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My Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe Just Got A Glow-Up
I’ve been making these buffalo chicken meatballs since 2019, but I re-tested and updated the recipe this year, and now they’re even better. Every bite has that tangy, meaty, cheesy combo that reminds me of a plate of buffalo wings… just less messy. Here’s why I love them even more than before:
- Buffalo sauce inside and out – Most buffalo chicken meatball recipes I’ve seen just coat regular ones in sauce, but I add buffalo sauce right into the meat in addition to the outside. While this doesn’t add a ton of spice inside, it makes the meatballs much more tender and juicy.
- New and improved texture – I swapped in my now-go-to binders (yep, the same ones I use in my classic chicken meatballs), used a whole egg instead of just the whites, and made a few changes to the method. It’s still the same bold, cheesy, saucy flavor I’ve loved since the beginning… just a little more tender, a little more sturdy, and a lot more foolproof.
- Perfect, healthy apps or dinner main – People often think of buffalo chicken meatballs as game day appetizers, but I love serving them as a healthy dinner, too. They’re protein-packed, easy to make ahead, and super satisfying with a veggie side.
If you love buffalo anything and everything (like my husband does ;)), these buffalo chicken meatballs are for you. Make them with me!
Reader Review
“This is another recipe that gets gobbled up every time I make them! By boys eat them with rice and my husband and I eat them with zoodles! We love the kick!” –Sarah
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my buffalo chicken meatballs recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Ground Chicken – I actually first made these with ground turkey, but after hearing from you, it was clear chicken was the favorite! That said, you can still use turkey, beef, or any ground meat you like. If you’ve got whole chicken breasts instead, make my baked buffalo chicken.
- Buffalo Sauce – This brings the signature tangy heat! I use it both in the meatball mix and as a coating. You can use any hot sauce you like, but this one is my favorite.
- Binders – I bind my buffalo chicken meatballs with a mix of grated parmesan cheese and Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour, which gives them the best texture because it’s finer than other brands and less dry than regular flour. I’ve also had good results making these with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Egg – You can swap in a flax egg if needed.
- Blue Cheese – For a sharp, creamy bite that balances the heat. If you’re not a fan, shredded mozzarella, cheddar, or even crumbled feta (like one reader recommended to me) works.
- Green Onions – For a fresh, slightly sweet crunch inside and a pop of color on top. Chives make a good alternative, or you can throw in a few cloves of minced garlic.
- Butter – This mellows out the buffalo sauce and helps it cling to the meatballs. I prefer this unsalted grass-fed brand, and find that salted makes the coating too salty.
- Ranch Dressing – Totally optional, but it’s a cooling contrast to the heat. I usually drizzle it on top or serve it on the side for dipping.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
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How To Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the base mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together the parmesan, almond flour, egg, buffalo sauce, salt, and pepper. Fold in the blue cheese and green onions.
- Mix in the meat. Add the ground chicken and gently mix, just until it comes together.
- Shape and bake. Form into meatballs and place on a lined sheet pan. Pop them in the oven until cooked through.
- Make the sauce. Warm the buffalo sauce and butter in the microwave or on the stove, then whisk until smooth and hot.
- Toss and serve. Coat the meatballs in the warm sauce. I like to top these buffalo chicken meatballs with ranch, more blue cheese, and green onions before serving.
My Tips For Tender, Juicy Results
- Be careful not to overmix the meat. This is why I always mix everything else before adding the ground chicken. Mixing too much makes these buffalo chicken meatballs more dense and less tender after baking. Besides, a more gentle hand keeps pieces of blue cheese intact, which is delicious here.
- Use slightly wet hands to shape the meatballs. This helps prevent sticking.
- For a tender texture, form the meatballs gently. My kids helped me make my last batch of these, and I described it as “think hot potato, not play dough”. This prevents the meat from getting too warm, which makes the meatballs more tough.
- A cookie scoop is great for even portions. I use this one. It also helps minimize warming up the meat (see above).
- If your meat mixture feels warm or extra sticky even with wet hands, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Chilling helps remove some of the stickiness.
- Use a meat thermometer for best results. Ideally the buffalo chicken meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. They can dry out if they go much higher.
- Why are my meatballs not perfectly round? These are so tender that they spread a tiny bit, and I say who cares, because they taste amazing! But if you want them perfectly round, you may want to add an extra 1/4 cup of almond flour or parmesan to make them firmer.
- You can also pan fry these buffalo chicken meatballs if you like. I prefer the baked version because they come out extra moist and tender, but pan frying gets you a nice golden brown exterior. The timing would be about the same as my regular chicken meatball recipe.
Recipe Card
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
By
My buffalo chicken meatballs are super juicy with bold, tangy flavor! They make the perfect party appetizer or easy weeknight dinner.
Prep:
10 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Total:
25 minutes
Servings:
4
(adjust to scale recipe)
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Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Meatballs:
Coating & Topping:
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the parmesan cheese, almond flour, egg, buffalo sauce, salt, and pepper. Fold in the blue cheese and green onions.
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Add the ground chicken. Mix until just combined. (Don’t overmix.)
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Form the mixture into 1-inch (2.5-cm) meatballs and place on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cooked through.
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Meanwhile, in a small bowl in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stove, heat the buffalo sauce and butter together, until melted. Whisk until smooth and hot.
