Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Everyone knows that classic Buffalo wings are a staple on game day, but sometimes I want to shake up the classic appetizer spread, or save the mess of picking up saucy chicken wings for another day. Enter: Buffalo chicken meatballs. Ground chicken is formed into meatballs with bread crumbs and plenty of seasoning, before being drenched in the signature hot Buffalo sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, these meatballs are a flavor-packed app you can have ready in no time, so you don't have to miss any of the big game.

What People Are Saying:
"Making these for the second time. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing it." - AnneHere

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

• Hot Sauce: While technically you can use any hot sauce you prefer, Frank’s RedHot is a no-brainer when you’re looking to create a killer Buffalo sauce.
• Crumbled Blue Cheese: Blue cheese lovers—you’re welcome. I add some extra oomph to the classic sauce by adding in crumbled blue cheese to the Buffalo sauce. If you're not a fan, you can make classic Buffalo sauce instead.
• Panko Bread Crumbs: Panko bread crumbs make these meatballs crispy with an incredible crust.
• Celery: Celery + Buffalo sauce is always a good idea, and in this recipe, it adds a welcome crunch to the meatballs.
• Egg: An egg will bind our ingredients together, creating a texture that will hold together in the oven.
• Green Onions: I recommend saving some extra green onions to use as a garnish before serving.
• Ground Chicken: These are chicken meatballs after all, so of course we’re using ground chicken. Looking for more ground chicken ideas? Check out our favorite ground chicken recipes.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

After preheating your oven and prepping your baking sheet, you’ll prepare your Buffalo sauce. Do this by adding blue cheese, butter, and hot sauce to a saucepan over medium heat, whisking to combine. Season with salt, and cook until the butter and blue cheese have melted. Then remove from the heat and let cool.

Now, we can get started on our meatballs. Grab a medium bowl, and add bread crumbs, celery, garlic, egg, green onions, onion powder, and a bit of salt. Mix until combined, then add the ground chicken and half of the sauce. Give everything a good mix until well combined.

Once your mixture is combined, grab a cookie scoop and form 1-inch meatballs. Transfer to your prepared baking sheet, then bake until lightly golden. This should take around 15 to 17 minutes.

Once your meatballs are cooked to perfection, add the warm meatballs to a bowl, and add in the remaining sauce. Toss until very well combined—no dry meatballs here. We want the Buffalo sauce to coat every inch of our meatballs.

Now, you can get to serving. I love to serve these meatballs with blue cheese dressing for a match made in dunking heaven, but if you're a ranch fan...don't worry, I won't tell. Add on a sprinkle of your reserved green onions, and you’re ready to dive in.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Can I make Buffalo chicken meatballs in the slow cooker? Absolutely! If you're looking to save some oven space, make our slow-cooker Buffalo chicken meatballs recipe.

What To Serve With Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

If you have any extra celery, I highly recommend serving it with some carrots alongside your meatballs (with extra blue cheese, perhaps?). If you’re looking for a heartier side, I recommend adding some other classic party apps to the spread: loaded potato skins, lemon-pepper wings, or meatball sub egg rolls.

Storage

If you have any leftover meatballs (lucky you!), store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.