Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs are ready in just 10 minutes and give us the best result of a juicy interior and a crispy exterior for delicious and easy meatball perfection! 

Take these frozen meatballs in air fryer and add them to some of my delicious meatballs recipes! Add them to the sauce in my Swedish Meatballs Recipe, mix up the sauce in my Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs and Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs recipes and serve it with these air fryer meatballs! 

Golden brown and crisped Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs in a ceramic bowl on a white textured background.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Only 10 minutes. This is such a quick dinner or quick appetizer because it takes just 10 minutes to cook these frozen meatballs in the air fryer! It’s a simple and easy way to cook frozen meatballs! 
  • Cook from frozen. No need to thaw the meatballs first. Add them directly to the air fryer from the freezer! 
  • Add to tons of recipes. You can air fry frozen meatballs and then use them in tons of different recipes: pasta, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, skewers, appetizers, etc. The options are endless! 

Ingredient Notes

A white bowl with frozen meatballs in it.
  • Frozen Meatballs: For this frozen meatballs air fryer recipe I used the frozen meatballs from Costco which are precooked. You can use more or less depending on the size of your air fryer. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer. Set your air fryer to 385°F.
  2. Air fry the frozen meatballs. Place the frozen meatballs in the basket of the air fryer, being careful not to crowd the meatballs. Air fry the meatballs for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately plain or with your favorite sauce! 
Frozen meatballs on a wire air fryer basket.
Air fried meatballs on a wire basket.

Recipe Tips

Be sure to air fry the meatballs in a single layer, and put the frozen meatballs in air fryer frozen. Do not thaw before hand. 

The frozen meatballs I used are pre-cooked. If you are using frozen raw meatballs you will need to check your air fryer’s manufacturer’s instructions for details (cook temp and cook time) for that. 

If cooking homemade meatballs that are raw, you can at the same temperature, but you may need to add additional minutes to the cook time. You want the internal temperature to be 165ºF on an instant read thermometer. 

How to use these air fryer frozen meatballs:

  • In a meatball sandwich
  • On top of pasta 
  • On skewers with pineapple, peppers and onion
  • Speared with toothpicks served on a plate for an appetizer
  • Chopped then used as a pizza topping
  • Plain
  • Dipped in your favorite BBQ sauce or marinara sauce 

These are just a few ideas. Add yours in the comment section below! 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Store any leftover air fryer frozen meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. 

Since these meatballs are already frozen, I would recommend just keeping a stock of meatballs in the freezer and air frying them as needed since it only takes 10 minutes! However, if you need to refreeze any of the air fryer frozen meatballs, store the leftover meatballs in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze. Note that if you re-air fry the meatballs the outside could get darker. 

To reheat the meatballs in the air fryer, set to 325ºF and air fry for 3-4 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

Can you air fry frozen meatballs?

Yes you can! You don’t need to thaw them prior to air frying. You can air fry them frozen.  

How long do you put frozen meatballs in an air fryer?

Depending on your air fryer, cooking time may vary. However, it should take around 10-12 minutes to air fry. This is from frozen. 

Why aren’t my frozen meatballs golden?

It could be a few reasons. If the meatballs are crowded in the air fryer then the sides of each might not get as golden brown. You may need to keep the meatballs in for another minute.

Air fried meatballs in a bowl.

Easy Air Fryer Recipes

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Meatballs cooked in the air fryer in a ceramic bowl on a white background.
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5 from 3 votes

Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs

Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs taken just 10 minutes to cook in the air fryer! What results is a juicy meatball on the inside and nice and crisp on the outside .
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 11 minutes
Servings: 16 meatballs

Ingredients
 

  • 16 frozen meatballs - about 10 oz, can use more if your air fryer will fit more

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the air fryer to 385°F.
  • Place the frozen meatballs in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
  • Serve immediately plain or by tossing them with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Notes

Be sure to air fry the meatballs in a single layer, and put the frozen meatballs in air fryer frozen. Do not thaw before hand. 

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcal (2%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 3g (5%)Saturated Fat: 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mg (3%)Sodium: 8mgPotassium: 40mg (1%)Vitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 2mgIron: 1mg (6%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review on the blog post letting me know how you liked this recipe! Take a picture and tag @saltandbaker on Tik Tok, Instagram, and Facebook so I can see what you’re making!