Air Fryer Stuffing Balls

Delicious homemade stuffing balls in air fryer. Make ahead your own air fryer stuffing and then cook your stuffing balls when you’re ready. Or make ahead and freeze for later.

This sausage meat stuffing can be mixed and matched with different seasonings from classic sage and onion to thyme to bouquet garni, the choice is yours.

Air Fryer Stuffing

I love air fryer stuffing. I would go as far as saying that air fryer stuffing is my number #1 go to side dish when we have a roast dinner in the Milner house.

I always find that when it is Thanksgiving or Christmas or even when you’re having family round for a Sunday dinner that there is always way too much food.

Therefore, I always end up going for the same favourite foods and then don’t bother with the rest.

Or the rest will be used up into leftovers, so that I get the best of both worlds. For example, I always make soup maker boxing day soup, or air fryer bubble and squeak the next day.  

In order of my favourites at Christmas I will go for the stuffing first, then the homemade veggie bake, then the air fryer roast parsnips.

In fact, I love these 3 sides so much, I forget to have the roast turkey!

Or my Plan B when I have a craving for sage and onion stuffing balls in the air fryer out of season, is to stuff a roast chicken instead. Just like we do in our air fryer roast chicken and stuffing.

Today though, I want to share with just how easy it is to cook stuffing in air fryer, by making stuffing balls.

Beyond our air fryer stuffing balls recipe, we have many more Sunday roast and festive sides for you to try including: air fryer pigs in blankets, air fryer roast potatoes, air fryer frozen brussel sprouts, air fryer cauliflower cheese, then of course air fryer chocolate cake is perfect for dessert.

Can You Cook Stuffing In An Air Fryer?

Yes, you can air fry stuffing. Stuffing cooked in the air fryer is delicious and there are a few different ways you can do it.

You can make air fryer stuffing balls, you can just do a single layer of stuffing in an air fryer container, or you can stuff chicken and then air fry with the stuffing.

Today though, we are focusing on stuffing balls in air fryer, as they are the easiest and you can also make ahead the stuffing balls and then freeze them, taking the stress out of Christmas.

Can You Cook Stuffing Balls In Air Fryer?

Yes, stuffing balls in the air fryer is the easiest way to cook stuffing. What we usually do is at Christmas, make the stuffing balls the day before, and then place them on a plate in the fridge for the day after.

Make Ahead Air Fryer Stuffing Balls

Do you use fresh sausage meat in your stuffing balls? If so, you can make ahead and freeze your stuffing balls and be even more organised for next time you need to cook them.

• Simply mix together your ingredients in a mixing bowl.
• When everything is well mixed make them into stuffing balls and place them onto a baking tray.
• Place them in the freezer on the baking tray for 30 minutes
• Remove them from the freezer and place them into a zip loc bag and put them back in the freezer.
• When you need to cook them, remove them from the freezer the night before to thaw and cook as usual.

You will note, that I mentioned freezing your air fryer stuffing balls on a baking tray first.

Well the reason for this is that when you then add them to a zip loc bag they will be firm, and wont all stick together and won’t take up too much room in your freezer.

You can use this method for any food that you want to freeze in ball shapes. Such as meatballs or cookie dough.

As Featured In The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook

Did you know that our air fryer stuffing balls is featured in the complete air fryer cookbook?

It’s an air fryer beginner cookbook with 140 everyday air fryer recipes and we have both air fryer stuffing balls, stuffing the whole chicken and a full roast dinner with the stuffing.

Clearly, we have a thing for air fryer stuffing!

Order The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook Now!

• USA/Canada: Amazon USA – Amazon Canada
• UK/Australia/South Africa: Amazon UK – Amazon AU – South Africa
• Cookbook Details: More Order Options + Cookbook Info + Reviews

What About Ninja Foodi Stuffing?

If you have a Ninja Foodi, then you can cook the stuffing exactly the same way for the same time and temp.

We also own a Ninja Foodi and find that it is very good for the air fryer recipes. Simply use the air fryer basket of the Ninja and then select the air fry button.

Stuffing Air Fryer Ingredients

Sausage Meat – Let’s start with the sausage meat. I love the rolls (or do you call them tubes?) of sausage meat available close to Christmas, this is the best. Alternatively, a pack of sausage meat from the supermarket works well too.

Bread – I love how the stuffing tastes so good because of the bread. I recommend 1-day old stale bread like you would use in air fryer croutons, or you can use sour dough or another crusty bread.  

Onion – When cooking stuffing in air fryer, I love the flavour and the crunch from the onion. It gives air fried stuffing balls so much texture. You can also swap a small onion for the same quantity of thinly diced leeks.

Seasonings – Then you will need your seasonings. Salt and pepper is a good start and then you can decide which dried herbs you would like to add. You can add sage or my favourite combo is dried thyme and dried bouquet garni.

How To Cook Stuffing In Air Fryer?

• Load. Let’s air fry stuffing balls. Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, apart from the bread and put to one side.
• Bread. Imagine you are making croutons and cut half the bread into little croutons. Place them into the stuffing bowl. Next hold the remaining bread over the bowl and crumble it between your hands into the bowl.
• Mix. Next mix together everything and use your hands and make sure the breadcrumbs are well mixed into the sausage meat and get rid of any overly sticky bits. If its too sticky on your hands add some flour to your hands and it will make the process easier.
• Balls. Next make the stuffing mixture into equal sized balls. I have a habit of not doing equal sizes, if this is you, then use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop and then it will be easier to get an equal mixture.
• Cook. Next place the stuffing in the air fryer, spreading out the stuffing balls so they will have an equal cook. Air fry stuffing balls for 14 minutes at 180c/360f or until cooked through and crispy on the edges.

And that is how easy stuffing balls in air fryer are to cook.

How To Cook Stuffing In Ninja Foodi?

Then if you are cooking stuffing in the Ninja Foodi, the process is the same, BUT you use the air fryer button and cook the stuffing balls in the air fryer basket.

Frozen Stuffing Balls In Air Fryer

Christmas and Thanksgiving can be very stressful times. Especially, when you have all the different foods to cook and a lot of people coming to eat your great food.

As mentioned, you can make ahead stuffing balls and then freeze them for later, but what about when later arrives?

Place frozen stuffing balls in air fryer and cook stuffing in air fryer for 8 minutes at 160c/320f as this helps defrost and partly cook without the stuffing becoming dry.

Then air fry stuffing balls for a further 8 minutes at 180c/360f or until heated through.  

How Long To Air Fry Stuffing Balls?

If you have regular stuffing balls you need to air fry, then 14 minutes at 180c/360f is perfect for them.

Listen To Air Fryer Stuffing Balls

Want to learn more about our Podcast? Then click here and you can browse through past episodes and subscribe to the Magic With Gadgets Podcast.

More Air Fryer Roast Dinner Recipes To Try

• Air Fryer Pot Roast
• Air Fryer Prime Rib
• Air Fryer Turkey Crown
• Air Fryer Honey Glazed Carrots
• Air Fryer Frozen Brussel Sprouts
• Air Fryer Yorkshire Puddings
• Check out all our 600+ air fryer beginner recipes!

This stuffing air fryer recipe is an updated post and was originally shared on Recipe This in 2015 and again in 2019.

Learn how to cook stuffing in air fryer below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.

Though before you do, don’t forget to subscribe, and grab your FREE VIP Pass to Recipe This. You will get access to our latest recipes first, you will be able to request recipes, you will have access to free mini courses, free air fryer ebooks and useful air fryer cook time charts and so much more.

Can’t make it now? Then save it for later!