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When the buffalo chicken meatballs are done, gently toss them with the buffalo sauce mixture. If you like, serve them with a drizzle of ranch dressing, extra blue cheese crumbles, and extra green onions.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 6 meatballs
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you make the juiciest meatballs, shape them with ease, and cook them perfectly.
- Storage: Keep leftover buffalo chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheat: Warm them in the oven or microwave. I usually toss with a little extra buffalo sauce afterward.
- Freeze for meal prep: I prefer to freeze these without the sauce if possible. Arrange them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until solid. Then, you can transfer them to a zip lock bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight, add buffalo sauce, and bake until hot. It’s okay to freeze them with sauce too, but the texture isn’t as nice and I still recommend adding more after heating.
Nutrition Facts
Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories
447
Fat
31.6g
Protein
38.4g
Total Carbs
2.9g
Net Carbs
2.5g
Fiber
0.4g
Sugar
0.4g
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Serving Ideas
I love these as apps, but here are some more ideas to go with them:
- Classics – You can’t go wrong with the classic combo of celery sticks and carrots. They add crunch and freshness, and pair perfectly with ranch, yogurt ranch, or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
- Easy Sides – Like I said above, I love serving these buffalo chicken meatballs for dinner, and they pair perfectly with simple sides like roasted veggies, a quick salad or broccoli slaw, or something to soak up the sauce like mashed cauliflower or zucchini noodles.
- Appetizer Spread – When I’m serving these up for a crowd, I like to pair them with other party favorites like deviled eggs, tortilla chips with guac or queso, or a big snack board with cheese and pickles.
55 Comments
Barbara
0I’m from Buffalo and newly subscribed to your blog because I’m gluten free and like to see new recipes. Born and bred in Buffalo and this is the first I’ve seen Buffalo Meatballs!!! Franks hit sauce is a staple in our house and the meatballs – What a novel idea and why on God’s green earth have I not thought of this?!?!?!?!?! Well, I’m going to make these soon Superbowl or not!
To the commenter below who was not bc they didn’t like blue cheese- they can substitute Ranch dressing instead. Ranch and bleu cheese are Buffalo’s best friends and interchangeable lots of times. Or if ranch doesn’t thrill them either, leave it out and reduce the amount of hot sauce or add butter to the sauce to tame it.
Cant wait to try this recipe!!
Kim
0This looks so good. I’m not a big blue cheese fan. Would it affect the recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kim, I haven’t tried them without it. It might work, but the heat might be overpowering without the cheese to balance it out. Let me know if you try, and how that goes!
Shauna Skinner
0Thank you so much for this recipe! We are a nut free family (my son is very allergic) and many of the grain-free options have almond flour in them (which is like death at my house! ha!). So I was eager and happy to find this recipe! Making it now!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Shauna! I’m glad the recipe is helpful for your nut-free family!
Nikki
0Is there anything you can substitute for the blue cheese?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nikki, Any crumbled soft cheese, like goat cheese or feta, would also work. Of course the flavor would be different based on the type of cheese you choose.
Christy
0I’m with you… love buffalo sauce, on anything except wings! Can’t wait to try this.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad I’m not the only one! 🙂
KalynsKitchen
0Hi Maya,
Just letting you know I featured these meatballs today in my weekly Low-Carb Recipe Love on Fridays post, which was all about low-carb meatballs today. (And I leave these comments partly so I can tell I’ve featured this recipe, in case I find it again!) Hope a lot of my readers will try the meatballs!
Rachel Pierson
0Hi Maya,
Just wondering — in the directions it says “barely done.” Does that mean almost done or close to raw?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rachel, it means almost done. Hope this helps!
Francia
0How many meatballs are in a serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Francia, The nutrition info is for 4 meatballs, about 1″ to 1.5″ in diameter. Hope this helps!
Caroline D'Elia
0I had run out of greaseproof paper and was worried that the rather sloppy meatball mixture would really stick badly to the baking pan, so I microwaved them in two to three batches until pale looking and half cooked for a couple of minutes on each side and finished cooking them in an ovenproof dish until slightly browned . This worked well, and they didn’t stick to the base this way, and when I make them again I’ll do it this way again. I added some Italian mixed herbs. The meatballs were tasty although a weany bit on the dry side and they really need some sort of sauce to make them more palatable.. We ate them with soured cream and fresh tomato salsa as this is what we happened to have in the fridge and this combination worked well. I was thinking that if they weren’t eaten up then the dog can eat them for breakfast, However, they were a hit and we only had four meatballs left over to save for the dog’s breakfast.. I’d give this meatball recipe 9 stars out of 10.
Maya
0Thank you for the feedback, Caroline! The meat would dry out in the microwave more than it would in the oven, but it’s a good compromise to partially bake them if you don’t have parchment paper. Foil that is greased well would probably also work. I do usually serve these with blue cheese dressing (as shown in the picture), or you can drizzle more of the cayenne pepper sauce and olive oil mixture on top of them if you want more moisture and don’t mind the extra heat. They’ll definitely work with any herbs that you like – Italian herbs sounds delicious. I’m glad you liked these and am so happy that you came by to share how the recipe went for you. Thank you so much!