Baked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs combine all of the signature flavors of those tangy spicy Buffalo wings we all love, including buffalo sauce and blue cheese, in the form of a small but mighty meatball!
Be sure to try these other popular meatballs recipes too. Cranberry Meatballs, Grape Jelly and Ketchup Meatballs and these Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs are all so delicious!
Table of contents
Baked Meatballs with Buffalo Sauce
If you’re a fan of Buffalo chicken wings you’re going to love these homemade Buffalo chicken meatballs! I make these a lot when I’m entertaining, as they’re a perfect appetizer for game day parties, holidays, and any family gathering.
They are baked not fried which makes them nice and light and a healthier alternative. Of course we smother them in hot sauce and blue cheese crumbles too!
They’re a simple way to get dinner on the table in a hurry when you serve them on a bed of rice or with a simple side salad like these Tikka Masala meatballs.
They also make the best quick and easy low carb snack when you’re just craving those flavors! I love dipping them in either ranch or bleu cheese dressings.
However you enjoy your buffalo meatballs, make a double batch because they never last long!
Ingredients/shopping list
- Panko breadcrumbs: Used for binding the ingredients together so buffalo chicken meatballs won’t fall apart on you!
- Blue cheese: A tangy, pungent cheese that is a perfect pairing for the spicy sauce.
- Buffalo sauce: I’m a frank’s red hot fan! There is some heat to buffalo sauce, but it’s more delicious than anything else! Of course, you can adjust the spice level by using a bit more or a bit less wing sauce.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, paprika, onion powder
- Large egg: Also used for binding but unlike the breadcrumbs that absorb moisture, the egg can create moisture.
- Ground chicken: A great way to use up any meat you’ve stocked up on when it was on sale! If it’s frozen, be sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight.
- Olive oil: This is used to coat your fingers so the meat mixture doesn’t stick to them while you roll them. It also helps with browning the outside.
- For the sauce: Buffalo sauce and butter!
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
This recipe will come together in 25 minutes with simple ingredients! Here’s how you make them:
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and the egg. Mix thoroughly to combine.
Step 2: Toss in the meat and gently mix with your hands. You never want to over-mix meatballs because that’s how they become overworked and tough. We want tender meatballs!
Step 3: Coat your fingers with oil and scoop out about 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons of the mixture (a cookie scoop works great!) . Roll them and place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes.
Step 5: While they bake melt butter into the buffalo sauce over medium heat. Adding butter to the sauce helps with coating the meatballs.
Step 6: Once meatballs are done baking, place them in a bowl and pour that buttery sauce over the meatballs. Toss to coat and enjoy over rice, noodles, or nothing else at all!
Variations/ Substitutions
1: Use regular breadcrumbs, old-fashioned oats, quick oats, or almond flour instead of panko breadcrumbs.
2: Substitute feta cheese, shredded mozzarella, or cheddar cheese for the blue cheese if preferred.
3: Use ground turkey or ground beef, if desired.
4: Add sliced green onions to the meat mixture or as a garnish.
5. Make a meatball sub with them!
Tips
- Serve over rice, or for a low-carb meal replace the rice with cauliflower rice.
- Dip in ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing. Both are cool and creamy and will help balance out the flavorful heat.
- When serving them as an appetizer, pair them with carrot sticks and celery sticks for fun. Don’t forget the toothpicks and napkins.
- Present them on a platter with a toothpick in each one. It makes it much easier for people to grab one and pop it in their mouth.
- Do not overwork the meat! This is important, so I’m saying it more than once! 😉
How to Make Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
These meatballs can easily be made in your crock pot as well if you want. Just mix everything together as stated and only bake them for about 5 minutes. (just enough to crisp up the outside a little.
Then transfer them to the slow cooker and pour the buffalo sauce and butter mixture over top and give it a quick stir.
Cook on low for 1 ½ – 2 hours on low setting. Keep on warm setting if serving at a party.
FAQ’s
Keep any leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can reheat them several ways. If you have just a few, feel free to pop them in the microwave. You can also use a skillet on the stove, or even a slow cooker to keep them warm at parties.
You may find after a while they have absorbed some of the sauce so feel free to add a bit more just before serving.
The most accurate way to tell is by testing with a kitchen thermometer. Once it reads 165 degrees, it’s done.
You can! You can completely skip coating the meatballs and just eat them as they are once they are out of the oven. Or, you can just use less of the sauce!
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Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup blue cheese
- 3 tablespoons buffalo sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or
- In a large mixing bowl, add the breadcrumbs, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and egg and mix thoroughly to combine.¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup blue cheese, 3 tablespoons buffalo sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 large egg
- Add the ground chicken and gently mix with your hands to incorporate the mixture into the meat. Coating your fingers with a tablespoon of oil will keep the meat from sticking to your fingers and crisp the outside of the meatballs.1 pound ground chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Scoop out 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll them into smooth balls about the size of golf balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Prepare the sauce
- Add the buffalo sauce and butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter has melted, stirring often. Then remove from the heat.½ cup buffalo sauce, 3 tablespoons butter
- Place the baked meatballs in a bowl and pour the buttery sauce over the meatballs then toss to coat well.
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