Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Overhead shot of a bowl of appetizer meatballs with a dipping sauce bowl next to them in the serving bowl.

Homemade Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are an easy to make meatball recipe with perfectly seasoned ground chicken and spicy buffalo sauce! You'll love these chicken meatballs served as an appetizer for a Super Bowl part or any family gathering.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword buffalo chicken meatballs, ground chicken meatballs, homemade buffalo chicken meatballs

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 41kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup Italian-style panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup buffalo sauce divided
1 pound ground chicken
1 large egg whisked
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1 tablespoon finely diced green onion
2 teaspoons garlic _{(minced or pressed, chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste)}
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Serving

sliced green onions for garnish
ranch dressing for dipping
bleu cheese crumbles optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Prepare a baking sheet (12"x17") by lining with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the Italian-style panko bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce.
Then add the ground chicken, whisked egg, celery, green onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until ingredients are well combined.
* To whisk the egg crack it into a separate small bowl and use a whisk until it's frothy looking and combined well.
Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop (or a measuring spoon) to make rounded meatballs and then roll them with your clean hands, making sure they are tight and round.
Place the meatballs on the baking sheet.
Cook for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is at a minimum of 165° F.
Once cooked, gently move the meatballs to a bowl and add the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce. Gently stir to coat all the meatballs in the sauce.
Place the meatballs on a serving platter or inside a serving bowl. Drizzle them with ranch dressing and bleu cheese crumbles, if wanted.
* I like to put a bowl of ranch dressing topped with some bleu cheese crumbles on the side.

Video

Notes

Nutrition Information is for 1 meatball that is 1 tablespoon of the meatball mixture.

Recipe Tips -

Round & Tight Meatball Shape : Take the time to really make sure you are rolling the meatball into a tight and round ball. They will look much better once baked if they go into the oven already in a firm/tight round shape. Of course, they'll taste the same no matter what they look like, but if aesthetics is your thing (raises my hand really high... 🙋🏼‍♀️) then roll them tightly.
Buffalo Sauce Tips : Buffalo wing sauce is a more mild spice version of hot sauce. I love the flavor of the Sweet Baby Ray's brand buffalo wing sauce. You can use any buffalo wing sauce you prefer.
Spicier Buffalo Chicken Meatballs : The recipe, as written, is spicy but not so spicy that you couldn't tolerate it. If you prefer more spice then there are several things you can add. Use hot sauce instead of buffalo wing sauce. Add some cayenne pepper and/or red pepper chili flakes into the meatballs mixture. Or try dipping the meatballs in hot sauce mixed with ranch or just plain hot sauce.
Dipping Sauce : These meatballs are yummy eaten as a meatball but if you really want to take them over the top, dip the buffalo meatballs into some ranch. I always make my Homemade Ranch Dressing. It helps tone down the spice, which is good if you're feeding younger palettes, and the ranch pairs really nicely with the buffalo flavors.
Very Finely Diced Celery & Green Onion : For the best texture take a few extra minutes to make sure that the celery and green onion is very finely chopped.
Handle With Care : Because these meatballs are so moist make sure to handle them with care with mixing in the buffalo wing sauce once they're baked.
Cooking Temperature : These meatballs need to be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F before you take them out of the oven.

FAQ's -

Is Hot Sauce The Same as Buffalo Sauce?
- Technically, they are not the same. Buffalo sauce is hot sauce but it has been mixed with butter or butter flavoring, and sometimes other spices. So buffalo wing sauce is hot sauce but it's a more mild version of hot sauce.
- You can use hot sauce in this recipe if you want more spice.
- I recommend using buffalo wing sauce because I think it's a more tolerable spice and I really love the Sweet Baby Ray's brand of buffalo wing sauce. So this recipe gives me an excuse to use it.
How To Store Leftovers
- Store any leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the oven, air fryer, or microwave. They're actually really good cold too! Perfect for a snack, a salad topping, or eat it inside a piece of lettuce for a lettuce wrap for lunch.
Can I Freeze Homemade Meatballs with Ground Chicken?
- Yes you can. To freeze these meatballs, cook them and let them cool down slightly (you just want to make sure the baking pan is not hot anymore) and then place the baking sheet of meatballs into the freezer and allow them to freeze until solid. About 3-4 hours.
- Once frozen, place them inside a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
How To Serve Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- These versatile meatballs are great as a warm snack, an appetizer with toothpicks, a light meal, in a lettuce wrap, on top of a salad, or as part of a party tray for any gathering.
- For an appetizer I love making a tray with the buffalo chicken meatballs, sliced celery, sliced carrots, sliced bell pepper (assorted colors), a big bowl of ranch dressing, and then a smaller bowl with bleu cheese crumbles in it.

Nutrition