Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

08 Jun Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp ghee or other cooking fat
• 1 1/4 lbs ground chicken I used thighs
• 3 Tbsp blanched almond flour 
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 cloves garlic minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt fine grain
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Chopped fresh chives for garnish
• Ranch drizzle for garnish see below

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot Original)
• 1/4 cup ghee melted

Ranch Drizzle:

• 1/2 cup homemade mayo or purchased paleo mayo*
• 3 Tbsp non-dairy milk almond or coconut
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dried chives
• 1/4 tsp dried dill optional
• 3/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8-1/4 tsp salt or to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, almond or tapioca, onion, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands until fully combined, careful not to overwork the meat.
2. Heat a large nonstick heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the 1 1/2 tbsp ghee.
3. Chicken mixture will be sticky, so I recommend lightly wetting your hands OR coating them with olive or coconut oil to roll into meatballs. Simply re-coat when things start sticking.
4. Roll chicken mixture into balls about 1 – 1.5” (on the small side) and place in the hot skillet to brown. Use a spoon to carefully turn them 3-4 times to brown evenly on all sides.
5. While meatballs brown, whisk together the sauce ingredients. After browning, pour sauce over meatballs and lower the heat to med-low. Cover the skillet and cook another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. Uncover and stir sauce, spooning it over the meatballs.
6. You can serve these as a main dish over fried cauliflower rice or other sides of choice, OR as an appetizer! Before serving, garnish with fresh chopped chives and drizzle with ranch sauce (see below). You can also serve the ranch as a dip if you prefer. Enjoy!

Ranch Drizzle:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ranch ingredients until very smooth. Serve right away and store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.