These air fryer Greek meatballs are moist, tender, and packed with authentic Greek flavors, including paprika, garlic, onion, lemon, and sumac. And because they're made with turkey instead of beef, they're also lower in calories and fat. This recipe is a winner all the way around!
We love cooking with the air fryer. Air-fried recipes are always perfect. Meats get tender and juicy, coatings get nicely crisp, and recipes take a fraction of the time. Even better, recipes like these air fryer frozen brussel sprouts can be cooked without defrosting, so things are even easier.
One of our favorite ways to use the air fryer is to create recipes that can double as appetizers or main courses, like these air fryer panko shrimp. We've added another easy appetizer or main to our rotation with these air fryer Greek meatballs. We love this one with the bright flavor of our lemon loaf cake recipe for a tasty weeknight dinner.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: All you need are a few kitchen staples to make these delicious meatballs.
- Easy to Make: Just like our air fryer peppers and mushrooms, all you have to do is mix your ingredients and let the air fryer do the heavy lifting!
- Tasty Greek Flavors: Our Greek inspired meatballs feature lemon, sumac, and aromatics for a classic Greek flavor.
- Customizable: You can change almost every part of this recipe to make it your own.
- Versatile: Turkey meatballs are perfect for lunch, dinner, or an appetizer.
- Great for Meal Prep: Like our spinach feta egg bites, these are freezer-friendly, so you can make extra for later.
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Ingredients
You'll find a complete list of the ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Variations
- Ground Turkey: You can use ground beef or pork in place of turkey. For the full Greek experience, try using ground lamb.
- Spicy: Add some red pepper flakes or cayenne for a little heat.
- Sumac: The sumac is completely optional. If you're not a fan, leave it out. The meatballs will still be delicious.
- Feta Cheese: Try mixing a little feta into the mixture.
How to Make Air Fryer Greek Meatballs
Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Then, use an ice cream scoop to scoop out portions and shape them into 1-inch meatballs.
Step 2: Place the meatballs on the prepared air fryer tray, leaving space between each meatball.
Step 3: Air fry at 400 degrees until golden on both sides and cooked through, flipping halfway through cooking.
Step 4: Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- We used lemon olive oil for flavor. If you don't have that, use regular olive oil and a tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Preheat the air fryer for even cooking and accurate cooking times. It only takes about five minutes.
- The mixture will feel a bit softer than you're used to if you normally use ground beef. That's okay!
- Don't overwork your meat mixture. Mixing too much leads to contraction as the meatballs cook and dry out.
- The meatballs are done when their internal temperature registers 165 degrees. Cooking times vary depending on the individual air fryer and the size of your meatballs.
Air Fryer Greek Meatballs FAQ
It takes about 10 to 12 minutes for turkey meatballs to cook in the air fryer, depending on their size.
Air frying turkey meatballs gives you the best of both frying and baking, creating meatballs that are golden and crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Depending on the mix used, turkey meatballs may appear slightly pink, even after they are fully cooked. This is because of the dark meat that may be used in the ground turkey mixture. As long as the thermometer registers 165 degrees, the meatballs are perfectly safe to eat.
More Air Fryer Recipes
If you loved this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment and let us know. We always love hearing from our readers!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Greek Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon lemon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sumac
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs, spray the air fryer basket with oil, and place the meatballs into it with space in between them.
- Air fry the meatballs for 5 minutes. Then, flip them and air fry for another 5 minutes. They should be golden and register 165 degrees in the center with a meat thermometer.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
- To reheat, defrost overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then microwave at 1-minute intervals.
- We used lemon olive oil for flavor. If you don't have that, use regular olive oil and a tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Preheat the air fryer for even cooking and accurate cooking times. It only takes about five minutes.
- The mixture will feel a bit softer than you're used to if you normally use ground beef. That's okay!
- Don't overwork your meat mixture. Mixing too much leads to contraction as the meatballs cook and dry out.
- The meatballs are done when their internal temperature registers 165 degrees. Cooking times vary depending on the individual air fryer and the size of your meatballs.
Lisa Porter says
These were ridiculous! I served them up gyro style with pita and tzatziki. SO good!
Paula says
these greek meatballs tasted amazing! I love the seasoning you recommended, they turned out great.
Liz says
These were delicious, Nicole! And they were perfect on a hot summer evening since I didn't have to turn on the oven!
Swathi says
Airfryer Greek meatballs are so good, I enjoyed them with some spaghetti, so good.
Ashley says
What a perfect weeknight dinner recipe. The whole family loved it!
Amy says
These meatballs were so easy to make and tasted great. I also love the fact that they are a healthier meal as I'm trying to watch my calorie intake and air frying definitely makes a difference!
amy liu dong says
This is a healthy and delicious version of cooking meatballs, because it is cooked with a small amount of oil.
Bev says
These were amazing! A nice twist on the claasic meatball.
Andrea says
The lemon and sumac gave these such a good pop of flavor.
Krystle says
The flavor of these is unreal, so yummy. We love it over rice.
Andrea says
Really juicy and flavorful—loved the lemon and garlic combo in these.
Nicole says
This Greek meatballs are so delicious! Such an easy recipe.
Tisha says
The Greek flavor on this really stands out more in the air fryer or thanks for sharing
Krystle Smith says
They came out perfectly golden and crispy on the outside, yet tender and juicy on the inside. I popped the extras in the freezer for an easy dinner next time.
Elizabeth says
SO easy and tasty! I served these meatballs for dinner and there weren't any leftovers.
Nicole Kendrick says
That is when you know you made some good food! Glad to hear it worked out so well! -NK
Nick says
These air fryer Greek meatballs are such an easy and delicious recipe.
Nicole Kendrick says
Truly they take no time at all! And the flavor is amazing!!
Claudia says
Just made these Greek meatballs in the air fryer—juicy, flavorful, and super quick! 🍽️✨
Nicole Kendrick says
YAY! Enjoy the yummy food!!
Cindy says
These Greek meatballs were so good. Can't believe how quick they were in the air fryer!
Nicole Kendrick says
Such an easy way to get dinner on the table! Thanks, Cindy!
Iza says
I made these air fryer Greek meatballs the other day, and they came out juicy and so easy—perfect for a quick dinner or meal prep.
Nicole Kendrick says
I LOVE these for meal prep. Thank you!!!