Air Fryer Meatballs made with Ground Venison, is gluten-free, low carb, and keto-friendly. It is perfect for evenings when you don't have a lot of time, or for making ahead of time in larger batches. You can have a quick and easy dinner on your plate in minutes with this air fryer recipe.
This recipe for Air Fryer Meatballs with Ground Venison is a quick and easy way to have dinner on the table. They are incredibly moist on the inside and crisp on the outside.
They are perfectly seasoned with parsley, oregano, and parmesan cheese, and air fried for only 15 minutes, these meatballs in your air fryer will be the only way you want to make them from now on!
Making meatballs in the air fryer is the BEST way
Making meatballs in the air fryer produces a meatball that is not dry, full of flavor, and cooks them fast. Depending on the size of your air fryer, this recipe may need to be air fried in two batches, but it goes by quickly.
The first time I tried making meatballs in the air fryer, I was sold by how the meatball retained moisture inside, while perfectly cooking the meat.
The only other way I can describe it is juicy. The flavor came out better than any other method I have used to make meatballs.
It is highly likely that I will never cook meatballs any other way. This was the absolute best venison meatball recipe I have ever made.
Air Fryer Meatballs that are gluten-free, low carb and keto-friendly
This ground venison recipe is naturally low carb and keto-friendly. The only ingredient I used that is out of the norm for regular meatballs is ground pork rinds.
I used the ground pork rinds to help bind together the meatballs in place of breadcrumbs. This one change was all I needed to make to have a low carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly recipe. To make it paleo, just leave out the cheese.
What you need to make this air fryer recipe
Ground Venison: You will only need ¾ pound of meat to make this recipe.
Ground Pork: You will need ¼ pound of ground pork. This adds extra fat and flavor to the ground venison.
Crushed Pork Rinds: You can grind your own pork rinds, or you can buy them pre-ground. I will do both, but to save time, I like to have the pre-ground pork rinds on hand if possible.
Parmesan Cheese: Buy a brick of parmesan cheese and grate it yourself with a handheld cheese grater. Or, you can buy the pre-grated cheese. Be sure if you buy pre-shredded that you buy the fresh grate, not the dry crumbs.
Cookie scoop: I use a cookie scoop for perfectly portioned meatballs.
Air Fryer: There are many varieties out there. If you have a home of two people, the smaller size is perfect and easier to store. I recently bought this one for my son's family. The one I own is no longer available for purchase.
Make these venison meatballs your way
- Leave out the parmesan cheese and substitute 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes to make this a Paleo recipe. Nutritional yeast flakes add a cheesy flavor to food.
- Substitute ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken for the ground venison meat. Or, use a combination of ground meat.
- Spice the meatballs up and add 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and an optional ½ teaspoon chipotle powder.
- Stir in some chopped 2 tablespoons cilantro in place of the parsley and oregano.
- Use a different cheese in place of the parmesan cheese. Asiago, Cheddar, or Gruyere are all strong cheeses that work well.
- Make venison burgers with the mixture instead of meatballs. Proceed with air-frying or grill.
Tips for making Air Fryer Meatballs
- Line the air fryer basket with an air fryer liner or aluminum foil to catch grease that drips into the basket. This makes it easier when cleaning up.
- Place the meatballs in a single layer in the basket. Be sure the meatballs do not touch one another. You want space around the meatballs for the air to circulate.
- If there is an egg allergy in the home, it is safe to leave the egg out of the recipe without a substitution.
- Leftover air fried meatballs can be frozen up to 3 months or refrigerated up to 1 week.
How to serve Venison Meatballs
My favorite way to serve these Air Fryer Venison Meatballs is with a Homemade Pasta Sauce that is also low carb and keto-friendly.
Make mini meatball subs. If you are keto, these Keto Slider Buns are a great recipe to use. If your not keto, try these Hamburger Buns (you can make these slider-sized also).
Place the cooked meatballs in a crockpot to keep them warm and cover with your favorite sauce.
Serve them up alongside this Garlic Mashed Cauliflower with Browned Butter for a complete low carb keto meal. Or, serve these Mashed Potatoes for your non-keto family.
Related Recipes
Are you new to using the air fryer? If so, then be sure to read this post on How To Use an Air Fryer to learn the best one to buy, air fryer cooking tips, cleaning tips, and more!
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Air Fryer Meatballs with Ground Venison
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Ingredients
- ¾ pound ground venison
- ¼ pound ground pork
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ cup pork rinds
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground venison and ground pork.
- Add the onion, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, pork rinds, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix with hands to combine thoroughly.
- Shape meatballs into tablespoon-sized balls.
- Place meatballs in the air fryer basket and cook at 375 for 15 minutes. Repeat with 2nd half of meatballs if needed due to air fryer size.
- Remove from air fryer and serve as desired.
[…] Air Fryer Meatballs with Ground Venisonare super easy to make. The air fryer seals in those juices and makes less of a mess to clean up! […]