Buffalo chicken meatballs

All the great flavour of wings with none of the fuss!

My family has always loved my oven-baked Buffalo chicken wings but a fresh poultry shortage last week at our local market forced me to think outside the box. I purchased the only thing I could find – ground chicken – and decided to try making a meatball version of this family favourite. I’m happy to report that it was a huge success – so much so that I think I’ll be making it more often than wings, which – though very tasty – are more work to prepare, not to mention messy to eat. If you’re a big meatball fan, as I am, you might also enjoy my French onion soup meatballs or my Cape Cod-style meatballs with cranberries.

Ingredients

Meatballs and sauce:

• 1 lb (454 g) ground chicken
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finally diced
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup (30 g) Panko or other dry breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if you prefer)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) mild hot sauce (I like Frank’s Buffalo), divided
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup (56 g) butter
• Carrot, celery and cucumber sticks plus ranch dressing, to serve

Ranch dressing:

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) milk, warmed to room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) mayonnaise
• Few pinches each salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, dill and thyme)

Method

• Make the ranch dressing by putting the milk in a 1 cup (250 mL) jar with a tight lid. Add the rice vinegar and stir to combine; the milk will curdle (which is good – you’ve just made a buttermilk substitute). Add all remaining ingredients then place the lid on the jar and shake to blend well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Refrigerate until needed (up to 3 days).
• Place ground chicken, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, salt & pepper and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the hot sauce in a medium bowl. Beat egg and add to bowl with meat; mix with your very clean hands until well blended.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop, place 1 inch (2.5 cm) sized portions of the meat mixture onto the sheet. Once you’ve portioned the meat out into approximately two dozen meatballs, gently round them out with your hands, taking care to not pack them too tightly as that will make the meatballs tough. Place the baking tray in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up the meatballs so they will hold together when cooking. If making meatballs to cook later, let them freeze completely then transfer to an airtight bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months before cooking.
• When ready to cook, bake meatballs on the parchment lined tray in a preheated 400F oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Alternatively, air fry at 375F for about 12-14 minutes.
• While meatballs are cooking, heat the remaining hot sauce, lemon juice, garlic and butter in a broad skillet large enough to hold the cooked meatballs as well. Place pan over medium heat and warm, stirring occasionally, just until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cover pan to keep warm.
• Transfer cooked meatballs into the skillet with the sauce. Stir very gently so meatballs are evenly coated, then transfer meatballs to a serving platter, with vegetable sticks and dips on the side.

Makes approximately 2 dozen meatballs; recipe can easily be multiplied.