Buffalo chicken meatballs stuffed with feta — all the flavor, less of the mess

/ Meg

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It’s Friday, friends! And I want to talk to you about meatballs. I’ve never been overly fond of them, honestly, but that’s probably because I never found the right ones.

These? These are the right ones. They’re spicy and easy to make and absolutely delicious. They’re a little weird, maybe, but sometimes weird is good.

Sometimes it’s very good.

The idea of sticking feta cheese into ground chicken with ranch dressing mix and a host of other spices? Well, I wasn’t completely sold. But I did know I needed an impressive appetizer to bring to a friend’s appetizers-only New Year’s Eve party, and I knew I’d better bring some protein because seriously, we cannot live on chips and salsa alone.

Enter this recipe for feta-stuffed Buffalo chicken meatballs, which may go down as one of the more popular dishes I’ve ever brought to a gathering. Even more popular than, say, my most popular food item of all time (and the dessert for which I am proudly known): Key lime cupcakes.

It’s all the flavor of a Buffalo chicken wing . . . in an easy-to-grab meatball.

Genius.

I made these in between work and running out the door — and felt too harried to take “real” pictures, sadly. But Iowa Girl Eats has plenty, and mine looked just like the pictures. That never happens.

If I’d had half a mind to document them later, I could not . . . because all 32 were gone by 8 p.m. I doubled the recipe and it yielded the perfect amount, and I would make these again in a heartbeat! If you’re a fan of Frank’s RedHot (which, c’mon — I don’t do spicy and even I love it!), you’ll love these. My husband hails from Western New York, so we’re all about the Buffalo flavor around here.

Just add celery.


Feta-Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Makes 16 meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken breast
1/4 small red onion, grated or minced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 egg white
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon powdered Ranch Dip mix
4 oz block feta cheese, cut into 1/2” cubes
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup buffalo wing sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together red onion, garlic, egg white, bread crumbs, and ranch dip mix in a large bowl. Add ground chicken then mix until just combined. Divide mixture into quarters, then each quarter into 4 balls. Press a cube of feta into the center of each ball then close mixture around cheese to seal. Place meatballs onto a non-stick sprayed cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet, then bake for 16-18 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat then add buffalo wing sauce and stir to combine. Add cooked meatballs to skillet then use a spoon to coat in sauce. Place a lid on top and turn heat to low to keep warm.


My notes: This recipe was very easy to double, and the meatballs were a decent (two bite) size. I used fat-free feta cheese and it worked wonderfully, so don’t be afraid to lighten this one up! Also, we transferred these to a 13×9 dish with lid to transport and added plenty of sauce to keep them moist. They stayed warm and traveled well.


21 thoughts on “Buffalo chicken meatballs stuffed with feta — all the flavor, less of the mess”

  2. that actually looks delish. Bad for my diet, but still yum. i do my own version, i mix spinach and pepperdews with my mix and i bake them in the oven with just a hint of oil to coat the baking dish.

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    • Oooh, these would be perfect for a Super Bowl party! PERFECT. If I actually liked football, I’d be all over it. 🙂 But I do enjoy the snacks and half-time show, so . . .

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  8. I adore Iowa Girl Eats. I found her blog in 2011, and she’s turned me into the cook I never was. I’ve had this recipe saved for a while, but you’ve given me the incentive to give it a go!

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  10. These sound delicious! I make a kalamata meatball that is packed with flavor and one of my fave things to take places. You can use lamb, beef, or turkey, some chopped kalmata olives, feta, and a host of Mediterranean spices, garlic, etc. They are delicious and super easy! I serve mine with couscous and roasted veggies for a pretty healthy meal! 🙂 Definitely gonna give these a try.

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