herbs, substitute every tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs for 1 teaspoon of the dried version.
If you can’t find mint, feel free to omit it and double the parsley. You can also substitute it for another herb. Dill and oregano are both great options!
Preparation
Greek meatballs couldn’t be easier to prepare. Start by chopping up your herbs, garlic, and shallot. Then throw all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until everything is evenly distributed. Roll the mixture into balls and you’re done!
Ground chicken can be a bit stickier than ground beef. Make sure to work with the ground chicken still cold from the refrigerator. This will help rolling the meatballs a little bit easier. Also, wet your hands with cold water before rolling the meatballs to further help prevent them from sticking to your hands.
Cooking
Spray the air fryer basket or tray with some (air fryer-safe) non-stick cooking spray. Though your air fryer basket likely has a non-stick surface, a little spray really helps. Preheat your air fryer to 375℉. Then place the meatballs inside in a single layer. You can also give the tops of the meatballs a quick spray with the cooking spray to help enhance the browning. Air fry at 375℉ for 10 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165°F. Turn meatballs halfway through cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Ahh, the possibilities! Enjoy as an appetizer or as a meal!
Serve on a plate with some tzatziki or tahini sauce for a wonderful appetizer.
Greek meatballs also make a terrific meal! Serve over rice or with a Greek salad. And my favorite, stuff into pita pockets with some tomatoes, shredded lettuce, your favorite sauce or hummus for an excellent sandwich.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover Greek meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The easiest way to reheat them is in the microwave. Place a few meatballs on a microwave-safe plate with a damp paper towel on top (this prevents them from drying out) and microwave for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
PrintRecipe
Air Fryer Greek Chicken Meatballs
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 meatballs
Description
Enjoy authentic Greek flavors with these delicious air fryer chicken meatballs. Super easy to make and perfect to serve for a delicious weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 tbs fresh mint, finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- Cooking spray (air fryer safe spray)
Instructions
- Add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, shallot, cumin, salt, parsley, and mint to a large mixing bowl. Fold the ingredients together until they are evenly distributed.
- Roll the mixture into 12-14 meatballs (about 1″ – 1 ½″ in diameter). Wet your hands with cold water before rolling the meatballs to prevent them from sticking to you.
- Spray the air fryer basket (or tray, as applicable) with cooking spray, then preheat to 375°F for 5 minutes. After preheating, arrange the meatballs in a single layer inside the air fryer. Lightly mist the meatballs with more cooking spray to enhance browning. Use air fry setting at 375°F for 10 minutes, turning meatballs after 5 minutes.
- When meatballs are golden and have an internal temperature of 165°F, carefully remove them to a plate and let them rest for 2 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Greek
Ale Swan says
OMG amazing! I’m so used to you adding in garlic powder and onion powder yhat I wasn’t sure if the chopped garlic and chopped shallot would cook through but DAMN they did and these were the BEST DAMN GREEK MEATBALLS Ever! Wow wow wow! My husband, father in law and me were all good members of the clean plate club tonight. I served them with refridgerated English cucumber that was marinated in sour cream, Greek yogurt, mayo, salt, fresh dill, fresh parsley, and garlic powder. I also did a warm fresh corn salad with vinegar and sugar marinated red onion, fresh parsley, fresh mint, ground pepper, olive oil and feta.
This as a splendid meal! Thank Jason the Recipe Teacher!!! BTW I’m in a crappy food area so the only ground chicken available was Purdue. I wanted to vomit thinking about Purdue’s supply chain and RFK Jr’s food warnings but his area has zero options. Yet the recipe still tasted great even if I had to shove the thought of eating outside out of mind.