Buffalo chicken meatball sliders take the flavor Buffalo, New York, gave the world and put it on a roll you can eat standing up. Bills fans claim the sauce, but buffalo anything shows up in lots from Orchard Park to the SEC, because it's wing flavor without the frying or the pile of bones. Here it's ground chicken meatballs with hot sauce baked right into the meat, reheated in buttery buffalo sauce and topped with a cool ranch slaw, so there's no separate dip to carry. For the scoopable version, see our buffalo chicken dip.
At the lot: The meatballs are baked the day before, so the grill only has to heat them in the sauce in a covered foil pan while you toss the slaw. Homegating: Heat them in the sauce on the stove, then hold them in a slow cooker on warm and let everyone build their own.
Home gear: 2 rimmed sheet pans lined with foil
40 MIN
At home, the day before
25 MIN
At the lot
12
Feeds
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lb ground chicken
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 3 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp cayenne pepper hot sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
Buffalo sauce
- ⅔ cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp honey
Ranch slaw
- 3 cups bagged coleslaw mix
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup ranch dressing
Serve
- 24 slider rolls
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
Steps
At home
- Heat the oven to 425°F and oil the foil on the sheet pans.
- Mix the panko, egg, green onions, garlic, 2 tbsp hot sauce, salt, onion powder and pepper in a large bowl and let it sit 5 minutes so the crumbs soften. Add the chicken and mix with your hands just until even. The mix will be soft.
- With wet hands, roll 24 meatballs about 1¾ inches across and set them on the pans.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until browned in spots and 165°F in the center. Cool them on the pans for 15 minutes, then pack them in a half-size foil pan, cover and refrigerate.
- Melt the butter, then whisk in ⅔ cup hot sauce and the honey. Pour it into a jar. It keeps a week in the fridge.
- Bag the coleslaw mix and celery together. Pack the ranch on its own.
At the lot
- Set up the grill for two zones. Pour the buffalo sauce over the meatballs, cover the pan and set it on the cool side. Heat, stirring once, until the meatballs read 165°F, 15 to 25 minutes. Go by the thermometer, not the clock.
- While they heat, toss the slaw mix and celery with the ranch.
- Split the rolls and toast them cut side down for a minute if you like. Fill each with a meatball, a spoonful of sauce, a pile of slaw and some blue cheese.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Fuel: any grill with a lid. Keep the pan off direct heat so the sauce doesn't scorch.
- Holding hot: leave the pan covered on the cool side so the meatballs stay at 140°F or above.
- Cold side: the slaw and blue cheese stay at 40°F or below until you build. Toss anything out past 2 hours, or 1 hour over 90°F.
- Fridge life: the baked meatballs keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or 3 months frozen. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.
- Cleanup: the foil pan goes in the trash.
Can you make buffalo chicken meatballs ahead?
Yes. Bake them up to 3 days ahead and keep them in the fridge, or freeze them. Heat them in the sauce at the lot until they reach 165°F.
How do you keep meatballs hot at a tailgate?
Keep the foil pan covered on the cool side of the grill after they're heated. They should stay at 140°F or above until they're gone.
How many buffalo chicken meatball sliders for 20 people?
Make 2 batches for 48 sliders, about 2 each with a few spare: 4 lb of ground chicken, 1½ cups of panko, 2 eggs, 48 rolls and a double batch of sauce and slaw. Heat them in 2 pans.
Can you make these in a slow cooker?
Yes, if your lot has power. Heat the meatballs and sauce on the stove or grill to 165°F first, then hold them in the slow cooker on warm. A slow cooker heats cold food too slowly to be safe on its own.
Not cooked by us yet.
