You’d never know how healthy these buffalo chicken meatballs are because they are so dang delicious!
I love everything about buffalo chicken wings. The flavors, how they’re served with cold carrots and celery to drip in ranch. I don’t always love how messy wings can be, and I also know wings aren’t the most healthy. So when I was craving buffalo wings a few weeks ago I thought I’d figure out how to make a healthier, everyday version.
These healthy buffalo chicken meatballs are packed with flavor and are super healthy! And just like wings, they are very easily shared. You can make the meatballs bigger to have with a meal, or smaller to be able to serve on a game day or bring to a party. We love versatility.
Ingredients:
- Ground chicken breast: I promise you, using breast here will not make these meatballs dry nor flavorless. That being said, if you prefer to use ground thigh meat, feel free to do so!
- Vegetables: Onions give any meatballs flavor, so of course we are adding some shredded onion. I wanted to add carrots and celery because those two are customarily served with buffalo chicken wings and I wanted to stay on theme. I also like the idea of adding more veg in the dish! That being said, in a pinch you can skip the celery, and I guess the carrot too.
- Buffalo sauce: I used Frank’s for this recipe, let me know if you use a different one and how it turns out!
- Oats: the secret ingredient! I use uncooked, instant oats. Oats carry protein, fiber, and loads of health benefits that regular breadcrumbs just don’t carry. Another promise: you will NOT know they are there!! They melt into the meatball and don’t taste like oatmeal. TRUST!!
- Ranch seasoning: To me, you can’t have buffalo wings without ranch sauce so these flavors were a must!! I used the Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning here, but you can use any ranch seasoning from a packet or jar that you have
How to make the buffalo chicken meatballs:
- Mix all the ingredients except the chicken first. By doing so, the flavors will be evenly distributed in each meatball and you won’t overwork the ground chicken. Once combined, add the chicken.
- Form the meatballs. You can make them bigger (for a meal) or smaller (for snacking or serving at a party). I prefer bigger! I use a cookie scoop but feel free to use your hands. Cook the meatballs for about 25 minutes at 400.
- Once out of the oven, they are ready to enjoy! Feel free to add a drizzle of buffalo sauce on top.
Why you’ll love these healthy buffalo chicken meatballs
- Good for you. I keep saying it, but honestly for something this tasty? Its shocking. Chicken breast, oats, vegetables… actually taste so good together, thanks to the buffalo sauce and ranch seasoning!
- Super quick to make. One bowl, one sheet pan, that’s it.
- Easy to find ingredients. Some of these you probably have at home already!
- SO DELICIOUS! I’ve been making these NONSTOP and hope you do too. I think these will be a weekly staple.
Can I store them?
- Pre-baking: You can absolutely freeze the buffalo chicken mixture! When ready to cook, just defrost, form into balls, and cook as directed below
- Post-baking: You can store these in the fridge for up to five days, if they last that long!
Lastly, if you do make this recipe (then first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and rating below! It would mean the world to me if you tagged me on Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations 🙂
📖 Recipe
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken breast
- ⅓ cup instant oats
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce (plus more for coating)
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 carrot stalk grated thin
- 1 celery stalk grated
- ½ onion grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Use the olive oil to grease a large sheet pan and set aside.
- In a bowl, mix together the oats, buffalo sauce, carrots, celery, onion, ranch seasoning, and salt until thoroughly combined.
- Add the chicken breast to the bowl and mix until combined.
- Scoop 2-3 tablespoons worth of the chicken mixture into a ball and place on the greased sheet pan. You don’t need much space, just about an inch between each. All of the meatballs will fit on one sheet pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Take out of the oven then cool. Optional: drizzle more buffalo sauce on top.
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