Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Love Buffalo wings? These Buffalo Chicken Meatballs deliver the buffalo sauce flavor you crave, but in delicious meatball form. This easy to make, flavorful dish does double-duty; serve it up as a tasty main for weeknight dinners, or as an easy appetizer for parties and game day.

Can be adapted to suit low carb and gluten free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

Fall means football season, and whether or not you’re a die-hard sports fan, one thing we can all agree on is awesome game day food. And delicious game-day snacks like these flavorful buffalo chicken meatballs are always a hit.

While Buffalo chicken wings are a classic, they are messy and hard to eat. Plus, you’re left with an unsightly pile of chicken bones. That’s where chicken meatballs buffalo-style come in! These meatballs are so easy to make, easy to serve, and oh-so-easy to eat.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

The flavor of rich and tangy buffalo sauce really shines because it’s added directly into the meatball mixture as well as the sauce. There is no mistaking the flavors in this simple and tasty appetizer. Just like this Crockpot Buffalo Dip, delicious and well loved Buffalo Chicken Fries.

And like these awesome Buffalo Chicken Tenders, these Buffalo chicken meatballs are super versatile too. Add a few sides and these buffalo meatballs easily become a hearty and satisfying dinner that the whole family is sure to love. 

Why Make This Recipe

• Less Mess – Buffalo chicken meatballs deliver all the flavor and zip of buffalo wings, but with way less mess.
• Perfect for Crowds – It’s so easy to double or triple this recipe for a crowd.
• Easy Meal Prep – Make the mix up to 24 hours in advance or make and freeze cooked meatballs for easy meal prep later on. 

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken – We’re using ground chicken, but you could use ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey or a combination.
• Breadcrumbs – Use regular breadcrumbs or substitute with almond flour if low carb or gluten free.
• Egg – A beaten egg will help to keep everything combined.
• Buffalo Sauce – Buffalo sauce should be readily available in the condiment section of your grocery store. Buffalo sauce is sometimes called wing sauce.
• Seasonings – Salt, ground garlic (garlic powder) and onion powder add flavor to the meatballs. 
• Blue Cheese – Look for crumbled blue cheese in the cheese section of your grocery store.
• Celery – Cut celery into sticks for serving. 

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs In Oven

Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Preheat the oven to 425F / 218C. In a medium bowl, add ground chicken, breadcrumbs (or almond flour), egg, buffalo sauce, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.  
2. Use a cookie scoop to form the mixture into even-sized meatballs and place onto an oiled baking sheet. 
3. Bake for 15-19 minutes, or until lightly brown and cooked through.
4. Remove from oven and toss in warmed buffalo sauce. Sprinkle on blue cheese and serve with celery stalks.

Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be at least 165F / 74C.

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs In Air Fryer

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400F / 204C. In a medium bowl, add ground chicken, breadcrumbs (or almond flour), egg, buffalo sauce, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.  
2. Use a cookie scoop to form the mixture into even-sized meatballs. Lightly spritz the air fryer basket with oil and add the meatballs in a single layer.
3. Cook for 7-10 minutes, shaking halfway until meatballs are lightly browned and cooked through.
4. Toss in warm buffalo sauce, sprinkle on blue cheese and serve with celery stalks.

Tips For Success

• Don’t over-work the meatball mixture, as this can cause them to be tough. 
• Combine the ingredients with your hands. This is the easiest way, and will also help you avoid over-mixing.
• Use a cookie scoop to create evenly-sized meatballs so they cook evenly and at the same rate. 
• Leave space between the meatballs on the baking sheet or in the air fryer. 
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if needed.
• To make low carb, gluten free meatballs use almond flour instead of breadcrumbs.
• Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 165F /74C.
• Air fryer cooking times and temperatures vary by make and model, so use the cooking time listed as a guide only. Start with less time, check your food for doneness, and adjust as needed.

Variations

• Swap the Breadcrumbs – Use almond flour in place of breadcrumbs for low carb or gluten free diets. or use Panko breadcrumbs insteaod of regular.
• Make into Meatloaf – This same recipe can be used to make meatloaf instead of meatballs. Reduce the oven temperature to 375F / 190C and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through. 
• Serve With Blue Cheese Dressing – Serve with additional blue cheese dressing for dipping.
• Add Carrot Sticks – Carrot sticks are great in addition to or in place of the celery sticks. 

Budget-Friendly Tips 

• Look For Sales – Ground chicken freezes well, so stock up when it is on sale. 
• Make and Freeze – Make a large batch and freeze the leftovers for an easy meal later on.
• Make It A Meal – Add a a couple of side dishes to serve this easy appetizer as a satisfying meal. Or use your favorite sandwich rolls and top with cheese to create tasty buffalo chicken meatball sub sandwiches.

Prep Ahead And Storage

• Prep Ahead – The meatball mixture can be made and formed into meatballs up to 24 hours in advance. When ready, bring them up to room temperature (takes approx 30 minutes) and cook as directed. You may need to add a minute or 2 to the cooking time if the meatballs are still cold. 
• Store – Keep leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container inside the fridge and consume them within 4 days. 
• Freeze – Meatballs freeze very well. Here’s how to do it:
  • Place cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. 
  • Transfer the frozen buffalo chicken meatballs to a freezer-safe storage container or zip top bag. 
  • Freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Thaw meatballs overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep

• Prepare the mixture, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before cooking. 
• Enjoy these meatballs the first day and enjoy the leftovers for 4 more days.
• Freeze the cooked meatballs for easy meal prep later on. 

FAQs

More Buffalo Chicken Recipes You May Like

• Buffalo Chicken Salad. Quick to put together.
• Grilled Buffalo Chicken. Good for meal prep for the week.
• Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. Great comfort food.
• Buffalo Chicken Fries. Top with more of your favorites.
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip. Serve with all the chips and veggies.
• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip. We love this for game day.
• Buffalo Chicken Tenders. Goes great with fries and rice.

What To Serve With Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

• Garlic Parmesan Fries.
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips.
• Grilled Watermelon Salad.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

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