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The tastiest, quick weeknight meal or game day snack. These buffalo meatballs made from scratch with ground chicken or turkey are sure to please everyone’s tastebuds. A healthy alternative that is packed with flavor and always a crowd-pleaser!
Table of contents
Why You Need To Try This Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe
- Meal or Appetizer. These chicken buffalo meatballs are SO easy to make for weeknights but also great for an appetizer when entertaining. They’ve got the husband seal of approval!
- Healthy Yet Great Flavor. These healthy chicken meatballs are proof that things can taste good yet be good for you. Lean ground meat packs in the protein and baking them in the oven keeps them leaner and less fatty.
- Versatile Recipe. Change the level of heat, skip the cheese, or adjust the seasoning! You get to make meatballs just how you love them. Personally I love a good hot buffalo sauce and crave it weekly but mild will also work.
- So Many Ways to Enjoy. For weeknight dinners, I love these ground chicken meatballs with buffalo sauce served over rice or pasta. They also work great as a salad topper or served with a toothpick while you tailgate. They make a tasty sandwich! Think meatball sub with spicy buffalo, melted provolone and arugula. SO GOOD! Thank me later.
Love cooking with ground turkey or chicken? Try this Korean Ground Turkey or Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Meat. Either ground chicken or ground turkey work well and taste wonderful. I typically use ground chicken for these spicy meatballs.
- Buffalo Sauce. Any will work. My favorite, healthy buffalo sauce is this brand you can buy on Amazon or in your grocery store.
- Breadcrumbs. These work with the egg to create the binding the meatballs need to hold together. You can use GF breadcrumbs, panko, or oats but breadcrumbs work best. Just be sure you don’t try to leave them out.
- Feta. This is optional! I just love the tangy and salty flavor it adds.
- Egg. The binding agent.
- Seasoning. Garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, and salt create a more flavorful and complex tasting meatball.
- Green Onions. They’re optional and you can also use chopped white onions. I like the green onions in the meatballs and plus they make a great garnish as well.
Variations
- Change the meat. You can certainly make these with ground beef or a mixture if you prefer. Just be sure to use leaner ground beef for less fat.
- Honey buffalo sauce. Add a bit of regular honey or hot honey to your buffalo sauce to create a spicy sweet flavor.
How To Make Chicken Meatballs
Step One. Mix together the ground meat, bread crumbs, half the green onions, feta, egg, seasoning, and a 1/4 cup of the buffalo sauce in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix everything together evenly and well.
Step Two. Use a cookie scoop or your hands to make 1-1.5 inch balls. Place the shaped meatballs about a half inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step Three. Bake the chicken meatballs for about 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and toss them in the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce. Return the meatballs to the baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes longer or until internal temperature is 165º.
Step Four. Serve the meatballs in a bowl with cooked rice and broccoli, over a salad, in a toasted sub or with toothpicks as an appetizer.
Recipe Tips
- Store: Pack up leftover buffalo turkey meatballs (or chicken) in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer in for up to three months. Reheat them in the oven, air fryer, or skillet. Toss them in more buffalo sauce just before serving.
- Don’t Overcook: Ground chicken and turkey is much leaner and a bit less forgiving. Cook it until the meat is fully cooked (165° F) and no more. Otherwise they may end up a bit dry.
- Even-Sized Meatballs: I highly recommend using a scoop but if you don’t have one you can use a measuring spoon or weigh the meatballs so they all end up the same size. This is important so they all cook evenly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve up these buffalo chicken balls as an appetizer for parties or cookouts along with other party favorites such as Philly cheesesteak sliders, cream cheese corn dip, and spicy deviled eggs.
For a low carb option they are great stuffed into lettuce wraps topped with some slaw. Serve them up with a side of homemade french fries and grilled zucchini salad.
For dinner they go great with a variety of veggie side dishes such as charred broccoli, cheesy ramen, or spicy Brussels sprouts.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, however the flavor won’t be as good. I suggest you use an actual buffalo sauce, that’s a bit thicker and saucier. It sticks better to the meatballs and has a richer flavor.
If you have a small crockpot I recommend holding them in it on warm with a bit of extra sauce poured over them. If not, keep them warm in the oven on low and then serve them up in small batches to keep them warm.
More Ground Turkey Recipes to Try (or chicken!)
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Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken , or turkey
- ½ cup buffalo sauce, Use a thick buffalo sauce. Franks will work however it will just be overly salty.
- ⅓ cup feta, optional
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp course salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- ½ tsp crushed oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ cup green onions
Instructions
- Set oven to 375º. Add ground meat to a big bowl, add in bread crumbs, half of the onions, feta, egg, seasoning, ¼ cup of the buffalo sauce (save the other ¼ cup for tossing the meatballs in). Use your hands to mix everything together evenly and well.
- Use a cookie scoop or your hands to make 1-1½ inch balls. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the meatballs about ½ inch apart and lined evenly on the sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, pull them out, toss them in the remaining ¼ cup of buffalo sauce and place back on sheet and in oven for another 5 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165º. Serve with cooked rice, broccoli, over salad, in a toasted sub or with toothpicks as an appetizer.
Notes
- Store: Pack up leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer in for up to three months. Reheat them in the oven, air fryer, or skillet. Toss them in more buffalo sauce just before serving.
- Don’t Overcook: Ground chicken and turkey is much leaner and a bit less forgiving. Cook it until the meat is fully cooked (165° F) and no more. Otherwise they may end up a bit dry.
- Even-Sized Meatballs: I highly recommend using a scoop but if you don’t have one you can use a measuring spoon or weigh the meatballs so they all end up the same size. This is important so they all cook evenly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
