My Air Fryer recipe for Chicken Alfredo Quinoa Balls is inspired by one of my favorite indulgent creamy Chicken Alfredo and hot, crispy Arancini (those delicious little balls of deep-fried rice or risotto) – but made more nutritious.
Instead of heavy sauces, super carby-carbs, and cooking methods I shy from (like traditional deep frying of rice balls), Air Fryer Chicken Alfredo Quinoa Balls keep all the decadent flavor served up in fun, nourishing “two-bite” morsels. For me, one Chicken and Quinoa appetizer or dinner is easy to portion – one makes a snack and three quinoa balls make a dinner (especially yummy on the sauce of your choice or on a spinach salad). A three-piece serving has 364 calories, 16g fat, 28g net carb, 27g protein.
This air fryer quinoa arancini recipe is surprisingly simple to make, especially if you already have cooked, shredded chicken breast on hand. I always make a big batch in Instant Pot® Duo Crisp™ + Air Fryer and shred up when cooled, and keep portioned in various serving sizes in the freezer – for recipes like this Chicken Quinoa Balls in Air Fryer. Or, just to thaw and throw on a salad. While this post is all about Quinoa Balls, and not so much how to cook chicken in an Instant Pot – there are several ways. I prefer the slow-cooking function, and really don’t use an official recipe – just about ½ cup of chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon of my favorite freeze-dried herb poultry seasoning per every 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast. I just throw it all in there and let it cook low and slow for 8 hours before shredding up.
The rest of the air fryer chicken quinoa meal recipe is a snap. First, cook quinoa according to package directions (takes about 15 minutes) and let cool down to room temperature – another 10 to 15 minutes (faster if you spread out on a baking sheet). You can also use pre-cooked, frozen and defrosted quinoa – check out this quinoa meal prep post.
The it’s just a matter of mixing the seasonings into the softened cream cheese, followed by the shredded chicken and quinoa (btw, I used tri-color quinoa, but any type will do).
Next grab a handful of the mixture, and roll into golf ball-sized portions, making about a dozen. Then roll each ball in panko bread crumbs (or if needed gluten free bread crumbs) until nice and coated, no longer sticky to picky up.
double the cooking capacity!
Stick in the Air Fryer basked of the Instant Pot® Duo Crisp™+ Air Fryer, layering half on the bottom of the basket and using the metal, circular insert to make a shelf to hold the remaining half-dozen. Air fry on 400F degrees for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. They will be done when crunchy and golden brown on the outside, and heated through and a bit, soft and gooey on the inside.
Serving suggestion: Make a creamy tomato sauce by mixing in a splash of heavy cream into warmed tomato pasta sauce. Place three Chicken Alfredo Quinoa Balls in the center and garnish with fresh basil.
Also, don’t forget to check out the Instant Pot® Duo Crisp™ + Air Fryer, an 11-in-1 pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, sauté pan, food warmer, sous vide, air fryer, roaster, mini oven, broiler, and dehydrator. It comes with two lids so you can instantly transform it into an Air Fryer with proprietary air flow technology that gives the crunch and tenderness of deep-frying with 95% less oil! Plus, I personally LOVE having just ONE countertop appliance that does it all, instead of a whole closet full! Stay tuned for more Instant Pot Duo Crisp recipes from The Fit Fork!
By the way, this recipe is my own, but was inspired by The Complete Quinoa Cookbook by Catherine Gill, that was recently sent to me by the publisher. Check it out, fabulous stuff in there.
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Chicken Alfredo Quinoa Balls are inspired by one of my favorite indulgent Italian meals, creamy Chicken Alfredo and hot, crispy Arancini (those delicious little balls of deep-fried rice or risotto) – but made more nutritious. So quick and simple to make, and definitely kid-friendly, these delicious morsels can be served as an appetizer or served on sauce as a meal. Visit thefitfork.com for more Instant Pot and Air Fryer recipes with great nutrition to fuel a busy and active lifestyle. — The Instant Pot Duo Crisp (that's also an air fryer) is the perfect appliance to make this simple recipe even more quick and convenient.
- 8 ounces Neufchatel cheese
- 1 ½ cups COOKED quinoa
- 8 ounces shredded chicken breast already cooked
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup panko
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley if desired
- Optional: pasta sauce for serving.
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Cook quinoa and chicken breast beforehand, if needed.
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Soften Neufchatel cheese and stir in garlic power, onion powder, ground black pepper and salt.
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Next stir in cooked quinoa and shredded chicken until mixed thoroughly into the cheese.
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Use hands to form golf ball-sized balls (about ¼ cup) of mixture, before rolling each into panko crumbs, patting crumbs on to create a thick coating.
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Should make about 12 balls.
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Set Air Fryer to 400F degrees and set 6 balls on bottom of basket, and 6 balls on top of tray or 2nd tier metal insert. Or, if smaller capacity air fryer, then do in two batches.
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Air fry for 8 – 10 minutes or until turning golden grown and heated well throughout.
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Serve as appetizer, or set three in a bowl of pasta sauce for a meal.
Nutrition for THREE balls:
