Buffalo Turkey Meatballs (Crockpot or Oven-Baked)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Oct 28, 2021 (last updated Mar 24, 2026) 
Tender and juicy, my Buffalo ground turkey meatballs are simple to prepare, and come together easily in the slow cooker or baked in the oven; no pre-cooking required! Doused in a spicy homemade Buffalo sauce, it’s an easy meal prep + appetizer idea you’ll want to make on repeat!
5 star review
“These were delicious, and super easy to make! I love that they could cook in the crockpot without needing to be pan fried or seared first. Amazing flavor, too! My husband was obsessed.”
– Melissa
Buffalo Turkey Meatballs are an Easy Meal Prep + Appetizer Win!
We absolutely love meatballs around here, whether it’s for an easy meal prep, a celebratory game day, or just a busy weeknight, and these easy, juicy Buffalo meatballs made with ground turkey are the latest to join the meatball party.
Because ground turkey can often be dry, I use one of my go-to tricks to keep these meatballs juicy by adding grated onion (similar to my crockpot juicy turkey meatballs in marinara, which should be on your list to try next!) Just use a box grater to grate up half an onion, add it to the meatball mix, and you’ll be amazed how much this little trick improve the texture and flavor of the meatballs.
To keep prep to a minimum for this recipe, I also wanted to skip the browning step. While browning can add a bit more flavor, to me it’s just not always worth the time and dirty dishes. That’s why the method I use skips the browning process (which means no frying and less mess!), and lets you add the meatballs directly to the crockpot or oven for a super easy dinner!
Testing Tips from My Kitchen to Yours
- Try not to over-mix the meat mixture, or you’ll end up with tough meatballs, and no one wants that!
- Don’t skip grating the onion! Grating it on a box grater (just as you would cheese) allows the onion to release much-needed moisture and lets it dissolve into the meat as it cooks.
- Rolling your meatballs into the same size helps them cook evenly. Keep in mind that turkey can be sticky and will not roll the way ground beef does. Use a cookie scoop if the mixture is too sticky.
- Just be sure to follow the instructions for best results, and don’t stir the meatballs once they are in the slow cooker!
- Cayenne Pepper Sauce: Frank’s Red Hot Sauce has an authentic Buffalo sauce flavor, so I recommend it for this recipe. You can also look for other brands of cayenne sauce. Do not use Frank’s Buffalo sauce, as it has additional ingredients you’ll want to avoid for this recipe. Tabasco is also not a good substitute, as it’s hotter and spicier.
Buffalo Turkey Meatballs (Crockpot or Oven-Baked)
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- ¼ cup grated onion, from about ½ medium yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons breadcrumbs
- 1 pound 93% lean, dark meat ground turkey
For the Buffalo Sauce
- ⅓ cup cayenne pepper sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot original)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Equipment
Instructions
Crockpot Instructions
- Make the Meatballs: To make the meatballs, mix together the grated onion, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl until well combined. Add the meat, stirring until all the ingredients are well incorporated, clean hands work best, being careful not to over-mix.
- Roll the mixture into 2-inch balls, or use a 2-inch cookie scoop. Keep in mind that turkey can be sticky and will not roll the way ground beef does. Use a cookie scoop if the mixture is too sticky. Set aside.
- Make the Buffalo Sauce: Mix together the cayenne pepper sauce with the melted butter, stirring until well incorporated. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the Buffalo sauce to add at the end.
- Place the meatballs on the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour over the sauce. Carefully turn each meatball in the sauce until each is coated.
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-5 hours, or until the meatballs are tender and cooked through.
- Uncover and remove the meatballs to a serving platter. Strain the reserved 2 tablespoons sauce sauce. Serve the meatballs with the remaining sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons of fresh sauce on the side for dipping. Alternatively, leave the meatballs in the slow cooker on “warm” setting and serve directly with sauce on the side.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat: Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the Buffalo Sauce: by mixing together the cayenne pepper sauce with the melted butter, stirring until well incorporated.
- Make the Meatballs: By mixing together the grated onion, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, and 2 tablespoons Buffalo sauce in a large bowl. Add the meat, stirring until all the ingredients are well incorporated, clean hands work best, being careful not to over-mix.
- Roll the mixture into 2-inch balls, or use a 2-inch cookie scoop. Keep in mind that turkey can be sticky and will not roll the way ground beef does. Use a cookie scoop if the mixture is too sticky. Place the meatballs on a greased, rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through, being careful not to overbake or the meatballs will be dry.
- Toss the meatballs in the remaining sauce and serve, or serve with the sauce on the side.
Notes
- Optional Serving Suggestions: blue cheese dressing, carrot sticks, celery sticks.
- Serving Size: This recipe makes about 22, 2-inch meatballs, which serves from 5-6 if you use a serving size of 4 meatballs.
- Hot Sauce: Frank’s Red Hot Sauce has an authentic Buffalo sauce flavor, and so is recommended for this recipe. You can also look for other brands of cayenne sauce.
- Gluten-Free: Sub almond flour or gf-breadcrumbs for the breadcrumbs.
Make these right now! These are so delicious and satisfying. The whole family approved, even my 1 year old (without the extra sauce).
Yay, so glad you’re enjoying this one, thanks so much for leaving a review!
Love these buffalo turkey meatballs and so did my family. I baked these via the directions provided and they were so easy to make. Adding to my recipe rotation.
Yeah, Erin, so happy to hear you and your crew enjoyed this meatballs! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
These were delicious, and super easy to make! I love that they could cook in the crockpot without needing to be pan fried or seared first. Amazing flavor, too! My husband was obsessed.
Melissa, yay, so glad you enjoyed these — I’m a big fan of doing meatballs in the crockpot without pre-cooking first. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!