These buffalo chicken meatballs pack a punch! They have tons of flavor and are super customizable. Packed with veggies, couscous, blue cheese vinaigrette and wing sauce, they hit the spot and are incredibly satisfying.
‘Tis the season for buffalo chicken!
These buffalo chicken meatball bowls are so delicious and easy to throw together! My buffalo chicken meatballs are tender and juicy, then served over couscous with blue cheese, shredded lettuce, carrots and a drizzle of my homemade ranch.
HELLO delicious!Â
It’s the best way to take a favorite weekend flavor and transition it to an easy weeknight meal! Everyone loves this one and making a bowl is so customizable and fun.Â
I’ve been making buffalo chicken meatballs for years and they are always a huge hit. You can bake them in the oven or brown them fully in a skillet like the recipe below.
And what I love most about this recipe? The versatility and personalization.
If you don’t like blue cheese, leave it out. Use ranch dressing and wing sauce instead for your toppings. If you don’t care for ranch, skip it. Use a super spicy wing sauce or a mild one. I don’t love celery, so I’d surely leave that out. Gladly!
I’ve talked about my favorite buffalo wing flavor profile many times before. It must have some heat, some creamy, cheesy flavor and a refreshing bite too. This is why I always include blue cheese AND ranch, shredded lettuce, green onions, chives and cilantro.
Oh and tons of wing sauce, of course!Â
While this is the way it will taste classically best, you can still tailor it to your preferences!
These buffalo chicken meatballs are so easy and they are really where the flavor lies. They are SO juicy and delicious – you don’t have to worry about the chicken drying out at all. The meatballs are packed with shredded carrots, green onions, blue cheese, chives and even ranch seasoning. So when I say they are flavorful? Holy cow.Â
They really are.Â
And for the ultimate buffalo wing flavor, don’t skip any of those – because it all comes together in the meatball! Every bit counts. I am not a huge ranch lover, but it makes a difference in the meatballs for sure. I skip a drizzle of it though.Â
For the base of the bowl, I like pearl couscous best. Because you know it’s my favorite base for bowls, ever. Tiny round pasta that is so easy to make (cooks in 15 minutes!) and tastes amazing regardless of what flavor you pile on top of it. It’s very satisfying!Â
I make my blue cheese vinaigrette for this which is up there as one of my all-time favorite dressings. I first shared the recipe in Everyday Dinners and it’s just divine. It’s the perfect dressing if you like tangy, briney vinegar-based dressings but also want a little creamy flavor from cheese. The dressing isn’t heavy or fully creamy at all – it works SO well on vegetables, meat and more.Â
The couscous gets a nice drizzle and toss from the dressing. Then I top it with the meatballs, some shredded lettuce and carrots! Add the celery if you’d like. Green onions, blue cheese – whatever screams WING SAUCE to you!Â
Buffalo Chicken Meatball Bowls
Buffalo Chicken Meatball Bowls
These buffalo chicken meatballs pack a punch! They have tons of flavor and are super customizable. Packed with veggies, couscous, blue cheese vinaigrette and wing sauce, they hit the spot and are incredibly satisfying.
as much as you’d like, for the bowls:
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Prepare the couscous accordion to the package directions, using the chicken stock. It will probably take 10 to 15 minutes. You can also chop the other vegetables at this time.
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Next, make the meatballs. In a bowl, combine the chicken, bread crumbs, carrots, onions, ranch seasoning, cilantro, wing sauce, chives and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until almost combined, then stir in the gorgonzola cheese. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs (I wet my hands to do this, which makes it easy to roll smooth meatballs!).
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To brown the meatballs, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 1 minute until brown, then flip and brown the other side. Continue to shake the pan and flip the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add a few big drizzles of wing sauce and toss the meatballs in it. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees F.
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While the meatballs cook, make the vinaigrette. You can also make this ahead of time. Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, chives, honey and dijon. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Stir in the blue cheese. This stays great in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
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Time to build the bowls! Toss the couscous with a bit of the blue cheese dressing. Evenly divide the couscous between 4 bowls. Top with shredded carrots, celery, lettuce, green onions and cilantro. Add a few meatballs to the top. Drizzle on more wing sauce and/or blue cheese vinaigrette. You can also add ranch.
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Enjoy! There is no right or wrong way to make the bowl. Make it your own!
Obsessed.
