These buffalo turkey meatballs are made with simple ingredients and turn ground turkey into flavorful little bites, perfect for your game day spread or a weeknight dinner. With just ground turkey, spices, and buffalo sauce, this easy meatball recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes. Great for meal prep as well.
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So it's game day and you need a spicy snack? These easy buffalo turkey meatballs are one of my go-to recipes for appetizers because they are so easy and I usually have everything on hand.
Sometimes I'll turn leftover bread ends into bread crumbs and freeze them, or I'll just use panko breadcrumbs because I always have those around too for air-frying things like pickles or chicken tenders.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- ground turkey: I use lean ground turkey for this recipe.
- breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs are fine but you can try panko breadcrumbs also.
- milk: to soak the breadcrumbs in milk before adding the rest of the ingredients. This results in a tender meatball.
- egg: this helps keep everything together
- spices: garlic powder and onion powder for flavor. Salt and black pepper to season.
- buffalo sauce: this is made by mixing melted butter with hot sauce. You can also skip the butter for lower-fat and spicier meatballs.
Substitutions
- turkey: Use lean ground beef or lean ground chicken instead.
- breadcrumbs: If you're out of breadcrumbs, crumble a dryer piece of bread in your hands and use that. You could also try oats or oat flour.
- spices: These are pretty common spices, but you can switch them up if you like. Try adding green onions.
Instructions
Prep Tips
To make the meatballs:
- Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes or until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop some of the meatball mixture into clean hands. Roll it into a ball shape and place on the prepared baking sheet.
When working with ground turkey or chicken I keep a small bowl of water handy because they tend to stick to hands more than beef.
I use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop.
- Once the meatballs are rolled, bake for 20 minutes or until done.
- Place the cooked meatballs into a clean large bowl and add the melted butter and buffalo sauce. Mix well and serve. Add extra hot sauce as needed.
Tips for making Turkey Meatballs
What to serve with Buffalo Meatballs
If you're serving this as an appetizer on football Sundays, I like to add a bowl of Ranch dressing, some carrot sticks, and celery sticks to mimic the presentation of classic buffalo wings.
If you're serving these for dinner, I like to pair them with brown rice or creamy mashed potatoes. Add some easy veg on the side like sheet pan roasted root vegetables, sheet pan broccoli and carrots, or brown sugar Brussels sprouts.
Need more easy recipes for game day? Browse my game day category for more ideas.
Storage
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave.
FAQs
To make tender meatballs use an egg as well as breadcrumbs soaked in milk.
Recipe
Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
For the Buffalo Sauce
- ⅓ cup Louisiana hot sauce
- ⅓ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, mix breadcrumbs and milk and let it sit to absorb the moisture for about 5 minutes. spices. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients and mix well.
- Scoop 1 ½ tablespoon-sized meatballs with a cookie scoop, roll into balls, and place on a lined baking sheet. You'll get about 26. Keep a small bowl of water to dip your hands if to help prevent the ground turkey from sticking to your hands.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Add the hot sauce to a medium bowl with the melted butter and add hot meatballs. Mix well and serve.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
This post was originally posted on February 2, 2017.
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Elizabeth says
Oh my goodness these look great, and being made from turkey they'll be lower calorie too! Pinning to try later!
pipercooks says
Thanks for pinning 🙂
Marie-Pierre says
I could a bunch of those easily! Love that it's a healthier version of meatballs! Yum!
pipercooks says
Thanks!
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed says
What a great recipe, I love the idea of using minced turkey instead of beef. I like to keep breadcrumbs in the freezer too, any odd bits of bread that are leftover I whizz up and pop in the freezer. I'm hoping I've got enough in there to make your meatballs.
pipercooks says
I love having a little freezer stock. I keep bread crumbs, ginger, tomato paste, so handy! Hope you like the recipe if you try it 🙂
Manju | Cooking Curries says
Oh man! Now, if only I had seen this before the superbowl, this would ahve definitely been on our menu. Looks awesome!!
All That I'm Eating says
I really like the sound of these, always good to use turkey for times other than December!