Easy, delicious, and less than 1g net carbs per serving! These Keto Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are a healthy appetizer that’s almost too good to be true! Tangy and spicy and super satisfying!
Buffalo Chicken Keto Meatballs
In the year since we first published this recipe, our keto buffalo chicken meatballs have quickly become one of our most popular keto recipes — if not one of our most popular recipes period!
With only 1g net carbs per serving, they sound too good to be true. But these easy keto meatballs really are tasty and easy to make!
They are perfect for low carb, paleo, and ketogenic diets, but they taste so good that everyone in our family loves them!
UPDATE JANUARY 2020 – I’m updating this recipe with reader questions answered, as well as some of my own questions I’ve had as I navigated the keto diet. (Originally published in June 2018)
Is Hot Sauce Keto?
Believe it or not, many hot sauces ARE keto-friendly!
Always check the label of course, but for a traditional hot sauce, you’ll likely see that they contain 1g or even 0g of carbs per serving. Score! One of my personal favorites is Frank’s Red Hot.
Is Almond Flour Low Carb?
Almond flour is substantially lower in carbs than traditional wheat flour, which is why it is a top choice for Keto and Paleo recipes.
It is made from ground up almonds – without the skin – so it produces a finer consistency than almond meal (though you can use either pretty much interchangeably).
A half cup of almond flour contains 12g total carbs and 6g net carbs and is a low-glycemic food. That’s compared to almost 50g of total carbs in the same amount of traditional wheat flour. Definitely a better swap!
Related: Click here for a collection of ALL our favorite easy keto recipes!
What is the Keto Diet?
Essentially, the Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan. It only takes about a week or so of this type of diet before your body enters a state known as “ketosis.” This means your body burns more fat for energy because it doesn’t have the carbs that it would normally use.
Following a ketogenic diet can also help shed excess water weight, curb cravings (since fat tends to keep you feeling full longer), and lead to substantial weight loss. To see those benefits, you need to faithfully follow the plan, as eating carbs can kick you right back out of ketosis.
A ketogenic diet is not for everyone, or maybe not on a long-term basis. Though I’ve known people to achieve amazing results with this style of eating! In fact, one of my friends at church lost all her baby weight in just a couple months (and this was kiddo #6!)
Read this next: Want to see our actual results on keto? Read our article “What is Keto” to get our complete beginner’s guide and see my before/after photos!
Want to learn more about the Keto Diet?
For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to resources used to make this recipe and about the Keto lifestyle. Disclosure policy available here.
Grab the best-selling resource The Keto Diet by Leanne Vogel, creator of the renowned website Healthful Pursuit. It breaks down the secret to how fats can actually super-charge weight loss, without leaving you feeling hungry! Plus there are a ton of other keto-friendly recipes inside.
More of our favorite keto recipes:
- No-bake Keto Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- Keto Breakfast Cups
- Zero Carb Keto Mayonnaise
- Keto Blooming Onion
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Ingredients
- Ground chicken — Look for one with higher fat content! On the keto diet, fat is our friend!
- Egg — This binds everything together.
- Almond Flour — A low carb alternative to traditional grains used in meatballs. Full of flavor!
- Green onions
- Salt & pepper
- Minced garlic — Feel free to use powdered garlic if that’s what you have on hand.
- Hot sauce or buffalo sauce — Check the label to make sure it’s keto-friendly without added sugar.
- Butter
Kitchen Tools Used
A free printable copy of this recipe, with full ingredient amounts, is available at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Keto
- Combine meatball ingredients (everything except hot sauce and butter) in a large mixing bowl.
- Rolled out meatballs by hand (about the size of a ping-pong ball) or use a small cookie dough scoop for uniform sizing. Place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350°F.
- Whisk together buffalo sauce and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Dip each cooked meatball in the sauce, turn to coat, and place back on baking sheet to dry.
TIP: Mix your buffalo sauce in a large mixing bowl, you can add cooked meatballs directly to this bowl to coat. That way you’re dirtying fewer dishes!
This recipe make approximately 16-18 meatballs.
Is Blue Cheese Dressing Keto?
Wondering what to serve with your buffalo chicken meatballs to keep the dish keto-friendly?
Most bleu cheese dressings are naturally low in carbs, but as always, check labels to be sure. You can also make your own dressing, like the one we love for wedge salads!
Store bought ranch dressing is not always keto, as many contain added sugar (even if it’s a small amount). Your best bet in this case is to make your own.
Are Carrots and Celery Keto?
Celery is mostly water, making it an excellent low carb vegetable accompaniment.
Carrots are a bit higher in carbs, so they may not be the best choice if you’re just starting keto or are on a strict daily carb allowance. You may be able to enjoy them on a moderate or maintenance phase.
Grab a free printable copy of our Keto Buffalo Chicken Meatballs recipe:
Tried this recipe and loved it? Please rate it!
Keto Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2/3 cup hot sauce (we used Frank's)
- 1/2 cup butter melted
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine ground chicken, egg, almond flour, green onions, garlic, salt & pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Use a small cookie scoop to form the mixture into meatballs, or roll by hand.
- Bake 18-20 minutes.
To make the buffalo meatballs sauce:
- Whisk together hot sauce and melted butter in a large mixing bowl.
- When meatballs are done baking, allow to cool slightly (just enough to handle) and gently toss in the buffalo sauce.
- Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin our Low Carb Chicken Keto Meatballs on Pinterest:
PS- If you love all things Buffalo Chicken, be sure to try our Buffalo Chicken Keto Cauliflower Tots too!
You may also like to try our Korean BBQ Meatballs too! While not keto, they’re a wholesome alternative to the traditional meatball (and contain a serving of hidden fruits and veggies!)
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Winter Perkins says
Is each meatball 104 calories or are 18 meatballs an entire serving? Thanks in advance!!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
The nutrition information is per meatball – hope this helps!
JOSEFINE says
I am new to keto, and your blog is really helpful. I’m preparing to start my weekly keto meal plan. This recipe looks delectable, I would love to add to my plan. Now I know what to put in my shopping cart. I am excited, NO cheating, i promise!! 😉
Kristi says
So damn good. I got 19 meatballs, and was worried that they weren’t done, but they were, and so tasty. I almost ashamed to admit that my husband and I gobbled up the whole batch while watching hockey. We also did a 20-mile bike ride, so that’s how we justified all those calories, lol!