Step up your sandwich game with the most delicious sub sandwich! This buffalo turkey meatball sub combines oven-baked turkey meatballs (that are generously coated in buffalo sauce) and piled onto a toasty sub bun with crunchy, creamy coleslaw and crumbled blue cheese. This spicy turkey sub is seriously a treat and sure to be a new favourite!
Remember those buffalo turkey meatballs I recently shared? Well, aside from devouring the whole batch as is, I put them to good use with this easy turkey meatball sub recipe!
I’m such a sucker for a good sandwich and could legit eat one every single day, no doubt about it.
And food with a hit of spice? My favourite!
So, it’s no surprise that these buffalo turkey meatballs happen pretty regularly around here.
Making the Buffalo Turkey Meatball Sub
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
First, you make the buffalo turkey meatballs.
Basically, you bake some turkey meatballs and toss with your favourite buffalo sauce.
And, if you’re like me, you have to sample one or two before they even hit the sub bun! How could you not, right?
Then it’s just a matter of assembling the sub sandwich. Toast your sub buns, spread some butter over the interior of them (optional), then layer on the ingredients.
I like to put a good base of coleslaw (preferably one with some crunch and texture) on the interior of the bottom bun.
All that’s left to do is top the coleslaw with the buffalo turkey meatballs and some crumbled blue cheese.
I also like to give the interior of the top bun some love, too. Drizzle over some buffalo sauce or even some ranch dressing.
All that’s left to do is dig in!
Best Bread for a Sub Sandwich
For this turkey sub recipe, I used 9-inch sub buns. They’re soft, but toast up lovely. Plus, they yield nicely when biting into the sandwich.
I do recommend toasting these because it does add some oomph and texture, especially where there’s moisture from the coleslaw and buffalo sauce and heft from the turkey meatballs.
You could certainly use a baguette or French bread, but a classic sub bun is my favourite for these turkey sub sandwiches.
The Coleslaw
I prefer a hearty coleslaw, one with lots of texture, for this sub sandwich. I used a store-bought broccoli coleslaw mix and added a little mayonnaise, salt and black pepper to taste.
You can certainly use more of a traditional coleslaw or whatever variety you prefer here.
Are These Subs Spicy?
I adore spice, so I don’t find them too spicy. However, keep in mind that the variety of buffalo sauce will impact their overall level of spice. Use one that you enjoy best!
Recipe Variations
- If you aren’t a fan of blue cheese, feel free to use your favourite variety. Mozzarella is a yummy option.
- Instead of drizzling some buffalo sauce on the bun, try blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing.
- Make the meatballs with ground chicken instead of ground turkey, if that’s what you have on hand or prefer. Either way, these sub sandwiches are so utterly delicious.
What To Serve With This Buffalo Turkey Meatball Sub
No doubt, this buffalo turkey sub is substantial as is, but if you’re feeling extra hungry, it pairs lovely with some potato chips, a bowl of soup or veggie sticks (like celery and carrot).
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
Stay tuned for more easy buffalo-flavoured recipes coming soon!
If you try this buffalo turkey meatballs sub recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Buffalo Turkey Meatball Sub
Ingredients
Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
- Cooking spray, to grease sheet pan
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ½ cup unseasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup shredded carrot, about 1 small carrot
- ⅓ cup finely chopped celery, about 1 small celery rib
- ¼ cup chopped green onion, about 1 large green onion stalk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill (dill weed), optional
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, optional
- 4 to 5 tablespoons buffalo sauce, ¼ to ⅓ cup (depending on how much sauce you want)
- Chopped parsley, garnish to taste (optional)
Other Sub Ingredients
- 4 (9-inch) sub buns, cut in half (if necessary), but halves still attached
- Garlic butter or butter, enough to spread over buns (optional)
- ¾ cup coleslaw, I like to use a coleslaw with lots of texture and crunch here, like a broccoli coleslaw, but use your favourite variety (3 tablespoons per sub)
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, about 1 tablespoon per sub
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce, or to taste (1 tablespoon per sub)
Instructions
Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside (alternatively, you can line the sheet pan with some parchment paper).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey with panko bread crumbs, egg, carrot, celery, green onion, garlic powder, dill (if using), black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Form turkey mixture into meatballs, about 1.5 tablespoons per meatball, yielding about 22 meatballs. Place them onto the prepared sheet pan as you roll them.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked through (the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the centre of the meatballs when checked with an instant-read meat thermometer).
- Once done, place the turkey meatballs in a clean bowl and toss top with buffalo sauce. Stir until the meatballs are coated in the sauce. Sprinkle over chopped parsley, if desired.
Buffalo Turkey Meatball Sub Assembly
- Toast sub buns to desired doneness, then spread with butter to taste (if using) over the interior of the buns.
- Distribute coleslaw between the sub buns (on the interior of the bottom bun), then top each with 5 turkey meatballs and crumbled blue cheese.
- Drizzle the buffalo sauce between the sub buns (on the interior of the top bun). Alternatively, use ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing. Place the top bun over top of the meatballs to form each sub sandwich.
- Serve and enjoy!
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
All I want right now is this meatball sub – I shouldn’t look at food blogs at lunch time!! Droool…this looks sooo good Dawn!!!
David @ Spiced
I knew you had something good up your sleeve when you shared those buffalo turkey meatballs! I love a good sandwich, and this one qualifies as great in my book. Grab one of these sandwiches, put on a good Netflix show and I’d be a happy camper!
Michelle
You have the best sandwich recipes! This buffalo turkey meatball sub looks so flavourful and delish! Save some extra buffalo hot sauce for me!