Keto buffalo chicken meatballs with 2g net carbs, juicy ranch crusted, and tossed in spicy buffalo butter. ♡
These keto buffalo chicken meatballs come in at 2g net carbs each and disappear from the platter in seconds. Ground chicken mixes with parmesan, ranch, and almond flour, then bakes and tosses in classic buffalo butter sauce. For more ideas, see our Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole.
Low carb appetizer that wins game day every time. Let’s make it together.
Ingredients
Keto Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken thigh
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning mix
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce
- 1/3 cup salted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 2 tbsp blue cheese crumbles, for serving
How to Make Keto Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- **Heat.** Preheat oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- **Mix.** In a bowl combine chicken, almond flour, parmesan, egg, ranch, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined.
- **Roll.** Wet hands and roll into 24 meatballs about 1 inch each. Place on the sheet pan.
- **Bake.** Bake 18 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165F.
- **Whisk.** Whisk hot sauce and melted butter in a large bowl.
- **Toss.** Add hot meatballs to the buffalo butter and toss to coat.
- **Serve.** Top with chives and blue cheese crumbles. Serve with celery and ranch.
Why This Recipe Works
Almond flour replaces breadcrumbs as the binder. The fine grind absorbs moisture from the chicken without going gummy, keeping the meatballs tender. Coconut flour can clump up and dry the meatballs out, so almond flour is the better swap.
Ground chicken thigh is the better choice for low carb meatballs. Higher fat content means juicier meatballs that hold up under buffalo sauce. Lean ground breast dries out fast in the oven without breadcrumbs to hold moisture.
The buffalo butter ratio is 3 to 2. Three parts hot sauce to two parts melted butter creates the silky buffalo glaze. Most home cooks use too much butter and end up with greasy meatballs that lose the buffalo punch. For more ideas, see our Bang Bang Chicken Bowls.
Tips
- Use ground chicken thigh, not breast, for juicier meatballs.
- Wet hands before rolling so the mixture does not stick.
- Use a small cookie scoop for uniform meatball size.
- Toss meatballs in buffalo butter the moment they leave the oven.
- Common mistake: do not skip almond flour, it is what binds without carbs.
- Store leftovers up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven for crispy edges.
Variations
- Use ground turkey instead of chicken.
- Add blue cheese crumbles into the meatball mix.
- Make them milder with half the hot sauce.
- Toss with garlic parmesan sauce instead of buffalo.
- Serve in lettuce wraps for a low carb buffalo chicken handheld.
- Use Frank’s RedHot for traditional buffalo flavor.
Looking for more recipes? Try our Vegan Creamy Tuscan Pasta or High Protein Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl next.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using ground chicken breast: Thigh has more fat and stays juicy. Breast dries out without breadcrumbs.
- Coconut flour as binder: Use almond flour. Coconut soaks up too much moisture.
- Tossing in cold buffalo butter: Whisk hot. Cold butter clumps and does not coat evenly.
- Overmixing the meatball mix: Mix until just combined. Overmixing makes them tough.
Keto Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Method
- **Heat.** Preheat oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- **Mix.** In a bowl combine chicken, almond flour, parmesan, egg, ranch, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined.
- **Roll.** Wet hands and roll into 24 meatballs about 1 inch each. Place on the sheet pan.
- **Bake.** Bake 18 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165F.
- **Whisk.** Whisk hot sauce and melted butter in a large bowl.
- **Toss.** Add hot meatballs to the buffalo butter and toss to coat.
- **Serve.** Top with chives and blue cheese crumbles. Serve with celery and ranch.
Notes
Sources: USDA FoodData Central for net carb data and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on ketogenic diets.
