Description
Delicious slow cooker buffalo chicken meatballs are tender, flavorful, and coated in a spicy buffalo sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or main dish served with ranch or blue cheese dressing and crunchy celery sticks.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or breadcrumbs)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 3/4 cup hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot or Primal Kitchen recommended)
- 1/4 cup butter, vegan butter, or ghee, melted
- Ranch, blue cheese, celery sticks, or carrot sticks for serving
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Mix meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, tapioca flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, sliced green onions, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon or clean hands until well mixed.
- Form meatballs: Roll the mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch meatballs, about 24 total. The mixture will be sticky; lightly dust your hands with tapioca flour to prevent sticking.
- Bake meatballs: Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes or until all sides are browned.
- Make buffalo sauce: While the meatballs are baking, whisk together melted butter (or vegan butter/ghee) and hot sauce in a small bowl.
- Slow cook meatballs with sauce: Transfer browned meatballs to the slow cooker. Pour in the buffalo sauce and gently toss to coat. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours.
- Serve: Serve the buffalo chicken meatballs immediately with ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery or carrot sticks.
Notes
- Air fryer alternative: Shape meatballs and air fry at 380°F for 12 minutes. Toss immediately with sauce and serve warm.
- Use tapioca flour or breadcrumbs depending on dietary preference for binding.
- Adjust hot sauce amount to control heat level.
- Substitute vegan butter or ghee to make recipe dairy-free.
- Keep an eye on meatballs while baking to prevent overcooking during browning step.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
