Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

If you're searching for the perfect appetizer or extra little something to add to your lighter meals, then you have to try these fantastic Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. These protein packed ground chicken buffalo meatballs are bursting with flavor and are ready in about a half hour! They're the perfect last minute addition to add to your menu.

Instead of making buffalo wings or chicken wings with Moroccan spice and honey glaze for the game, try making these meatballs! They're also perfect for meal prepping since they're so versatile and can go on so many different recipes for all week long. We love adding them to our salads for a pop of flavor and a nice protein boost.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Easy appetizer or topping to add to salads and other light meals
• Great for meal prep and freezing
• Perfect for game day, Super bowl parties, football season, celebrations, etc
• Exploding with flavor

Meatball Ingredients

Get more info on these simple ingredients in the recipe card below.

• Ground chicken
• Ian's gluten free panko bread crumbs (if not gluten free- you can use Italian breadcrumbs)
• Buffalo sauce
• Butter
• Celery sticks
• Onion
• Egg
• Olive oil

How to Make Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

• Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper before setting it aside.
• Add Buffalo sauce and butter to a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
• In another saucepan, heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil and sauté celery and onions.
• Add the vegetables, buffalo sauce, gluten free breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and egg in a large mixing bowl with the ground chicken.
• Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until it's all well incorporated.
  

• Use your clean hands to shape the meatball mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place meatballs on the baking sheet.
  
• Bake for 20-24 minutes.
• Serve with hot sauce, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing if desired.
  

Storage

Any leftover delicious buffalo chicken meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to keep the best chicken meatballs longer than 5 days, keep reading on to discover how to freeze these bad boys!

Can I Freeze These?

I love doubling this buffalo chicken meatballs recipe and making an extra batch to freeze for later. I recommend placing the cooked meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet then freezing them for 1-2 hours or until they're frozen solid. Make sure they don't touch when freezing, then you can transfer them to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Freezing them on the sheet pan first helps ensure they don't all stick together so it's too difficult to separate and use them later.

Tips and Variations

• Feel free to swap the spicy buffalo sauce out with your favorite hot sauce when making these delicious meatballs.
• If you want to make them really spicy and want to increase the heat, you need to heat up the sauce, not just add more liquid or it will throw off all the rest of the measurements. Increasing the liquid's temperature will bring out more heat from the sauce.
• If you're having trouble getting similar sized meatballs, use a cookie scoop to remove the chicken mixture and then roll by hand.
• You can swap the ground chicken out for ground turkey.
• Don't overmix the buffalo chicken mixture or you'll wind up with tough hard meatballs.

How do I know when they're done?

Always use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of your healthy buffalo chicken meatballs reaches 165F to be safe for consumption.

What else can I add to the spicy chicken meatballs mixture?

If this recipe isn't enough, you could also swap some of the breadcrumbs out for some almond flour as a great alternative, but be careful because the gluten free breadcrumbs bring a lot of flavor. You can also add diced up green onions and some parmesan cheese for more flavor.

Serving Suggestions

Wondering what you can serve these easy buffalo chicken meatballs with? Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

• Enjoy these meatballs on top of some gluten free pasta or zoodles, maybe even over a bed of cauliflower rice.
• Try serving these with celery sticks and carrots sticks to compliment your classic buffalo chicken wings- don't forget the dipping sauces
• Toss some of these spicy meatballs on your basic salad when you need a change and a nice source of protein to add on top

More Side Dish and Appetizer Recipes

• Mashed Potatoes
• Tater Tot Nachos
• Turkey Tortilla Soup
• Queso Fundido with Chorizo

The easiest way to get everyone's bellies full is by enjoying these tender meatballs, they'll quickly become a new favorite for your family! If you're looking for a tasty appetizer, side dish, or simple protein to add to your other meals, you've gotta give this Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs a try!