Easy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are meaty, spicy, and tangy, just like hot wings—but without the hassle! Dress these babies with a side of ranch, celery, and carrot sticks for a fun party appetizer that everyone will devour.
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Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe
- Wing flavor without the mess: Do you love wings, but feel like you could live without the mess? I have a friend who loves spicy buffalo wings, but hardly ever orders them because she hates the mess. These buffalo chicken meatballs solve that problem while keeping that classic spicy buffalo flavor.
- Easy to make: All you need to do is shape the meatballs, bake them for a few minutes, and toss them in the crockpot with your favorite buffalo sauce.
- Great for parties: These crockpot buffalo chicken meatballs are perfect for sharing. I like to serve them with toothpicks so guests can grab one and dip them in their favorite dipping sauce. (And, again, using toothpicks helps keep them mess-free!)
If you love buffalo chicken, be sure to check out my buffalo chicken enchiladas too!
Recipe Ingredients
Using prepared buffalo wing sauce makes the prep even quicker and easier for this simple recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Ground Chicken: I usually use ground chicken, but you could substitute ground turkey if you’d rather.
- Panko: Panko bread crumbs (regular or seasoned) help bring the mixture together and make the meatballs tender.
- Egg: Lightly beat one large, whole egg.
- Parmesan: Shredded Parmesan makes the recipe extra-flavorful! Freshly grated is best, or pre-grated in the refrigerated section rather than the shelf-stable Parmesan in jars.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: These handy spices add tons of flavor!
- Paprika: For this recipe, I like smoked paprika, but you could also use sweet paprika.
- Prepared Buffalo Sauce: I use Frank’s wing sauce. Make sure to use wing sauce and not just hot sauce, or the meatballs will be very, very spicy!
- Ranch Dressing: A little bit of ranch dressing adds the perfect cool and savory touch.
How To Make Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
The method for making these is so easy, I just love it! A quick bake in the oven helps the meatballs start cooking and keep their shape, while a slow simmer in the sauce cooks the spicy, tangy flavor right in.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a jelly roll pan or large cookie sheet with parchment paper. (You can also use foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.)
- Make the Meatball Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients except the buffalo sauce and ranch. Mix just until combined, but don’t over-mix or the meatballs will be tough.
- Shape the Meatballs: Using your hands, a spoon, or a scoop (my personal favorite), roll the meatball mixture into 1-inch balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Wet your hands and/or utensils with water to help keep the meatball mixture from sticking.
- Bake: Bake the meatballs on the center rack of the oven for 8 minutes. The meatballs will finish cooking in the slow cooker!
- Slow Cook: Remove the partially-cooked meatballs from the oven, and transfer them to the slow cooker (they’ll be hot, so be careful not to burn your hands!). Pour the buffalo sauce over them, and gently toss to coat. Slow cook the meatballs on LOW for 2 hours.
- Enjoy! Serve your meatballs on a platter with toothpicks, or straight from the crockpot. Pair them with ranch dressing, carrot sticks, and celery sticks as desired.
My Favorite Tips & Variation Ideas
Here are some tips for making the absolute BEST buffalo chicken meatballs, as well as a few ways to customize the recipe.
- Perfect scoops: Use a cookie scoop to easily get evenly-sized meatballs. Evenly-sized meatballs ensure even cooking! I prefer a one to one-and-a-half-inch meatball.
- Do I have to bake them first? Yes, you don’t want to skip that step! If you put all the raw meatballs in the slow cooker, they would lose their shape and mash together. This way, they’ll keep their shape as they finish cooking in the sauce.
- Skip the slow cooker: If you don’t want to use a slow cooker, you can bake the meatballs for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Then, just coat them with the sauce, and bake for another 5 minutes to finish. Easy!
- Sauce it your way: The base recipe for these meatballs is versatile, and can easily be used with teriyaki sauce or barbecue sauce for a different flavor profile. I recommend omitting the paprika if you use teriyaki sauce.
Serving Suggestions
To serve, you can just do ranch and raw veggies, or you could make the meatballs a meal with one or more of these yummy sides. It’s up to you!
- Coleslaw: A crisp side of coleslaw is perfect for cooling off between bites of tasty buffalo meatballs.
- Fresh Salad: How about an easy Cucumber Tomato Salad? Nice, light, and refreshing.
- Fries: Regular fries are awesome with buffalo chicken meatballs, but I especially like the salty-sweet flavor of Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Or how about some Texas Cheese Fries?
- Mac and Cheese: You can’t go wrong with everyone’s favorite: Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese. If you’d rather go for a low-carb version (I hear you!), try this simple Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
- Make a Salad: Top a crunchy chopped salad (make your own, or use a bagged salad) with buffalo chicken meatballs for a delicious dinner or lunch option. A swirl of ranch, and you’ve got a mouthwatering meal.
- Make a Sub: Line these yummy meatballs up in a hoagie roll and top with mozzarella for a fabulous melted sub!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- To refrigerate, place the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
- To freeze, place meatballs and sauce in a freezer bag or container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat in a covered skillet over low heat, or in the microwave for one minute at a time, until heated through.
Yield: 30 Meatballs
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Easy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are meaty, spicy, and tangy, just like hot wings—but without the hassle! They’re a fun party appetizer that everyone will devour!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken, or ground turkey
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs, regular or seasoned
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan, freshly grated is best, or pre-grated in the refrigerator section, not from a jar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, I use Frank’s
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a pan with parchment paper, or foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko, egg, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika, until well-combined.
- Using a spoon or scoop, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 8 minutes. (The meatballs will finish cooking in the slow cooker; you are not looking to cook them all the way through in the oven.)
- Remove the meatballs from the oven, and carefully transfer them to the slow cooker. Pour buffalo sauce over the meatballs and gently toss to coat.
- Slow cook on LOW for 2 hours.
- Serve with ranch dressing, carrot sticks, and celery sticks as desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 228kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 102mg, Sodium: 935mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g
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