These Brown Sugar Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are juicy baked chicken meatballs coated in a sweet, spicy, buttery buffalo sauce. They’re easy to pick up with toothpicks, ideal for game day, and can be kept hot in a slow cooker after they are fully cooked. This reader-favorite AGT recipe has been restored from its original recipe card and photography.

Brown sugar buffalo chicken meatball on a skewer with a creamy dipping sauce

Think of everything you love about buffalo wings—but in a tender, bite-sized meatball with a little brown sugar to balance the heat. Serve them with ranch or blue cheese dressing and plenty of napkins.

Why You'll Love These Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Oven-baked: No frying, and no need to cook raw ground chicken in a slow cooker.
Sweet and spicy: Hot sauce, brown sugar and butter make the glossy coating.
Party-friendly: Serve with picks or keep the cooked meatballs hot for a buffet.
Make-ahead option: Cook ahead, refrigerate promptly and reheat safely when you're ready.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The original meatballs use ground chicken, celery, grated onion, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. The sauce uses hot sauce, brown sugar, salted butter and cornstarch. You'll find the exact quantities in the restored recipe card below. The breadcrumbs help the mixture hold together; add a little more if it's too wet to scoop.

Use your favorite hot sauce; a classic buffalo-style sauce gives the most familiar flavor. For guests avoiding gluten, use a certified gluten-free breadcrumb substitute and check the hot sauce label. The standard recipe contains breadcrumbs and is not automatically gluten-free.

How to Make Them

Mix the meatballs. Combine the chicken, celery, onion, egg, breadcrumbs and seasonings. The original recipe also offers a food-processor shortcut for the vegetables.
Shape and bake. Scoop even, small meatballs onto a lined or greased baking sheet and bake at 375°F. The original card estimates 12–15 minutes; check the center of several meatballs with a food thermometer and continue cooking until they reach 165°F.
Make the sauce. Whisk melted butter, hot sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens, about five minutes.
Toss and serve. Coat the fully cooked meatballs in sauce, then serve with blue cheese or ranch. Add toothpicks for an easy finger-food appetizer.

Buffalo chicken meatballs with sauce in a serving dish, topped with green onions

Keep Them Warm in a Slow Cooker

For a party buffet, transfer fully cooked and already hot meatballs and sauce to a preheated slow cooker. Use the warm setting only if it maintains the food at 140°F or above, checking with a thermometer. Never rely on the warm setting to cook raw chicken or to reheat refrigerated or frozen leftovers.

Food Safety Tip: USDA recommends cooking ground chicken to 165°F. Reheat previously cooked meatballs to 165°F using an oven, stovetop or microwave before transferring them to a preheated slow cooker for holding at 140°F or hotter. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours (one hour if the temperature is above 90°F). Sources: USDA safe temperature chart and USDA slow cooker guidance.

Make Ahead, Store and Freeze

Make and bake the meatballs in advance if that's easier for your party. Cool promptly in shallow containers, then refrigerate for 3–4 days or freeze for about 2–3 months for best quality. Reheat cooked meatballs until the centers reach 165°F, then toss with warm buffalo sauce. You can also freeze portions of the sauce separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put raw meatballs directly into the slow cooker?

For this recipe, bake them first. The original method was designed for oven cooking and for hot holding in the slow cooker, not for cooking a pile of raw, stacked meatballs on the warm setting.

What should I serve with buffalo chicken meatballs?

Set out blue cheese or ranch dressing, sliced celery and appetizer picks. For an easy game-day spread, add some ideas from our football party appetizers or chicken wing recipes.

Brown Sugar Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Recipe

The original AGT recipe card below preserves the measurements, preparation instructions, serving yield and historical ratings.

Crock Pot buffalo chicken meatball on a skewer with blue cheese sauce.

AGT Editorial Team

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs In The Oven

These easy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are my favorite game day appetizer! Made with hot sauce and brown sugar, they are spicy, sweet and covered in sauce! Plus, they're baked in the oven but can be kept warm in your slow cooker for hours!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings: 6 People

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Calories: 286

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb Ground Chicken
1 stick Finely Chopped Celery
¼ cup Grated Onion
1 large Egg
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
¾ cup breadcrumbs

Brown Sugar Buffalo Sauce

½ cup Hot Sauce
⅓ cup Brown Sugar
½ stick Salted Butter
1 tablespoon Cornstarch

Method

Preheat oven to 375℉.
Option 1: Add all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.
Option 2: If you don't feel like chopping the celery or grating the onion, add everything but the meat and breadcrumbs to a food processor and pulse until pureed. Then add to meat and breadcrumbs in large bowl to the puree and mix until combined.
Using a mini ice cream scoop (about 1 oz.) for consistency, scoop meatballs onto large greased baking sheet or one with parchment paper. Bake at for 12-15 minutes on middle rack. (I do not turn them but you can halfway if you want more even browning.)
In the meantime, add the melted butter, hot sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch to a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until thickened (about 5 minutes or so). Use a whisk to remove any lumps.
Option 1: When the meatballs are ready, toss them in the brown sugar hot sauce nad serve warm.
Option 2: Add meatballs to a slow cooker along with the sauce. Set to warm and allow guests to serve themselves. *See note below.
Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side! Skewers are optional!

Notes

If the mixture is too sticky to form meatballs, add a little more breadcrumbs until it holds together. Use additional sauce if you like them extra saucy.

Party tip: Place appetizer picks or toothpicks in a small glass for guests.

Food Safety Tip: Bake the ground-chicken meatballs until the centers reach 165°F on a food thermometer. You may move the fully cooked, already-hot meatballs and sauce into a preheated slow cooker for serving, provided the temperature remains at least 140°F. Never cook raw meatballs on the warm setting or reheat refrigerated or frozen leftovers in a slow cooker. Reheat leftovers to 165°F in an oven, on the stovetop or in a microwave, then transfer to the cooker for hot holding.

Refrigerate within two hours in shallow containers; use within 3–4 days. Freeze cooked meatballs for about 2–3 months for best quality, then reheat thoroughly before serving.

Editor's note: This archived AGT recipe was reconstructed from the original WordPress recipe data and existing site photography. Food-handling and reheating instructions were clarified for current USDA guidance.