How many of you miss buffalo chicken wings? After weight loss surgery they might not go down well. These mini buffalo chicken meatballs can help fill the gap!
After bariatric surgery, certain proteins can be tough to tolerate. I really think there are several factors: the type of protein and also how the protein is cooked.
Chicken and turkey can be hard to handle after surgery. For patients that have issues, I always suggest either the darker meat or ground.
For patients who enjoy buffalo wings they are especially hard to handle because their fried, which makes the outer skin hard.
Ground chicken is a great alternative because it's super soft! Meatballs: chicken, turkey, or beef can be a great source of protein for patients after surgery.
Tips to Make Mini Buffalo Balls
- Baking these rather than browning them on the stovetop will keep these meatballs more tender.
- If your baking dish does not have a lid cover the buffalo meatballs with foil. The reason I cover them is to help keep them moist and stop the outside from drying out.
- I don't add breadcrumbs so these buffalo chicken meatballs are low carb and keto.
- If you want to turn down the heat use Monterey Jack cheese instead of pepper jack.
- I love blue cheese, but my family doesn't. A tablespoon or 2 of blue cheese crumbles would be awesome in these balls.
- You can freeze these and store them for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat them defrost and warm them up covered in the oven. The microwave may make them too chewy for patients to handle.
Mini Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
A softer easier to chew and swallow alternative to buffalo wings. After bariatric surgery soft proteins are easier to eat. Enjoy the same great buffalo chicken flavor without the calories!
Ingredients
- ½ pound Ground Chicken
- ¼ cup Pepper Jack Cheese Shredded
- ¼ cup cup Chedder Cheese Shredded
- 2 tablespoon Cream Cheese softened
- ¼ cup Buffalo Sauce Franks Red Hot
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl mix all ingredient together.
- Take about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture and form small meat balls.
- Place meatballs into a bake dish.
- Bake the buffalo meatballs covered fro 15-20 minutes.
- Serve with Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 2ballsCalories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 14gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 599mgPotassium: 306mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 222IUCalcium: 114mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag #bariatricbits!
LoriAnn says
Thank you for the tips. I am 3 weeks post bariatric bypass and I am almost ready for real food.
Michelle says
I made this yesterday for a family gathering and they were delicious! A little spicy so not drinking water for 30 minutes after was a little challenging. I also doubled the recipe, but there were a lot more servings than I anticipated. I will freeze a few and see how they do re-heated. Thanks!
Peyton says
Mine are being weird. How do I know when they're done??? I feel like they're taking longer to cook.
Jennifer Pullman says
Use a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees f.
Christine says
Should the cheeses in this recipe all be reduced fat?
Jennifer Pullman says
No, you don't need to use reduced-fat cheese.
Mary S says
Just found this recipe tonight; excited to make these within the next few days. I have not had bariatric surgery but I have intermittent swallowing problems (probably one more diabetic neuropathy issue) that soft, easy-to-chew recipes like this are perfect for without having to constantly worry about what's a good size for a "safe" bite. I also appreciate the advice about baking ground meat dishes in general. Thanks!
Lisa says
Made these last night, got 14 meatballs for the recipe. Definitely spicy. Good but as someone else mentioned difficult when you can’t drink. Had 3 for about 10.5g protein.
Jennifer says
Mine tuned out mushy. And I even cooked them an extra 10 min. Anyone else?
Jennifer Pullman says
The meatballs will be soft. The only way to make them not so soft would be to add a binder like an egg and/or brown them. Either option though may make the meatballs difficult for some patients to tolerate. Soft is better than hard or tough when it comes to meat after weight loss surgery.
Rachel says
Have you ever tried cooking these in an air fryer? If so, time/temp tips? 🙂