These tender Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are a spin on your classic appetizer or a fun and different weeknight dinner! They are perfect for meal-prep and work lunches. Or a delicious game day snack this football season!
Best Ever Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
I am such a huge fan of all things buffalo, you guys. I swear I could eat buffalo wings every other day – I just don’t get sick of them and they always hit the spot! But, I thought I would mix things up today and do a fun spin on a classic chicken wing recipe! Enter, easy buffalo chicken meatballs for a healthier alternative. The perfect party appetizer to enjoy on football sundays. I cannot wait for you to try them!
If you also love chicken meatballs, you should also try our blog-favorite Greek Chicken Meatballs!
What You Will Need
- ground chicken: love using ground chicken – a nice and lean meat that is perfect for making a healthier meatball. You could also sub with ground turkey.
- egg & almond flour: the binding agents that help hold these tender meatballs together.
- onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper – a classic combination of seasonings that bring so much great flavor!
- olive oil: for your hands – helps with the sticky ground chicken.
- buffalo sauce: homemade or store-bought from your local grocery store (check ingredients for Paleo/Whole30).
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
To start this buffalo chicken meatballs recipe, you can place all of the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to fully combine.
Scoop about a tablespoon of the chicken mixture at a time and roll in your clean hands to form a meatball. Continue this process to form all of the meatballs. Sear chicken meatballs in a hot cast iron skillet, cook on all sides in a single layer on medium heat. Add buffalo sauce and let simmer as chicken meatballs fully cook. They should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
Pro tip: we love using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to keep the meatballs a uniform size and shape.
Transfer meatballs to a large mixing bowl and drizzle a little bit of extra buffalo sauce on top. Serve with your favorite dip and celery sticks!
What To Serve With Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
We love to serve these very similar to the same way we serve traditional buffalo chicken wings. Fresh celery sticks are a great side to buffalo chicken meatballs! They give you a nice break from the spiciness of the meatballs as well as nice crunch. You could also do raw broccoli or even cauliflower. They are also great for dipping in ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing! And feel free to sprinkle some chopped green onions or blue cheese crumbles on top!
Can I Make Meatballs In The Slow Cooker
Yes! You could totally make slow cooker buffalo chicken meatballs in your crock pot! To do this I would make the meatball mix and roll them into balls, as directed, and then I would sear them on the stove top or bake them in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375 for about 25 minutes. Then place them in the slow cooker along with your sauce and cook on LOW for 2 hours. Expect some separation when it comes to the sauce, but you should be able to stir to recombine.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Meatball Recipes You Might Like
Buffalo Chicken Meatball Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20–21 meatballs 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs – a spin on your classic appetizer or a fun and different weeknight dinner! These Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are perfect for meal-prep and work lunches!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup almond flour (sub breadcrumbs if not Whole30/paleo)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- oil (to help with forming meatballs)
- 1 batch of homemade buffalo sauce (or approx. 1 cup store bought buffalo sauce)
Instructions
- Combine: Combine ground chicken, egg, almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl.
- Scoop: Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop out approx. 1 1/2 tablespoons of meatball mixture, forming a ball, and place on a large plate. Continue until all of the meatball mixture is used. (See Notes)
- Skillet: Take large/medium cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and use a spatula to spread evenly to coat the pan. Add chicken meatballs and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes.
- Cover: Turn down heat to medium and then add approximately 1/3 cup of buffalo sauce – then cover the pan immediately as it will splatter.
- Simmer: Allow meatballs to cook in the buffalo sauce, adding more as needed, about 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked (165 internal temperature – I recommend using a meat thermometer). Toss meatballs occasionally so the buffalo sauce really cooks into them.
- Bowl: Place cooked chicken meatballs and sauce into a large bowl and pour additional buffalo sauce on top, as desired. Toss.
- Serve: Serve with ranch dressing and celery sticks.
Notes
- Ground Chicken: Ground chicken can be very sticky so it helps to have a little bowl of oil next to you when you are making the chicken meatballs. Get a little oil on your fingers and then rub on the inside of the cookie dough scoop before scooping the meatball mixture. Then place directly onto the plate and just reform as necessary.
- Homemade Ranch Dressing: this homemade ranch dressing is SO GOOD! Highly recommend!
- Store-bought Buffalo Sauce: You can easily use store-bought buffalo sauce instead of homemade! I like this kind and this kind -both are Whole30/Paleo.
- Store-bought Ranch: You can also use store-bought ranch for dipping – I like this kind and this kind!
- Can I Bake the Meatballs: YES! Just bake the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375 for about 18-22 minutes (or until internal temp is 165). Then toss them in the sauce. I personally prefer the stove-top version, but if you are more of an oven-baked chicken meatball person I totally get it!
- Almond Flour Substitutes: If you are wanting these Whole30/Paleo but can’t do the almond flour, I would suggest a cassava flour or something similar. If you aren’t concerned with Whole30/Paleo you can simply use breadcrumbs in place of the almond flour!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 242
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 439.2 mg
- Fat: 13.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Protein: 18.6 g
- Cholesterol: 114.3 mg
Keywords: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
christina says
This recipe was immediately approved and gobbled up by hubby and teens. Will definitely be making these healthy chicken buffalo meatballs during the football season. I popped them in the air fryer to cook and served with a homemade ranch. I used Noble buffalo sauce and may try a homemade buffalo sauce next time.
