Elvis Presley Meatballs are easy, 5-ingredient bacon-wrapped meatballs cooked in your air fryer (or oven).
What are Elvis Presley Meatballs?
According to Showbiz CheatSheet, “Elvis Presley loved simple foods he could enjoy without pretense. These tastes included the food he grew up with as a young man in his Tupelo, MS community. Most importantly, these southern food staples were prepared by family and friends. But these recipes were not fancy. However, they provided substantial satisfaction. One of Presley’s favorites was bacon-wrapped meatballs, a party snack that offers a taste explosion with very few ingredients.”
I was skeptical that these meatballs would turn out and be good. There are no breadcrumbs or egg (which I usually put in all of my meatballs and meatloafs). But I was pleasantly surprised! These bacon-wrapped meatballs are a definite winner and I’ll be making these over and over in the future!
My version of the meatballs are cooked in your air fryer! I really love air fryer meatballs. The outside is crispy and the inside is tender. I love how the excess grease drains off into the bottom of the air fryer underneath the rack.
You can also bake these meatballs in the oven. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and then place the meatballs on top of the wire rack. This will allow the grease to drip down underneath the meatballs. This is probably the best method if you want to double or triple the recipe because the air fryer has limited space.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
These are the easiest meatballs I have ever made. There are only 5 ingredients…no egg and no breadcrumbs (so they are also low carb!). I was shocked that these meatballs stayed together so well and tasted so great.
- Ground beef (85/15)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Worcestershire sauce–this recipe can be gluten-free if you use gluten free Worcestershire sauce.
- Bacon–uncooked, regular cut bacon (thick cut bacon won’t cook at the same rate as the meatballs)
Basic Steps to make Elvis Presley Meatballs
- Combine the ingredients. I like to use kitchen gloves* for this step.
- Form into meatballs. I like to make 8 meatballs out of one pound of meat.
- Wrap a piece of bacon around each meatball and secure it with a toothpick. (Yes it’s okay to use toothpicks in your air fryer).
- Air fry the meatballs until they are cooked through and the bacon is cooked. You can also bake these meatballs in the oven.
- Eat and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- You can serve these as an appetizer or as the main dish with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with the rest of your package of bacon are Instant Pot Alice Springs Chicken and Instant Pot Bacon Parmesan Spaghetti Squash.
Elvis Presley Meatballs
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8 meatballs 1x
Description
Elvis Presley Meatballs are easy, 5-ingredient bacon-wrapped meatballs cooked in your air fryer (or oven)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (85/15)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 8 slices of bacon
Instructions
- In a bowl add the beef, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Use clean hands to combine the mixture.
- Form into 8 equal meatballs.
- Wrap a piece of bacon around each meatball and secure the bacon with a toothpick.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400° F.
- Place the meatballs into the air fryer. Air fry at 380° F for 12-14 minutes.
- Eat and enjoy!
Notes
You can also bake these meatballs in the oven. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and then place the meatballs on top of the wire rack. Bake for 25 minutes at 425° F. This is probably the best method if you want to double or triple the recipe because the air fryer has limited space.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Air Fryer
More Instant Pot Meatball Recipes…
Instant Pot Meatballs
You can make meatballs in your electric pressure cooker! They’re tender and taste great served over pasta and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. This is a hands off recipe that takes just a few minutes to cook. Try making these with ground turkey, beef, pork, chicken or a combination.
Instant Pot Ikea Meatballs
Tender and delicious bite size meatballs with savory cream gravy. They taste just like what you can order at Ikea!
Instant Pot Mountain Meatballs
Tennis ball sized meatballs stuffed with cheese and brushed with a delicious tomato-vinegar glaze.
Air Fryer Weeknight Meatballs
Use your air fryer or Instant Pot air fryer lid to make these super fast and easy meatballs!
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
A mixture of ground beef and pork are seasoned well and formed into meatballs and then cooked quickly in your pressure cooker. A creamy gravy smothers the meatballs for a delicious dinner you’d love to have any day of the week.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I’m confused, Karen. You say to preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees but then air fry at 380.
Yep, heat it up while you are making the meatballs to 400. Then when you are ready to cook turn down the heat to 380.