Description
These Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are a delicious, protein-packed appetizer or main dish, featuring juicy ground chicken meatballs coated in a spicy buffalo sauce and slow-cooked to perfection. Perfect for game day or a flavorful dinner, they can be served with ranch or blue cheese dressing and crisp celery or carrot sticks.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or breadcrumbs)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 3/4 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot or Primal Kitchen)
- 1/4 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. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Make Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, tapioca flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, sliced green onions, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or clean hands until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Shape Meatballs: Using a spoon or your hands dusted with a little tapioca flour to prevent sticking, roll the mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch meatballs. You should have about 24 meatballs.
- Brown Meatballs: Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 4-5 minutes, turning as needed to brown all sides thoroughly.
- Prepare Sauce: While the meatballs brown, whisk together the melted ghee (or butter) and hot sauce in a small bowl until fully combined to create the buffalo sauce.
- Slow Cook Meatballs: Transfer the browned meatballs to a slow cooker. Pour the buffalo sauce over the meatballs and gently toss to coat them evenly. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours to ensure they absorb the flavors and become tender.
- Serve: Once cooked, serve immediately with your choice of paleo ranch, blue cheese dressing, and celery or carrot sticks for a perfect buffalo chicken meatball experience.
Notes
- You can air fry the meatballs instead of baking: shape the meatballs and air fry at 380°F for 10-12 minutes, then toss in buffalo sauce.
- For a gluten-free option, use tapioca flour as noted instead of breadcrumbs.
- If the meatball mixture is sticky, adding a bit more tapioca flour to your hands helps with shaping.
- Use vegan butter in the sauce to make the recipe dairy-free and vegan friendly except for the chicken.
- Serve with a dipping sauce like ranch or blue cheese and fresh veggie sticks to balance the heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
