This dairy free and egg free buffalo chicken meatballs recipe is easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients. They're juicy, tender, saucy, and delicious. The perfect party appetizer, game day snack, or quick weeknight dinner!
I've never been big on traditional wings, but I've always loved buffalo-inspired recipes! I've shared my buffalo tofu nuggets, buffalo cauliflower wings, buffalo chickpea salad, and more. But today, we're mixing things up with buffalo chicken meatballs.
I recently made my dairy free and egg free chicken meatballs and they're officially in our dinner rotation! If you're looking to switch things up, you're in the right place. And if you enjoy this recipe, try my dairy free and egg free teriyaki chicken meatballs or chicken pesto meatballs next!
Why you'll love this recipe
These meatballs are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, here's why:
- Minimal ingredients: No egg? No dairy? No problem! This recipe is dairy free, eggless, and can easily be made gluten free.
- Great for meal prep: Make a big batch of these dairy free buffalo meatballs for the week ahead. From start to finish, you'll be done in about 30 minutes.
- Taste great: The chicken meatballs are seasoned then baked to perfection before being tossed in a creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy buffalo sauce.
What's in buffalo chicken meatballs
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Check out my tips and recommended substitutions below.
- Ground chicken: I recommend using 92% ground chicken. Using super lean meat won't have as much fat to keep the meatballs soft and succulent. You can easily substitute with ground turkey or ground beef, using my dairy free and egg free meatballs recipe as the base.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs work well to bind everything together. For gluten-free teriyaki chicken meatballs, use gluten free panko or almond flour.
- Onion: A white or yellow onion works best! Finely dice it or use a food processor to avoid big chunks in your meatballs. The excess liquid helps keep the meatballs moist, so I don't recommend swapping it for onion powder.
- Flax egg: When you combine ground flaxseed with water it creates a thick, gel-like mixture that works great as an egg substitute and binds the ingredients together. This is an optional ingredient but I wouldn't skip it!
- Seasoning: I'm keeping it simple with Italian seasoning, dried dill, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Buffalo sauce: My homemade buffalo sauce is super simple to make with dairy free butter and hot sauce.
Free-from favorites
You can use store-bought buffalo sauce, just make sure it's dairy free! We like Primal Kitchen and Noble Made, but any will work.
I tend to buy these from Thrive Market since they typically cost less than what's at the grocery store. PS: When you use my affiliate link, you'll get 30% off your first order!
How to make buffalo chicken meatballs
This is a quick overview of the steps for baked buffalo chicken meatballs without eggs or dairy. Find the measurements and detailed directions in the recipe card.
- Bake the meatballs: Combine chicken meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Form 18-20 medium sized meatballs and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes.
- Make buffalo sauce: As the meatballs bake, heat hot sauce and dairy-free butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine as the butter melts. Once combined, pour into a medium bowl.
- Toss meatballs in sauce: Once the meatballs are cooked through, add them to the mixing bowl and gently toss in sauce until they are fully coated in the buffalo sauce.
- Serve and enjoy: Enjoy immediately, optionally garnished with sliced green onions. Or store meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave until warmed through.
Skillet method
I prefer baking meatballs, but you can absolutely pan fry them instead. Just warm a tablespoon or two of oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook them on each side until browned and cooked through, this takes about 10 minutes.
Air fryer method
To air fry chicken meatballs, you'll most likely need to work in batches. Arrange meatballs in a single layer then air fry at 400F for about 10 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket halfway through.
Serving suggestions
You can serve baked buffalo meatballs as an appetizer with carrots, celery, dairy free ranch dressing, and your favorite dipping sauce. Or serve over rice with veggies to make it a main dish.
Jenna's cooking tips
- Wet your hands with water before mixing the meatball ingredients together. This will keep the meat mixture from sticking to your hands!
- Avoid over-mixing the meatball mixture, this can make the meatballs tough. Mix until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop lightly coated with olive oil to form equal sized meatballs. This will also ensure the meatballs cook evenly.
- Meatballs are cooked when they are lightly golden brown and reach an internal temperature of at least 165F. I suggest using a meat thermometer for accuracy.
- Add more hot sauce if you want a spicy buffalo sauce. Reduce the amount of hot sauce if you prefer a mild version.
If you tried my easy buffalo chicken meatballs or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a star rating and share your experience in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!
Dairy Free and Egg Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Dairy Free and Egg Free Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoon water, stirred together)
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Dairy Free Buffalo Sauce
- 3 tablespoon hot sauce
- 3 tablespoon dairy free butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil coated with cooking spray.
- Add meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Using wet hands, mix everything together until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Using your hands or a cookie scoop, roll the mixture into about 20 meatballs. Depending how big/small you shape your meatballs, quantity and cook time may vary.
- Bake meatballs for 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown, and a meat thermometers registers an internal temperature of at least 165F.
- As the meatballs bake, warm red hot sauce and dairy-free butter in a small saucepan over low-medium heat and stir to combine as the butter melts. Once combined, pour into a medium mixing bowl.
- Once the meatballs are cooked through, add them to the mixing bowl and gently toss in sauce until they are fully coated in the buffalo sauce. Enjoy immediately, optionally garnished with sliced green onion.
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