Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe

Platter of buffalo chicken meatballs served with ranch dressing, celery sticks, and carrot sticks.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe

These Buffalo chicken meatballs are baked, not fried, and packed with bold, spicy flavor. Perfect for parties, game day, or meal prep. Easy to make with simple ingredients!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword buffalo chicken, chicken meatballs

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 225kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

2 pounds Ground Chicken
1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup Cayenne Pepper Vinegar-Based Hot Sauce divided
4 tablespoons Butter
Optional for serving and garnish: Blue Cheese Dressing or Ranch Dressing, Celery Sticks, Carrot Sticks
You will also need: Cooking Spray or Oil (for pan and hands), Large Baking Sheet(standard half sheet size), Parchment Paper (optional, for easier cleanup)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a large baking sheet (standard half sheet pan, 18 x 13 inches) with parchment paper or lightly grease with oil or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, egg, and 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce. Use a fork or your hands to mix until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture.
Optional: Refrigerate the mixture briefly to firm it up and reduce sticking while forming the meatballs.
Lightly oil your hands to prevent sticking. Scoop and roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (a cookie scoop works great here). You should get about 48 meatballs.
Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Make the Buffalo sauce while the meatballs bake. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining ¼ cup of hot sauce and stir to combine. Warm through for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Remove from heat.
Place the cooked meatballs in a large bowl. Pour the warm Buffalo sauce over them and toss gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to coat.
Serve immediately with extra sauce, your choice of dressing, and optional celery and carrot sticks.

Notes

Avoid overmixing. Mix the meatball mixture just until combined. Overworking the ground chicken can result in dense or tough meatballs.
Chilling helps. While optional, refrigerating the meatball mixture for a few minutes can make it easier to roll and reduce sticking.
Lightly oil your hands for rolling. A small bowl of oil nearby makes it easy to reapply as needed. Lightly coating your hands prevents the ground chicken from sticking when forming the meatballs.
Use a cookie scoop for uniform size. This makes forming the meatballs faster and ensures even cooking.
This recipe makes about 48 meatballs. We estimated 9 servings, assuming 5–6 meatballs per person—perfect for a casual party plate or appetizer spread.

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