Air Fryer Orange Chicken Meatballs

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 17

Servings: servings

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Quynh Nguyen

Juicy air fryer chicken meatballs tossed in a homemade sweet and tangy orange sauce made with fresh orange, ginger, and garlic. It's an easy, kid-friendly spin on orange chicken that's perfect served over rice.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon orange zest
Cooking oil spray

For the Orange Sauce

3 medium oranges, zested and juiced (add water to equal 1 cup of liquid)
¼ cup honey or sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Zest and juice the oranges, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Add enough water to the orange juice to make 1 cup total liquid.
Make the meatball mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko, egg, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and orange zest. Mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing, which can make the meatballs dense.
Form the meatballs. Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to portion the mixture into approximately 2-tablespoon balls. You should get about 16–18 meatballs. Ground chicken can be sticky, so lightly oiling your hands makes them much easier to roll.
Air fry. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the air fryer tray or in the basket, leaving a little space between them. Spray the tops lightly with cooking oil. Air fry for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned and the centers reach 165°F. There's no need to flip them. If you're using a smaller basket-style air fryer, cook in batches as needed.
Make the orange sauce while the meatballs cook. Add the 1 cup orange juice mixture, honey (or sugar), vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 3 minutes.
Thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Slowly stir the slurry into the sauce. Continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the meatballs. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon orange zest.
Toss and serve. Add the cooked meatballs to the orange sauce and gently toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately over rice with your favorite vegetables.

Notes

Fresh oranges: Fresh orange juice is my preference because you also get the fresh zest, which gives the sauce even more orange flavor. Bottled orange juice works too.

Ground chicken: The mixture is naturally sticky. A cookie scoop and lightly oiled hands make forming the meatballs much easier.

Air fryer: I tested these in an oven-style air fryer. If you're using a smaller basket-style model, you may need to cook the meatballs in batches. There's no need to flip them during cooking.

Spice: The red chili flakes add a little kick, but the sauce is still fairly mild for us. Reduce or omit them if you prefer.

Other cooking methods: I've also made these meatballs in the oven and on the stovetop, and both work well. Whichever method you use, cook the chicken meatballs to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

Freezing: I prefer freezing the meatballs and orange sauce separately because they reheat at different rates. Reheat the meatballs first, then warm the sauce and spoon it over or toss it with the hot meatballs.

Nutrition