• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
With Sweet Honey
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Lifestyle
  • My Story
    • Work With Me
    • My Portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Lifestyle
  • My Portfolio
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Appetizers

    The Best Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

    Published: Feb 5, 2022 by Katelyn | With Sweet Honey · This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The Best Buffalo Turkey Meatballs are not only healthy but also so easy to make! Perfect for game day or weekly meal prep. I know these meatballs will be a winner at your house because they sure are in mine. They are gluten free and can also be made Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

    buffalo turkey meatballs on a serving plate with chopped green onion sprinkled on top of them

    If you are a fan of buffalo sauce (I mean who isn’t?!), check out our Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers recipe for another great dinner option.

    Are you like me and put Frank’s RedHot Sauce on everything? Okay maybe not everything but I do have it on my eggs every morning. The great thing about it is that it’s Whole30 approved too! So whatever they are doing to make that sauce taste delicious while still maintaining simple ingredients, they need to keep doing it.

    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love these buffalo turkey meatballs
    • Ingredients in the best buffalo turkey meatballs
    • How to make buffalo turkey meatballs
    • Recipe substitutions and variations
    • Equipment
    • How to serve buffalo turkey meatballs
    • How to store
    • More Game Day Recipes:
    • Let's Connect!
    • The Best Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
    close up image of a buffalo turkey meatball with ranch, blue cheese and green onion

    Why you’ll love these buffalo turkey meatballs

    Tasty: The flavor is great in these buffalo turkey meatballs, that is what makes them the best! 

    Simple to make: The prep only requires one mixing bowl and the rest is just forming the balls and baking them for about 18 minutes. Done in under 30 minutes, easily.

    Healthy Ingredients: We will get into the ingredients below but these meatballs are made with ground turkey, shredded carrots and chopped green onion. 

    Customizable: Don’t like one of the ingredients? No worries, these meatballs are easy to customize! I will go over some customization options below.

    Crowd Pleaser: Did I mention my family and friends love this recipe? It’s not a surprise because many people love buffalo sauce flavored recipes. Serve these at a Super Bowl party or your next gathering. You’ll see what I mean.

    Ingredients in the best buffalo turkey meatballs

    ingredients for buffalo turkey meatballs in small bowls and a plate
    • Ground turkey: I love that this recipe uses turkey instead of a more fatty ground beef. I purposely did that so it would be a lighter dish and turkey works incredibly well with buffalo sauce. If you want though, you could substitute the ground turkey for ground chicken instead.
    • Egg: The egg helps the meatballs keep their form and moisture.
    • Carrots and Green Onion: You didn’t think I’d make a turkey meatball without a little added veggies, right? The shredded carrot and chopped green onion are a must! 
    • Hot Sauce: So if you read above, you know I love Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. So I highly recommend using it for this recipe but you could substitute with another hot sauce, if you must. If you are doing Whole30 or on a Paleo diet, make sure the hot sauce is compliant. 
    • Almond Flour: Instead of traditional panko breadcrumbs, we use almond flour to keep this recipe gluten free.
    • Garlic: You could substitute the fresh garlic for ¼ tsp of garlic powder if you prefer. 
    • Seasoning: Chili powder, salt and black pepper make up the short list of seasoning in these turkey meatballs.

    Optional Serving:

    • Blue Cheese
    • Ranch Dressing
    • Carrots
    • Celery

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to make buffalo turkey meatballs

    Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

    Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the turkey, egg, carrots, green onion, almond flour, hot sauce, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

    unmixed bowl of ingredients for the best buffalo turkey meatballs
    buffalo turkey meat mixture in a see-through glass bowl with a white and blue stripe towel

    Step 3: Form the turkey mixture into 16 meatballs (about 1-½ inch diameter) and place them on the baking sheet. Pro tip: use a medium cookie scoop to easily portion out and form the balls.

    raw buffalo turkey meatballs lined up on a baking sheet with parchment paper

    Step 4: Bake the meatballs for about 18-20 minutes or until the meatballs are golden and internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Hint: Make sure not to not overcook the meatballs. The easiest way to check if the internal temperature is using a digital meat thermometer.

    baked buffalo turkey meatballs lined up on a baking sheet with parchment paper

    To Serve: (Optional) Drizzle with more hot sauce, sprinkle with blue cheese and dip in ranch. Serve carrots and celery sticks on the side and enjoy!

    buffalo turkey meatballs on a white serving tray with ranch, blue cheese, and chopped green onion on top

    Recipe substitutions and variations

    I mentioned that these turkey meatballs are easy to customize so I wanted to give a few ideas on how to customize this recipe.

