Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Update! New photos.
A little late to the game (pun intended), but these meatballs were such a huge hit, the first time I made them my daughter Lucy begged for it in ‘bulk’ quantities for the Super Bowl! I will oblige, yes I will. She also asked for the recipe to send over to Jimmy Fallon, (how cute is he, I’m mean, really!) when he’s in town for SB52. He wants to have dinner with someone in their home, I said I’d cook for him only if he brings JT!. So help me get Jimmy here for dinner! Go team shecooks.design!
#jimmyshelaghmndinner
Super Bowl Week has been crazy here in the tundra. We’ve been staying away from much all the hoopla, but it sure is great we Minnesotans do NOT let the weather get us down. Such great spirit in town right now, even if the Vikes aren’t in the game.
Last time I made these meatballs, they didn’t quite make it to the studio to photograph, the troops didn’t want to wait! So I thought I’d plug another great local producer, Cry Baby Craig’s, while I’m at it, to get some fun shots of the bottle. It really is delicious stuff, some stores can’t even keep it on the shelf! Talk about Scovies (for which they have won awards!). But if you insist on going all Minnesota Mild and all, use your favorite hot sauce with your meatballs, but you’ll be missing out. Hey, try this stuff on some popcorn, combine with butter, like the sauce for the meatballs!
These meatballs are (besides dyno-mite!):
- A little healthier than typical wings (no frying, yuck!), but still flavor packed
- Much easier to eat (toothpick please!)
- Great to freeze for later, try them in a taco
Play the game
Play the Buffalo Chicken Meatball game (I just made it up!). Every time someone says ‘Meatball!’ during the game, or ‘Jimmy!, Shelagh has your meatballs’, you have to take a drink. (:
Other game-day recipes you might want to try? How about that fab Three Onion Dip! Or the Brazilian Feijodada recipe, we call it ‘Pork ‘n Beans’ in this house, but it’s not that kind of pork n’ beans! It’s a good one to make ahead and just have on the stove-top, ready to eat whenever you want.
Sláinte and stay warm and safe.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Category: Appetizer, Main Course
Description
Double batch ’em for a crowd!
Ingredients
Sauté:
- 1 bunch green onions (chop fine, separate white and green)
- 1/2 rib celery stalk (large) (minced fine)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
- 2 cloves garlic (minced fine)
- Pinch of kosher salt (affiliate link) (it’s just better!)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Meat mixture:
- 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey)
- 1/2 pound ground pork (optional)
- green part of green onions (minced fine)
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (use 1/2 cup regular if that’s what you’ve got)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (affiliate link)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (it’s better too!)
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (I love Cry Baby Craig’s) (it’s hot!)
- 2–3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (use more to temper the spicy) (Asian variety)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Extras:
- 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or bleu cheese
- carrot and celery stick
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing (your favorite)
Instructions
- Sauté onions (white part), celery and cumin until celery starts to soften. Add garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté one minute. Remove from heat and cool
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a rimmed sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix meats and green onion (green part) with panko and egg. Season with salt, pepper, and optional Aleppo pepper. Mix in cooled onion/celery mixture, and combine well, but don’t over-mix.
- Wet your hands and grab a heaping tablespoon of the mixture, form into meatballs. I use a mini-ice cream scoop. Place on the pan, leave a little room between each meatball so they don’t steam, you want them to brown*-up well. Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes, until they are nice and golden.
Notes
*Remember: brown stuff means flavor!
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