BBQ Chicken Meatballs made with lean ground chicken, flavorful spices, coated in your favorite buffalo sauce. These meatballs are so easy to make and sure to be a hit for a quick dinner, easy snack, or fun appetizer.
Easy Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Meatballs
Sweet and sticky barbecue chicken in the form of a meatball?! Count me in! These easy oven baked bbq chicken meatballs are made with lean ground chicken and full of delicious flavor thanks to a combination of spices and dried herbs, then tossed in sweet and sticky bbq sauce for the perfect bite. It’s everything you love about barbecue chicken in a delicious little meatball.
Not only is this recipe is simple and delicious, it can also easily be made Whole30 compliant. These meatballs are naturally gluten-free, lower carb, and dairy free.
A Few More Delicious Meatball Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Pesto Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Greek Chicken Meatballs
- Sesame Ginger Chicken Meatballs
- Sticky Ginger Scallion Meatballs
- Pesto Turkey Meatballs
- Thai Red Curry Meatballs
- Sweet and Sticky Pork Meatballs
- Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
Get all of our reader favorite meatball recipes, here!
The Tools You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
This recipe is simple and easy but there are a few simple kitchen tools that you will need to successfully make it. Here is what you need:
- PARCHMENT PAPER
- SHEET PAN
- MIXING BOWL
- COOKIE DOUGH SCOOP
- WOODEN SPOON
- MEASURING CUP
- MEASURING SPOONS
Meatball Ingredients
Ground Chicken: Lean ground chicken works so well in this recipe. If you do not have ground chicken, feel free to use ground turkey or ground beef instead.
Almond Flour: This helps to ensure that the meatballs are not too dense.
Barbecue Sauce: To give the meatballs a little bit of that sweet and tangy barbecue sauce from the inside out.
Spices and Seasonings: Spices like paprika and dried oregano pack these meatballs full of flavor.
How to Make Healthy BBQ Chicken Meatballs
Step One: First, start by adding all of the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Then, use your hands to mix all of the ingredients until well combined.
Step Two: Next, use a one tablespoon measure cookie scoop to scoop the ground chicken mixture and use your hands to roll the mixture into meatballs. Place the meatballs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Step Three: Drizzle a little bit of oil over the meatballs and then bake them at 425 degrees for around fifteen to twenty minutes until fully cooked through.
Step Four: Once the meatballs are fully cooked, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle more barbecue sauce over the meatballs and then give them a toss until well coated. Add as much or as little barbecue sauce as you want here, these are YOUR meatballs.
Step Five: Once the meatballs are sauced to your liking, transfer them a serving dish. Serve with extra barbecue sauce for dipping and enjoy!
Can I Make BBQ Chicken Meatballs in the Air Fryer?
Yes! If you have an air fryer, you can whip these barbecue chicken meatballs up even more quickly. Instead of baking the meatballs in the oven, cook your meatballs in your air fryer.
Just place them in your air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until fully cooked and browned. You can give them a shake halfway through to ensure that they cook evenly.
Once the meatballs are fully cooked, toss them in the barbecue sauce until well coated and serve!
How to Make These Meatballs Whole30 Compliant
These barbecue chicken meatballs are very easy to make Whole30 compliant. Just use a barbecue sauce that is Whole30 compliant and you are good to go. When purchasing a barbecue sauce, look for one that is made without any added sugar or other non-compliant ingredients.
What to Serve With BBQ Chicken Meatballs
The most obvious way to serve your meatballs may be as an appetizer but they are actually great as a quick lunch, dinner, or even snack. Try serving them with a fresh salad along with roasted potatoes or cauliflower rice.
More Appetizer Recipes to Love
- Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Homemade Pico de Gallo
- Crispy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Nuggets
- Homemade Air Fryer French Fries
BBQ Chicken Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 26-28 meatballs 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 26-28 meatballs 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (plus more for coating)
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
Method
- Add the ground chicken, apple cider vinegar, spices, almond flour, and barbecue sauce to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
- Next, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop the ground chicken mixture. Then, use your hands to roll the mixture into meatballs. Place the meatballs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of avocado or olive oil over the meatballs. Bake the meatballs at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until fully cooked through.
- When the meatballs are fully cooked, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle more barbecue sauce over the meatballs and then toss them until well coated in the sauce.
- Once the meatballs are sauced to your liking, transfer them a serving dish. Serve with extra barbecue sauce for dipping and enjoy!
