Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

These super juicy, hot-sauce-bathed, cheese-sprinkled crockpot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are the essence of football food. But don’t save the recipe for game day—these meatballs are easy enough for a weeknight dinner too!

Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Meatball Recipe

The Flavor Everyone Loves. Tangy and spicy Buffalo sauce is a game day fave, whether it’s in the form of Buffalo Chicken Pizza, a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Salad, or these Buffalo chicken meatballs. In other words, these are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Game Day or Any Day. You can DEFINITELY turn this appetizer into a full meal and not be judged. These tasty Buffalo chicken meatballs are lean, low carb, protein rich, and legitimately dinner appropriate.
The Convenience of the Crockpot. Since Buffalo chicken meatballs 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. They can be made in advance, and guests can serve themselves right out of the slow cooker. Easy!

Buffalo chicken meatballs in bowl of 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

The Ingredients

Ground Chicken. Although I haven’t tested it, I think ground turkey would also work well—although, of course, these would no longer be Buffalo chicken meatballs!
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

Ingredients for Buffalo chicken meatballs in bowl before mixing

Combine. Mix the meatball ingredients together. Form about 22 to 24 meatballs.

Pre-Bake. Bake the meatballs on a baking sheet for 4 minutes at 400 degrees F, then flip and bake for 2 additional minutes.

Uncooked Buffalo chicken meatballs in crockpot

Cook. 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.

Finish. Serve hot, sprinkled with green onion and cheese. ENJOY!

Buffalo chicken meatballs on platter with blue cheese crumbles and green onions for garnish

Leftover Ideas

Leftover Buffalo chicken meatballs 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

Fries. Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer French Fries would both be excellent!
Mac and Cheese. Add your Buffalo meatballs to a bowl of Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese for a low carb dinner.
Game Day Faves. Serve these chicken meatballs alongside Chicken Enchilada Dip and BBQ Chicken Pizza.
Dipping Sauce. This Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip is the perfect accompaniment!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Don’t Overmix the Meatballs. You never want to over-work ground meat, as this makes it tough. Mix everything together just until it’s combined; I find that using my hands is most efficient.
Get a Head Start. You can form and bake the meatballs ahead of time, then pop them in the slow cooker with the hot sauce the day you plan on serving them.
Don’t Skip the Baking. Baking the meatballs first helps them develop a nice crusty exterior and stay together better. For the best Buffalo chicken meatballs, I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step.

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Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. An easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer for parties and great for low carb dinners. Juicy, spicy, and always a favorite!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 20

Servings meatballs

Calories 38kcal

Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken
¾ cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 green onions finely chopped (about ¼ cup), plus additional for serving
¾ 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

NEXT LEVEL: Mix the Buffalo sauce with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter prior to adding it to the meatballs.
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.
TO MAKE IN THE AIR FRYER: Shape the meatballs as directed. Add to the air fryer in a single layer (cook in batches if needed so they don’t overlap). Air fry at 400°F for 7 to 9 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until cooked through. Add the cooked meatballs to a large bowl. Warm up the Buffalo sauce, then pour over the meatballs. Gently stir to coat. Enjoy warm. See my Air Fryer Meatballs for even more tips.

Nutrition