Last updated on November 1st, 2019 at 12:55 pm
Can’t handle the heat of a full Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich? These hot chicken slow cooker meatballs are tender, delicious, and the perfect dose of heat!
Nashville hot chicken meatballs puts the fire on a chicken meatball instead of a fried chicken sandwich. Just because you put the hot oil on a meatball instead of a wing or thigh doesn’t make it any less hot! Consider yourself warned!
Hot Chicken Meatballs
Nashville Hot Chicken is not for the faint of heart. You need to love the pain. Seriously, these are hot enough to make friends think you have lost it.
So be warned. This recipe doesn’t shy away from the five alarm fire intensity. If you can’t stand the heat, then eat another kind of meatball. I have one I can suggest.
My sweet and sour meatballs won’t make you question your sanity like this Nashville Hot Chicken Meatball will. Your family won’t accuse you of trying to off them either.
Just take me to the Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs recipe already!
If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this delicious easy Crockpot Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
What is Nashville Hot Chicken?
Nashville Hot Chicken is a slightly spicy piece of fried chicken that is basted or heavily drizzled with a cayenne pepper sauce that burns like molten lava.
Some add a little cayenne to the dredge before frying but the real heat comes from the hot oil with cayenne pepper that gets slathered on the chicken after it’s been fried.
Here’s the thing about coating something in oil… IT WILL COAT YOUR MOUTH TOO! When you take a bite of Nashville hot chicken, you experience a brief moment of warmth. You think to yourself, no problem.
This isn’t that hot.
WRONG!
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Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs are Hotter than Hot!
The heat begins to creep up. You think it will stop but it is already too late. It keeps going up as the oil seeps into your taste buds. Your tongue feels like you decided to turn your mouth into a flamethrower.
Make some simple meatballs. If you really are into the heat, then feel free to add some hot pepper flakes to the meat mixture. Why not? A few more degrees and you might be able to melt concrete.
You don’t want to cry but tears are likely to well up anyway. Your face is trying desperately to figure out how to cool things off. Pay it no mind. Actually, you have lost your mind if you decide to take another bite!
And you will take another bite. Because the endorphins kick in and your body works overtime to provide relief. The effect is enough to make you forget and want to go back for more.
Crazy how nature does that, right?
The first time made this recipe by slow cooking the meatballs in the hot pepper sauce in a crock pot, I started with double the cayenne. Forgetting that the longer you cook spices, the hotter they get.
The large amount of cayenne with the increased cooking time turned up the temperature. I am pretty sure it was literally off the Kelvin scale.
Lesson learned. Start small!
start with frozen meatballs make the “hot dry rub” mix the sauce pour over the meatballs stir to coat and cook serve with cooling pickles!
How to Make Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs
My recipe starts with precooked chicken meatballs. Feel free to make yours homemade and cook them your favorite way before adding to the crockpot.
Next, make the spicy cayenne pepper sauce. The original recipe calls for adding the spices to a little of the hot oil that the chicken was fried in. This isn’t necessary because the meatballs will be simmering in the sauce.
Mix the spices, add some melted butter and chicken stock to it, and then pour over the cooked meatballs in the slowcooker.
Stir to coat, turn on low, and simmer for 2 hours. Less if you start to get scared!
This is one of the spicy hottest meals I have ever eaten. It helps to have a few emergency action plans in place when the burn starts to make you squeal like a baby that just figured out what the stove does.
How to Handle the Heat of the Meat
- Drink milk. Milk fats help break down the chili oil and will also help coat the mouth with a layer of protection.
- Water doesn’t necessarily help. First, water and oil don’t mix. Oil repels water. Second, adding water makes smaller globules of oil that disperse and this just makes matters worse.
- A tasty and chilled adult beverage can help. Alcohol helps clean the hot oil from the tongue. It also helps you feel better about choosing to eat something so hot.
- If you just don’t want them that hot, then of course you can use less cayenne. Start small, like a teaspoon or two instead of the full 3 tablespoons. You aren’t a wimp. You are just sane.
- Be sure to have plenty of cold pickles on hand to eat with the meatballs. They definitely help!
If you like super spicy foods, then add more cayenne and you have an opportunity to touch the sun with your tongue. If you are really insane, save sauce from the meatballs and add it to other items like chicken wings or drizzle on your burger!
Other great spicy party meatballs!
- Steakhouse Meatballs
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Sweet Sriracha Meatballs
- Strawberry Jalapeño BBQ Meatballs
- Spicy Orange Marmalade Meatballs
- Spicy BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Dr Pepper Jalapeño Meatballs
- Pineapple Habanero Meatballs
- Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs
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Easy Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs Recipe
Crock Pot Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs
Can't handle the heat of a full Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich? These hot chicken slow cooker meatballs are tender, delicious, and the perfect dose of heat!
Ingredients
Nashville Hot Chicken Meatballs
- 26 ounces frozen chicken meatballs (~45 meatballs)
- Dill Pickle Slices for serving
- Nashville Hot Chicken Sauce
Nashville Hot Chicken Sauce
- 1 stick melted butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Prepare the Nashville Hot Chicken Sauce
- Combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Add all the meatballs to your crock pot or slow cooker.
- Pour the hot chicken sauce over the meatballs.
- Stir to coat the meatballs.
- Cook on low for 2 hours or on high for 1 hour.
- Serve with pickle slices.
- Enjoy with a cold beverage to temper the heat!
Notes
*If you like this recipe, please leave me a comment and rate it with some stars. Thank you!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 3 meatballsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 214 Total Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 49mg Sodium: 490mg Carbohydrates: 7g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 8g
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Jennifer says
Can these be done with homemade meatballs?
Jennifer says
Yes they can! Use your favorite recipe just be sure to pack the meatballs a little tighter than normal so they have less chance of falling apart in the crockpot during the long cooking time.
Angela says
WOW!!! I really cannot wait to make these meatballs! I love chicken with a kick of spice!
Julie Menghini says
I had a pitcher of beer on the table when I made these for our football party and it was gone in about 5 seconds. These babies are intense but very flavorful!
michele says
I think my favorite part of this recipe is the ice cold pickle slice on the toothpick you had me use when picking it up! Damn… these were fan flipping tastic! Im making these every tailgate I have this fall!