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    Home » Recipes » Chicken and Pork

    Buffalo BBQ Chicken Meatballs

    By: Kim Peterson · Posted: Jan 22, 2021 · Updated: Jul 12, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Game day or any day, these Buffalo BBQ Chicken Meatballs will hit the spot. They're baked to perfection with browned edges and a tender center then coated in a tangy, sweet n' spicy sauce. They're the perfect make-ahead app and freezer friendly!

    Remember to PIN to save the recipe for later!

    Buffalo BBQ Chicken Meatballs are a tangy and tender appetizer perfect for game days!

    How to Make the Sauce

    Traditional buffalo sauce gets a new spin with the addition of bbq sauce, worcestershire, apple cider vinegar, honey, and a good pinch of ground celery seed. A pat of butter gives the sauce a glossy finish and the result is a rich flavor that keeps the heat with a bit of sweet.

    Sauce ingredients in saucepan.

    How to Make Chicken Meatballs

    For the meatballs, all the ingredients get mixed together at once to keep things simple. So easy! Ground chicken is more moist than ground beef so the mixture may seem on the wetter side. That's ok! It means you'll have nice, tender meatballs.

    Meatball ingredients in glass bowl.

    TIP: When forming them, have a bowl of water next to you to keep your hands wet. That way the mixture will form a smoother meatball and not stick to you.

    The uncooked meatballs can be made a day ahead of serving. Just loosely cover and stick in the fridge. When ready to eat, pop in a preheated oven and in just 15 minutes you'll have pillowy meatballs with browned edges ready to bathe in that silky, sweet n' spicy sauce.

    meatballs formed on baking sheet.

    When I bake them in advance, I'll rewarm them in a slow cooker on low so they stay hot throughout the game. Serve them up with a bunch of celery sticks, crumbled blue or gorgonzola cheese, and your dressing of choice. Enjoy!

    Meatballs served in large white bowl and garnished with chopped chives.

    More Super Delish Snacking Recipes to Try!

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    Buffalo BBQ Chicken Meatballs

    Tender chicken meatballs baked to perfection and coated in a tangy, sweet n' spicy Buffalo BBQ sauce.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 210kcal
    Author: Kim Peterson

    Equipment

    • Extra-large, rimmed baking sheet

    Ingredients

    Sauce

    • 1 cup Buffalo Sauce
    • ¾ cup BBQ sauce (I’m a fan of Stubb’s)
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon celery seed , ground in mortar and pestle
    • Salt and pepper , to taste

    Meatballs

    • 2 pounds ground chicken
    • ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • 1 egg
    • ½ cup celery , minced
    • ¼ cup onion , grated
    • ¼ cup Buffalo BBQ Sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Ranch dressing
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

    To Serve

    • Celery sticks
    • Ranch dressing
    • Sliced green onions
    • Chopped chives
    • Crumbled blue or gorgonzola cheese

    Instructions

    Sauce

    • In a medium saucepan, combine buffalo sauce, bbq sauce, honey, vinegar, butter, Worcestershire sauce, and celery seed.
    • Bring to a low simmer over medium heat until butter melts, stirring frequently. Gently simmer 5 minutes more for flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    • Reserve ¼ cup of sauce for meatball recipe. Set remaining sauce aside.

    Meatballs

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, add ground chicken, panko, milk, egg, celery, onion, ¼ cup Buffalo BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until combined.
    • Gently roll into 1 ¼ to 1 ½-inch meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. You should get around 30 meatballs.
    • Bake meatballs for 13-15 minutes until browned, cooked through, and still tender. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain of excess liquid then place into a large bowl. 
    • Pour enough Buffalo BBQ sauce over meatballs to thoroughly coat.
    • Transfer to serving bowl and pass remaining sauce alongside with celery sticks, ranch or blue cheese dressing, and suggested garnishes. Enjoy!

    Notes

    *Uncooked meatballs can be formed and refrigerated a day in advance. Cooked meatballs can also be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3 meatballs | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1068mg | Potassium: 581mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @giveitsomethyme or tag #giveitsomethyme!

    This page contains affiliate links. Meaning, whenever you purchase an item after clicking an Amazon link through this website, we receive a small percentage from Amazon. It doesn’t cost anything extra to you! It simply helps maintain the blog. Thanks so much!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ben | Havocinthekitchen says

      January 27, 2021 at 1:45 pm

      Believe it or not, I've only recently discovered the beauty of glazed meatballs (I only served them with some kind of sauce or gravy on a side.) But I am 100% into all possible ways to jazz up meatballs, and I particular love all those sweet & savoury & sticky (and moderately spicy) combos. So these meatballs are right up to my alley! Needless to say, they look and sound wonderful!

      Reply
      • Kim Peterson says

        January 27, 2021 at 4:28 pm

        Thanks Ben! They're always a hit. I think you're really going to like them!

        Reply

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    Kim | Creator and Author of Give it Some Thyme

    Welcome! I'm Kim - author, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Give it Some Thyme. Here you'll find wholesome, classic and contemporary recipes that make memorable meals every home chef can prepare. Pull up a chair!

    More about me →

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