Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, mozzarella, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands — don't overmix or the meatballs get tough and dense. I usually mix for about 30 seconds until everything's just combined.

Roll the mixture into 20 meatballs, each roughly the size of a golf ball. This goes faster than you'd think, maybe 3-4 minutes tops. If the mixture feels too sticky, wet your hands slightly and it becomes way easier.

Brush your air fryer basket lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. You don't need much — just a thin coating does the job. This is the one step that makes cleanup actually easy.

Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in your air fryer basket, leaving a little space between each one. They shouldn't touch because the hot air needs to circulate around them. If your basket's small, work in batches rather than cramming them in.

Set your air fryer to 380°F and cook for 12 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through, around the 6-minute mark. I promise you'll hear them sizzle when you open it — that's how you know they're getting crispy.

Check that they're golden brown and cooked through before removing them. The outside should have that gorgeous crispy edge while the inside stays tender. Let them cool for 2 minutes before serving since they'll be hot.

Serve immediately with marinara sauce, ranch, or whatever you love. These are perfect as a standalone appetizer or tossed into pasta. Leftovers reheat beautifully the next day in the air fryer at 350°F for 4 minutes.