You don’t have to give up ALL your favorite foods when you’re on Whole30, you might just need to tweak a few. Like these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
If you follow me on Instagram (cateomalley), you might have noticed I’m doing another round of Whole30. This is the third time I’m doing it, and it’s a little bit different this time. Because there are about 40 of my friends doing it too, so we’re all in a private facebook group posting recipes, sharing grocery store finds, and cheering each other on. Doing it with others makes such a big difference. We’re all holding each other accountable, supporting each other, and commiserating as we pass up our favorite non-compliant beverages. #teamwork
When I was married, my (then) husband was all about buffalo wings. And me? Well, wings didn’t do anything for me, nor the “buffalo” flavoring either. Flash forward a few years, and, well, I’m all about buffalo anything. This is dip is a favorite time of ours, and I even have two Pinterest boards dedicated to buffalo-themed recipes, one specifically chicken, and one not.
So when I spied a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, you know I was going to make it. Sooooo simple to throw together. Mix a few basic ingredients in a bowl, use a mini cookie scooper to form your meatballs, bake, and devour.
And devour I did.
Nick didn’t love them – the texture of ground chicken threw him off a bit. But that just left some for me for lunch the next day. I used coconut flour instead of almond, because I happened to have it on hand (and you can’t taste the coconut), and I used Primal Kitchen’s chipotle lime mayo for dipping (a Whole30 compliant ranch would be good as well (and I used that for the next day). I think the next time I make them, I would mix a little ghee and hot sauce and slather them with it after baking. I did miss my usual bleu cheese, but for now, this will do the trick.
Whether you’re on Whole30, or just want a healthier version of an old favorite, dig into these.
Hungry for more buffalo-flavored recipes? I’ve got you covered.
This Buffalo Aioli is Whole30-approved and one of my favorite dipping sauces.
Buffalo Chicken Salad is one of my all-time favorite recipes.
Buffalo Chicken Bake is teenager-approved.
And this Bleu Cheese Stuffed Crust Buffalo Chicken Pizza I created for Pillsbury is a delicious easy dinner.
Whole30 Baked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Recipe from Physical Kitcheness
Serves: 20-22 BALLS
Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken
3 green onions, chopped
¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
1 egg
2 tablespoons paleo mayonnaise (I use this recipe with safflower oil)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour (I used coconut flour)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the ground chicken, green onions, hot sauce, egg, mayonnaise, salt, and almond flour into a large bowl.
3. Using a cookie scoop or small spoon, dish out the ground chicken mixture and mold into balls (this will be easiest with a cookie scoop).
4. Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet or cast iron skillet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes then drizzle with more hot sauce, and add additional green onions and blue cheese if desired.
*If you’re doing Whole30, skip the bleu cheese!
