We love buffalo chicken recipes and meatballs here at Whole30, so why not put them together in a Buffalo Chicken Meatballs recipe? Not only are they Whole30, they are also gluten-free and dairy-free. Check out the substitutions below to make them nut-free or egg-free as needed. 

Meatballs are the perfect dinner or appetizer. Delicious for dipping or as an entree for a busy weeknight meal. These Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are fast and easy to make. Plus, they freeze well for meal prep or a make-ahead meal. 

We love incorporating our Homemade Buffalo Sauce into this recipe, but you can use whatever compatible buffalo sauce is accessible to you. These meatballs have a mild heat level out of the oven or airfryer. Toss with the remaining buffalo sauce to crank up the spice to medium or hot.

Tips and tricks:

Traditional meatballs use breadcrumbs to keep them tender and juicy. As Whole30 is grain-free, that’s not an option, so we looked for other ways to prevent them from drying out.

  • Add veggies into the mixture to increase the moisture content. We do that here with finely chopped celery and carrots.
  • Don’t over-mix – the more you mix the meat, the tougher your meatballs will be. 
  • Keep your meatballs at least 1 inch in size or bigger. Also, try to make your meatballs all the same size so they will cook at the same rate. A metal cookie scoop can be perfect for this! We used a 1 ½ tablespoon one for this recipe.
  • Air fry your meatball skewers! Air frying is a great way to keep meat juicy while cooking.
  • Adding sauce to the meatball mixture. We did that in this recipe with the buffalo sauce – for a hit of kick and added moisture.

Make sure to finely chop your carrots and celery for this recipe. This gives the buffalo meatballs a more even texture and flavor. We do that with a mini food processor.

Substitutions:

  • Use ground turkey instead of ground chicken
  • For nut-free, use ⅔ cup mashed potatoes for the almond flour.
  • For egg-free, substitute ¼ cup mashed potatoes or a flax egg for the egg.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Recipe author: Autumn Michaelis
Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

These easy Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are delicious for dipping or as an entree for busy weeknights. Air fry or oven bake!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Air Fryer variation 10 minutes
Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Servings 30 meatballs

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup buffalo sauce divided
  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg

Optional

  • Compatible Ranch Dressing, for dipping

Instructions
 

  • COMBINE all ingredients except only ¼ cup buffalo sauce in a medium bowl, being careful not to overmix. We usually do this step with our hands. Shape into 30 1 ½ tablespoon meatballs.
  • SPRAY whatever rack or tray you are using with cooking oil, so meatballs won’t stick.
  • AIR FRY in a single layer at 350 °F for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through and browned.
  • Or BROIL in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and a cooling rack set inside for 10-12 minutes, until browned, flip and then broil the other side for 2-3 minutes.
  • TOSS cooked meatballs with remaining buffalo sauce, if desired for more heat.
  • FREEZE meatballs in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Keyword Air Fryer, buffalo sauce, meatballs
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Autumn Michaelis

Recipe Creator | Whole Food for 7

Autumn Michaelis is an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, with a B.S. in Exercise Science from BYU. Though exercise was her first love in the health world, nutrition has become her passion. She created the blog Wholefoodfor7, sharing easy and budget-friendly Whole30, Paleo, and gluten-free + dairy-free recipes for families. In August 2022, Autumn released the newest Whole30 Endorsed cookbook, Whole Food for Your Family. She is mom to 5 boys (yes 5!) and when not in the kitchen can be found adventuring, hiking, and tearing up the dance floor.