Slow Cooker Buffalo Turkey Meatballs with Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip
These buffalo turkey (or chicken) meatballs bring all of your favorite flavors of wings with a healthier twist. Serve as an appetizer with the yogurt blue cheese dip or put them on top of a bowl or salad for an easy, satisfying lunch or dinner!
Buffalo Turkey Meatballs: AKA Healthy Wings
We love buffalo wing sauce in our house, but I never love that weighed-down need-a-nap feeling after eating a plate of wings. These meatballs are the perfect solution to enjoying a healthier, lighter version of wings. Pair with the yogurt blue cheese dip and you’ll feel like you’re back in college eating wings and drinking beer at your favorite bar (no, just me?).
How to Serve Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
These meatballs are the perfect appetizer or finger food for watching all your favorite sports — or for a party (you know, in normal times). They’re great for serving a crowd since you can set them and forget them and let people enjoy them while they mingle, but also nice for an easy hands off family meal.
Other ways to serve them
- Make your own grain bowl with quinoa or brown rice, baby spinach or chopped romaine lettuce, chopped celery, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, and the buffalo meatballs. Drizzle with the yogurt blue cheese sauce (you can thin it out with a little water or olive oil), and top with additional blue cheese.
- As a salad: same as above, just skip the quinoa.
- Lettuce wraps: fill romaine or butter leaf lettuce leaves with 1 meatball, a few shredded carrots and chopped celery. Drizzle the the blue cheese yogurt sauce on top and add a few sprinkles of blue cheese (optional).
Meal Prep or Make Ahead Options
What I love about these meatballs (and meatballs in general) is that they are perfect for a meal prep day and can be made ahead because they freeze well. You can freeze them half cooked before you put the sauce on so they are ready to pop in the slow cooker when you want them, or you can cook up a double batch and freeze half for a future use. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months!
The Yogurt Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
The cool creamy sauce is great as a dip for both the meatballs as well as some sliced raw veggies like carrots, celery, or cucumber. But it can also be made into a dressing. If you like a thick dressing, leave it as is. Or, you can thin it out with a little water, lemon juice (for a tart option), or even a drizzle of olive oil.
I highly recommend using full fat (or at least 2%) Greek or Icelandic yogurt here. The fat makes it that much more creamy and satisfying, and a little bit of dairy fat can absolutely be part of a healthy diet.
If You Love These Meatballs, You’ll Also Love
Meal Prep Greek Turkey Meatballs
The Easiest Greek Turkey Meatball Souvlaki Plate
Did You Make These Buffalo Turkey Meatballs?
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Slow Cooker Buffalo Turkey Meatballs with Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip
Satisfy your wing craving without feeling weighed down. These Buffalo Turkey (or Chicken) Meatballs have all the flavor you love from wings, especially when paired with a creamy blue cheese dip. The perfect appetizer or bowl or salad topper!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey (or chicken)
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 to 1 cup Franks Hot Wing Sauce (depending on how spicy you like it!)
Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip
- 1/2 cup plan greek yogurt (I recommend full fat)
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp milk
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Mix together all of the meatball ingredients except hot sauce. Form into 16 balls (about 2 heaping tablespoons each) and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until meatballs are well formed and start to brown.
- Place meatballs in the slow cooker. Add buffalo sauce, pouring evenly over meatballs. Cook on low for 2 hours. Serve immediately with dip or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve.
- While the meatballs cook, make the dip. Whisk together the yogurt, milk, vinegar, and spices until well mixed. Carefully stir in blue cheese. The dip can be used as both a dip and a dressing on a salad or bowl.
Notes
1. Store leftover meatballs in the fridge for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 4 months. Dip can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
