Baked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe

Buffalo chicken meatballs drizzled with buffalo sauce, blue cheese crumbles, and green onions.

4.50 from 14 votes

Baked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe

These Buffalo chicken meatballs are an easy, oven-baked twist on classic wings. Tender ground chicken meatballs baked until juicy, then tossed in spicy Buffalo sauce. A perfect game-day appetizer!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 175kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Cookie Portion Scoop optional

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground chicken
1 medium carrot grated
1 rib celery finely chopped
3 green onions finely chopped
½ cup breadcrumbs *
1 large egg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Buffalo sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil

For Tossing and Serving:

½ cup Buffalo sauce
ranch or blue cheese dressing optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375℉.
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, carrot, celery, onions, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of Buffalo sauce.
1 pound ground chicken, 1 medium carrot, 1 rib celery, 3 green onions, ½ cup breadcrumbs, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons Buffalo sauce
Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs. Place each portion on a greased baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Then, roll each portion into a ball.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Transfer the meatballs to a bowl, add in ½ cup of Buffalo sauce. Toss the meatballs in the sauce.
½ cup Buffalo sauce
Serve the meatballs with ranch or blue cheese dressing. Makes 24-30 meatballs.
ranch or blue cheese dressing

Video

Notes

*I like Panko breadcrumbs best for their light texture, but regular also work well here.

Tips:

Keeping the mixture cool helps the meatballs stay juicy while baking.
Taste your Buffalo sauce before using it--heat levels vary.
Don't pack your meatballs too tightly, or they will become tough.
If your oven has hot spots, rotate the pan halfway through baking.
Properly cooked meatballs should reach 165°F at the thickest point.
Toss while hot for the best coating, or drizzle the meatballs with Buffalo sauce for a less spicy option.
Serve with toothpicks for an easy party appetizer.
Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.

Alternative Cooking Methods:

Crockpot: Place the raw shaped meatballs in the slow cooker. Add ½ cup Buffalo sauce and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 1½-2 hours. For a firmer texture, brown the meatballs quickly in a skillet before adding them to the crockpot.
Air Fryer: Air fry at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, shaking once halfway through.

Make-Ahead: You can mix and shape the meatballs up to 24 hours ahead. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to bake. If you want to prep even earlier, you can freeze the raw meatballs, then bake straight from frozen, adding a few minutes to the final cook time.

Storage: Store Buffalo chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition