These super juicy, hot-sauce-bathed, cheese-sprinkled crockpot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are the essence of football food. But don’t save the recipe for game day—these meatballs are easy enough for a weeknight dinner too!
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Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Meatball Recipe
- The Flavor Everyone Loves. Tangy and spicy Buffalo sauce is a game day fave, whether it’s in the form of Buffalo Chicken Pizza, a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Salad, or these Buffalo chicken meatballs. In other words, these are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
- Game Day or Any Day. You can DEFINITELY turn this appetizer into a full meal and not be judged. These tasty Buffalo chicken meatballs are lean, low carb, protein rich, and legitimately dinner appropriate.
- The Convenience of the Crockpot. Since Buffalo chicken meatballs cook in the slow cooker, you can easily transport them from place to place if you’re heading to a friend’s house to watch. They can be made in advance, and guests can serve themselves right out of the slow cooker. Easy!
5 Star Review
“I may never go back to wings. These were spicy and awesome. I’ll be taking them to our next tailgate. Much less messy than eating wings. Whole family loved them.”
— Carrie —
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
The Ingredients
- Ground Chicken. Although I haven’t tested it, I think ground turkey would also work well—although, of course, these would no longer be Buffalo chicken meatballs!
- Panko + Egg. Helps bind the meatballs together.
- Spices. Garlic powder and black pepper add scrumptious flavor.
- Green Onion. Adds a fresh crunch.
- Buffalo Sauce. The most important flavor ingredient. The slightly spicy, tangy goodness is what makes these meatballs so addictive (it does the same for this Buffalo Baked Salmon and Cauliflower Buffalo Wings).
- Cheese. My topping of choice! Both blue cheese and feta would be tasty.
The Directions
- Combine. Mix the meatball ingredients together. Form about 22 to 24 meatballs.
- Pre-Bake. Bake the meatballs on a baking sheet for 4 minutes at 400 degrees F, then flip and bake for 2 additional minutes.
- Cook. Transfer the baked Buffalo chicken meatballs to the slow cooker. Pour the Buffalo sauce over the meatballs and stir. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
- Finish. Serve hot, sprinkled with green onion and cheese. ENJOY!
Leftover Ideas
Leftover Buffalo chicken meatballs make the perfect meatball sub! Halve your meatballs, lay them on a piece of bread, top with your favorite cheese, add another piece of bread, and toast the sandwich in a skillet until the cheese is melted.
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Fries. Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer French Fries would both be excellent!
- Mac and Cheese. Add your Buffalo meatballs to a bowl of Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese for a low carb dinner.
- Game Day Faves. Serve these chicken meatballs alongside Chicken Enchilada Dip and BBQ Chicken Pizza.
- Dipping Sauce. This Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip is the perfect accompaniment!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t Overmix the Meatballs. Just like I warn in Asian Chicken Meatballs recipe, you never want to over-work ground meat, as this makes it tough. Mix everything together just until it’s combined; I find that using my hands is most efficient.
- Get a Head Start. You can form and bake the meatballs ahead of time, then pop them in the slow cooker with the hot sauce the day you plan on serving them.
- Don’t Skip the Baking. Baking the meatballs first helps them develop a nice crusty exterior and stay together better. For the best Buffalo chicken meatballs, I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 24 meatballs
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. An easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer for parties and great for low carb dinners. Juicy, spicy, and always a favorite!
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¾ cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 green onions finely chopped (about ¼ cup), plus additional for serving
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce such as Frank’s
- Crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese optional for serving
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with nonstick spray. Coat a 3- or 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and chopped green onion. With a fork or your fingers, lightly mix until all of the ingredients are evenly combined, being careful not to compact the meat. Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. (You will have about 22 to 24 meatballs total.)
- Bake for 4 minutes, until the meatballs are lightly browned, then flip and bake for 2 additional minutes.
- Gently transfer to the slow cooker. Pour the buffalo sauce over the meatballs and, with a large spoon, very gently stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, until the meatballs are tender and cooked through.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with green onion and feta or blue cheese.
Notes
- NEXT LEVEL: Mix the Buffalo sauce with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter prior to adding it to the meatballs.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Meatballs can be assembled up through step 4 one day in advance. Store in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, transfer to the slow cooker and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm meatballs on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Lay meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO MAKE IN THE AIR FRYER: Shape the meatballs as directed. Add to the air fryer in a single layer (cook in batches if needed so they don’t overlap). Air fry at 400°F for 7 to 9 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until cooked through. Add the cooked meatballs to a large bowl. Warm up the Buffalo sauce, then pour over the meatballs. Gently stir to coat. Enjoy warm. See my Air Fryer Meatballs for even more tips.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 24)Calories: 38kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 23mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
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These look so flavorful! I love how tender slow cooker meatballs turn out, and you’re right, they are perfect for transporting!
I love slow cooker meatballs to Kristine, thank you!
Game Day never looked so yummy!
I’m a complete wimp with spices, so I see myself substituting homemade BBQ sauce here…but so excited to try chicken crock-pot meatballs! :)
Yes, that would be super yummy too!
I may never go back to wings. These were spicy and awesome. I’ll be taking them to our next tailgate. Much less mess than eating wings. Whole family loved them.
Whoo hoo Carrie! I am so so happy to hear it!
I just made these today and they are amazing! I wasn’t craving buffalo wings like no other! I think I prefer these over a battered piece of chicken. I also served it with an iceberg lettuce salad. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Aurora! Thank you!
Loved these! I’m a huge fan of buffalo wings, and this recipe is a perfect way to enjoy a healthier version of buffalo chicken. These make a great sandwich too. Thank you! I love simple and quick and delicious recipes. A keeper!
Great to hear! Thank you Maya!
Erin, these are so good. They really scratch that ‘itch’ for chicken wings when you don’t have any, can’t be bothered to make or don’t have the calorie budget for the real deal.
Thank you Jennifer!
Love this recipe made it before but now need gluten free. Any suggestions for substitute on the bread crumbs in recipe. Thanks
Hi Charlie, you can use store bought gluten free bread crumbs or make them homemade!