Air Fryer Meatball Subs

Prepare to be counting down the minutes until lunch hits with these super easy but DELISH air fryer meatball subs that cost a fraction of what you would pay at the local takeaway joint. These also make a great meal to serve if hosting on game day, and can be made ahead of time which is always handy!

🍝Simple Meatball Subs Made In The Air Fryer

These meatball subs are so good, you will be adding them to the weekly lunch planner week after week.

They are also super versatile, so can be made super easily by using purchased meatballs and spaghetti sauce, or can be a little bit fancy with homemade meatballs and sauce.

The choice is yours.

🧂 Ingredients You Need

We want to keep these sub sandwiches as simple as possible for easy lunch prep during the week.

You will need only a handful of simple ingredients:

• 6-inch sub roll: these can be wholemeal or white sub-buns. Choose a thick style sub so that there is less chance of it becoming soggy when packed for lunch for the day. A hoagie roll is great, or you can go all fancy and use a sourdough roll;
• Cooked spaghetti noodles: this is the perfect recipe for using leftover cooked spaghetti noodles, or you can always cook them fresh if you do not have any leftovers;
• Meatballs: I always have frozen meatballs handy in the freezer, and simply heat them in the air fryer when needed. However, this is also a great way to use up leftover meatballs;
• Spaghetti sauce: any spaghetti sauce, marinara sauce, or your favorite pasta sauce will work. You can also season a simple passata with some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and onion powder and cook on the stovetop until it has thickened slightly.
• Mozzarella cheese: I buy this pre-grated, but you can also grate it yourself or simply slice fresh mozzarella into slices to make this recipe even easier.

To cook the meatballs in the air fryer simply spray the air fryer basket with some cooking spray, pop the meatballs in making sure they are in a single layer, and cook for about 8-12 minutes at 380F (190C), shaking about halfway through.

You may need to add more cooking time or cook the meatballs in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.

TIP: if you would like to sneak some veggies into this recipe they can easily be grated and cooked into the meatballs or spaghetti sauce if you make them from scratch.

📋 How To Make Meatball Subs

This is a great recipe to make your own.

LOVE cooking?

Then go on ahead and make your own meatballs from scratch using whatever ingredients you prefer.

I make mine with lean ground beef or ground pork, a bunch of spices, and some breadcrumbs.

I also grate veggies and sneak them in there too.

Red bell pepper and carrot work wonderfully!

Just roll the meat mixture into balls and cook in the air fryer for about 12-14 minutes, until cooked the whole way through.

HATE cooking?

Then just grab a bag of prepared meatballs from the fridge or freezer section of your local grocery store and you will be good to go.

Same with the spaghetti sauce: either buy a jar of the premade stuff to save time or use up some delicious fresh tomatoes and make your own.

You can make it as simple or as gourmet as your little heart desires.

Once you have the ingredients collected and prepped, simply add the cooked noodles, cooked meatballs, and spaghetti sauce to a large bowl and mix until everything is well combined.

Use tongs to portion the spaghetti and meatballs into the pre-cut subs, sprinkle them with some grated mozzarella and you are good to go.

Variation: pop the loaded air fryer meatball subs under the broiler, grill or into the air fryer for a minute or two after they have been assembled to melt the cheese and warm up the bun a little.

💭 Important Teaching Tips

Taking these to school or work for lunch?

I have a couple of different options to make sure this works perfectly for you and whatever setup you have available.

• Pack elements separately

To prevent the bread from becoming soggy, simply pack the spaghetti and meatballs into a small container with an airtight lid and simply pour it into the precut sub when you are ready to eat.

This way you can enjoy the meatball sub cold, or you can reheat it in the container in the microwave if you have access to one.

• Melt the cheese inside the roll

If you prefer to pack the whole thing and have it ready to go then melt some of the grated mozzarellas in the sub before adding cooled spaghetti and meatballs.

Wrap tight in aluminum foil when cooled completely and pack for lunch.

• Chop the noodles

If you want this to be less messy it can be a good idea to chop the spaghetti noodles into smaller pieces before mixing everything together.

