Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1½ lbs ground chicken
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (plain or Italian)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing (optional, for moisture)
For the Buffalo Sauce:
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- Optional: 1 teaspoon honey (to balance heat)
For Serving:
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and ranch dressing (if using). Mix gently with your hands just until combined—don’t overmix or meatballs will be tough.
- Form Meatballs: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form mixture into meatballs about 1½ inches in diameter (roughly the size of a golf ball). You should get 24-28 meatballs. Roll each between your palms to make smooth balls.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
- Bake: Bake for 18-20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165°F. They should be golden and no longer pink inside.
- Prepare Buffalo Sauce: While meatballs bake, combine buffalo sauce and melted butter in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring to combine. Add honey if using.
- Coat with Sauce: Transfer baked meatballs to a large bowl. Pour buffalo sauce over meatballs and gently toss to coat evenly.
- Serve: Transfer sauced meatballs to a serving platter. Drizzle with ranch or blue cheese dressing, garnish with chopped green onions, and serve with celery and carrot sticks.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the meat—this makes tough, dense meatballs. Mix just until combined.
- For extra-crispy meatballs, broil for 1-2 minutes after baking.
- Adjust sauce quantity based on how saucy you prefer your meatballs.
- Make meatballs uniform in size for even cooking.
- Can be made ahead and frozen before or after coating in sauce.
- For milder meatballs, use less buffalo sauce or add more butter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 885mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 125mg