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Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

February 7, 2022 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

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Enjoy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs as a party snack, game day appetizer, or easy weeknight dinner idea. You only need a few ingredients along with a couple of spices, and the meatballs are done in less than 30 minutes!

buffalo chicken meatballs drizzled with ranch on a white serving dish

If you are a fan of buffalo chicken wings, I know you will love these meatballs. Lately, buffalo chicken recipes have been my jam, so I made Buffalo Chicken Fries, and the week before that I tested a Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe so I could have these perfected before the big game.

Honestly, meatballs made with ground chicken are underrated. It’s cheaper to purchase than other ground meats, is a lighter option, and can be made a ton of different ways. Also, the nutrition profile is quite impressive. While these may be small they sure are mighty! Each meatball is less than 50 calories, has 5 grams of protein, and are keto, paleo, and Whole30 friendly.

By the way, it’s really easy to make a double batch of these. What you don’t eat, just freeze for later!

buffalo chicken meatball appetizers with toothpicks in them

MORE TASTY CHICKEN AND APPETIZER RECIPES

  • The Best Guacamole Recipe
  • Green Chicken Chili
  • Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
  • Jalapeno Poppers

BUFFALO CHICKEN MEATBALL INGREDIENTS

  • ground chicken
  • minced garlic – if you don’t have any sub garlic powder instead
  • cayenne pepper
  • coarse black pepper
  • coarse sea salt 
  • Italian herb seasoned bread crumbs – you can also use panko, plain bread crumbs, or your favorite gluten free option
  • milk – we like whole milk, but any milk will do
  • egg
  • chopped parsley
  • Buffalo sauce
  • Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing
  • Blue cheese crumbles
ingredients needed to make ground chicken meatballs

HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO MEATBALLS WITH GROUND CHICKEN

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a non stick cooking spray)and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the milk and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Just long enough that the breadcrumbs absorb the milk. This will help add moisture to the meatballs.

Add in the ground chicken, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, and egg to the mixture and stir.

Use a cookie scoop and form 1 1/2 inch balls of the meatball mixture. Roll between your hands and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken meatballs are rolled. Leave just a little space between each one.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Drizzle the buffalo sauce over the meatballs and toss to coat.

Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter. Drizzle more buffalo or hot sauce over. Serve with blue cheese, ranch, celery, and carrots.

You can also sprinkle some chopped parsley or green onions and blue cheese crumbles for garnish.

reaching for two buffalo meatballs on a toothpick

CAN YOU USE GROUND TURKEY INSTEAD?

Sure! Just swap the ground chicken for turkey and finish making the recipe just like I did!

STORING AND FREEZING CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Once they have cooled completely, they are ready to be put away. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

You can freeze the meatballs raw or after they have been cooked.

a stack of buffalo chicken meatballs with a bite taken out of one showing the inside

KEEPING CHICKEN MEATBALLS TENDER

The secret to keeping buffalo meatballs tender is to not overcook them. Because ground chicken is very lean it can dry out quicker than beef meatballs. Use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meatballs. Remove them from the oven as soon as they reach 165°F.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Enjoy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs as a party snack, game day appetizer, or easy weeknight dinner idea. You only need a few ingredients along with a couple of spices, and the meatballs are done in less than 30 minutes!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 20 meatballs
Calories: 51kcal
Author: girlinspired
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • ½ cup Italian herb seasoned bread crumbs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley plus more for garnish
  • Buffalo sauce
  • Ranch or blue cheese dressing
  • Blue cheese crumbles for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together bread crumbs and milk. Allow the bread crumbs to absorb the milk for about 5 minutes.
  • Add ground chicken, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and egg to the bread crumb mixture and stir well.
  • Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to form equal balls of the meat mixture. Roll each ball between your palms and place on a parchment paper-lined baking pan/sheet.
  • Bake 10-15 minutes or until the center of the meatballs reach 165°F.
  • Drizzle with ½ cup of buffalo sauce and toss to coat the meatballs.
  • Place meatballs on a platter for serving. Drizzle with more buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and blue cheese crumbles, if desired.
  • Serve with toothpicks.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Notes

 
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
 
Notes:   
This makes about 20 “regular”-sized meatballs. The recipe can easily be doubled.  
 
Serve as an appetizer with carrot sticks and celery.  You can also serve ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping.
 
Because ground chicken is very lean, these meatballs can become dried out and overcooked quickly.  Allowing the bread crumbs to absorb the milk before mixing the rest of the ingredients helps keep the meatballs moist.  Monitor the temperature of the meatballs so that you don’t overcook them.  Remove them from the oven as soon as they reach 165°F.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Food and Recipes, Main Course Tagged With: buffalo sauce, chicken, meatball

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