Venison meatballs are great as a snack or appetizer, or with sauce over a big plate of spaghetti. You can pan-fry good meatballs, grill them or roast them in the oven, but one of the easiest ways to make them is with an air fryer.

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Serve these meatballs by themselves as an appetizer or main, or add them to a plate of spaghetti with sauce. All images by Michael Pendley.

A good meatball needs a binder to hold it together. This one uses an egg, bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese to hold things together and add flavor.

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This meatball recipe uses parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and an egg as the binders to hold the meat together.

Start by mixing all ingredients in a large bowl. I like to blend some ground pork with the venison for better texture. The Italian dressing also helps to add flavor and makes for a smooth and juicy finished product. Blend well until everything is fully combined.

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Blend all the ingredients by hand until well combined.

Separate the mixture, and roll into 12 to 14 equal-sized meatballs.

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Roll the meatballs.

Pre-heat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Place the meatballs onto the tray, splitting them into two batches if necessary to keep a small air space between the meatballs. Cook for six to seven minutes, and then roll the meatballs over in the tray and continue cooking for another three to five minutes.

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Air fry at 350 for six to seven minutes, and then flip the meatballs and continue cooking until they reach 145 degrees internal temperature.

Shoot for around 145 internal temperature for the largest meatball in the batch. Top the meatballs with shredded cheese and finely chopped basil, if serving by themselves, or add to pasta and top with sauce.