Description
Buffalo chicken meatballs are the kind of dish that keeps people coming back for more at any gathering. Ground chicken mixed with breadcrumbs and spices gets baked until golden, then tossed in tangy buffalo sauce so you can enjoy that classic wing flavor in an easier, more manageable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Base ingredients:
- 1 pound 85/15 ground chicken
- 1 pound 80/20 ground turkey
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup sweet onion, cut into chunks
- 2 celery stalks cut into chunks (1 cup)
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot sauce, divided
Serving ingredients:
- 2 celery sticks
- blue cheese dressing
- blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Pulse 1 cup sweet onion chunks, 1 cup celery chunks, 2 large garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in your food processor until finely minced.
- Transfer your mixture to a saute pan and cook for 4 minutes over medium heat, then remove it to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot sauce, stirring until blended.
- Beat 2 whole eggs and add them to your breadcrumb mixture along with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, and your cooled onion and celery mixture.
- Combine 1 pound ground chicken and 1 pound ground turkey in a large bowl, then fold in your breadcrumb mixture until just combined.
- Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Use a 1-ounce scoop to portion out 56 meatballs from your mixture, dipping the scoop in water occasionally so it releases easily.
- Line a sheet tray with foil and spray it with cooking spray for your meatballs.
- Roll each meatball between your palms and place it on your prepared tray, then spray all the tops lightly with cooking spray.
- Bake your meatballs for 16 to 18 minutes at 400 degrees F until they’re cooked through.
- While your meatballs bake, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in 1 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce and set aside.
- Cut your celery sticks for serving and prepare your blue cheese dressing and crumbled blue cheese in separate portions.
- Once your meatballs finish baking, use tongs to carefully transfer them in batches to a large bowl and toss them gently with your butter and hot sauce mixture, being sure to avoid the crispy bits left on the pan.
- Transfer your sauced meatballs to a serving dish, sprinkle crumbled blue cheese over top, and arrange celery sticks and blue cheese dressing alongside.
Notes
- Don’t skip cooling the onion and celery mixture before mixing it into the meat, since the heat can make your meatballs dense and tough instead of light and fluffy.
- Use tongs rather than a spatula when tossing the meatballs in sauce, as this keeps them from falling apart and breaking into pieces.
- For a milder version that works for kids, reduce the hot sauce to half a cup in the coating and skip the Frank’s in the breadcrumb mixture.
- If your meatballs seem too wet while mixing, add a bit more breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time until the texture feels right and holds together without being dense.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 16-18 minutes
- Category: Baked Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg