Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

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These buffalo turkey meatballs are the recent addition to our weeknight dinner rotation—and for good reason! They are so good and simple! The meatballs are a simple combo of spices, panko breadcrumbs, and lean turkey. The real crowd-pleaser is the buffalo sauce they are coated in! It is sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy all in one. If you’re a fan of our buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes, you’re going to love these. This meal can be prepped in just 15 minutes, then all you have to do is throw them in the oven and make the buffalo sauce. Once the meatballs are cooked, you’ll toss them in the sauce and you’re ready to go! These meatballs are great with rice, salad, roasted veggies, you name it. They are versatile and can go with many of your favorite sides. Let’s make these buffalo turkey meatballs!

What ingredients do I need to make buffalo turkey meatballs?

For the Turkey Meatballs

Lean Ground Turkey Breast

We suggest 93% lean ground turkey breast for this recipe. You can use a different option, but your meatball may differ slightly. If you use 98% lean ground turkey breast, your meatballs will be slightly drier. You could also substitute the ground turkey for ground chicken and you will have similar results.

Egg

One egg in this recipe helps to bind the turkey and breadcrumbs together.

Panko Bread Crumbs

The breadcrumbs in this recipe help to keep more moisture in the turkey meatballs and prevent them from becoming dry. Panko breadcrumbs are a great binding agent, and they can help hold the meatball mixture together, preventing it from falling apart during cooking. Panko breadcrumbs are larger and coarser than traditional breadcrumbs, giving the meatballs a crispy texture on the outside while still remaining tender on the inside. For our gluten-free friends, you can find gluten-free panko bread crumbs!

Minced Garlic, Onion Powder, Salt

Minced garlic, onion powder, and salt help to flavor the meatballs on the inside, before we cover them with the delicious buffalo honey sauce.

For the Sauce

Buffalo Sauce

Buffalo sauce is essential in this recipe—they’re buffalo turkey meatballs! We love buffalo sauce for its spicy and tangy flavor. The brands we use the most often are Primal Kitchen and Frank's. Be aware that buffalo sauce can be spicy! If you are cooking for a crowd who doesn’t love spice, you can reduce the amount of buffalo sauce. If you're cooking for kids, you can also set a few meatballs aside before you toss them in the sauce.

Honey

Honey helps to balance out the spice from the buffalo sauce. When it's added to the sauce, it helps the sauce reduce into a thick glaze that is perfect for coating the meatballs. We typically purchase our honey from Costco in bulk for the best price.

Minced Garlic

You’ll add additional minced garlic to the sauce to add to the flavor.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Just a splash of apple cider vinegar helps to balance out the sweetness from the honey and add a little bit more tang to the sauce.

What equipment do you need?

For this recipe, you’ll need the following equipment:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Cookie scoop for forming the meatballs, if desired
• Medium saucepan

How do I make buffalo turkey meatballs?

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, onion powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
• Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, form 20 “meatballs” and place them on the baking sheet. 
• Bake the meatballs for 12-15 minutes, or until the turkey reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. We suggest using a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Overcooked meatballs will be dry.
• While the meatballs are baking, add buffalo sauce, honey, minced garlic, and apple cider vinegar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, turn it to low, and let the mixture simmer and thicken for 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. 
• Remove the meatballs from the oven and add them to the saucepan to evenly coat each meatball.
• You can eat them on their own or serve with rice, roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, salad, or toasted baguette.

Anything else to consider?

You can freeze these meatballs before or after cooking and save them for another day. If you freeze them before cooking, we recommend letting them thaw in the fridge overnight or adding a few more minutes to the bake time if you pop them in the oven frozen. You can also freeze them once they’ve cooked. Allow them to cool completely before storing them in an air-tight container or freezer bag. We recommend waiting to make the sauce until the day you are serving them for best results.

These buffalo meatballs are a great pair with any of your favorite sides. We like to serve them over rice or quinoa, with a salad, or with roasted veggies. There are endless options. You could also serve them on their own as a great appetizer. 

Are these buffalo turkey meatballs GF/DF?

This recipe is dairy-free and can be made gluten-free easily! Ensure that you use gluten-free breadcrumbs. As always, ensure each of the individual ingredients you use meet your dietary restrictions.

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If you make these buffalo turkey meatballs, please let us know how they turn out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!

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The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Buffalo Turkey Meatballs." 

The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.