★★★★★
Karen says
This recipe is delicious and so easy! The meatballs are full of flavor on their own and made even better with the buffalo flavor. I love having them around for a high protein, tasty, filling snack and/or to have as part of my lunch.
★★★★★
Kaylyn says
I made these, and they were very delish! Super yummy on top of a cool salad with ranch dressing. The meatballs were quite spicy! But I love spicy! 😊
★★★★★
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed them, Kaylyn!
Justine says
Loved these buffalo chicken meatballs so much!! It had been awhile since I’d used ground chicken so I’d forgotten how sticky it is!!! Great trick to put some oil on the cookie dough scoop before scooping! They’re super moist and so tasty. We ate them with celery, bleu cheese dressing and some sautéed zucchini as a side. My partner and I loved these and are excited to make them again in the future; possibly for a Super Bowl party 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
yay!!! So happy you enjoyed these, Justine!!
Whitney Sowles says
I have made these twice for parties this summer, and am amazed at how quickly they disappear! Such a great easy recipe and fabulous crowd pleaser!
★★★★★
Corey says
SO GOOD! I made these tonight and my husband and I loved them! So easy for a quick weeknight dinner. We made them as a dinner with a salad and some side veggies. Your website is my new favorite for Whole30 recipes!
★★★★★
Erin says
Yay!! So happy to hear that, Corey!
Erin says
Easy, delicious and fun! I made a double batch because I knew my family would love them. They were gone in less than two days! The recipe is so simple that my kids were able to help and I had all the ingredients on hand.
★★★★★
Mary says
These were our special super bowl dinner this year! I used ground turkey and barbecue sauce because it’s what we had on hand when I decided to make these at the last minute. 🤷♀️
The 4 year old twins didn’t touch them (it was a completely different meat presentation- they missed out!), but it got the thumbs up from the husband 👍
Erin says
Yay! Love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed them and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Beth says
These are so good – perfectly moist. We used turkey bc its what we had and they were deelish – i love the homemade buffalo sauce. we eat ours with rice and grilled zucchini and the sauce drizzled on top, Yummo, thanks!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Beth! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Chris says
I LOVE these meatballs and would eat them everyday. They go perfectly with some ranch and veggies. Now I’m craving them just writing this review!
★★★★★
Erin says
Aw thanks, Chris! So glad you are enjoying them! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I really appreciate it!
Kat says
These were fantastic! I am gluten free and really try to eat clean- they have a ton of flavor without being unhealthy. I used a small scooper and I didn’t even have to use my hands which was great since it’s so sticky!
★★★★★
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Kat! These are one of my favorite as well – thanks so much for taking the time to leave your feedback, I really appreciate it!
Ashley says
We made these tonight! They were so delicious! Definitely will be making these again and will be great for tailgating!
★★★★★
Erin says
Yay!! So happy to hear you enjoyed them (they are a personal favorite!) – and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate that!
Courtney McKelvie says
Is there a substitute for the almond flour? We have a nut allergy in the family. Thanks!!
Erin says
Hi Courtney – I have only ever made these with almond flour so I can’t guarantee results, but I would think a cassava flour to be a decent binder as well! Or if you aren’t concerned with paleo/whole30 some bread crumbs would do the trick. Let me know if you try something and how it works!
Valerie says
Would ground turkey work just as well?
Erin says
Hi Valerie! I haven’t personally tried this with turkey, but several people have messaged me telling me they have and it was successful!!
Erica says
Just made these – they were very good and easy to make! Doubled the recipe and had them as our dinner entree for my family of five – very filling with plenty of celery and carrots on the side. Husband and kids all liked them as well! Passed on the recipe to three friends!
Erin says
That is so awesome to hear, Erica! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!
Dani says
Could you do these in the slow cooker?
Christine Geffner says
Hi Erin! I made these this week with a pound of ground chicken from Aldi, as well as their Berman’s Hot Sauce. They came out so delicious. They made a great afternoon “heavy snack.” People are still trying to settle into a new routine over here, so I feel like I’m cooking and doing dishes all day, every day. So thanks for keeping it easy and delicious!
Erin says
Hi Christine! I am so glad you enjoyed them!! I agree – definitely figuring out a new “normal” over here as well (everyone home = dishes ALL the time!!). Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it!
Annie says
Can I make these in an insta pot?
Fatima says
Can these be made in an instant pot or baked in the oven?
Michelle says
These look so good!! Can I substitute almond flour for something else? I have eliminated nuts from my diet.
Thanks. Michelle
Erin says
If you aren’t concerned with Whole30/Paleo you could do breadcrumbs! As for a Whole30/paleo replacement, you might be able to do a coconut flour, but I haven’t tried it myself!
Solange says
Can I make in the air fryer?
Erin says
Hi Solange! I have not tested it in the air fryer so I can’t give any instructions on it – that being said I am sure it is possible!