Perfect for Sunday roasts or Christmas dinner, these easy air fryer stuffing balls are made with store-bought sage and onion stuffing mix!
Crispy on the outside and meltingly tender in the middle, best of all they are ready in under 20 minutes!
Air fryers come into their own when I'm serving up big Sunday lunches and Christmas dinners, freeing up valuable oven and hob space in my kitchen.
My air fryer parsnips and crispy air fryer brussels sprouts are two air fryer Christmas sides I couldn't live without, just like these easy sage and onion stuffing balls which are super simple to both bake and reheat in the air fryer!
👩🍳 Looking for an oven-baked stuffing recipe? Try my easy sausage meat stuffing!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why these are the best air fryer stuffing balls!
- Made with store-bought Paxo sage and onion stuffing mix.
- Quick and easy in the air fryer.
- Perfect for Sunday lunch or Christmas.
- Easily customisable.
- Make ahead and store in the fridge.
🛒 Ingredients
- Stuffing Mix - I used a 170g packet of Paxo sage and onion stuffing mix. You could try different flavoured stuffing mixes if you prefer.
- Fry Light - a light oil spray to ensure the stuffing balls are crispy on the outside and don't stick to the air fryer basket. You could also brush them with melted butter instead.
- Boiling Water - to help bind the stuffing together.
🔪 How to cook stuffing balls in air fryer
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
- Preheat your air fryer to 180c and set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Place the dried stuffing mix into a large bowl.
- Pour over 425ml of boiling water and mix with a spoon.
- Let the mixture stand for 8 minutes.
- Roll the mixture into 12 equal balls. Spray one side with olive oil spray and place oil side down into the air fryer basket, then spray the upward facing side of each stuffing ball.
- Air fry for 5 minutes.
- Remove the air fryer basket from the air fryer and turn each stuffing ball with a tong. Air fry for a further 3 minutes until crispy on the outside.
Advantages of air fryer cooking
An air fryer cooks food by blowing hot air around it, making the foods you air fry crispy in a short amount of time. It's a bit like a compact convection oven.
Another benefit of air frying is that much less oil is needed than if you were frying or roasting foods in a conventional oven or hob.
Which Air Fryer? I use the Ninja Foodi MAX PRO Health Grill, Flat Plate and Air Fryer with 7 customisable cooking functions including grill, flat plate, air fry, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate! It also comes with a digital cooking probe that precisely monitors your food’s temperature as it cooks.
💭 Top tips
- Make the stuffing balls the night before and chill them in your fridge ready to air fry the next day.
- It's important not to crowd food in an air fryer. The recipe I give here makes 12 stuffing balls in a large air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer I suggest air frying them in two batches.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Stuffing balls are the perfect accompaniment to a roast dinner or Christmas lunch.
In this house Christmas lunch usually consists of roast turkey, beef and honey roast gammon, air fryer pigs in blankets, polenta roast potatoes, Parmentier potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, garlic sweet potato mash, slow cooker red cabbage, honey roast parsnips and carrots, crispy air fryer brussels sprouts, bread sauce, and devils on horseback!
You could also serve the stuffing balls as a party appetiser, with some of your favourite dips. And don't forget the obligatory turkey, cranberry, and stuffing sandwiches on Boxing Day!
📖 Variations
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can cook the stuffing balls in a conventional oven too.
- Vary the flavours and use different dry stuffing mixes. Supermarkets are usually full of different stuffing flavours in the run up to Christmas!
- Add the zest of 1 clementine to the sage and onion stuffing balls to give them a festive flavour.
- Add a handful of dried cranberries, raisins or chopped apricots to the mix.
- Try my apricot stuffing recipe in the air fryer!
🥡 Storage
Store. Any leftover cooked stuffing balls can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Reheat. Reheat the stuffing balls either in the microwave or air fryer (which will help retain their crispness).
Freeze. Air-fried stuffing balls can be frozen for up to 3 months.
❓ FAQs
Air frying is healthier than frying in oil. It cuts calories by about 70% in most cases.
Yes, you can definitely reheat stuffing balls in an air fryer. I suggest reheating them at 180C for 3-4 minutes or until piping hot.
Yes, you can! Make the stuffing balls following the recipe and place them on a plate. Cover with clingfilm or pop them into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. bring up to room temperature before air frying.
Yes, air fry frozen sage and onion stuffing balls for 10-12 minutes at 180C (350F).
More air fryer recipes
More easy side dishes
Tried this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating in the comments!
Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Stuffing Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 170 g Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix I use Paxo
- 1 teaspoon Fry Light Spray
- 425 ml Boiling Water
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°c and set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Place the dried stuffing mix in a large bowl.
- Pour over 425ml of boiling water and mix with a spoon.
- Let the mixture stand for 8 minutes.
- Roll the mixture into 12 equal balls. Spray one side with olive oil spray and place oil side down into the air fryer basket, then spray the upward facing side of each stuffing ball.
- Air fry for 5 minutes.
- Remove the air fryer basket from the air fryer and turn each stuffing ball with a tong. Air fry for a further 3 minutes until crispy on the outside.
Notes
- Make the stuffing balls the night before and chill in your fridge ready to air fry the next day.
- It's important not to crowd food into an air fryer. The recipe I give here makes 12 stuffing balls in a large 6 litre air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer I suggest air frying them in two batches.
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can cook the stuffing balls in a conventional oven too.
- Vary the flavours and use different dry stuffing mixes. Supermarkets are usually full of different stuffing flavours in the run up to Christmas!
- Add the zest of 1 clementine to the sage and onion stuffing balls to give them a festive flavour.
- Add a handful of dried cranberries for a fruity hit.
- To Store. Any leftover cooked stuffing balls can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- To Reheat. Reheat the stuffing balls in the microwave for ease. Alternatively you could give them a quick blast in the air fryer, which will help retain their crispness.
- To Freeze. Air fried stuffing balls can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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Lisa Huff
Such a fun holiday idea! Love that there are only 3 ingredients. Quick and easy!
Nathan
I can't believe I've never seen stuffing balls before! This recipe is delicious and so easy to make in the air fryer. Definitely an instant favorite!
Louise Cayzer
I'm the proud new owner of an airfryer and was looking for a way to make stuffing in it! Worked out perfectly. Yum!
Julie
These are a perfect side dish to go with any meal. Bonus that they are so easy to make.
Roxana
Wow this is such an easy recipe. And an incredible resource full of tips and helpful information for air frying.