Stuffed Buffalo Chicken & Mozzarella Meatballs

If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, then you’ll love these stuffed buffalo chicken meatballs made with mozzarella cheese. Less than ten ingredients and a homemade buffalo sauce will yield a meal that will leave your family asking for more! The best part? No oven required!

The Perfect Game Day Bite

When I think of meatballs, I think of them being the perfect appetizer for a game day spread. These also make the perfect go-to for other types of parties and get-togethers like family reunions, baby showers, and the like. Not to mention, they are also a healthier alternative, thanks to the ground chicken ingredient.

Prepare these yummy meatballs for the big game and pair them with green onions, celery sticks, and carrot sticks. Keep them in the crock pot or move them to a medium bowl for easy serving. The best part will be watching them disappear!

The Secret Ingredients

Okay, so maybe not too secretive, but most meatball recipes call for ground beef, ground turkey, or even frozen meatballs. On the contrary, this recipe calls for ground chicken. Similar to the different cuts of ground beef, which yield different leans, you can also get that with chicken.

If you want lean ground chicken, you’ll want to use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. For more flavor and richness, add boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

The other secret ingredient is the homemade buffalo sauce. Sure, you can opt-in for using a premade bottled buffalo wing sauce, but the recipe choices I have for you here are easy and tasty.

They each use similar ingredients that you most likely already have on hand which makes it even easier. I’m talking red hot sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, black pepper, and oil. Simple, right?

Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Since this recipe doesn’t call for many ingredients, your trip to the grocery store should be short and sweet. (You’re welcome.) The homemade meatballs are made with ground chicken, a large egg, spices, and a cup of panko bread crumbs. You’ll also need some of the buffalo wing sauce. Mix all of this in a large bowl and then get ready for the fun part.

Before starting the stuffing process, wet your hands with a splash of olive oil (or cooking spray). You’ll thank me later. To get the stuffed meatballs going, grab a pinch of the mixture and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Set the flattened pieces aside on top of a baking sheet. Do this until all of the meat mixture is gone.

Now take a flattened piece of meat and lay it in your palm, place some mozzarella cheese on top, then place another flat piece of meat on top of that (think hamburger style). Roll the whole concoction into a ball and repeat until done.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to cook these because it will take no less than 4 hours cooked on low. The ensures the center of the meatballs is done and the cheese is nice and melted.

Nutrition Information

Watching your carbohydrates and cholesterol levels? Then you’ll love knowing that this tasty appetizer won’t cause you to break your diet. Here’s why. Ground chicken offers protein that is better than other meats and is lighter in fat and calories.

When it comes to the garlic powder, you’re getting an equivalent of 8 garlic cloves! This means you’re getting a nice dose of compounds that have medicinal properties. 

And when it comes to breadcrumbs, those are lower in calories, fat, and sodium than traditional breadcrumbs.

If you want to cut back on the sodium even more, when you combine ground chicken with the spices, simply cut back on how much salt you add.

FAQs:

Do I have to make my own Buffalo sauce?

No, you do not. You can use Franks Red hot Buffalo wing sauce (which incidentally is in the meatball ingredient list) if you prefer. But we think ours is better.

How can I decrease cooking time?

You may choose to use the high temperature setting; however, the quicker you cook the meatballs, the less tender they may be. The rule of thumb when cooking in the crock pot is always the slower, the better.

What are the best subsitutions for Panko bread crumbs?

If you forgot to grab panko bread crumbs or ran out, there are several substitutions you can use. Crushed corn flakes, cracker crumbs, crushed tortilla chips, and dry stuffing mix can all serve as reliable replacements without changing the recipe too much.

Looking for other game day appetizers?

Since you’ll have the crock pot out, have a go at making these fall off the bone crockpot honey buffalo wings.

Keep the spread healthy with these AirFryer buffalo cauliflower bites. They’re super easy to make and will be done in less than 30 minutes.

Since you’ll be serving veggies with your meatballs (and wings), be sure to have some homemade ranch dressing for dipping!

Did you make this buffalo chicken meatballs recipe? Even a double batch? Let me know in the comments below!

Print