Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs is an easy oven-baked meatball recipe with tasty hot sauce and tender chicken. Serve with blue cheese dressing and enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Wings are always favorite party Appetizers, especially to serve during football season. These tender chicken meatballs have the same spicy buffalo flavor and make a fun alternative to the traditional appetizer.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs on serving plate

Crowd-pleasing Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are sure to be a hit at your next family get-together, movie night, or football party. They’re incredibly easy to make with ground chicken, hot sauce, and a few other basic ingredients. Once you’ve baked the chicken meatballs serve them up with creamy Blue Cheese Sauce for the perfect combination of spicy and cool.

If you have any leftovers of the fun appetizer, you can repurpose the chicken balls into a delicious buffalo chicken sandwich. Serve the meatballs in a toasted sub with extra Buffalo Sauce and Ranch Dressing over the top of the meatballs. Then add pepper jack cheese and close the sandwich with the top half of the bread. Amazing buffalo chicken meatball subs make a delicious and filling dinner or lunch.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you can easily make it in advance. Start the food preparation by combining the meatball mixture and baking them. Then you can freeze them for months before serving. When you’re ready to enjoy the Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, reheat them in the oven and toss them in fresh buffalo sauce.

Meatball Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions About Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Can I make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs using the slow cooker?

Yes, you can make these Meatballs using your slow cooker. Just brown the meatballs in the oven first. Full instructions are provided below.

Can I serve Buffalo Chicken Meatballs as a main dish?

You can definitely serve Buffalo Chicken Meatballs as a main dish. Prepare the meatballs as directed. Then serve them over some fluffy white rice, which will soak up the Buffalo sauce. You could also serve them on top of some buttered noodles, or over a bed of grilled or roasted veggies.

Can I adjust the heat level on these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs?

To make these Meatballs a little more mild, just decrease your hot sauce. To increase the spice you’ll add a little more hot sauce, but be careful. You don’t want your meatballs to be so wet they won’t come together. You can play with the taste by increasing or decreasing 1 tablespoon at a time.

Key Ingredients

Ground Chicken: Ground chicken breast is the perfect meat for this recipe. It’s juicy and easy to mix into the meatball ingredients, and it tastes more similar to classic buffalo chicken than beef meatballs would.
Panko Breadcrumbs: The dry bread crumbs in the meatballs soak up the juices from the meat while they bake. That way the meatballs stay moist instead of drying out in the oven.
Egg: The egg helps bind the chicken and breadcrumbs together.
Flavoring Ingredients: This recipe adds hot sauce and minced celery sticks to the classic meatball base. The crisp celery adds some texture and a fresh flavor to the meat mixture. Louisiana-style hot sauce is what gives the chicken meatballs their classic buffalo wing flavor.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs formed meatballs on baking pan before cooking

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees for the baking temperature. Then line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Meat Mixture: Add the panko crumbs, ⅓ cup hot sauce, celery, and the egg to a large mixing bowl. Mix until just combined. Then add the chicken and mix lightly again.
Shape: Use a standard size cookie scoop or your hands to form the chicken mixture into 1″ balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Baking Time: Put the dish in the oven until cooked through. It should only take 20-25 minutes of baking.
Serve: Toss the meatballs in the remaining hot sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing on the side.

Variations

Onion: Along with the celery, you can finely chop onion to mix into the meatball ingredients. Yellow onion or green onions would both taste delicious.
Fresh Spices: There are lots of ways to experiment with the flavor by adding your favorite seasonings. Paprika, onion powder, black pepper, or cayenne spice would all taste amazing. If you want to add some bold, garlicky flavor, you could add garlic powder or minced garlic cloves.
Cheese: You can stir flavorful cheese like blue cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, or cheddar into the chicken mixture.

Serving Ideas

These fun, delicious meatballs are so versatile. They can be a main dish, a side, an appetizer, or the centerpiece of your party snack table.

Potluck: Follow the slow cooker version of this recipe below. Set out a small bowl or mason jar of your favorite sauce to accompany the Meatballs. Stick a spoon in the sauce and attendees can drizzle the sauce on their meatballs after they plate them.
Game Night: Set these Meatballs out in a serving bowl next to a basket of Crusty French Bread Rolls. Your guests at your next board game night, or football watching party can choose to make their own Buffalo Chicken Meatball sliders if they like, or simply use the Rolls to soak up the sauce on their plate.
Appetizer Party: Serve a table full of appetizers to your guests. Some great recipes to serve alongside your Meatballs are Ranch Mix Saltines, Easy Cheese Board, Bacon Pinwheels, Baked Avocado Fries, and a chilled veggie crudités platter filled with plenty of crunchy, refreshing celery.

Slow Cooker Version

You can make these Buffalo Meatballs in the slow cooker, which is an excellent choice to serve to a crowd at potluck, a Super Bowl party, or as an appetizer for any gathering. Follow these easy steps to make Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the meatball ingredients as usual, and roll them into balls.
Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 4-5 minutes until browned.
Toss the meatballs with buffalo sauce and put them in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.

More Appetizer Recipes

How to Store

Serve: You can keep Buffalo Chicken Meatballs at room temperature for 2 hours before you should store them.
Store: Transfer cooled meatballs to an airtight container to store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze: You can also flash freeze the meatballs for 2 hours on a cookie sheet. Then transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer bag or another freezer-safe container for long-term storage. They’ll be good for up to 3 months in the freezer.

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Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl mix bread crumbs, ⅓ cup hot sauce, celery, and egg until combined.
Add chicken and mix lightly until just combined.
Shape mix into 1″ balls.
Place balls on parchment paper in a shallow baking pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.
Toss meatballs with remaining hot sauce.
Serve with blue cheese dressing.