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Delicious, easy Keto meatballs you can put together in less than 30 minutes, with no greasy, splattery mess!
Angela’s Air Fryer Cheesy Meatballs
My kids love meatballs. And I like them, too. But I HATE frying them. If it were up to me, I’d mix up the ingredients, shape it into a loaf and throw it in the oven. You get all the beefy, cheesy goodness, and with this recipe there’s almost zero carbs.
But there’s something about the individual balls that you don’t get from a slice of meatloaf. It’s that crispy outer layer. When you make this tasty Keto recipe as meatballs, you get some of that awesome crispy texture with each bite.
The traditional way to crisp your meatballs is to fry them in stable cooking fat, like lard. After you shape the balls, you put them in the hot oil and then painstakingly turn them every few minutes to get them browned on all sides. In the meantime, the hot oil sputters and splatters and makes a mess.
That’s too much work. And too much mess.
Enter the air fryer. Our family got one of these for Christmas and I never would have believed how often we use it. Hot wings, chicken thighs, cheese sticks. I’ve even made cheesecake in mine! (Keto-friendly, of course.)
With just one turn, you get meatballs that are perfectly browned on all sides. Yes!
These meatballs are bound with crushed pork rinds instead of the traditional breadcrumbs. This zero carb binder also ensures these meatballs are almost zero carb. Whether you are tracking your carbs for Keto or avoiding plant products all together on the Carnivore Diet, these meatballs will hit the spot for you.
Easy Keto Air Fryer Recipe
Cheesy Air Fryer Meatballs Recipe – Keto & Carnivore
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef
- 2 large pastured eggs
- 2 ounces pork rinds
- 3 ounces shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 tsp pink sea salt
- 1 tbsp lard
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. With clean hands, knead the mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Roll into balls approximately 1 ½ inches in diameter. This should make 24 meatballs.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you’ll cook them in batches.
- Line your fryer basket with liners, if you use them. Otherwise, spray with cooking spray.
- Place meatballs in the basket, making sure they do not touch each other or the sides of the basket.
- Cook at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Pull out the basket and turn the meat balls over. Return to fryer and cook at 350 degrees for another 4 minutes.
- Meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, and then they’re done!
These are some of my family’s favorites. The kids LOVE them.
Would we follow the same directions for oven as far as temp and time?
curious if rather than making them into meatballs if I can leave it all together and turn it into a meatloaf? I am having a hard time finding a carnivore air fryer meatloaf recipe. Thanks.