Food

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

BY Lauren Allen TIMEJune 1, 2024 PRINT

View the print-ready version of this recipe.

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Healthy—you can feel good about serving these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs as an appetizer, or even main course because they’re loaded with veggies and protein and served with a yogurt based bleu cheese sauce.
  • Bleu Cheese Dip—makes the perfect partner to these meatballs. Plus, it’s healthier made with Greek yogurt, and comes together in just 5 minutes.
  • Air Fryer—My preferred way of cooking meatballs is in the air fryer. I love the texture and slight crisp on the outside, while keeping them moist inside.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Make Meatballs: Combine all ingredients except chicken, in a bowl and mix until combined. Add chicken and gently mix until combined, being careful not to overwork the meat. Form into 30 small meatballs (about two teaspoons size).

Epoch Times Photo
(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Air Fry (recommended): Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees. Spray air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray and cook chicken meatballs in a single layer (may need to in batches) for 5-7 minutes, until cooked through (165 degrees).

To Bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place meatballs on a baking sheet ½ inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through (165 degrees).

Epoch Times Photo
(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Make Bleu Cheese Dip: Make the homemade bleu cheese yogurt dip by combining all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Epoch Times Photo
(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Serve: Enjoy the best buffalo chicken meatballs with blue cheese for game day, a party, or just for an elevated snack!

Epoch Times Photo
(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

To Make Ahead: These air fryer buffalo chicken meatballs can be made and shaped one day ahead of time (depending on the freshness of the meat). Keep in an airtight container in the fridge then cook when you’re ready.

To Freeze: For uncooked meatballs, “flash freeze” on a cookie sheet first to prevent them from sticking together. Both cooked and uncooked meatballs freeze well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then cook or reheat in the air fryer.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Calories 226
Prep 10 minutes mins
Cook 7 minutes mins
Total 17 minutes mins

Ingredients

  •  1 lb ground chicken , or ground turkey
  •  ½ teaspoon salt
  •  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  •  1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  •  1 large egg
  •  1/4 cup minced celery
  •  ¼ cup shredded carrot
  •  ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 clove minced garlic
  •  ½ teaspoon onion powder, or 2 Tablespoons diced onion
  •  ¼– 1/3 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce (depending on desired heat level)

Bleu Cheese Yogurt Dip:

  •  1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  •  4 ounces blue cheese , crumbled
  •  2 tablespoons lemon juice
  •  1 tablespoon chives , finely chopped
  •  1 clove garlic, minced
  •  freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  •  ½ teaspoon fine salt, to taste

Instructions

Meatballs: Combine all ingredients except chicken, in a bowl and mix until combined. Add chicken and gently mix until combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Form into 30 small meatballs (about two teaspoons size).

Air Fry (recommended): Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees. Spray air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray and cook meatballs (may need to in batches) for 5-7 minutes, until cooked through (165 degrees).

To Bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place meatballs on a baking sheet ½ inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through (165 degrees).

Bleu Cheese Yogurt Dip: Mix ingredients together in a bowl.

Notes

Serving size: 5 meatballs and 2.5 Tablespoons sauce.

Make Ahead Instructions: These meatballs can be made and shaped one day ahead of time (depending on the freshness of the meat). Keep in an airtight container in the fridge then cook when you’re ready.

Freezing Instructions: For uncooked meatballs, “flash freeze” on a cookie sheet first to prevent them from sticking together. Both cooked and uncooked meatballs freeze well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then cook or reheat in the air fryer.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 1011mg, Potassium: 552mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1119IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 159mg, Iron: 1mg

This article was originally published on tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Follow on Instagram.

Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to features@epochtimes.nyc.

Lauren Allen is the founder of Tastes Better From Scratch. Visit her food blog at TastesBetterFromScratch.com.
You May Also Like