Like most Greek food, Greek meatballs or keftedes are a beautiful combination of delicious flavors.
They are made of ground pork and beef, adding many aromatics, herbs, and spices, resulting in unique and tasty meatballs.
They go perfectly with rice and tzatziki, on top of a Greek-dressed salad, or rolled up in a warm pita as a sandwich. These meatballs have a rich, unique flavor that the whole family is bound to love.
In this recipe, we will do an Air Fryer Greek Meatballs and see if the countertop convection oven will do justice to this Mediterranean dish.
Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients- most of them are pantry staples. Plus, these meatballs only require one bowl! No mess, easy to make, and out-of-this-world delicious!
✦ Bonus: I’ll share a secret with you on how to achieve the perfect juiciness and tenderness in your air-fried Greek meatballs.
Table of Contents
Keftedes / Greek Meatballs Air Fryer Recipe Ingredients
✦ You can find the exact measurements of the recipe ingredients and customize the serving size in the recipe card after the detailed step-by-step instructions section.
To make air fried Greek meatballs, you’ll need:
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh mint
- Fresh oregano
- Bread crumbs
- Egg
- Olive oil
- Ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs! They add so much more vibrant flavor than the dried versions, and add a good freshness to the finished meatballs.
If you don’t eat pork, no worries! These meatballs can be made with just ground beef; simply replace the amount of ground pork with beef (in addition to the ground beef already called for in the recipe).
Recipe Video
How to Make Air Fryer Greek Meatballs?
Making Greek meatballs in the air fryer is easier and faster than you’d think! In 25 minutes or less, these meatballs are done and ready to be devoured!
Step 1: Finely chop the herbs and aromatics.
Finely chop the red onion, garlic, fresh parsley, fresh mint and fresh oregano. Add all to a large bowl.
Step 2: Combine all the ingredients.
To that same large bowl, add the remaining ingredients: ground pork, ground beef, breadcrumbs, a beaten egg, olive oil, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
Using your hands or a spatula, gently fold the ingredients together, being careful not to overwork the mixture.
Step 3: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C).
If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheating option, you can set the temperature to 400ºF (204ºC) and then let it cook for 5 minutes without food.
Preheating your air fryer is highly recommended. The longer you cook pork, fish, chicken or any protein in the air fryer, the drier they become.
Step 4: Roll the Greek meatballs/keftedes.
While the air fryer is preheating, roll the meatballs.
The easiest way to roll meatballs is to use a food disher, 1½-inch for this recipe, and portion out all the meat into balls before going back and rolling each one. If you don’t have a disher, simply take small handfuls of dough and roll into 1½-inch meatballs. You should have 20-24 meatballs when finished.
💡 Pro Tip #1: Always be sure to be gentle when handling meatball mix- the more it’s worked, the tougher it becomes. Don’t apply too much pressure as you’re rolling each meatball.
💡 Pro Tip #2: To better retain the shape of the meatballs, chill them for at least an hour.
Step 5: Air fry Greek meatballs for 10-12 minutes.
When the air fryer is preheated, add the keftedes to the air fryer in a single layer and air fry until crisp and cooked-through, about 10-12 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking.
To check if the meatballs are cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the largest meatball: the internal temperature should be 160ºF or higher.
Apart from using fatty meat, the secret to a juicy and tender meatballs is taking them out once the temperature hits 155°F or 68°C. The carry over cooking will bring the temperature to 160ºF or 71°C.
✦ I used a 6-quart air fryer to test this recipe. Cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy your air fried Greek meatballs!
When the air fryer Greek meatballs are fully cooked and golden, transfer to a plate and serve immediately!
There are many different delicious ways to serve keftedes—on a salad, in a pita sandwich, over rice with tomatoes—the possibilities are endless!
They go especially well with tzatziki, so here’s a quick recipe for it:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 small cucumber, grated and squeezed in a towel of excess moisture
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and serve alongside some fresh, air-fried Greek meatballs!
Freezing & Storage
Freezing: When the air fried Greek meatballs have cooled completely, add to an airtight container or freezer-safe zip-top bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and follow reheat instructions below.
Fridge: When the keftedes have cooled completely, add to an airtight container or zip-top bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: To reheat, add the meatballs to an air fryer preheated to 370ºF and air fry until heated-through and crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
To air fry Greek meatballs, start by chopping the herbs and vegetables and combining them with all the other ingredients. Next, preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C), then form your meatballs. Once preheated, carefully place your Greek meatballs in the air fryer and cook them for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) or higher.
At 400°F (204°C), it will take 10-12 minutes to cook 1½ inch Greek meatballs in the air fryer. Please note that the size of your meatballs and the type of air fryer might affect your cooking time. Also, make sure the internal temperature of your meatballs reaches 160°F (71°C) or higher.
This ingredients checklist is interactive; you can use it as your grocery list.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the herbs and vegetables: parsley, oregano, mint, garlic and onion.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, olive oil, egg, ground cumin, chopped veggies, and salt and pepper. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C).
- While preheating, roll the Greek meatballs/keftedes into 1½-inch round balls or to your desired size. Make sure not to apply too much pressure for a softer texture.
- Carefully place the uncooked Greek meatballs into the preheated air fryer, with even spacing between them. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the meatballs when they reach 150°F. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Serve and enjoy your air fryer Greek meatballs! They're best enjoyed with a side of tzatziki sauce and fresh vegetables. If you have pita bread, you can also use those ingredients to make a homemade gyro.
Recipe Video
Notes
- If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheating option, you can set the temperature to 400°F (204°C) and then let it cook for 4-5 minutes without food.
- Avoid pressing the keftedes too firmly when shaping them into round balls, as this can result in a tougher texture.
- If you want, you can substitute ground pork with ground beef.
- As per FDA, ground pork and beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) or higher.
- To retain the circular shape of the meatballs, flip them once the top part has set. You could also chill the meatballs for an hour before air frying them
- The easiest way to roll meatballs is to use a food disher or ice cream scooper.
- For a more juicy and tender result, take out the keftedes once it reaches 155°F or 68°C. The carry over cooking will bring the temperature to 160ºF or 71°C.
- I used a 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus to test the air fryer Greek meatballs recipe. Cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer, the size of your meatballs and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time.
- Adjust the cooking time based on the size of your meatballs. As a baseline, the meatballs in this recipe are around 1½ inches in size.
Nutrition
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