This Easy Air Fryer BBQ Beef Meatballs recipe is prepared with ground beef or turkey using fresh or frozen meat. These are ready in no time and don't take long to cook. These are perfect for weeknight dinners!
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This post was originally published in December 2018. It has since been updated.
Table of Contents
What Type of Beef to Use
I like to use ground beef or ground chuck beef. Lean beef is preferred because as the meatballs cook, they will release a good amount of fat.
80% lean will release a lot more than 93% lean, but you can still use it. You will have to drain the excess fat before adding BBQ sauce.
How to Keep Them From Falling Apart
Eggs and breadcrumbs are used to provide structure. You also don't want to overwork and over-mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs. I like to use my hands because it's a lot easier to be gentle with your hands than using a spatula or spoon.
You want to mix the meat mixture until the ingredients are combined. If you over-mix the mixture, the meatballs will fall apart.
How to Season and Add Flavor
I love to use my Homemade BBQ Rub in this recipe. You can use any rub you like or any seasonings you wish.
What Type of BBQ Sauce to Use
Use your favorite sauce. The BBQ sauce is really the star of this dish. I love to use a local favorite, Gates BBQ Sauce or the BBQ Sauce from Primal Kitchen because it doesn't have any added sugar.
How to Cook Meatballs in an Air Fryer
- Combine onions, garlic, shredded cheese, egg, almond meal, and seasonings in large bowl.
- Use clean hands and combine the ingredients and form one large ball.
- Use a spoon to form about 10 smaller meatballs.
- Place the meatballs in the air fryer. Air Fry.
- Remove the meatballs from the air fryer and drizzle them in BBQ sauce.
How Long to Cook the Meatballs/How to Test if They Are Done
I let my meatballs cook for about 13-15 minutes. The key is to use a meat thermometer. The meatballs are ready when the internal temperature reachs 165 degrees F. Check out this post for a great Meat Temperature Guide.
Air Fryer Temperature
Load the meatballs into the air fryer and cook on 360 degrees.
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Can You Substitute Turkey
You can use ground turkey if you wish with no adjustment to cook time.
How to Store/How Long They Last in the Fridge
You can store them tightly sealed and covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Frozen Meatballs
Frozen meatballs will need 15-16 minutes of cook time. Always use a meat thermometer to test doneness.
Freezer Tips
You can freeze these tightly sealed for up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or you can reheat them in the air fryer frozen for 10-15 minutes on 350 degrees.
Side Dishes to Pair With this Recipe
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Southern Baked Beans
Southern Coleslaw
Southern Potato Salad
Southern Soul Food Baked Mac and Cheese
Easy Spaghetti Salad
Southern Macaroni Salad
Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
You may also enjoy my Air Fryer Marinated Steak and Air Fryer Cheeseburgers.
Popular Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Air Fryer Fried Pickles
Air Fryer Ribs
Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Air Fryer Meatloaf
Looking for more keto recipes? Check out my listing of The Best Air Fryer Keto Dinner Recipes.
This recipe works great with my Homemade BBQ Seasoning and Rub.
Easy Air Fryer BBQ Beef Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- 2 garlic cloves Minced.
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup BBQ Sauce
Homemade BBQ Seasoning (If using a store-bought seasoning or rub, use 1 ½- 2 tablespoons of the store bought rub. Use your judgment)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or sweetener
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- Add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, onions, garlic, cheddar, egg, worcestershire sauce, and seasonings to a large bowl.
- Using clean hands, combine the ingredients and form one large ball.
- Use a spoon and form 10 smaller meatballs.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil to prevent sticking or use air fryer parchment paper. Load the meatballs into the air fryer. Do not stack. Cook in batches if needed.
- Cook the meatballs for 8 minutes on 360 degrees.
- Open the air fryer and flip the meatballs.
- Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Remove the meatballs from the air fryer and drizzle in BBQ sauce.
Video
Notes
- A lot of time lean ground beef is preferred when making meatballs because as they cook, they will release a good amount of fat. 80% lean will release a lot more than 93% lean, but you can still use it. You will have to drain the excess fat after the meatballs have slow-cooked for 2 hours on High or 4 hours on Low. Be careful when doing this because you don't want to disturb the meatballs. At this point, they aren't fully cooked, so you risk them falling apart.