This means you won't have any long strings of noodles hanging out getting sauce over everything.

• Remove some of the insides of the bread roll

If you have a nice fluffy bread roll, pull some of the insides out of the roll before adding the spaghetti and meatballs.

This gives you less chance of overflowing.

🥢 How To Reheat Meatball Subs

Prepared meatball subs can be eaten hot or cold.

There are a few ways to reheat meatball subs depending on your preference and what equipment you have access to.

1. Air fryer: simply preheat the air fryer to 320°F  (160°C) and pop the whole sub in there for about 3-5 minutes until heated through. This is my favorite method, and seeing as I work from home, the one I use most often.
2. Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the foil-wrapped meatball subs on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are heated through.
3. Toaster oven: Preheat the toaster oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the meatball subs on the toaster oven tray for about 5-7 minutes.
4. Microwave: Place the meatball sub on a microwave-safe plate and cover it with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. This is my least favorite method as I find the subs can get a little soggy.

Of course, if you have access to none of these machines you can go right on ahead and eat the sub cold!

🍽  Serving Suggestions

Sprinkle with some grated mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese before serving.

To pack for lunch wrap the cooled meatball sub tightly in aluminum foil to keep everything together.

Alternatively, you can pack the hot meatballs, spaghetti, and sauce in a thermos to keep it warm, and simply scoop it into a precut sub when you are ready to eat.

I serve it with some fresh chopped veggies and a dip like this Easy Homemade Ranch Dip, a yummy muffin like this Ultimate Two Bite Chocolate Brownie Muffins, and some chopped fruit.

Too good.

👪 Frequently Asked Questions

I hope you love this easy air fryer meatball subs recipe as much as we do.

Remember to leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card, or comment underneath the recipe card.

Print Recipe

Spaghetti Stuffed Subs

Try these DELISH air fryer meatball subs that cost a fraction of what you would pay at the local takeaway joint. Perfect for prepping and grabbing out of the fridge as you are packing lunches. Can be eaten hot or cold.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Active Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer meatball subs

Yield: 4 serves

Calories: 923kcal

Materials

• 4 6-inch sub buns
• 2 cups prepared spaghetti noodles
• 16 prepared frozen meatballs cooked in air fryer for about 8-12 minutes
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce heated through
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine prepared spaghetti noodles, meatballs, and spaghetti sauce.
  2 cups prepared spaghetti noodles, 16 prepared frozen meatballs, 2 cups spaghetti sauce
• Using a tongs, transfer ¼ of the mixture onto each sub bun.
  4 6-inch sub buns
• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top of each sub.
  ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Pop into the air fryer at 380F (190C) for about 2 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese on top.
• Serve immediately or wrap in foil to pack (see notes).

Notes

• Meatballs: cook the frozen meatballs in a preheated air fryer at 380F (190C) for about 8-12 minutes, shaking halfway through. If using fresh meatballs you will need to cook them for about 12-14 minutes and spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
• Pack: if packing this to be enjoyed later in the day then wrap cooled subs tightly in aluminum foil to keep everything together. If you prefer to eat it hot you can store the hot spaghetti, meatballs, and sauce in a thermos and pack the sub bun separately, simply scooping the mix into the bun when it comes time to serve.
• Store: store prepared and cooled meatball subs in the fridge for up to 3-5 days, or in a lunchbox with an ice pack.
• Reheating instructions:
  • Air fryer: simply preheat the air fryer to 320°F  (160°C) and pop the whole sub in there for about 3-5 minutes until heated through. This is my favorite method, and seeing as I work from home, the one I use most often.
    Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the foil-wrapped meatball subs on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are heated through.
    Toaster oven: Preheat the toaster oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the meatball subs on the toaster oven tray for about 5-7 minutes.
    Microwave: Place the meatball sub on a microwave-safe plate and cover it with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. This is my least favorite method as I find the subs can get a little soggy.
• Can also be eaten cold.
• Substitutions: veggie meatballs can replace regular meatballs to make this a vegetarian option.

Nutrition

Calories: 923kcal | Carbohydrates: 132g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1501mg | Potassium: 638mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 16mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.