
The World’s Best Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sub
Transform your tailgate with this legendary buffalo chicken sub featuring juicy meatballs, buffalo sauce, melted mozzarella, and blue cheese sauce today.
The World’s Best Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sub
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Lunch
Cuisine
American
Author:
This recipe comes to us from Casey Bard, founder of Tacticalories Seasoning Co. and longtime collaborator and friend of Montana Knife Company.
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Calories
450
After years spent relying on traditional meatball sub recipes, I finally threw convention out the window and created a sandwich that would make my hunting buddies forget all about regular chicken meatball subs.
The result? A buffalo chicken sub that’s become legendary at our tailgates.
Picture juicy chicken meatballs packed with fresh vegetables, smothered in tangy buffalo sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and cool blue cheese dressing. It’s the kind of sandwich that makes you close your eyes on the first bite.

Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to create these addictive buffalo chicken meatball subs:
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1/4 cup celery, minced with a sharp, clean knife
- 1/4 cup carrot, minced with a sharp, clean knife
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. of your favorite SPG seasoning (I use Tacticalories’ Primal SPG seasoning)
- 1/2 cup of your favorite buffalo wing sauce (Tacticalories’ Helldiver Buffalo Wing Sauce is my go-to)
- Blue cheese dressing (to taste)
- Four sub rolls
- Mozzarella cheese (for topping)
Directions
Let’s build these bad boys:
Fire up your oven or grill to 400°F. I prefer the grill for that extra smoky flavor, but the oven works just fine when the weather won’t cooperate.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your ground chicken, minced celery, carrot, panko, egg, and Primal SPG. Ditch the spoon and get your hands dirty. Mix all ingredients until just combined. The key to tender buffalo chicken meatballs is not overworking the mixture.
Roll the mixture into 12 evenly sized chicken meatballs. I like to use a small ice cream scoop for consistency, but eyeballing it also works. Place them on a prepared baking sheet with a bit of space between each one.
Bake those buffalo chicken meatballs for 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re golden brown and cooked through (165°F internal temp if you’re the precise type).
Generously coat your meatballs with your buffalo wing sauce. Don’t be shy! These buffalo chicken subs are all about bold flavors.
Split your sub rolls and nestle three to four buffalo chicken meatballs in each one. The fit should be snug but not cramped. Top each chicken meatball sub with a generous handful of mozzarella.
Pop the assembled buffalo chicken subs back in the oven just until the cheese melts. (This usually takes about three to five minutes, but keep an eye on them.)
Finish with a drizzle of blue cheese dressing and prepare for the compliments.
Recipe Note
Pro Tips for the Best Chicken Meatball Subs
Through countless batches of these buffalo chicken meatball subs, I’ve picked up some tricks that take them from good to unforgettable:
- Dice your celery and carrots as finely as possible using a clean, sharp chef’s knife. The smaller the pieces, the better they’ll integrate into the meatballs. These vegetables add moisture and a subtle crunch that keeps the buffalo chicken meatballs from becoming dense.
- Ground chicken can dry out quickly, so don’t overbake. Use a meat thermometer if you’re unsure. Once they hit 165°F, they’re done.
- Tossing the chicken meatballs in buffalo sauce when they’re still hot helps the flavors penetrate deeper. For an extra layer of flavor, brush some sauce on the inside of your sub rolls, too.
- This buffalo chicken sub recipe calls for mozzarella, but I’ve experimented with different cheeses. A mix of mozzarella and provolone gives you the best melt and flavor combination. For the adventurous, try adding a bit of crumbled blue cheese with the mozzarella.
What started as a wild experiment has become one of my most requested recipes. There’s a special quality about the combination of spicy buffalo sauce, cool blue cheese, and melted mozzarella that just works. These buffalo chicken meatball subs have converted even the most traditional Italian sub lovers in my crew!