These quick and easy buffalo chicken meatballs are perfection! The hot sauce is incorporated directly into the mixture for moist and tender meatballs with unbeatable flavor. These guys are gluten free and grain free, with an option for paleo and Whole30 too. Serve them with cumin-spiced no mayo coleslaw (with an extra special addition!) for a healthy lunch you’ll look forward to all week.
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It’s Valentine’s Day! Happy day to you if you celebrate, and if not – happy Thursday. We’re more than halfway through the week, and that’s reason enough to celebrate with something sweet. Or savory.
Some people show their love with chocolate, sour candies, or perfectly seared steaks.
Don’t get me wrong – I def show love with those. But when I really want to let Cam know that I care, I do it with something spicy. Get your mind outta the gutter! I’m talking about hot sauce!
Specifically, hot sauce that’s been mixed into moist and tender Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. That’s right friends – I know the direct route to Cam’s heart, and it’s 100% buffalo paved.
Good thing, too, because these buffalo chicken meatballs are, to quote my dear husband, “The. Shit.” (that’s a good thing friends). He suggested I simply post a photo of them with a gigantic blinking gif declaring “Best Thing Eva!!”. I’m not that techie, so I guess these pics suffice?
Here’s the other amazing thing about these spicy little nuggets of joy – they reheat AMAZINGLY. This combo of oven baked meatballs and no mayo slaw is the most perfect meal prep combo I’ve made to date. They are overwhelming approved by a husband who doesn’t particularly care for leftovers or meal prep, so I’ve got the big guns back-up on that claim.
Are you ready to win the heart of a buffalo fan? Let’s do it!
Buffalo Chicken Meatball Meal Prep Bowls
These gluten free buffalo chicken meatballs are infused with hot sauce and seasoning from within, then oven baked until golden brown. Hot sauce mixed into the meatballs gives them heat and spice in every bite. They’re a fast and easy option for dinner, meal prep, or as an appetizer.
The no mayo coleslaw is a pretty basic recipe with just a few extra special additions – cumin, for kick, and blue cheese crumbles. Because what pairs perfectly with buffalo? You guessed it right! The coleslaw is a crunchy, zippy companion to buffalo chicken meatballs. Like celery alongside buffalo wings, it’s a must-have!
How to Make Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
These guys are gluten free, and paleo/Whole30 friendly – just leave out the parmesan. Since they’re oven baked, I used a bit of almond flour as a binder.
Toss all the ingredients into a mixing bowl (including the hot sauce!), wash your hands, and get mixin’. The seasoning calls for celery salt, which adds a little something extra special to the overall flavor. If you don’t have celery salt on hand, go ahead and skip it.
The mixture is very wet, and you’re not going to get perfect meatballs. But it’s okay, because where they lack in perfect form, they make up for in ridiculous flavor. The best.
Scoop out heaping tablespoons, form into balls, and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet that’s been rubbed with a little bit of olive oil or sprayed with cooking spray. I tested these on foil and they stick, parchment was best.
Rub a little olive oil on your hands as your form the meatballs. This will prevent them from sticking to your hands too much, and the extra fat will give the finished meatballs a nice crust.
Transfer to a 400°F oven and baked for 18-20 minutes, or until the internal temp registers 165°F using an instant read thermometer. Flip them over at the 10-minute mark if you’d like them to be equally browned on both sides. They’ll still be browned all around if you don’t flip them, the bottoms will just be a bit crispier (not a bad thing!).
How to Make No Mayo Coleslaw
If you’d like to prepare these as part of a meal prep bowl (or a whole meal), toss together a batch of this no mayo coleslaw while the meatballs bake.
Cabbage, carrots, radishes, green onions, celery, parsley – crunch, crunch baby! Aaaaaand – blue. cheese. crumbles. SO GOOD. The blue cheese gives the coleslaw that classic creamy finish and a fantastic sharpness that pairs perfectly with buffalo chicken meatballs.
The dressing is a cumin-spiced cider vinaigrette. Combine, shake, pour. Easy peasy.
We had this for dinner and then happily packed up the leftovers into meal prep containers to enjoy later in the week. I divide them into containers with a removable compartment so that I can easily reheat the meatballs the microwave. The set pictured below is from Rubbermaid, and I picked them up at my local grocery store. Target had them too! They’re a little pricey, but super durable and worth the investment.
Dietary Accommodations, Variations, and Storage
- Naturally gluten free and grain free
- Low carb, with 13g net carbs per serving
- Make the meatballs paleo and Whole30 by leaving out the parmesan cheese and serving with Whole30 ranch dressing
- Feel free to substitute the almond flour with an equal portion of panko-style breadcrumbs – regular or gluten-free – with excellent results.
- These are perfect for meal prep, and last up to 5 days! The meatballs reheat in 45-60 seconds, and the coleslaw is definitely better the next day after marinating for awhile.
- The meatballs also freeze beautifully! To do so, place the baked meatballs onto a baking sheet lined with a sheet of clean parchment paper. Place them into the freezer, uncovered, and freeze until solid – about an hour. Remove from the freezer, transfer the meatballs to a gallon storage bag, and place back into the freezer.
More Healthy Meal Prep Recipes
- Orange Chicken Salad Meal Prep Bowls
- Ground Turkey Hash with Squash and Peppers
- Ginger Scallion Pork Poppers with Citrusy Asian Slaw
- Healthy Chicken Salad with Almond Butter Dressing
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Sunbutter Sauce
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Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with No Mayo Colelsaw
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Ingredients
Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c almond flour, or gluten-free panko style bread crumbs
- 1/3 c shredded parmesan cheese, optional
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 c hot sauce
- 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 4 tbsp ranch dressing, as dipping sauce, to taste
No Mayo Coleslaw
- 4 c shredded green cabbage
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 c shredded carrots
- 6 radishes, shredded or thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1/2 c chopped parsley
- 1/4 c blue cheese crumbles
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then rub with 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
- Make the Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. Combine the ground chicken, egg, almond flour, parmesan cheese, green onions, hot sauce, salt, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly using your (clean) hands.
- Rub a bit of olive oil on your hands, then scoop heaping tablespoon portions, form into meatballs, and place onto the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving space in between. This recipe makes approximately 24 meatballs.
- Bake 18-20 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers 165°F. Flip over halfway through if you'd like the meatballs to brown equally on both sides.
- Make the No Mayo Coleslaw. Combine the cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and blue cheese in a large mixing bowl. Combine the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, cumin, salt and pepper in a small lidded jar. Shake until emulsified. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and toss to combine.
- Divide the coleslaw between four bowls. Add 1/4 of an avocado to each bowl, then top with 6 meatballs. Drizzle with ranch dressing, and serve immediately. Alternatively, portion into meal prep containers with a removable compartment, storing the meatballs in the removable compartment. When ready to serve, reheat the meatballs in the microwave for 45-60 seconds. These keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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