Instant Pot: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

These buffalo chicken meatballs are tender, gluten-free and super easy to make! This recipe was adapted from What Great Grandma Ate (click here to view) but the proportions and timing in the Instant Pot just weren’t right. They were too mealy and definitely overcooked. So I bought all the ingredients again and made my own adjustments to the ingredients and also played with the timing …. they turned out perfect!

NUTRITION

These meatballs are way healthier than your run of the mill meatball. Per 5oz meatball, there are 98 calories, 6g fat, 1g carb and 8g protein. I usually have 4 per serving but you can literally customize to your own dietary/macro needs. Because of the almond meal, these are gluten-free!

WHERE TO BUY

I buy the Almond meal (pictured below) at Trader Joe’s! I wasn’t sure where to find it but I asked and it was right next to all of the nuts. I buy my calorie and fat free Walden Farms Blue Cheese Dressing at Sprouts or on Amazon (by clicking here) and most recently I saw it at Walmart!

SERVE WITH

I served these meatballs with white rice the first time and cauliflower rice the second (click here for that recipe). Both times were delicious! I also added a side of baby carrot and celery sticks (think about the sides you eat when you go out for buffalo wings) and it was a nice offset to the heat of the balls. (that’s what she said! ha!)

SAUTEING IN THE INSTANT POT

I browned the meatballs on the stove top however you can use the Instant Pot if you don’t want to dirty another pan. I have had issues after sauteing directly in the IP because if you don’t clean out the bottom of the pan completely before switching to pressure cooking the burnt bits cause the machine to malfunction. I rather not even go down that route.

OVEN OR CROCK-POT

If you don’t have an instant pot,  follow steps 1-6 below and instead of putting them into the IP, put into a baking dish and bake these in the oven on 400 for 15 minutes. Alternatively you could also cook in the crock-pot. Simply follow steps 1-6 and place in the crock-pot on low for 5 hours.

SUBSTITUTIONS

I make this recipe A LOT! One it’s delicious, two its easy! I find that most times I sub out the grass-fed butter and end up using coconut oil for the sauce because I already have it out. Then I use grapeseed oil to brown the meatballs. You can use any high heating oil when browning. Either way works! Whatever is easiest!

SO GOOD YOU NEED MORE?

We love these meatballs so much that I normally make 3# right out of the gate. I have played with the proportions a bunch and have found that you don’t need to just 1.5x the recipe. I suggest The following: 3# ground chicken, 3/4 c almond meal, 1.5 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp minced garlic, 5 green onions, 1 cup franks red hot buffalo sauce, 4 tbsp grass-fed butter and coconut oil to grease hands.

Hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Products I love to use when making this dish:

Instant Pot

Calphalon Saute Pan

Crock-Pot (if you don’t make in IP)

Baking Dish (if you cook in the oven)

Baking Tray

If you like this buffalo chicken meatball recipe, check out some of my others by clicking on each one…. Buffalo Chicken Bake, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and Buffalo Chicken Pizza! I

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Instant Pot: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buffalo chicken

Servings: 6

Calories: 392 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground chicken
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 4 tbsp grass fed butter, divided (or use grapeseed oil to brown & coconut oil for sauce)
• coconut oil, melted (to grease hands)

SERVE WITH

• baby carrots
• celery sticks
• green onions, sliced
• light ranch or light blue cheese dressing
• white rice or cauliflower rice

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

   

2. in a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, almond meal, salt, minced garlic and green onions. put a couple tbsp of melted coconut oil in a tiny bowl. 

   

3. lightly grease hands with coconut oil and start to form balls about 2" wide with the meat mixture (makes approx 24 balls)

   

4. over medium high heat, in a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp of butter (or grapeseed oil) and start browning all sides of the meatballs. (depending on the size of your pan you may need to do multiple batches). Transfer to instant pot when done browning. 

   

5. while meatballs are browning, melt remaining 2 tbsp of butter (or coconut oil) in the microwave or on the stovetop. add in 2/3 cup of hot sauce and stir well. 

   

6. pour buffalo/butter sauce over the meatballs and gently stir so that all meatballs are coated. 

   

7. place lid on Instant pot and be sure vent is turned to "sealed". Manually set instant pot on high for 5 minutes. when done, use 10 minute natural release method (let machine stay in warm mode for 5-7 minutes and then press cancel and release air to venting)

   

8. top with sliced green onions and lite dressing. serve with carrots, celery and white rice or cauliflower rice (click here for how to make!)!