Who doesn’t love Buffalo Wings? They are always a hit whenever you serve them but they can be a little messy to eat at a party or tailgate so I decided to change it up a bit by making them into a meatball!  Just skewer one with a toothpick and dip into the creamy blue cheese sauce and you have the perfect bite-sized treat without using a ton of napkins and feeling so sticky!

Here is my recipe for this tangy meatball sensation!

Buffalo

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt
• 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
• 1 cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
• ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup of green onions
• 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2-4 tablespoons of buttermilk (depending on how thick you like your dressing)
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• Chopped scallions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Microwave the butter and hot sauce on medium until butter is melted (about 2-3 minutes). Whisk until combined; remove from heat and let cool.

Sauté the onion in olive oil until onions are translucent.

Stir together the ground chicken, spices, panko, onion, egg, salt, sautéed onions and 1/4 cup of the hot sauce mixture.

Set the remaining hot sauce mixture aside. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Shape the chicken mixture into 28-30 meatballs, and place on baking sheet.

Cook the meatballs until a meat thermometer registers 165°F, 15 to 18 minutes, turning them over halfway through cooking time.

Remove meatballs from baking sheet and place in a baking or casserole dish. Toss with half of the remaining hot sauce mixture.  Increase the oven temperature to high broil.

Broil the meatballs until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and toss with the remaining hot sauce mixture in a bowl. Sprinkle with green onions.

Stir together the Greek yogurt, blue cheese, buttermilk and vinegar. Salt to taste.

Serve the meatballs immediately with the blue cheese–yogurt sauce and sprinkled with the scallions.

The perfect bite!

Bottom Line:  I tested these on my husband and son with rave reviews.  They are so good and really super easy that I’m serving them at my daughter and son-in-law’s couple baby shower next week.  Easy way to get a favorite guy food onto a plate with such a pretty presentation!  You can also keep these warm in a crock pot at your next tailgate; just double the sauce so they won’t dry out.  I can’t wait to hear your comments about this recipe!  I am Chef Frankie, always in the kitchen, having fun and cooking with Wild Abandonment!