Easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Started in the oven and finished up in the slow cooker, these easy Buffalo chicken meatballs have all of your favorite chicken wing flavor but are much easier and less messy to eat. They're moist and tender with a slightly toasted exterior and coated in a tangy, spicy sauce with just a hint of sweetness. Use thin celery sticks as skewers and serve them with ranch dressing. Perfect for parties or tailgating!

Print Recipe

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 45

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 11 people

Calories 3849.7 kcal

Equipment

1 Baking Sheet for initial meatball browning
1 Slow Cooker for simmering and finishing
1 Large Mixing Bowl for preparing meatball mixture
1 Instant-Read Thermometer for ensuring food safety
1 Foil for lining baking sheet

Ingredients

Main

cooking spray
2 ¼ cups Buffalo wing sauce divided
½ cup butter
¼ cup honey
⅔ cup bread crumbs
⅓ cup finely chopped celery
⅓ cup finely chopped green onions
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
2 large eggs
2 pounds ground chicken
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Combine 2 cups Buffalo sauce, butter, and honey in a slow cooker. Cover and set to High while you prepare the meatballs.
Combine bread crumbs, celery, green onions, blue cheese, eggs, and remaining 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce in a large bowl; stir until well combined. Add chicken, salt, and pepper; mix well. Wet your hands and form mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs; you should get about about 44. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake meatballs in the preheated oven until they're holding together well and are lightly browned, about 8 minutes; they will not be cooked through at this point.
Transfer meatballs to the slow cooker and stir well to combine with the sauce. Reduce heat to Low and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centers reads at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 1 to 2 hours. Keep warm until ready to eat.

Notes

1. Do not overmix the ground chicken; this can lead to tough meatballs. Mix just until combined. Wetting your hands will prevent the mixture from sticking during formation. 2. The initial oven bake is crucial for developing a light crust and holding the meatballs' shape before they go into the slow cooker. 3. For enhanced flavor, consider a quick sauté of the finely chopped celery and green onions before adding them to the mixture, which mellows their raw edge. 4. Taste the Buffalo sauce mixture in the slow cooker and adjust sweetness or heat to your preference before adding the meatballs.