Crockpot buffalo bbq chicken meatballs are stuffed with blue cheese crumbles and slow cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. These easy buffalo chicken meatballs are the perfect Super Bowl party appetizer!
These slow cooker buffalo chicken meatballs are my favorite "throw-together-quick" appetizer.
Delicious homemade meatballs are made with ground chicken and green onions, then stuffed with blue cheese crumbles.
The chicken meatballs get baked until browned on the outside, then they finished cooking in the crockpot with an incredibly easy and delicious buffalo-BBQ sauce.
Serve these babies with extra sauce (cause it's seriously finger licking good!), more blue cheese crumbles and some extra green onions.
I'm a huge fan of chicken wings and BBQ sauce.
At a local bar, they had "buffa-que" wings on their menu. This was a game changer for me.
I do like buffalo once in a while but I'm not a big fan of spicy, so to have a plate full of buffalo chicken is just not for me.
However, the buffalo sauce combined with the BBQ sauce is a match made in heaven.
Sweet, spicy with that perfect tanginess.
That's what inspired my buffalo bbq chicken meatballs.
The meatballs are the perfect party food appetizer. Make them ahead and keep them warm in the crockpot!
Watch the Video!
Ingredients for Crockpot Buffalo BBQ Chicken Meatballs:
- ground chicken (ground turkey also works!)
- eggs
- panko breadcrumbs
- garlic
- green onions
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- blue cheese crumbles
I like to make sure my green onions are chopped very finely. You don't want too big of chunks in your meatballs.
I like the little bit of smokey flavor the paprika adds but if you don't have it you can certainly omit it.
If you're not a fan of the blue cheese you can substitute for gorgonzola or leave it out completely!
Easy Sauce for Chicken Meatballs:
- your favorite BBQ sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ sauce)
- your favorite Buffalo wing sauce (I also love Sweet Baby Ray's)
- honey
- butter
Even though the BBQ sauce I used has honey in it, I like adding a little bit of extra to cut the heat from the buffalo sauce.
If you like a more spicy sauce, add more buffalo and less BBQ!
Make Ahead Crockpot Buffalo BBQ Chicken Meatballs:
You can certainly make these chicken meatballs ahead!
- Make the meatballs and shape into balls, stuffing each meatball with the blue cheese. Place on dish or baking sheet. Broil as state in recipe instructions. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate up to one day in advance.
- Make the sauce and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, place meatballs and sauce in crockpot and cook as stated in recipe.
I like keeping them in my crockpot on the "warm setting" so when my company arrives, the meatballs are still nice and hot!
Can I air fry the meatballs instead of broiling them?
Yes! You can air fry the meatballs at 400 F for 2 minutes, then flip and air fry additional 2 minutes, just until the edges are browned.
Proceed with placing them in the crock pot with the sauce as stated in recipe instructions.
Can I use store bought frozen turkey meatballs instead?
You can certainly use frozen store bought meatballs instead of making your own homemade ones, however, you won't be able to stuff them with the blue cheese.
If you use pre-made meatballs, you could always serve the blue cheese on the side with extra sauce.
You may need to cook the meatballs for an additional hour if using frozen meatballs.
Do I have to bake the chicken meatballs before adding them to the slow cooker?
No, you don't have to bake the meatballs before adding them to the slow cooker if you're pressed for time.
However, I will say that browning the chicken meatballs before adding them to the crockpot, makes them more flavorful and seals in the juices.
Either way, they will fully cook in the crockpot.
For more easy appetizer recipes try:
Red Pepper Jelly Cream Cheese Dip
Air Fryer Goat Cheese & Sweet Potato Bites
Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Fig Jam
Don't forget to leave me a comment or star rating below if you give this recipe a try. I always love to hear your feedback!
Crockpot Buffalo BBQ Chicken Meatballs
Crockpot buffalo bbq chicken meatballs are stuffed with blue cheese crumbles and slow cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. These easy buffalo chicken meatballs are the perfect Super Bowl party appetizer!
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumb
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup green onions, finely chopped (plus more for serving)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles (plus more for serving)
Buffalo BBQ Sauce:
- ½ cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to 500 F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine all ingredients for chicken meatballs in a medium size bowl. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
- Shape into small balls, (about 2 tablespoons of meat each meatball). Make an indent in the middle and fill with a couple of blue cheese crumbles. Form back into the shape of a ball and place on baking sheet.
- Broil for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip over and brown another 3-4 minutes.
- Combine buffalo, BBQ and honey. Place half of the sauce in the bottom of your crockpot.
- Add browned meatballs and cover with remaining sauce. Gently toss to evenly coat all the meatballs with the sauce. Top with the 2 tablespoons of butter, cover and cook on low for 3 hours or high 1-2 hours.
- Serve warm with extra blue cheese crumbles and chopped green onion if desired.
Notes
*Meatballs can be made and baked ahead up to 1 day.
*Buffalo BBQ sauce can be made ahead and store in a container in the refrigerator.
*If you prefer a spicy sauce, add more buffalo and less BBQ.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 741Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 233mgSodium: 1363mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 49g
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