Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

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Whether you look forward to Super Bowl Sunday for the actual game, the commercials, the halftime show — or even the pregame Puppy and Kitten bowls — you’ll want some snacks with a bit of a kick!

If you’re seeking the taste of hot wings without the mess of eating them, you might want to try Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, from the Welcome Home Healthy Cookbook, edited by Hope Comerford. Like the “Fix-It and Forget-It” series of cookbooks Comerford also has edited, the new book features simple recipes submitted by home cooks.

This book, in particular, ensures a healthy spin, with nutritional information for each recipe. I chose to serve the Buffalo Chicken Meatballs over brown rice for dinner this week, but they also could be an easy appetizer kept warm in a slow cooker to be enjoyed during Sunday’s halftime show. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free hot sauce of your choice, divided (I used regular hot sauce.)
  • 2 tablespoons dry minced onion
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (I used regular panko.)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil (I used canola oil.)
  • 2 teaspoons gluten-free chicken bouillon granules (I used 1 cup chicken broth.)
  • 1 cup water (I did not use because I substituted with chicken broth.)
  • 2 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, 1/2 cup hot sauce, minced onion, garlic powder, pepper, egg and panko.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Roll the chicken mixture into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls. Place them in the skillet, turning them regularly so they’re seared on each side.
  4. Place the seared meatballs into your crock. Sprinkle them with the chicken bouillon granules and pour in the water.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
  6. Remove the meatballs and place into a covered dish to keep them warm.
  7. In a bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup of hot sauce. Gently whisk this back into your crock with the juices.
  8. You can either place your browned meatballs back into the sauce to coat them, or you can serve the meatballs with the sauce spooned over the top.

As we enjoyed our meatballs over brown rice, I had cilantro on hand that I didn’t want to go to waste so garnished the dish with it. Parsley would work as well.

This cookbook has such a variety of easy recipes that we actually used it two more times while I borrowed it — making the honey-glazed carrots and the multi-fruit crisp, with apples. Other recipes include mini eggplant pizzas, oatmeal waffles, homemade turkey sausage, pumpkin chili, Asian style chicken with pineapple, and squash apple bake.

Welcome Home Healthy Cookbook is available upon request for curbside pickup from Whitehall Public Library by calling 412-882-6622, or here.