Buffalo Turkey Meatballs (Easy Meal Prep)
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These buffalo turkey meatballs are incredibly versatile – perfect as a scrumptious appetizer for your next party or a quick and easy meal prep. Best of all, you won’t need to spend hours in the kitchen because they’re ready in a breeze. I love serving these over rice for meal prep or with some ranch dipping sauce.
If you are looking for more meal prep ideas be sure to check out meal prep ideas ideas to lose weight and meal prepping with ground turkey.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Looking for more buffalo flavored recipes? Try this Greek Yogurt Buffalo Chicken Dip or Buffalo Chicken Alfredo Pasta next.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these Buffalo Turkey Meatballs:
Ingredient Notes
Ground Turkey: I use 93% fat free in this recipe.
Ranch Dressing: I like using either the Tessemae’s brand or Bolthouse Farms. You should be able to find both of these at Walmart in the refrigerator section.
How to make Turkey Buffalo Meatballs: Step by Step
Here are quick visual instructions. Be sure to check out the full instructions with exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a medium sized bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for your meatballs.
Step 2: Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, scoop out small portions of meat and roll into a ball using the palm of your hand and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 16 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare the buffalo greek yogurt sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 5: When meatballs are done cooking, coat each of them in the buffalo sauce.
Turkey Meatball Meal Prep
This recipe is a breeze and absolutely ideal for a high protein meal prep. If you’re tired of skipping lunch or resorting to unhealthy options, try putting together some turkey meatball meal prep bowls at the start of the week (you can thank me later 😄).
Check out these spicy turkey meal prep bowls for another high protein meal prep option.
I love having these with some brown rice or protein pasta and some raw veggies for a well balanced meal prep. You could also serve with cauliflower rice or even spaghetti squash if you are watching your carb intake.
These are the meal prep containers that I use (from Amazon of course).
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t over mix the ingredients: When combining the ingredients, be careful not to over mix the meatball mixture. Over-mixing can result in dense and tough meatballs. Mix until the ingredients are just combined.
- Line the baking sheet: To make cleanup a breeze, line your baking sheet with either parchment paper or foil before placing the meatballs on it. This prevents them from sticking to the sheet and makes for easy removal.
- Use a cookie scoop: To achieve evenly-sized meatballs, consider using a cookie scoop. This ensures that each meatball is uniform in size, leading to consistent cooking..
Storage & Reheating
- Storage: You can store these meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: These meatballs are great for freezing. Once cooled, store them in a ziploc bag or airtight container and freeze them. They can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat buffalo turkey meatballs in the microwave, place them on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat on high for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. For the stovetop: place the meatballs in a skillet over medium heat, and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated thorough.
Additions and Substitutions
SUBSTITUTIONS
Ground turkey: You can substitute the ground turkey with ground chicken or even lean ground beef.
Breadcrumbs: Instead of using breadcrumbs, you can use oats, panko breadcrumbs, or almond flour for a gluten-free option.
ADDITIONS
Vegetables: Finely chopped onions, bell peppers, or grated carrots can add flavor, moisture, and extra nutrients to the meatball mixture.
Heat: If you prefer spicier meatballs, you can add diced jalapenos, crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper to the mixture.
Cheese: Add some shredded cheese like cheddar, mozzarella, or blue cheese to the meatball mixture for added richness and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
You have a world of options to choose from! Some fantastic companions include crisp celery and carrot sticks with blue cheese or ranch dressing, a salad, some roasted veggies, rice, or even a zesty coleslaw to balance out the heat.
Get creative and pair them with your favorite veggies, grains, or even some crusty bread for a satisfying meal.
To keep the meatballs from getting parched during reheating, make sure to cover them with a damp paper towel or add a splash of broth or sauce when warming them up. That way, you’ll have moist and flavorful meatballs.
Absolutely! If you’re looking for a low-carb option, you can swap out the breadcrumbs with almond flour. Not only does it add a nutty flavor, but it also helps bind the meatball mixture together. This substitution is perfect if you are looking for a lower carb option or following a gluten-free diet.
Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 tbs garlic minced
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- Ranch dressing optional
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup hot sauce more or less to your liking
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together all of your ingredients for your meatballs.
- Using a spoon, or a cookie scoop, scoop out small portions of meat and roll into a ball using the palm of your hand. Make sure that you don’t make the meatballs too large, so they cook evenly.
Oven Instructions
- Place each meatball onto a lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 400 for 16 minutes.
- Prepare the buffalo greek yogurt sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- When meatballs are done cooking, coat each of them in the buffalo sauce.
- You can serve with ranch sauce on the side, or you can squeeze ranch dressing on top of each meatball. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place each meatball on your trivet that is covered in aluminum foil. Because the meat is a much leaner protein, using aluminum foil will make sure that they don’t fall through the trivet while cooking.
- Once all of your meatballs are formed into balls and placed on the trivet, pour one and a half cups of water into your instant pot. Place the trivet inside.
- Close and lock the lid on your instant pot and close the ceiling valve. Set your instant pot to high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Once they are done cooking, do a quick release by pulling the valve open to release the pressure. Transfer the trivet onto a plate or flat surface and allow them to cool.
- Once the meatballs have cooled, coat each of them in the buffalo sauce.
- You can serve with ranch sauce on the side, or you can squeeze ranch dressing on top of each meatball. Enjoy!
Nutrition
The nutritional details for recipes are estimated using MyFitnessPal and can vary with different products, measurement accuracy, and source reliability. We aim to provide accurate information but cannot guarantee the precise accuracy of the nutritional data