How to Reheat Meatballs with Sauce in an Air Fryer

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How to Reheat Meatballs with Sauce in an Air Fryer

When it comes to enjoying a delicious meal, my homemade meatballs in my Easy Gluten Free Meatball Parmesan Casserole Recipe with sauce is a classic favorite that never disappoints!

The leftover meatballs from this recipe, as well as others I share with you below, is an easy way to make sure you have an easy meal on hand when you are running low on time for dinner!

Wether you decide to keep the meatballs in the fridge or freezer, I will show you how to reheat meatballs with sauce in an air fryer for a quick meal.

Reheating these classic meatballs can be challenging since you want to maintain the original flavor and texture, so the air fryer is the best way.

The air fryer is a versatile kitchen appliance that can give your reheated meatballs a fresh and tasty revive in less time than your oven resulting in tender meatballs.

I will explore the proper way to reheat meatballs with sauce in an air fryer so they taste just as great as when you first had them!

Keep reading for more tips, tricks and frequently asked questions about this simple way to the perfect air-fried meatballs.

Here is an easy recipe for homemade meatballs

Simple ingredients you will need:

• Italian sausage, ground pork or ground beef
• blanched almond flour
• parsley
• oregano
• celery seed
• marjoram
• garlic powder
• shredded parmesean.
• chopped onion or onion powder

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C)

In a large bowl, combine Italian ground sausage, lean ground beef, or a mixture of your preferred ground meats. 

Add Italian seasoning, fresh basil, garlic powder, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly using your hands or a spoon.

For perfectly shaped meatballs, use a small cookie scoop to portion out the meatball mixture. 

Then after scooping each portion into a ball, roll the raw meatballs inbetween your hands to give them a rounded shape.

Place meatballs on a jelly roll pan, baking sheet or a 9×13 pan.

It is a good idea to cook meatballs in a single layer on a pan or sheet with sides as the grease collects while cooking.

Bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.

Let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container up to 5 days in the fridge.

You can also flash freeze them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 1 hour.

Then put them all in a freezer bag up to 3 months.

You would then use your frozen meatballs as you would the precooked grocery store ones.

It makes for an easy dinner on busy weeknights!

What you will need to warming up the best meatballs in the air fryer

When it comes to reheating meatballs with sauce, an air fryer’s rapid and even circulation of hot air can help maintain the meatballs’ juiciness and heat them evenly.

It is important that you take the needed steps in the reheating process so that the meatballs are at the proper temperature for consumption.

Eating meats that have not been properly reheated can result in getting food poisoning and thats the last thing you want!

Here is what you will need to reheat your meatballs:

• Aluminum Foil or parchment paper
• Extra Marinara Sauce
• A little bit of water
• Shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• An Air Fryer (basket style or mini oven style)

Let’s reheat these meatballs in a packet with some delicious sauce

The key here is to make a packet for the meatballs and sauce to sit in while they are air frying.

This helps to maintain the moisture and also buffer the heat so they do not overcook.

Take out your basket, or tray from your air fryer.

Now with a large piece of foil or parchment paper laid down, place your meatballs in the middle in a single layer.

Avoid overcrowding to allow proper air circulation.

If you have a large batch, you may need to reheat them in multiple batches.

The size of your meatballs will determine how long you will air fry them for.

My meatballs pictured are the size of golfballs.

If your meatballs are larger meatballs, then you may want to cut them in half to fit properly and to warm in the time allowed.

Once you have all of the meatballs in place, spoon some sauce over them to cover the top.

Be mindful not to use too much sauce, as it may make the meatballs soggy.

If your spaghetti sauce is on the thicker side, add in a few tablespoons of water to help re-hydrate the sauce.

Now with another piece of foil or parchment paper of the same size, place it on top.

Now crimp the edges, or roll the edges so it seals the meatballs in.

If using parchment paper, make sure to roll the bottom piece up on top of the upper piece to prevent sauce leaking.

If using aluminum foil, fold in the same direction pressing to seal as you fold, like this.

Now place your baking tray with your meatball packet into the air fryer.

Air fry at 360 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Remove the tray or basket from the air fryer.

Slowly unroll three sides of your packet, leaving one side rolled, making sure to pull away from yourself as the steam may burn you.

Now sprinkle the meatballs with some shredded mozzarella or parmesan.

Put it back into your air fryer at 360F for an additional 3 minutes.

The safe internal temperature for reheated meatballs is 165°F (74°C) with a meat thermometer.

If they haven’t reached this temperature yet, continue reheating in 2-minute intervals until they do.

Now enjoy your meatballs on top of spaghetti, nestled in a bun for meatball subs or keto pasta with some extra sauce.

I would not recommend saving any meatballs that have been reheated as the quality would not be good.

Tips, Tricks and FAQs

• The size of the meatballs will determine how much extra time you may need to get the internal temperature of the meatballs up to the proper temperature. Try starting with meatballs that have been out of the fridge at room temperature for 10 minutes so they reheat faster.

• You can use regular tomato sauce instead of spaghetti sauce if you want to keep them plain without herbs.

• If you have meatballs that were previously frozen with sauce, let the freezer bag sit in the fridge overnight to thaw properly. If you want to air fry them from frozen, simply run under warm water to loosen them and press out of the bag onto the packet. You will need to add an additional 5-10 minutes to the initial cooking time before adding the cheese.

• If you have a cast iron skillet that fits in your brand of air fryer, just grease the skillet and use it as your “packet” from the instructions. Make sure to cover it with an oven safe lid or foil at the initial reheating step.

Does it matter what kind of meatballs I use to reheat in the air fryer?

No, the type of meatball does not matter. Wether chicken meatballs, pork meatballs, turkey meatballs, or beef meatballs, they will all use the same cooking time and method.

What if I want to reheat my own meatballs that do not have any sauce?

In this case, you will want to use a few extra tablespoons of water to help steam them in the packet. It will help to keep the plain meatballs moist and tender and not hard and dry.

What other sauces can I use on reheated plain meatballs?

Your favorite sauce is not limited to Italian sauce only. Try using bbq sauce, or even some salsa to make it Mexican. When you change the sauce you will want to change the cheese used if you are using it. Cheddar cheese goes great with either barbecue sauce or salsa.

What if I want to use precooked meatballs from the grocery store freezer?

You can use these with this method just fine! I would still recommend sticking to an amount of mini meatballs that fits in the packet if you want to use sauce. If you are not cooking with the sauce, just simply spray the meatballs with some cooking spray, and cook as above. When you do not use a packet, it will give the air fryer frozen meatballs a crispy outside. If your airfryer can hold more meatballs than shown, use the whole bag of meatballs with the same cooking time.

Reheating meatballs with sauce in an air fryer is a simple yet effective way to breathe new life into your leftovers. 

By following these steps and tips, you can enjoy the same delicious flavors and textures you loved the first time around.

With a little experimentation, you’ll become a master at reheating meatballs to perfection, making the most of your air fryer’s capabilities and ensuring that no culinary masterpiece goes to waste.

Don’t forget to PIN the printable recipe card to your Pinterest board or print out the complete recipe card.

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Here are some other favorite recipes using meatballs 

Easy Gluten Free Meatball Parmesan Casserole Recipe

Keto Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Easy Gluten Free Salisbury Steak Recipe (Dairy Free)