Air Fryer Meatball Sub
This air fryer meatball sub recipe is fantastic for when you need comfort food to eat in front of the TV.
If you’ve grown up with Friends, the series, like I did, you may remember Joey’s perpetual hunger, as well as his absolute love for sandwiches.
While the sandwiches I know and love tend to be rather different than the ones he’d enjoy, it did cross my mind that what he described as a “meatball sub” may be something worth looking into. A rich tomato sauce slathered onto fresh bread, juicy meatballs, melty mozzarella – it really was hard to resist even thinking about it.
It is why, when recently watching a rerun of the show on Netflix, I decided to make my own. As I had recently discovered the joys of an air fryer, I figured this could be a great idea to use it for.
Don’t get me wrong, this sandwich is a labour of love. Even without making my own baguettes (but I was oh so tempted) there were still the tomato sauce and meatballs to make, as well as the assembly. I did find that the airfryer cut the cooking times by quite a bit (plus, no need to preheat the oven!) and the end result was absolutely worth it.
You can, of course, buy tomato sauce from the store, but I swear by this one, ever since I tried it on pasta. For this recipe I pureed it to make it smooth but that is definitely an optional step.
The meatballs are rich with beef and ricotta, herbs and garlic. I highly recommend you make them yourself. The extra step in sautéing the onions ups the flavour and juiciness factor.
Finally, make sure to use cooking mozzarella, which has a lower moisture content. This will ensure it melts beautifully but doesn’t leak all over your sandwich.
Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches)
2 mini baguettes (or about 2/3 of a standard one) sliced in half horizontally
100g cooking mozzarella, sliced
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil, for finishing
For the meatballs (you will have leftovers – eat them as a snack or add them to your delicious tomato sauce leftovers)
300g beef mince (you can also use a beef and pork mix, it’s delicious)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Fresh basil and parsley, finely chopped
Chilli flakes, optional
1 egg
3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
100g ricotta cheese
For the sauce (makes about a cup more than you need but it keeps well for a few days in the fridge and is phenomenal on pasta)
3 garlic cloves
leaves of a handful of basil
pinch red pepper flakes
1x 400g (14 oz) cans peeled San Marzano tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
20 g (1 tbsp) butter
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
1/4 cup olive oil
Start by making the meatballs. In a large bowl combine minced meat, egg, panko, herbs, ricotta, garlic and chilli flakes, if using. Heat up a little bit of oil in a small pan and sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Add to the meat mix. Combine well (you may need to get your hands dirty for this).
Warm up your air fryer at 200 degrees C. Shape the mince mixture into ping pong sized balls and place into the air fryer basket, evenly spaced. Cook in the air fryer for about 15-20 minutes. You may need to check them and turn them half way.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. If you wish to, you can blend it for a smoother consistency.
Start by making your infused oil. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the peeled and smashed garlic cloves, red pepper flakes and basil (stems and all). Once the oil starts to sizzle and the basil is wilted, remove from the heat and let steep while you make the sauce.
Heat the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan (this will prevent the butter from burning). Add the halved onion, cut side down, and let it brown nicely. Add the canned tomatoes to the pan (I like to squeeze them with my hands or you can use a potato masher in the pan to crush them).
When the sauce comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 30 minutes or so.
Add the infused oil to the tomato sauce and let simmer another 15 minutes. Remove the halved onion from the sauce. Blend to a fine purée in a small food processor.
Finally, when ready to assemble, bring all your ingredients together.
Start by slicing the baguettes in half, horizontally. Drizzle with olive oil all over and place overlapping mozzarella slices on one side only. Air fry for about 7 minutes (keep an eye on it until the cheese is melted).
Bring the baguettes out. Spread the smooth tomato sauce on the other side of the bread. Top with 3-4 meatballs (depending on their size) and drizzle more sauce on top. Sprinkle parmesan on top and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Top with the mozzarella half.
Serve immediately with a salad (or not!) and enjoy!