Quick and easy Buffalo chicken meatballs pack all the flavor of your favorite spicy Buffalo wings into a fun, bite-sized appetizer or main dish.
Featuring zingy Buffalo sauce, diced veggies, breadcrumbs, and plenty of seasoning, they’re light, tender, and guaranteed to please.
Serve them hot with blue cheese or ranch dressing, and add a few crunchy celery and carrot sticks for the ultimate snack experience.
Why You’ll Love These Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Easy Preparation: This recipe is quick and easy to prepare with simple ingredients and straightforward steps. You can even make them ahead to save time on party day.
Versatile Serving Options: Serve them as an appetizer with dips, or with fries or salad for dinner. You could even nestle them in a soft bread roll with slaw. There’s never a bad time for spicy chicken meatballs.
Visually Appealing: The vibrant colors from the Buffalo sauce, green onions, and accompanying cool dips create an eye-catching dish that looks as good as it tastes.
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken: Provides a lean and protein-packed base. Feel free to use turkey.
- Buffalo Sauce: Brings the signature spicy, tangy kick that makes these meatballs irresistible.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Adds texture and helps bind the meatballs together.
- Veggies: Finely diced celery, carrots, and green onions provide crunch, color, and a fresh flavor boost.
- Large Egg: A binder to hold all the ingredients together.
- Seasonings: Garlic, onion powder, salt, and black pepper enhance the overall flavor profile.
- Butter: Just a little with the Buffalo sauce so it sticks to the meatballs better.
- Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing: The perfect cool and creamy counterpart for dipping or drizzling.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Let me tell you, these meatballs are a surefire crowd-pleaser.
Whether you’re looking for a fun appetizer, a game day snack, or just a tasty weeknight dinner, these bad boys have you covered.
Plus, they’re super easy to make!
1. PREP: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. MIX: In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the sauce, veggies, egg, and spices until well combined.
3. PORTION: Scoop the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. BAKE: Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.
5. STIR: While the meatballs cook, warm the remaining Buffalo sauce with the butter until melted and smooth.
6. TOSS: Take the meatballs out of the oven and toss in the Buffalo sauce until evenly coated.
7. SERVE: Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dressing and extra green onions for garnish. Enjoy!
Tips For the Best Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
I should warn you: once you try these Buffalo chicken meatballs, you might never go back to regular meatballs again. They’re just that good!
And thanks to these tips, they’ll be perfect every time.
- Ground chicken. Use ground chicken that is not leaner than 93% for juicy meatballs.
- Don’t overmix. Whisk everything but the meat in a bowl until smooth, then gently mix in the chicken until combined. Overmixing can make the meatballs tough.
- Use a scoop. Use a small cookie scoop to form evenly sized-meatballs.
- Wet hands. Keep a small bowl of water nearby and wet your hands before forming each meatball to prevent the mixture from sticking.
- Monitor temp. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Buffalo sauce. Choose whatever brand of Buffalo sauce you like best. Or try this Buffalo wing sauce recipe!
- Variations. Swap the ground chicken for turkey or beef. Mix in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or blue cheese crumbles for extra cheesy meatballs.
- Slow cooker method. Pan-fry the meatballs until browned on all sides. Pop them in the Crockpot with the Buffalo sauce and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
- Dipping sauces. Serve with blue cheese dip, ranch dressing, Buffalo chicken dip, or sweet & sour sauce.
How to Store
If you’re craving a flavor-packed dish with a little bit of heat, you’ve gotta give this recipe a try. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.
They’re juicy, flavorful, and store really well!
To Make Ahead: Arrange unbaked meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before cooking.
To Store: Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Arrange cooked or uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator overnight before reheating (for cooked) or baking (for uncooked) according to the original recipe instructions.
To Reheat: Microwave refrigerated meatballs for 1-2 minutes, or bake in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through. For best results, brush with additional Buffalo sauce before reheating to maintain moisture and flavor.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes You Have to Try
Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Buffalo Chicken Panini
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
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kcalQuick and easy Buffalo chicken meatballs pack all the flavor of your favorite spicy Buffalo wings into a fun, bite-sized appetizer or main dish.
Ingredients
1-1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup Buffalo sauce, divided
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Blue cheese or ranch dressing, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken, 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce, breadcrumbs, celery, carrots, green onions, egg, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper until well combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. You should get about 20-24 meatballs.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned. They should read 165°F (75°C) on a meat thermometer.
- While the meatballs cook, combine the remaining Buffalo sauce with the butter. Stir over medium-low heat until melted and smooth.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the buttery Buffalo sauce over the top and toss to coat.
- Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping and extra green onions for garnish.
Notes
- Mix everything but the meat until smooth, then add the meat. This prevents overmixing.
- Keep your hands slightly wet when rolling the meatballs to prevent sticking.
- For cheesy meatballs, mix in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or blue cheese crumbles to the meatball mixture.