    • Turkey: I love using ground turkey in this recipe because it is usually easily found in the grocery store and it is leaner than some meats. Alternatively though, you could use ground chicken for an equally delicious meatball.
    • Spicy: If you want these meatballs to be extra spicy, try substituting the chili powder for ground cayenne pepper. You could also roll the balls in the hot sauce after they come out of the oven.
    • Whole30 and Paleo: To make this recipe Whole30 and Paleo compliant, simply don’t use the blue cheese or ranch. Also make sure the hot sauce you use is approved.
    • Deluxe Version: These buffalo turkey meatballs are delicious on their own but top them with blue cheese, ranch and additional hot sauce for an extra show stopper.

    Equipment

    There isn’t any fancy equipment that you need to make these meatballs but I do have a couple suggestions.

    Cookie Scoop: It’s a little easier to get even sized meatballs when using a cookie scoop. I also like that you don’t have to get your hands dirty. Less mess and more efficient.

    Rimmed Baking Sheet: You can use a regular baking sheet but the meatballs do have some liquid that leaks while baking. The rimmed baking sheet makes sure nothing drips down off the sheet.

    buffalo turkey meatballs on a serving tray with celery, carrots, and ranch dip

    How to serve buffalo turkey meatballs

    With Veggies and Ranch: I like to serve these meatballs as an appetizer with celery sticks and carrots on the side in a large bowl. I also set out ranch dipping sauce for anyone who wants it.

    Rice: You could serve these buffalo turkey meatballs over cauliflower rice or regular rice.

    Salad: These turkey meatballs could also be a great addition to some greens for a healthy meal.

    How to store

    These buffalo turkey meatballs are great for meal prep because they can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days! They can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

    More Game Day Recipes:

    • Roasted Garlic Hummus Without Tahini
    • Easy Ginger Turkey Meatballs
    • Dairy Free Tzatziki Sauce
    • Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers

    Let's Connect!

    Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Please consider leaving a review and rating below, I’d love to hear how your meal went. Also please follow us on Instagram and Pinterest for more recipe inspiration and food photography. If you’d like to stay in the know about all things With Sweet Honey, please consider subscribing to our newsletter! Enjoy your day!

    This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting With Sweet Honey!

    buffalo turkey meatballs on a serving plate with chopped green onion sprinkled on top of them

    The Best Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

    The Best Buffalo Turkey Meatballs are not only healthy but also so easy to make! Perfect for game day or weekly meal prep.
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: buffalo meatballs, buffalo turkey meatballs, healthy turkey meatballs, super bowl appetizer
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes
    Total Time: 28 minutes
    Servings: 16 meatballs
    67 Katelyn | With Sweet Honey

    Equipment

    • 1 rimmed baking sheet

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb groung turkey
    • 1 large egg
    • ¼ cup carrots shredded
    • ¼ cup green onions chopped
    • ⅓ cup hot sauce plus more for topping
    • ½ cup almond flour
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • ¼ tsp chili powder
    • ½ tsp sea salt
    • ¼ tsp ground black pepper

    Optional Toppings

    • blue cheese
    • ranch

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, mix the turkey, egg, carrots, green onion, almond flour, hot sauce, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
    • Form the turkey mixture into 16 meatballs (about 1-½ inch diameter) and place them on the baking sheet. Pro tip: use a medium cookie scoop to easily portion out and form the balls.
    • Bake the meatballs for about 18-20 minutes or until the meatballs are golden and internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • To Serve: (Optional) Drizzle with more hot sauce, sprinkle with blue cheese and dip in ranch. Serve carrots and celery sticks on the side and enjoy!

    Notes

    The nutrition information is for approximately one of the meatballs without additional toppings or sides.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @withsweethoney on Instagram!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.7g | Protein: 8.4g | Fat: 3.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    « Honey Cinnamon Cold Brew Coffee
    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Katelyn! I create gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo recipes that are easy and delicious. Food should make you feel good, and I hope my recipes inspire you to try something new. Happy cooking!

    More about me →

    Spring Recipes

    • Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • The Best Deviled Egg Potato Salad
    • The Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars
    • Healthier Lemon Bars (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

    Popular Posts

    • Vegetable Cabbage Soup (Whole30, Paleo)
    • Easy Cabbage Roll Soup
    • Ground Beef Stroganoff (Dairy Free)
    • Healthy Egg Roll in a Bowl

    My Personal Favorites

    • Salmon Patties (Gluten Free)
    • Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Dairy Free)
    • Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
    • Ground Beef Stroganoff (Dairy Free)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • My Story
    • Portfolio
    • Work With Me
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 With Sweet Honey | All Rights Reserved