- Eggs and breadcrumbs are used to provide structure. You also don’t want to overwork and over-mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs. I like to use my hands because it’s a lot easier to be gentle with your hands than using a spatula or spoon. If you overmix, the meatballs will fall apart.
- You can use ground turkey if you wish with no adjustment to cook time.
- Frozen meatballs will need 15-16 minutes of cook time. Always use a meat thermometer to test doneness.
- If you want low carb meatballs, use ½ cup of almond meal. This is different than almond flour. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds and typically have the skins removed and is ground more finely than almond meal. It's commonly used in baked goods and bread recipes. Almond meal typically still contains the skins and is more coarse. Almond meal works better for recipes that require breading. You can use almond flour in this recipe, but the results will differ. You can read more about The Differences Between Almond Flour and Almond Meal here.
- Macros assume Primal Kitchen sugar free BBQ sauce and Lakanto Golden monkfruit sweetener. Feel free to use the macro calculator of your choice to calculate your macros using the branded ingredients you choose to use in the recipe.
Wilhelmina says
These meatballs look delicious! Almond meal is great sub for breadcrumbs!
Abigail Sotto Raines says
I love using almond meal in my meatballs too as replacement for breadcrumbs as it adds so much flavor and some crunch. This is absolutely yummy!
Elizabeth Gregory says
Just wanted to point out there is NO link for the homemade BBQ sauce. Can you correct this? I would like to make this recipe.
staysnatched says
Thanks for catching! Here is the link https://www.staysnatched.com/keto-bbq-sauce/
ARD says
I made these tonight for dinner and they were delicious.
They were kid approved which is always a bonus. They are super easy to throw together with simple ingredients. I only needed to cook mine for 12 minutes in the air fryer. You should definitely give these a try. We paired our meatballs with cauliflower rice and roasted veggies.
staysnatched says
So easy to make. Glad you enjoyed them!
Yoshiko says
Omg! These were so good and had such good flavor! It was hard to just eat 2 ?! The recipe was very easy and delicious paired with mashed cauliflower!
staysnatched says
I love that pairing! Glad you enjoyed them!
Nikki says
First off, these are so easy to make. They take no time at all. Second, they taste great, the seasoning is on point! I used these to make spaghetti and meatballs for my kids, and I had them plain with sugar free BBQ sauce. Either way they were delicious! Will be making them more!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Erin Lewis says
SO GOOD. My fiancé RAVED about these! They were so easy and so delicious! I cooked some in a pan on the stovetop as well (we were impatient because we also used the air fryer for Brandi’s tater tots with this) and they turned out awesome, so if anyone does not have an air fryer and wants to pan fry, they still worked that way! Would be great for holidays, parties, or just enjoying for a weeknight meal. Recommend to pair with the homemade air fryer tater tots too!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Monica Black says
I tried this meatball recipe for my weekly meal prep and they were a hit. I used ground turkey since that’s what I had already at home. This recipe was so easy and delicious. This was my first time using almond flour. I literally had to make sure my husband didn’t eat the entire pan. LOL!
staysnatched says
haha! Love to hear it.
D.W. says
Made this recipe for my meal prep for the week! I used ground turkey for this recipe! I also used Brandi's BBQ seasoning recipe! Used panko this time, but I will try it again with almond meal for a lower carb option. This recipe does not disappoint! I used primal kitchen's mango jalapeno BBQ sauce!
staysnatched says
I love that sauce!
Celene says
Hello Brandi! I made these for meal prep this week. They were delicious! pair with some air fried green beans or asparagus. quick and easy weeknight meal.
thanks!
staysnatched says
Hi! So glad you enjoyed it!
Dorothy says
Made this meatballs for meal prep with ground turkey and they were amazing. So flavorful and filling.
staysnatched says
That sounds so good!
Andrea says
This recipe looks delicious. I’m gonna try it tonight. I just got an air fryer so I’m learning all sorts of new stuff about it. I do have a question, once the meatballs are done and you put the barbeque sauce on do you put them back in the air fryer to heat the barbeque sauce?
staysnatched says
No, it's for the sauce to penetrate. This isn't a cooking method specific to air frying.
Sydney says
These were so good and easy to make!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!