Air Fryer Meatball Subs are an easy, healthy twist on the classic. Made with homemade meatballs, marinara, and cheese all tucked into a roll for a quick, high-protein dinner your family will love!
Meatball Subs
Air Fryer lovers, this Air Fryer Meatball Sub recipe is a game-changer for busy weeknights! Juicy homemade meatballs (I used ground chicken, but you can easily swap in turkey or beef), topped with marinara sauce and melted cheese, are tucked into warm rolls and crisped up in the air fryer for a healthier, mess-free dinner. It’s an easy weeknight win and a lighter take on the classic meatball sub. For more quick and delicious meal ideas, check out my Dinner Ideas and Air Fryer Recipes collections—or grab even more recipes in the Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook and Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners.
Why This Works
My air fryer is always on my counter—it’s a weeknight game changer for meals like this meatball sub. Instead of heating up the oven or making a mess on the stove, everything comes together fast with hardly any cleanup.
- Quick and Easy: No need to preheat a big oven; the air fryer gets dinner done in minutes.
- Healthier Twist: Using lean ground chicken or turkey keeps it light without losing flavor.
- Packed with protein: An excellent source of protein, making it ideal for a high-protein diet.
- Meal Prep Friendly – Cook the meatballs ahead and just reheat them in the air fryer when ready to serve.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients for these easy meatball subs in the air fryer (see recipe card below for exact measurements).
- 93% Lean Ground Chicken for a light protein option
- Binder: A large egg and breadcrumbs bind the meat mixture together. Use plain or seasoned breadcrumbs, if you’re gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth adds moisture.
- Flavor Components: Fresh parsley, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and garlic all enhance the flavor.
- Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning
- Portuguese Rolls are small, oval-shaped rolls that are soft on the inside and crusty on the outside, making them perfect for these meatball subs. Use gluten-free rolls if needed.
- Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite store-bought jarred or homemade marinara sauce. If you want to make your own, try my Fresh Tomato Sauce or Quick Marinara Sauce.
- Cheese: Melt sliced or shredded mozzarella, provolone, or Muenster cheese on top of the sandwiches.
How to Make Meatball Subs in the Air Fryer
To get dinner on the table even faster, prepare the meatballs the day before and refrigerate them in an airtight container until ready to cook. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Make the Meatballs by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl and shaping them into 16 meatballs.
- How Long to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer: Line the air fryer basket with perforated parchment paper to prevent them from sticking (plus, it makes cleanup so much easier!). Air fry the meatballs at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
- Prep the Other Sandwich Components: Warm the sauce on the stove or microwave, then add the meatballs. Toast the sliced rolls in the air fryer to prevent them from getting soggy.
- Assemble the subs: Place 4 meatballs in each roll and top with cheese. Line the basket with foil or parchment to keep it clean, then air fry the sub for a minute to melt the cheese.
Variations
- Try Different Meats: You can swap in lean ground beef or ground turkey.
- Short on time? Make the meatballs ahead, then assemble when you want to eat.
- Sneak in vegetables: Mix 1/2 cup of finely chopped spinach or grated zucchini into the meatball mixture for extra nutrition. Be sure to squeeze out the excess liquid first to help the meat hold together.
- Swap the Herbs: Replace parsley with basil, you can also use a teaspoon of dried herbs or Italian seasoning.
- Breadcrumb Options: If you only have plain breadcrumbs, add half a teaspoon of dried oregano and onion powder. Panko will also work.
- No Pecorino? Substitute grated Parmesan.
- Add Spice: If you like a little kick, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or use spicy marinara sauce.
- Switch up the Bread: If you can’t find Portuguese rolls, almost any other kind of roll will work, like ciabatta or hoagie rolls. You could even use a sliced baguette or French bread.
No air fryer? No problem!
- Bake the meatballs in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes.
- Toast the bread directly on the oven rack or a sheet pan.
- Place the assembled meatball subs on a sheet pan and heat in the oven until the cheese melts.
Storage
- Refrigerate meatballs and sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store the bread and cheese in separate containers.
- Freeze the meatballs and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Thaw meatballs overnight in the fridge or microwave them straight from frozen.
- How to Reheat: Microwave the meatballs and sauce until heated through. Toast the bread, assemble the subs, and warm in the oven or air fryer until the cheese melts.
More Easy Air Fryer Dinner Ideas You’ll Love
For more dinner ideas made with the air fryer, check out these five delicious air fryer recipes to inspire your next meal!
If you make this healthy meatball sub recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook! And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 sub
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Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, breadcrumbs, chicken broth, parsley, Pecorino Romano, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper until just combined. Roll into 16 meatballs.
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Air fry the meatballs: Spray the basket with oil or use air fryer parchment (best option to avoid sticking). Place meatballs in a single layer (cook in batches if needed). Air fry 400F 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and internal temp reaches 165°F.
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Heat the sauce: While the meatballs cook, heat up the marinara sauce in a small saucepan or microwave and toss with meatballs.
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Toast the rolls: Meanwhile split the Portuguese rolls and lightly toast in the air fryer for 1 minute.
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Assemble the subs: Add 4 meatballs with sauce, top with 1 slice of cheese, and return to the air fryer (place each on foil to avoid spillage) and air fry for 1 minute until cheese melts.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 sub, Calories: 494 kcal, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Protein: 41.5 g, Fat: 18.5 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 169 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g
