Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
A spicy and lean protein lunch or dinner, these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are moist and oh, so delicious. Made with just 5 ingredients (plus a few spices) these healthy buffalo chicken meatballs are easy to make. Oven-baked and perfect for a packed lunch or served for dinner, you’re going to want to add these spicy chicken meatballs to your menu.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for…Buffalo Chicken
It seems like everyone LOVES buffalo chicken recipes. And for good reason, it’s SO GOOD! If you’ve not tried buffalo chicken yet, you’re missing out. Add this Buffalo Chicken Meatball recipe to your menu right away! It’s easy to make, has added veggies to the recipe, they’re easily baked in the oven, and they’re oh, so delicious!
A little added veggie to make them as healthy as possible
I’ve added shredded zucchini to this recipe, because anyway I can get more vegetables into entree dinners, I’ll do it. Shredded zucchini is one of the most versatile vegetables in my opinion. It’s easy to sneak into so many dishes and the added nutrients are always a bonus. If you have picky eaters or even anti-vegetable kids, this is another recipe that will help your family get more vegetables into their daily diet!
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Ingredients:
Ground Chicken – easily found at all grocery stores, but you can use ground turkey if you prefer.
Zucchini – fresh zucchini sent through the food processor to chop/shred it finely works best. Press most of the liquid out using a paper towel.
Paprika – adds a great smokey flavor. I like this one.
Sea salt – this one is one of my all-time favorite brands.
Black pepper – this is a great one.
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – my favorite hot sauce and also Whole30 compliant if that matters to you. Easily found at all grocery stores, but you can always use what you have on hand.
Coconut oil – I use this one and melt it in a saucepan.
Apple Cider Vinegar – just a splash and the buffalo sauce is amazing with it. This one is my go-to ACV.
How to make these spicy buffalo chicken meatballs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, place the roughly chopped zucchini and process until finely chopped/shredded.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, chopped/shredded zucchini, and all spices. Mix together using a large spoon or your hands. Scoop mixture out and shape into golf ball-sized meatballs. Place in a 9×13 baking dish leaving space between each meatball for even cooking. Continue to roll out the mixture until it’s all gone.
In a small bowl, add the hot sauce, melted coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together. Pour over the meatballs.
Bake the meatballs for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and serve.
Is the water squeezed from the zucchini before adding to the ground chicken?
This recipe works best if, after shredding the zucchini, you place it between a few paper towels and gently press out the extra water. Ground chicken is very moist and when adding zucchini without pressing the water from it, the meatballs will very wet and may fall apart after baking. To get the perfect chicken meatball, squeeze the water from the shredded zucchini before adding it to the meatball mixture.
Can you make these meatballs ahead of time?
Absolutely! This chicken meatball recipe is a great one for your meal prep session. It’s easy to whip together and once the meatballs are cooled, divide them into containers for easy grab-n-go lunches or leave them in the baking dish, cover with foil, and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat them for a dinner.
Are the meatballs freezer-friendly?
These chicken meatballs are very freezer-friendly. You can bake them without the sauce, let them cool, place them in a freezer-friendly container, and freeze. When you’re ready to serve, take them from the freezer, let them thaw in the fridge, place in a baking dish, pour buffalo sauce over the top, and bake to re-heat. If you’ve already baked them with the sauce on top, no sweat. You can still freeze them with the sauce baked into the top. When re-heating, the sauce will be more thinned out.
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded or chopped in the food processor and water pressed out
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, place the roughly chopped zucchini and process until finely chopped or shredded.
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In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, chopped/shredded zucchini, and all spices. Mix together using a large spoon or your hands. Scoop mixture out and shape into golf ball-sized meatballs. Place in a 9×13 baking dish leaving space between each meatball for even cooking. Continue to roll out the mixture until it's all used up.
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In a small bowl, add the hot sauce, melted coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together. Pour over the meatballs.
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Bake the meatballs for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and serve.
Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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