Description
These Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer or main dish. Ground chicken meatballs are baked until browned, then simmered in a tangy buffalo sauce for tender, flavorful bites. Perfect for game days or casual dinners, served with celery sticks and your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¼ cup tapioca flour (or breadcrumbs)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
For the Sauce:
- ¾ cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot or Primal Kitchen)
- ¼ cup butter, vegan butter, or ghee, melted
- Ranch, blue cheese, celery sticks, or carrot sticks for serving
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, tapioca flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, sliced green onions, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir together using a wooden spoon or clean hands until well mixed. The mixture will be sticky, so dust your hands with tapioca flour to help shape the meatballs.
- Shape Meatballs: Roll the mixture into about 24 meatballs, each measuring approximately 1¼ to 1½ inches in diameter.
- Bake Meatballs: Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until all sides are browned and crusty.
- Make Buffalo Sauce: While the meatballs bake, whisk together the melted ghee (or butter) and hot sauce in a small bowl until fully combined.
- Cook in Slow Cooker: Transfer the browned meatballs to a slow cooker. Pour the buffalo sauce over them and gently toss to coat each meatball. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours, allowing flavors to meld and meatballs to cook through.
- Serve: Serve the buffalo chicken meatballs hot with paleo ranch, blue cheese dressing, celery sticks, or carrot sticks on the side.
Notes
- For a quicker option, you can air fry the meatballs at 380°F for 10-12 minutes, then toss them in the buffalo sauce immediately.
- Using tapioca flour helps keep the meatballs gluten free; breadcrumbs can be substituted if preferred.
- These meatballs freeze well after cooking – store in an airtight container and reheat thoroughly before serving.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce depending on your preferred spice level.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the baking sheet to ensure even browning of meatballs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
