These BACON WRAPPED MEATBALLS are mildly spicy meatballs made from ground beef with a slightly spicy meatloaf base! They cook in your air fryer in just 15 minutes, which is a bonus!
An air fryer is a fantastic tool for making meatballs. If you have browsed our list of air fryer recipes you may have come across our air fryer meatballs with Italian seasoning. They’re perfect with spaghetti! Or maybe you had our turkey meatballs in the air fryer?
For this recipe, we wanted to incorporate bacon. Of course, right? This needs no explanation. 😉
We like to serve these little bacon wrapped meatballs with a smoky barbecue sauce for dipping. There is nothing better than bacon, barbecue, and meatballs, right?!
Ingredients:
Check to be sure you have the following in your pantry prior to cooking this recipe!
- 1lb of ground beef-we recommend sirloin as it is lean. The fat from the bacon will give the meatball full flavor.
- Eggs
- Yellow onion-leave this out if you are not a fan.
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs – plain will work just as well
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder – adds the tiniest little kick of spice to these meatballs
- BBQ sauce
- Milk
- Bacon
- Salt and pepper
How to make bacon wrapped meatballs in an air fryer:
- Cut your bacon in half and set it aside. This is easiest by putting your entire package on the cutting board, opening the plastic, and cutting the whole stack of bacon at once.
- In a large bowl mix up the ground beef, egg, and onion. After it is mixed well, stir in the breadcrumbs and the seasonings.
- Now you can add in the BBQ sauce and milk and again stir it all up to mix it well.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to roll up the beef mixture into meatballs.
- Use one-half slice of bacon to wrap around each meatball and stab them with a toothpick.
- Place a piece of parchment paper with holes in it at the bottom of your air fryer basket and place your prepared meatballs in the basket. Do not stack or allow the meatballs to touch. Cook in batches if your air fryer isn’t big enough for all of them.
- Cook for 15 minutes at 370 degrees F.
Answer a question:
These have a mild spice thanks to the chili powder, but we wouldn’t not call them ‘spicy.’ If you would like more spice, add some ground cayenne. Adding additional chili powder won’t give you the same result. For less spice, reduce or omit the chili powder.
My personal preference for this is a smoky BBQ sauce that isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. That said, your favorite BBQ sauce will work well here, though I’d avoid the sauces that are loaded with vinegar and very tangy.
These should last for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in your air fryer at 370 degrees until hot, should take about 3-5 minutes.
More air fryer recipes you might like:
- Air fryer meatloaf
- Cream cheese sausage balls
- Sweet and sour meatballs
- Air fryer buffalo chicken meatballs
- Bacon wrapped corn on the cob
Bacon Wrapped Meatballs in the Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- ¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup milk
- 1 pound bacon
Instructions
- Cut bacon in half, and set aside.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of your air fryer basket. Use a skewer to poke holes in the parchment to allow air flow.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with egg, and onion. Stir in the bread crumbs and seasonings, then add in the BBQ Sauce and milk. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to combine the ingredients with the ground beef. Do not overmix.
- Once combined, use a small scoop or spoon, and roll into 24 meatballs.
- Use one half slice of bacon to wrap around the meatball before skewering with a toothpick. Place the wrapped bites into the lined basket. Do not stack or block air from circulating in the basket. Work in batches if necessary.
- Place in the air fryer and cook at 370 degrees for 15 minutes or until the bacon and meat are fully cooked.
- Serve as is or with a BBQ sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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