Air Fryer Recipe
Chestnut and Cranberry Meatballs
Chestnut and cranberry meatballs are a delightful twist on traditional meatballs, offering a sweet and savoury combination that's perfect for the festive season. The air fryer is ideal for this recipe as it quickly browns the mince while allowing excess fat to drain away, ensuring the meatballs remain light and not greasy.
Ingredients
- 500g pork mince, ideally 10–15% fat (or turkey thigh mince, plus 1 tbsp olive oil to compensate for lower fat)
- 100g cooked peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 50g dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 40g fresh breadcrumbs or panko
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 1 small shallot, very finely chopped or grated
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage, or ½ tsp dried sage
- ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Finely grated zest of ½ orange
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1–2 tsp neutral oil or olive oil spray, for the basket and meatballs
- 3 tbsp cranberry sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Method
- Put the chopped dried cranberries in a small bowl with 1 tbsp hot water and leave for 5 minutes, then drain off any excess.
- Crumble the chestnuts with your fingers or chop them into pea-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the pork mince, chestnuts, cranberries, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, shallot, garlic, Dijon mustard, sage, thyme, orange zest, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork or your fingertips just until evenly combined.
- Shape the mixture into 18–20 meatballs, each about the size of a walnut, roughly 32–35g.
- Chill the shaped meatballs for 15 minutes while the air fryer preheats to 190°C.
- Lightly oil the crisper plate or add a perforated parchment liner, then arrange the meatballs in a single layer with a little space between each one. Mist or brush the tops with a small amount of oil.
- Air fry at 190°C for 8 minutes, then turn the meatballs carefully. Continue for 4–5 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
- While the meatballs cook, stir the cranberry sauce, balsamic vinegar, orange juice and honey or maple syrup together in a small bowl. Warm it for 20–30 seconds in the microwave if your cranberry sauce is very set.
- Brush or spoon the glaze over the meatballs, then air fry for a final 2 minutes at 180°C.
- Rest for 3 minutes before serving. Check the largest meatball reaches 75°C in the centre, or cut one open: the juices should run clear and the middle should be piping hot with no raw-looking mince.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
