Delicious and so easy to make, these perfectly cooked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are the ultimate party or game-day appetizer. Top them with blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of ranch dressing for a bold, flavorful, and healthier alternative to buffalo chicken wings.
The Best Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Buffalo sauce is a magical thing. Ranging from mild to spicy, this incredible condiment literally makes everything taste delicious. If you disagree, may I recommend that you try it again? It’s just so tangy, buttery, and spicy. What’s not to love?
Anyway, this website is no stranger to buffalo sauce-inspired recipes. From the fan-favorite buffalo chicken dip to buffalo chicken sliders, soup, mac and cheese, pasta salad, and cauliflower (to name a few).
Today I’m adding buffalo chicken meatballs to the list. After all, meatballs are one of my other favorites.
Meatballs can be cooked in many ways, but we’re going to pan-fry these to create a golden brown crust and lock in their juices. This ensures that the meatballs will be super moist. After cooking, we maximize their flavor by soaking them in buttery hot buffalo sauce.
You can easily adjust the level of heat in your sauce by using your preferred brand of buffalo sauce, or by making your own homemade buffalo sauce.
These meatballs are great as party appetizers alongside your favorite dips and finger foods, although they can just as easily be turned into a hearty main meal when added to pasta or served with rice, crispy potatoes, or enjoyed alongside a fresh salad.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Green onions and Fresh parsley – The fresh green onions and parsley add a lovely fresh contrast to the bold flavor of the buffalo sauce.
- Seasoning – Paprika, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. While Cajun seasoning already includes cayenne pepper, you can add more cayenne pepper for even more heat, if desired.
- Ground chicken – I’ve used lean ground chicken in this recipe. Ground turkey would also work.
- Panko breadcrumbs – Use gluten-free breadcrumbs, if needed. The breadcrumbs act as a binding agent to help prevent the meatballs from falling apart.
- Egg – Egg is another good binding agent and also provides moisture and flavor.
- Garlic – Finely minced garlic clove is best for depth of flavor.
- Milk – Full-fat milk is best, but you can use low-fat instead.
- Olive oil – The oil is used to fry the meatballs. Vegetable oil or another high-smoke point oil can be used instead.
- Butter and Buffalo sauce – Frank’s Red Hot is my go-to for store-bought hot sauce. Be sure to purchase the heat level that suits your preference. You can also try making homemade buffalo sauce (it’s super easy!)
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
1. Pulse the greens: Add the green onions and parsley to a food processor and pulse until they are very finely minced. Then, add paprika, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning and pulse once or twice to incorporate with the fresh greens.
2. Combine the ingredients: Add the pulsed mixture, ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and milk to a large bowl and mix with your hands until fully combined.
3. Form the meatballs: Use a cookie scoop or your hands to roll 2-inch meatballs from the mixture. Transfer the balls to a large plate.
4. Chill: Cover the meatballs and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Fry the meatballs: Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook 10-12 meatballs at a time for 1-2 minutes per side (meatballs expand as they cook, so avoid overcrowding the skillet). Turn the meatballs as they start to crisp up and turn golden. Once the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (as measured by a digital meat thermometer), transfer them to a clean plate and continue to cook the rest of the meatballs.
6. Add the butter and hot sauce to the skillet: Once the meatballs have finished cooking, add the butter to the same skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the hot sauce and whisk the mixture until it starts to simmer and bubble.
7. Coat the cooked meatballs: Add the cooked meatballs back to the skillet and coat them in the bubbly buffalo sauce by stirring them around gently.
8. Rest the meatballs: Once the meatballs are reheated, cover and remove them from the heat and let them sit in the skillet for a few minutes to soak up the sauce.
9. Garnish and serve: Garnish the buffalo chicken meatballs with blue cheese or ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles, if desired.
Baking Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
You can also bake these buffalo chicken meatballs. To do so, prepare the meatballs as outlined in steps 1-4, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the meatballs to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes or until their internal temperature registers 165 degrees F.
Keeping Meatballs Warm
If you’re planning to serve these buffalo chicken meatballs at a party and want to keep them warm, add the fully-cooked meatballs with about ½-1 cup buffalo sauce to a slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to warm and allow people to serve themselves over the course of the party.
Storing Tips
Transfer any leftover meatballs to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop, in your slow cooker, or in the microwave.
How to Freeze Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
You can freeze these meatballs in two ways:
- Freeze before cooking: To freeze your meatballs before cooking them, form them as instructed, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and then transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for 1-2 hours. This is called flash freezing. After a couple of hours, remove the baking sheet from the freezer, transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-friendly ziplock bag or container, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cook then freeze: I prefer this method, especially if I am baking my meatballs. You’ll also want to freeze your meatballs before coating them in sauce. Place your cooked and cooled meatballs in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, allow the meatballs to thaw completely before reheating them with buffalo sauce in a large pan or skillet.
More Delicious Meatball Recipes
- Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
- Greek Meatballs
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Lamb Meatballs Recipe
- Swedish Meatballs
- French Onion Meatball Skillet
- Porcupine Meatballs
- Italian Meatball Recipe
If you try making this Buffalo Chicken Meatball Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small bunch green onions
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce - homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Add the green onions and parsley to a small food processor and pulse until they are very finely minced. Then, add the paprika, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning and pulse once or twice to incorporate with the fresh greens. Note: If you do not have a small food processor, simply mince the green onions and parsley by hand using a sharp kitchen knife. It's less efficient, but the results are the same.
- Add the pulsed mixture, ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and milk to a large bowl and mix with your hands until fully combined.
- Use of a cookie scoop or your hands to form approximately 20 2-inch meatballs from the mixture. Transfer the balls to a large, clean plate. Cover the meatballs and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook 10-12 meatballs at a time for 1-2 minutes per side. Turn the meatballs as they start to crisp up and turn golden. Once the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (as measured by a digital meat thermometer), transfer them to a clean plate and continue to cook the rest of the meatballs.
- Once all the meatballs have finished cooking, melt the butter in the same skillet then pour in the hot sauce and whisk until it starts to simmer and bubble.
- Add the meatballs back to the pan and gently stir them to coat. Allow the meatballs to reheat and soak up the sauce for approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Serve with carrots and celery then garnish with blue cheese or ranch dressing, green onions, and blue cheese crumbles if desired.
Jessica’s Notes
- Ground turkey may also be used. For the juiciest results, use meat no leaner than 93%.
- For even spicier meatballs, add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder or minced jalapeño peppers to the meatball mixture.
- To keep the meatballs warm over an extended period of time, transfer them to a slow cooker (set to warm) with about one cup of buffalo sauce.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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