Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
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Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are zesty little appetizers that are perfect for the big game and tailgate parties! They're incredibly tasty, and can be served alone, or as sliders for football season and weeknight dinners.
Want more buffalo flavored recipes? Your party guests will go crazy over these Buffalo Chicken Bites that are the perfect game day treat!
Versatile Party Food!
- This buffalo chicken meatball recipe tastes like buffalo chicken dip rolled into tiny balls of goodness!
- Serve these small meatballs with a side of blue cheese dressing or stuff them into sliders for the perfect party appetizer.
- Not interested in watching the football game? Just pop a few meatballs into your air fryer basket, and in minutes you've got a great snack or weeknight dinner.
- Serve buffalo chicken meatballs with a side of Air Fryer Steak Fries, or a big bowl of Air Fryer Mac and Cheese for supper in a jiffy!
Ingredients
You'll love this simple recipe made with lean ground chicken, buffalo sauce and blue cheese crumbles for an extra kick! See recipe card for quantities.
- ground chicken - can substitute ground turkey
- panko bread crumbs
- large egg
- buffalo sauce - I use the Franks brand
- chopped red onion
- blue cheese crumbles - can substitute feta cheese
- garlic powder, onion powder, steak seasoning, dried parsley, salt
Optional Toppings
- green onions, ranch dressing, everything bagel seasoning, butter, Hawaiian rolls
Instructions
Make these easy chicken meatballs in just minutes by using your air fryer, or bake them in the oven, instant pot or slow cooker!
1 - In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, buffalo sauce, chopped red onion, garlic powder, onion powder, steak seasoning and dried parsley together. Stir in blue cheese crumbles.
2 - Using your hands, roll chicken mixture into 1-inch balls and place in the bottom of an air fryer that has been sprayed with cooking spray or olive oil. Arrange them in a single layer.
3 - Cook meatballs at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket every 3 minutes for best results.
4 - Remove the appetizers from the basket with tongs and place on a platter. Drizzle with buffalo sauce, ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles and serve with toothpicks.
5 - If you like, you can turn them into sliders by stuffing into Hawaiian rolls with blue cheese. Drizzle with buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.
6 - Close rolls, top with butter, and sprinkle with bagel seasoning. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese melts.
Additional Cooking Methods
Slow Cooker or Crockpot - bake meatballs in oven or air fryer for 10 minutes on 400 degrees. Transfer to crockpot and smother in buffalo sauce. Set crockpot to cook for 4 hours.
Instant Pot - add meatballs to the trivet in the instant pot. Pour in 1 cup water. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, then set pressure to natural release for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs and drizzle with sauce.
Bake in Oven - set oven for 350 degrees. Bake meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Drizzle with sauce and ranch dressing.
Cooking Tips
- Cook meatballs in a single layer. You will need to make 2 batches to cook the entire recipe in the air fryer.
- Use only ¼ cup of buffalo sauce in the chicken mixture or the meatballs won't roll well.
- Make the balls 1 inch in diameter for best results.
Variations
- This recipe calls for panko bread crumbs, but you can make buffalo meatballs gluten free by using cooked rice or ground pork rinds.
- Use Frank's Red Hot sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's sauce, or make your own homemade buffalo sauce if desired.
- If the buffalo sauce is too spicy for your taste, substitute BBQ sauce and make BBQ chicken meatballs instead.
- Serve with celery sticks and a side of homemade ranch dressing whenever you're having a snack attack!
- Make a Air Fryer Chicken Burger if you want a hand-held treat.
Recipe FAQS
Buffalo sauce is made from hot sauce, cayenne pepper, vinegar, spices and butter. It's creamier than regular hot sauce and not as spicy as you might think since the butter tones down the spice.
By themselves, buffalo chicken meatballs are made with lean ground chicken, which makes them a healthier alternative to ground beef. When you add blue cheese crumbles and ranch dressing to the mix, it adds additional fat content.
This recipe makes approximately 24 meatballs when rolled into 1 inch balls. Plan on serving 2 per person if offering additional appetizers.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place balls on a sheet pan and freeze until solid before or after cooking. Keep in an airtight container in freezer for up to 3 months. Add sauce after thawing.
Related Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Tailgate Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Tater Tots
- Baked Meatballs with Feta
- Chicken Thigh Tray Bake
Recipe Card
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- large bowl and spoon
Ingredients
BUFFALO MEATBALL APPETIZERS
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg beaten
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce like Frank's Red Hot or Sweet Baby Ray's
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon steak seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- cooking spray or olive oil
- 2 green onions chopped
- ½ cup buffalo sauce for drizzling
- ½ cup ranch dressing for drizzling
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
SLIDERS
- 1 package 12 sweet Hawaiian rolls
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
BUFFALO MEATBALL APPETIZERS
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together (except those listed under EXTRAS) to make the chicken mixture.
- Using your hands, roll chicken mixture into 1-inch balls and place meatballs in the bottom of an air fryer that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Be sure to arrange meatballs in a single layer.
- Cook meatballs at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket every 3 minutes for best results. Check often to see if they are done.
- Remove meatballs from basket with tongs and place on a platter. Drizzle with additional buffalo sauce, ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles. Garnish with green onions if desired and serve with toothpicks.
SLIDERS
- Optionally, you can turn the meatballs into sliders! Slice rolls lengthwise and drizzle with buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.
- Add a meatball to each roll and top with blue cheese crumbles.
- Close rolls and place in a 13 x 9 inch dish or pan.
- Drizzle rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle tops with bagel seasoning.
- Wrap rolls with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until cheese melts.
Notes
- Cook meatballs in a single layer. You will need to make 2 batches to cook the entire recipe in the air fryer.
- Use only ¼ cup of buffalo sauce in the chicken mixture or the meatballs won't roll well.
- Make the meatballs 1 inch in diameter for best results.
- If you don't have an air fryer, these meatballs can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked throughout.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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I'm excited about making these in my new air fryer! I love buffalo sauce, so this will be a fun new recipe to try. Thanks!