Football season has arrived. Or, as I prefer to think of it, football FOOD season has arrived! First up: crockpot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
These super juicy, buffalo-sauce-bathed, cheese-sprinkled slow cooker chicken meatballs are the essence of football food (as is this Buffalo Chicken Pizza).
They’re a little messy.
Everyone loves an excuse to eat them.
They might stain your couch.
You can DEFINITELY turn what would at other times be considered an appetizer into a full meal and not be judged.
These easy buffalo chicken meatballs are a done deal crowd favorite for any game day.
Since they 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.
If you are the one hosting, these crockpot buffalo chicken meatballs will ease your party prep.
They can be made in advance, and guests can serve themselves right out of the slow cooker.
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
Although I created this recipe with football on the brain, I’d also like to stress that you do not need to wait for a football game to make them.
These tasty buffalo chicken meatballs are lean, low carb, protein rich, and legitimately dinner appropriate.
The Ingredients
- Ground Chicken. Using ground chicken as the base for these meatballs helps make them healthy buffalo chicken meatballs. Ground chicken is flavorful, lean, and protein-packed.
- 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
- Mix the meatball ingredients together. Form about 22 to 24 meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs on a baking sheet for 4 minutes at 400 degrees F, then flip and bake for 2 additional minutes.
- 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.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with green onion and cheese. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- 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 buffalo chicken meatballs to a freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
Meatballs can be assembled up through Step 4 one day in advance. Store in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, transfer them to the slow cooker and proceed with the recipe as directed.
Leftover Ideas
Leftover meatballs would be spectacular served with my Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries or Instant Pot Cauliflower Mac and Cheese. They also 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
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Slow Cooker. Ideal for making these crockpot buffalo chicken meatballs.
- Baking Sheet. What I use to bake the meatballs.
- Mixing Bowls. A nice set of mixing bowls is a must-have in every kitchen.
The Best Slow Cooker
My BFF for making cozy, delicious recipes year-round! This appliance will help you make any of the slow cooker recipes on my website.
Whether or not you watch football, with these slow cooker buffalo chicken meatballs, everyone wins!
Frequently Asked Questions
While I’ve only tested the recipe with ground chicken, you could experiment with another ground meat if you prefer. Ground turkey would work well.
Baking the meatballs first helps them develop a nice crusty exterior and stay together better. For the best meatballs, I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step.
I made this a Frank’s RedHot buffalo chicken meatballs recipe, but you can use any buffalo sauce you prefer.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3/4 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 green onions finely chopped (about 1/4 cup), plus additional for serving
- 3/4 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
- 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.
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me Up
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!