Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are perfect for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or for a weeknight dinner. Serve for a party or game day snack with celery sticks, carrots, and blue cheese dressing for dipping. Or enjoy them on their own with sides. All the flavor of Buffalo wings, but in the form of meatballs!

A fan favourite will always be Buffalo Chicken Wings and Buffalo Chicken Dip for that bold taste of Franks Buffalo Sauce. The taste is a hit at parties, especially during football season.

Loved so much, that same taste extends to Buffalo Chicken Soup and even Buffalo Chicken Wraps. The flavour inspired many new buffalo chicken recipes, because of its vast popularity.

Compared to Buffalo Wings, these buffalo chicken meatballs are healthier. Made with ground chicken, vegetables and seasoning; they are packed with protein and baked to perfection. The result is less fat than traditional buffalo wings, which are usually fried.

This buffalo chicken meatballs recipe is also a healthy option compared to beef or pork meatballs. Ground chicken is a leaner meat with less fat and less calories.

These little bundles of delicious buffalo meatballs are so versatile when it comes to ways to enjoy them. They make a great appetizer option for parties and potlucks. Yet they make an excellent main to any meal, even an easy weeknight dinner.

Best of all, they are so easy to prepare. Simple ingredients, a 15 minute prep time, and a 20 minute cook time. This means its on your table in about 30 minutes.

If you want to make chicken meatballs and have plenty of dipping sauces, make sure to try our recipe – it’s the best!

For another amazing meatball recipe, try our Slow Cooker Tangy Hawaiian Meatballs! This is also a popular choice for both an appetizer or a main protein for any meal.

Ingredients Required

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

As always, the full recipe is on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
   
2. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of Italian-style panko breadcrumbs and ¼ cup of buffalo or hot sauce.
   
   
3. Then add the ground chicken, egg, chopped celery, chopped green onions, fresh minced garlic, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Mix everything until all the ingredients are well combined. 
   
   
4. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, make rounded meatballs with the meatball mixture and roll them with your hands so they are tight and round. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 15 – 20 minutes until brown (or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165°F). 
   
   Pro Tip: Make mini buffalo chicken meatballs for a large party using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop and only filling half of the scooper, creating smaller meatballs.
   
   
5. Once cooked, place the meatballs in a large bowl and very gently toss the meatballs in a bowl with the remaining ¼ cup of hot sauce. Then place them on a serving platter or plate. Drizzle with bleu cheese or ranch dressing and garnish them with chopped green onions and blue cheese.
   
   
   
6. Serve hot, and ENJOY!

What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

As an Appetizer:

Serve with cut carrots, celery, sliced bell peppers, blue cheese crumbles, and creamy ranch dressing or bleu cheese dressing.

As a Main:

Serve these easy buffalo chicken meatballs with rice or your favorite potato dishes like mashed or roasted potatoes. You can also serve this great recipe with pretty much any kind of salad recipe.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.

To freeze: place the cooled-off baking tray full of cooked meatballs in the freezer and allow them to freeze until they are solid. Then place them in an airtight container and store them for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What to Do with Leftovers

If you have leftover meatballs, you can serve them another day as a main dish, or you can use them to make a completely new meal.

They are great in a wrap or sandwich. Simply halve the meatballs on bread or a bun and top with your favorite cheese. It’s great when warm and toasted.

Can I make substitutions?

Of course you can! Here are my suggestions:

• Ground chicken: You can substitute ground chicken with turkey or beef. Of course, the cook times and flavor will vary based on the protein you choose.
• Buffalo or hot sauce: You can use either one of these options to flavor these meatballs. Choose your favorite mild or hot sauce and enjoy!
• Panko: You can substitute Italian-style panko with plain panko or your favorite breadcrumb.
• Kosher salt: We love to cook and bake with kosher salt because it allows you to elevate the recipes’ flavor rather than make them taste salty. 

More Appetizer Recipes

• Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Air Fryer Steak Bites
• Pizza Monkey Bread
• Best Queso Dip
• Bang Bang Shrimp
• Air Fryer Chicken Bites