These Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are full of herbs, veggies, & a little spicy cayenne – balanced perfectly by a cool, yogurt Blue Cheese Sauce.
Incredibly versatile and great for meal prep… think buffalo chicken wrap (in lettuce of course), Buffalo chicken salad, or if some of the fam isn’t low-carbing it, some buffalo chicken sliders! Who doesn’t love chicken meatballs??
Can I eat buffalo chicken on keto?
The answer comes down to how you make the sauce. If you omit sugar (that’s normally combined with butter and Frank’s RedHot to make Buffalo sauce), then you’re probably in good shape.
In fact, you can eat a LOT of buffalo recipes on keto… just check out this decadent Spaghetti Squash Buffalo Chicken, and these Buffalo Chicken Burgers (on lettuce of course). They’re absolutely decadent!
So yes, to answer the question directly, these are keto buffalo chicken meatballs.
The heat in these keto meatballs comes from a little bit of spicy cayenne, and a nice coating of Buffalo Sauce. But the star of this recipe is the Blue Cheese sauce with buttermilk, plain yogurt, lemon juice and a little mayo!
Our keto meatballs are oven baked and offer less calories and fat than traditional wings. Yes, on keto the fat is ok, however sometimes you may have a day where you are closing in on your fat and calorie goal for the day and need something lighter. These will curb that buffalo craving in a quick way!
Though most keto meatballs are made with pork rinds, there aren’t any in this recipe. You can add them if you wish.
How to make low carb buffalo chicken meatballs . . .
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, almond meal, egg, garlic, onions, green onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne. With a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into 1¼-to-1½-inch meatballs, forming about 21 meatballs and space evenly on baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meatball reads 165 degrees.
- While that’s baking, make up a quick blue cheese sauce by combining fat free plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, crumbled blue cheese, fat free buttermilk, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Smash some blue cheese crumbles with the back of a spoon and stir to incorporate, then add chopped parsley and celery.
- Then make a Buffalo Sauce by heating butter and Tabasco sauce (or Frank’s RedHot) in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Allow the sauce to incorporate for 1-2 minutes, then turn off heat.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the pan, and gently coat them in the sauce.
- Serve immediately, drizzled with blue cheese sauce.
Show of hands… who else loves buffalo wings? I know you do! But, sometimes they can be messy, and these keto buffalo chicken meatballs are a great solution for that.
Also if you’re looking for a simpler low carb meatball recipe with less heat, check out these easy meal prep low carb turkey meatballs!
Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Meatballs! With herbs, veggies, & a little spicy cayenne. Heat is balanced perfectly by the cool, yogurt Blue Cheese Sauce.
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS & BUFFALO SAUCE:
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 3/4 cup almond meal
- 1 large egg
- 4 medium size garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup finely chopped celery, plus another one-third cup for garnish (about 3 stalks)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce, (or Tabasco Sauce for a spicier flavor)
- 3 tablespoons butter
FOR THE BLUE CHEESE SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (melt one ounce in microwave)
- 1/3 cup fat free buttermilk
- Juice of ¼ lemon, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced green onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
Instructions
For The Meatballs & Buffalo Sauce:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, almond meal, egg, garlic, onions, green onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne. With a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into 1¼-to-1½-inch meatballs, forming about 21 meatballs.
Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meatball reads 165 degrees. - To make the Buffalo Sauce, add butter and sugar (omit for low carb) to a large pot over medium heat, and stir in Tabasco sauce. Allow the sauce to incorporate for 1-2 minutes, then turn off heat.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the pot, and gently coat them in the sauce. As the sauce cools, it will form a nice coating that sticks to the meatballs
- Serve immediately, drizzled with blue cheese sauce, if desired.
For The Blue Cheese Sauce:
- Combine the first seven ingredients in a small bowl.
- Smash some of the blue cheese crumbles with the back of a spoon and stir to incorporate.
- Add parsley and celery.
Notes
Use the time while the meatballs are cooking in the oven to prepare the Blue Cheese Sauce and the Buffalo Sauce.
Nutrition Information
Yield 21 Serving Size 1 meatball with sauceAmount Per Serving Calories 133Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 41mgSodium 301mgCarbohydrates 5gNet Carbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 8g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
More low carb chicken recipes…
- Low Carb Garlic Parmesan Wings (Instant Pot)
- Low Carb Instant Pot Mexican Chicken
- Low Carb Harissa Chicken with Roasted Veggies
- Low Carb French Onion Chicken Meatballs
- Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Buffalo Chicken