Hungry for Wings, but don't want all the calories? Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are the answer!!!!!
We love watching sports, especially the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Superbowl and remember those commercials. What's a game day party without meatballs?!? OR, What's a party without buffalo chicken wings?!?
A lot of the time on a "diet," I'll say to myself, "I shouldn't eat that wing. It's probably fried.", or, "Those wings look soooooo good, NO! I'm on a diet; I can't have that!". But depriving yourself of what you're REALLY hungry for makes things worse in the long run.
If you're like us, you'll still be starving for that wing long after you leave the party.
Restrictions do three things:
- Makes things harder. If I'm constantly wondering what I can and can't have, I'm not enjoying my family and friends.
- Restrictions cause guilt.....who wants to feel guilty?
- It brings out the rebel in me and makes me eat even more!
We feel like you should never restrict yourself, but instead, find a way to enjoy EVERYTHING you LOVE to eat in a healthier way. Buffalo Chicken Wings are a prime example of a snack/bar/sports food we HAVE to EAT! This buffalo chicken meatball recipe checks ALL the craving boxes!!!! Tang! Spice! Chicken! Messy! Ranch Dressing with Blue Cheese!!!! Plus, if you're like me, you want to have some beer or wine during the game.
Low-Calorie Game Day Eats!
These Chicken Meatballs are truly delicious!!!! Also, this recipe can be made in advance, and they are really the perfect finger food! You can usually find ground chicken at the grocery store or grind your own. We use our Kitchen Aid stand mixer similar to this one: KitchenAid® Artisan® 5 qt. Stand Mixer with the food grinder attachment. ) Oh, and if you want a variety of meatballs, we also have recipes for Spicy Serrano Bacon Meatballs, Italian Meatballs, Turkey Feta Meatballs, and Bacon Turkey Cheeseburger Meatballs.
The meatballs are baked with lean ground chicken. The best part is minimal cleanup (because who likes cleaning up after a game day party....or any party)! We usually make a large amount of the Buffalo Chicken meatballs and freeze them. Then, if you want a treat, quick dinner, or friends show up unexpectedly, you can pull them out of the freezer, and in just a few minutes, you've got a snack that will knock their socks off!
Spicy meatballs
One of the tricks to these meatballs is adding celery to the meat mixture. Often, baked meatballs can be dry, especially ones made with chicken or turkey, but adding celery keeps the meatballs nice and juicy. For the spice - chopping a Jalapeño into the mixture adds that great kick! The other secret to these meatballs is stuffing the center with blue cheese! We also love to serve Franks Buffalo wing sauce over the meatballs.
So when you bite into these juicy meatballs you get everything you love in a good Buffalo Chicken Wing ALL IN ONE (or two) bites.
- Juicy Chicken
- Tangy buffalo sauce
- The spice from the jalapeno
- Crunchy cooling celery
- Creamy Blue Cheese
- AMAZING
TIPS/HACKS:
- Use 99% fat-free chicken breast🍗
- Celery in the mix adds crunch and moisture... also, celery ALWAYS works with chicken wings😀🍗
- No breadcrumbs🍗
- Chopped Jalapeno (optional) adds even more spice
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE? YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY THESE RECIPES:
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower - All the fun of buffalo chicken wings in a spicy cauliflower bite
- Easy Buffalo Chicken Tenders - Quick and Easy boneless buffalo chicken wings
- Spicy Crispy Sesame Chicken Wings - Sweet and Spicy wings that are perfect for game day.
- Air Fryer Sesame Chicken Wings - These sesame wings are delicious and perfectly cooked in the air fryer.
- Buffalo Chicken Air Fryer Taquitos - Juicy shredded buffalo chicken is stuffed inside a corn tortilla and air-fried until super crunchy.
Delicious Buffalo Chicken Meatballs for Your Game Day Party
A Few Things We Use
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Chicken or Turkey
- 1 Jalapeño or Thai peppers Finely chopped - Optional
- ½ Cup Celery Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 Ounces Blue Cheese
Instructions
- Finely chop Jalapeño (optional) or Thai Peppers. Chop Celery. Mix jalapeño, celery, and garlic into the ground chicken. (Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees)
- Make meatballs about the size of a walnut.
- Add a piece of blue cheese to the middle of each meatball.
- Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and pour the buffalo sauce over the meatballs.
- Enjoy!!
- NOTE: If you are going to freeze the meatballs, thoroughly cook them and let them cool (do not add Buffalo Sauce). Then place in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to eat, place the meatballs in the oven at 350 until warm, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the Buffalo Sauce over the meatballs.
Sarah says
These look so good!! Can they be made in the air fryer??
Amy says
Hi! These meatballs are some of our FAVORITES!!! 🙂 Yes! They can be done in the air fryer, it works great! We'll update you with the times and temperature.