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Take your meatball game to the next level with this easy Smoked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs recipe. Great as an appetizer, easy to scale up, or even have for dinner.
Sometimes our family is craving Buffalo Chicken Wings, but we don’t want the fuss of the bones (not to mention the grease from deep frying at most restaurants). So a great alternative that we can easily scale up is Smoked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
The preparation is easy and the flavor is amazing (and bonus, much healthier than the restaurant versions!).
Table of Contents
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Ground Chicken – Store bought ground chicken is often sold very lean (97% meat to 3% fat) or lean (93 – 95% lean meat to fat ratio). The leaner the meat the more liquid and breadcrumbs you need for the meatball structure, so that they hold up while cooking. You can also substitute this recipe with ground turkey with the same ratio and results.
- Celery – The celery adds a unique flavor rather than celery salt and it also adds texture when biting into the chicken meatballs.
- Onions – We prefer red onions finely diced, but you can use your favorite onion.
- Panko breadcrumbs- Panko is important with smoked chicken meatballs because when adding the liquid to the lean meat, the panko helps with the binding and structure of the meatballs. We prefer it to store-bought breadcrumbs, but those will work if that’s all you have.
- Hot Sauce – We use Frank’s RedHot as our hot sauce of choice, which helps with binding and adding that signature “Buffalo” flavor. You can substitute with your favorite hot sauce. But we like the classic flavors you would expect from traditional Buffalo Chicken Wings.
- Seasoning – We use our classic SPG Seasoning which is a combination of kosher salt, coarse black pepper, and granulated garlic. Alternatively you can use a more savory chicken seasoning or your favorite BBQ chicken seasoning.
- Wing Sauce – We use our classic two-ingredient wing sauce which is butter and Frank’s RedHot. Frank’s also makes a commercial mix of their classic wing sauce with a different flavor profile from their hot sauce.
Preparation
In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, celery, onion, panko (not pictured), Frank’s RedHot hot sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic. Combine with your hands to incorporate. Roll out 12 meatballs the size of a golf ball. For easy removal from the smoker place the rolled meatballs onto a cookie drying rack.
Smoked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe Steps
- Preheat: Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit with your favorite wood source. We like apple, cherry, or hickory for these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
- Smoke: Place the meatballs on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the meatballs for up to one hour or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit using a good instant-read meat thermometer.
- Sauce: After the meatballs have reached the proper internal temperature, remove them from the smoker. Place them in a large bowl with the wing sauce and toss them. Serve warm with your favorite sides like ranch, celery, and carrots.
Chef Tip
If your meatballs are not firm and too wet, place them in a refrigerator for up to an hour. As they cool, they will firm up and come together and maintain the round shape versus flattening out, which can happen if the raw meat is to warm.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If you don’t own a smoker you can bake these in the oven instead. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the meatballs on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or with a cookie drying rack inserted. Bake for up to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees F.
While you can use any hot sauce you like, the most authentic flavor is Frank’s RedHot hot sauce.
It’s easiest to toss the meatballs in the wing sauce after they are done and then serve while warm. If you sauce them while they are on the smoker the sauce will caramelize adding a more intense flavor but without the finger licking sauce.
Scaling Up + Making Ahead
You can scale up this recipe using the same ratios. For every pound of ground chicken you can expect to get 12 meatballs. Use the scaling feature in the recipe card.
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If you want to make these ahead we recommend prepping the meatballs and wing sauce in advance and storing, covered, in the refrigerator. Then smoke them just prior to eating and then sauce.
What To Make With This Dish
This is perfect with ranch or creamy blue cheese. Add sliced carrots and celery if using as an appetizer.
Alternatively you can make sliders using the same method as our Buffalo Chicken Meatball sliders.
If looking for more Buffalo chicken ideas you can also add our Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip.
More Meatball Recipe Ideas
- Smoked Stuffed BBQ Meatballs
- BBQ Meatballs In Red Wine Sauce
- Smoked Cranberry Meatballs
- BBQ Turkey Meatballs
Tools Used
- Cookie Drying Rack – It’s easier to add and remove meatballs from the smoker if they are placed directly on a cookie drying rack.
- Instant Read Thermometer – We love the Thermapen One or the Thermoworks ThermoPop.
- Long Tongs – If you don’t plan on using a cookie drying rack, these will be easier to add and remove from the smoker.
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About Vindulge
Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.
Easy Smoked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
- 1 cookie drying rack (optional) It's easier to add and remove meatballs from the smoker if they are placed directly on a cookie drying rack.
- 1 Long Tongs If you don't plan on using a cookie drying rack, these will be easier to add and remove from the smoker.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken, (We use 90 to 93% lean. If using 97% lean you may need more liquid and breadcrumbs to help with binding.)
- ¼ cup finely diced celery
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, (You can use the same portions with gluten-free panko.)
- ¼ cup Frank's RedHot hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, (If using garlic powder use ½ teaspoon.)
- ½ cup Buffalo Wing Sauce , (for the topping)
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit with your favorite wood source. We like apple, cherry, or hickory.
- Combine: In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, celery, onion, panko, Frank's hot sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic. Combine with your hands to incorporate. Roll out 12 meatballs the size of a golf ball. For easy removal from the smoker place the rolled meatballs onto a cookie drying rack. See chef notes if your meatballs seem too wet.
- Smoke: Place the meatballs on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the meatballs for up to one hour or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit measured using a good instant-read meat thermometer.
- Sauce: After the meatballs have reached the proper internal temperature, remove them from the smoker. Place them in a large bowl with the wing sauce and toss them. Serve warm with your favorite sides like ranch, celery, and carrots.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
