Keto sausage balls are the perfect appetizer for any time of the year. These low carb, gluten-free buffalo chicken sausage balls are sure to be a hit at your Game Day celebrations. Make a double batch because they will go fast!
These keto sausage balls have a very special place at my Super Bowl celebrations every year. I originally created the recipe back in 2016 and took them to a friend’s party and they became an instant hit. Ever since then, my friends request that I bring my “balls” to any get together.
Yes, we do take it to lewd and childish places. Because that’s how middle aged men and women get their kicks, by acting like 12 year old boys. We have even hatched a plan for a local food truck called Carolyn’s Ballz. Because of course it has to end with a z.
All sorts of balls will be served at this imaginary food truck, from savory to sweet. They will all be keto-friendly, of course, and all perfect bite-sized round balls of deliciousness. I can envision some of my best ball-shaped treats, such as the cheddar jalapeño meatballs, the chicken piccata meatballs, and my famous keto peanut butter truffles. And perhaps my coconut rum balls and some keto-friendly snowballs too.
Round, bite-sized food is where it’s at, my friends. And these Buffalo Chicken Sausage Balls are the delicious appetizers that kicked off the trend.
Revamping my keto sausage balls recipe
After several years, I decided it was time to update this recipe. Because I originally created these keto sausage balls with Buffalo flavored chicken sausage. The problem is that this particular brand and flavor of sausage isn’t available to everyone and I like my recipes to be accessible across the board.
So I decided to overhaul the whole thing and start from scratch, using regular chicken sausage, adding in the Buffalo sauce and other seasonings to get the right flavor and consistency.
I also decided to cut back on the flours and reduce the carb count while I was at it. And so you have it… new and improved Buffalo Chicken Sausage Balls.
Is Buffalo chicken keto?
There are so many things you have to forego on a keto diet, but thankfully buffalo chicken isn’t one of them. Just make sure your chicken isn’t breaded or dredged in something that contains gluten, grains, or starches.
The original Buffalo wings were made with melted butter and Frank’s Hot Sauce, which contains only cayenne peppers, vinegar, water, salt, and garlic powder. This is a great zero carb option for Buffalo chicken recipes.
But now there are any number of Buffalo wing sauce brands out there, and many of them contain soybean or canola oil. While they are technically still keto-friendly, they aren’t your healthiest option.
Better choices include paleo-friendly sauces from brands such as Tessamae’s and The New Primal. You could also simply make your own by mixing melted butter and Frank’s Original Hot sauce at a one-to-one ratio.
How to make Keto Buffalo Sausage Balls
Sausage balls are quite similar to meatballs, although they start with already pre-seasoned sausage. They also tend to contain more dry filler than meatballs do, and usually have shredded Cheddar cheese mixed in as well. Meatballs often have eggs to bind them, whereas sausage balls
Bulk sausage: Bulk sausage refers to seasoned ground meat that isn’t in casings like link sausages. You can use link sausages too, as long as they are fresh and uncooked. You can simply slit the casings and remove the sausage. It isn’t always easy to find bulk chicken sausage, but it’s more mild in flavor than pork sausage so I recommend it.
If you simply can’t find chicken sausage, just use ground chicken. Once you add in the Buffalo flavoring, it will taste much the same.
The filler: No Bisquick here! Originally I used 2 full cups of almond flour for these keto sausage balls but this time I used a combination of almond and coconut flours. Coconut flour on its own tends to make things like this too dry, but the combination was perfect and it reduced the carb count.
The cheese: In the first iteration of this recipe, I used both cheddar and crumbled bleu cheese. This time I used only cheddar in the sausage balls themselves, reserving the bleu cheese for the dipping sauce. This makes them a little more friendly to kids and to those who simply don’t like that funny bleu cheese tang.
Ready to make some seriously good Keto Buffalo Chicken Sausage Balls?
More delicious Keto Buffalo Chicken recipes
Keto Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Avocados
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings
Keto Buffalo Chicken Sausage Balls
Ingredients
Sausage Balls:
- 24 ounces bulk chicken sausage or ground chicken (casings removed if sold as links)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoon coconut flour
- ½ cup Buffalo wing sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
Bleu Cheese Ranch Dipping Sauce:
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk can substitute regular milk
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese or more, if desired
Instructions
Sausage Balls:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil.
- In a large bowl, combine the sausage, cheddar cheese, almond flour, coconut flour, Buffalo sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Roll into 1-inch balls and place about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce:
- While the sausage balls are baking, combine mayonnaise, almond milk, garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well and then mix in crumbled bleu cheese.
Notes
Total fat: 14.02g
Carbohydrate: 3.90g
Total dietary fiber: 1.67g
Protein: 14.54g
Paula says
Just made this and gave a sample to my picky husband — 2 thumbs up! Well, 4 including mine! only, have you ever put something in the oven, looked back and realized you forgot an ingredient??? Oopsie — I forgot the cheddar cheese! They were still amazing!
Carolyn says
All. The. Time. 😉
Debby says
Made a double batch for camping this weekend… If I could keep family out of container, we may have some to take… Very Good…
Carolyn says
Have fun!
Anne says
These would be great – but too much salt. Followed recipe and they’re too salty to taste. I should’ve known 1 tsp salt was too much. I would do 1/4 teaspoon salt. Maybe 1/2 tsp if you like salt.
Carolyn says
Hmmm, you seem to be the only person who’s had that complaint. So I suspect your chicken sausage choice is to blame… possibly they had too much salt. 1 tsp salt for 24 ounces of meat is generally not too much.
Anneliese Varnado says
Can you cook the sausage balls in an air fryer? What temperature and time would you recommend?
Carolyn says
I recommend googling air fryer meatballs and using those temps and times.
Phil says
The cheddar cheese in the recipe – is this genuine cheddar cheese or the strange stuff found in many shops in the USA?
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s block cheddar.
Emily says
Can these be prepped ahead and kept refrigerated the night
Before baking?
Carolyn says
yes, that should be fine.
Sarah says
I made these and everyone loved them. However, they were very soft and almost fell apart when I pick them up. The only thing I changed and the recipe is omitted the coconut flour and just added extra almond flour because I didn’t have any. Can I add an egg in to bind it together better? I prefer if they were a little more firm. But they were delicious.
Carolyn says
Yes, well that’s your problem right there.
Nick says
Made these yesterday and only got 32 balls, I guess the scoop I used was an inch and a half. Nobody complained about them being larger, LOL. They were light, satisfying and delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Carolyn says
It’s all good!
Cindy says
Can another kind of cheese be used? I don’t like blue cheese.
Carolyn says
Absolutely OR… you can leave it out altogether.
Holly says
I’m obsessed with everything buffalo! Thanks for the recipe! However, I recently found out that my body no longer tolerates dairy. My fingers swell up if I eat it. 🙁 So, I will attempt to make these without the cheese and hope they still hold up okay. Fingers crossed!
JP says
Do these require any butter with the Frank’s original sauce? Can’t wait to try them!
Carolyn says
Yes, I mentioned that in the blog post itself. If you want to use the original, you will want a 1:1 ratio of the sauce and melted butter.
Jocelyn says
Our son is obsessed with all things hot sauce or buffalo too!! These are a must make for our game days!
Anna says
We loved these as an appetizer for our party! They were gone in no time!
Allyson Zea says
Buffalo EVERYTHING for me! I love this stuff!!!
Becky Hardin says
Perfect for game day! They look so good.
Rachael Yerkes says
These are so perfect for game day! Love them so much
Jamielyn says
Such a yummy appetizer!
Krissy Allori says
I love that these are gluten free! I can’t wait to try them with my family!