Sunny's Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with Ranchy Blue Dipping Sauce
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 16 to 20 meatballs
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 18 servings
- Calories
- 363
- Total Fat
- 28
- Saturated Fat
- 7
- Carbohydrates
- 19
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 10
- Cholesterol
- 39
- Sodium
- 543
- Total: 2 hr 15 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
4 ounces shredded Parmesan
1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 slice white or wheat bread, cut into tiny cubes
1 large egg white, whisked until frothy
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 cups cornstarch
Dipping Sauce:
1 cup ranch dressing
8 ounces blue cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch celery salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Glaze:
1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Frank’s RedHot here)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Peanut oil, for frying
Directions
Special equipment:
a deep-fry thermometer; toothpicks- For the meatballs: In a large bowl, add and break up the ground chicken. In a medium bowl, add the Parmesan, basil, parsley, onion, breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, garlic, scallions, bread, egg white and some pepper. Stir until everything is blended. Add to the chicken and gently mix with your less dominant hand, turning the bowl with the dominant hand and using your fingers on the less dominant hand as a pitchfork, folding as you go. Once it’s well mixed, divide and form into 16 to 20 meatballs. Rest on a plate or baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- For the dipping sauce: In a food processor, add the ranch dressing, blue cheese, lemon juice, celery salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. Transfer to a dipping bowl and top with the chives. Refrigerate until served.
- For the glaze: In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, add the hot sauce, honey, confectioners’ sugar, red wine vinegar and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly, 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment or nonstick aluminum foil and a baking rack over the top, then set aside. In a tall, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, add 2 to 3 inches of oil and raise the temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Roll and dust the meatballs in the cornstarch, shaking off the excess. Gently add the meatballs to the oil in batches while holding the temperature at 350 degrees F. Fry until the outsides are golden and firm, 3 to 5 minutes. The goal is not to cook them fully, but to just get color all around and maintain their shape.
- Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, then place on the prepared baking sheet rack an inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and quickly brush the balls with glaze. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes, then repeat the glazing and baking in 5-minute increments for a total of 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool off a bit, then serve with toothpicks and the chilled dipping sauce.