This Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe is everyone’s favorite game day or party appetizer! Made with juicy shredded chicken, creamy ranch dressing, cream cheese, hot sauce, and loads of cheese, this easy and delicious Buffalo Chicken Dip is then baked until golden, bubbly, and perfect for dipping.
Creamy and extra cheesy, this Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe easily qualifies as one of my all-time favorite party foods (and many readers would agree!) Made with simple ingredients like shredded chicken, hot sauce, and cheese, it’s no mystery why this dip is the very first thing to disappear from the snack table.
It’s also super easy to prepare, cook, and eat.
Without the mess of sticky buffalo chicken wings, and baked right in an easily portable baking dish, this gooey, scoopable, mouthwatering chicken buffalo dip is one of my most popular recipes with over 350 reader comments and a (nearly) 5-star review.
Check out this equally delicious Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Ingredients in Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Chicken
- Cream cheese
- Ranch dressing
- Hot sauce
- Garlic powder
- Green onions or Chives
- Shredded cheese
Recipe Notes & Tips
1. What chicken should I use?
Buffalo chicken dip can be made using shredded poached chicken, baked chicken breasts or baked chicken thighs, rotisserie chicken, or even leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Anything works. You could even use canned chicken (as a last resort). Save time and use pre-cooked chicken (you will need approximately 3-4 cups) or cook your chicken ahead of time.
2. Why is my dip so greasy?
A couple of readers have mentioned that their dip turned out super greasy. Given the ingredients, it’s impossible to make buffalo chicken dip not greasy. However, you can easily reduce some of the excess fat by using chicken breast meat (white meat) instead of chicken thigh meat (dark meat).
3. Can I use any type of cream cheese?
For best results, use full-fat block cream cheese. Low-fat cream cheese may separate when baked.
4. Can I use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch dressing?
Buffalo chicken dip is delicious with both ranch dressing and bleu cheese dressing, so go ahead and use your favorite. For me personally, I wanted to stay away from any kind of Dry Ranch Dressing Mix and use the real deal instead.
5. How long to bake buffalo chicken dip?
At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, it takes approximately 20-30 minutes for buffalo chicken dip to cook until golden, melted, and warmed through.
6. What is the best hot sauce for buffalo chicken dip?
Frank’s RedHot Sauce, hands down. Used in all my buffalo sauce recipes, including buffalo cauliflower, baked buffalo chicken, or these buffalo turkey meatballs. It’s easy to find this hot pepper sauce in most supermarkets or online.
7. Is this recipe keto?
Packed full of poached shredded chicken breasts, mixed cheese, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and hot sauce, buffalo chicken dip is 100% low carb and keto-approved.
8. Can I Freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip?
I do not recommend freezing buffalo chicken dip. Reheated from frozen and the cheese mixture becomes chalky, lacking the luxurious, creamy texture we love so much.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip
Make this easy chicken buffalo dip by following these step-by-step instructions,
1. Cook the chicken.
If your chicken is not yet cooked, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pot and return to a boil. Remove from heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow your chicken to poach, covered, for approximately 25 minutes. When fully cooked, remove from the pot and allow to rest until cool enough to handle
- NOTE: the cooking time for the chicken is not included in the total cook time for this dish.
- TIP – leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken is great in this recipe. You’ll need approximately 3-4 cups of cooked and shredded chicken.
In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350F and spray a 9×9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Make your creamy buffalo ranch sauce.
After your chicken has been cooked and shredded, heat the cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder in a small pot over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until combined and creamy, then remove from heat.
- TIP – If your cream cheese is fresh out of the refrigerator, transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and warm in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
3. Combine and bake.
Stir in the green onion, shredded chicken, one cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and one cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Transfer the mixture to a baking pan and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
Transfer to the oven and bake until golden and bubbly.
Can I prepare Buffalo Chicken Dip Ahead of Time?
Depending on how much time you have, you may either prepare just parts of this recipe ahead of time or the whole thing and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake and serve.
The easiest way to save time is to cook the chicken ahead of time. Poaching and shredding chicken takes approximately 40 minutes, start to finish, so if you can knock that out and have the chicken ready, you’re already way ahead of the game.
You can also prepare the entire dip recipe. Simply cover your prepared dip with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Dip
Buffalo chicken dip tastes great with just about everything. Perfect for potlucks, football season, or an EPIC super bowl party, everyone will love this yummy dip that tastes just like chicken wings.
Serve your version of this great dip with:
- Crackers, tortilla chips, pretzels
- Veggies like celery sticks and carrot sticks. Sweet mini peppers are also great and are fantastic at scooping
- Pita bread or sliced baguette
More Delicious Dip Recipes,
Classic Hummus Recipe (How to Make Hummus)
Baba Ganoush Recipe (How to Make Baba Ganoush)
Muhammara Recipe (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
If you try making this recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
RECIPE CARD
Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts - boiled and shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese - cubed
- 1 cup ranch dressing - homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup hot sauce - (I used Frank's RedHot), plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup green onion - chopped
- 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded, divided
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese - shredded, divided
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. If your chicken is not yet cooked, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pot and return to a boil. Remove from heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow your chicken to poach, covered, for approximately 25 minutes. When fully cooked, remove from the pot and allow to rest until cool enough to handle (note- the cooking time for the chicken is not included in the total cooking time for this dish).
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9x9-inch baking pan (or approximate size) with non-stick cooking spray.
- Warm the sauce. To a medium saucepot over medium-low heat add the cubed cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk constantly until the cream cheese has dissolved in the ranch and hot sauce. Remove from heat.
- Combine. Add the cooked and shredded chicken, green onion, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and one cup of the shredded cheddar cheese to the sauce pot. Mix well to combine. Transfer to your prepared baking pan and top with remain mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
- Bake. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the sides are starting to bubble. Set oven to BROIL. Allow your buffalo chicken dip to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove it immediately.
- Serve. Serve with tortilla chips, vegetable sticks, crackers, or enjoy leftovers wrapped in a tortilla with all your favorite greens.
Video
Jessica's Notes
- The chicken takes approximately 30 minutes to cook and is not included in the total cooking time. I recommend preparing the chicken ahead of time if you're short on time.
- You can substitute with approximately 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.
- I always use Frank's RedHot Sauce for all my buffalo recipes.
- I used my homemade ranch dressing, but feel free to use your favorite Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.
- Grate your cheese. Freshly shredded cheese always comes together better when compared to pre-shredded, packaged cheese. My guess is that it has something to do with the anti-caking agent that is added to cheese when it is packaged.
- I added cheddar and mozzarella cheese as they are both great melting cheeses. If you want to add a somewhat more pungent cheese, Jack cheese, blue cheese crumbles, or feta cheese, is a good place to start.
- Leftovers taste great for approximately 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven set at 350 degrees F and tented with foil.
- Easily prepare this recipe in your Crockpot. The only difference is that the Crockpot version will lack the brown and bubbly cheese top. Read full slow cooker instructions here, Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
I’ve made this three times and am about to make it a fourth. Brought to a party and all my husbands friends raved about it! I adjust the heat depending on what I’m bringing it too.I make it with crostini and everyone always raves. I love that it gets baked ant the end and isn’t a greasy crockpot recipe. Absolutely love and will continue to make!
Crostini’s are a great idea for use with this dip!
I appreciate you continuing to come back and for providing the feedback and rating 🙂
Hi Jessica,
Can this be prepared in advance, frozen, and cooked at a later date?
Yes, you can definitely prepare buffalo chicken dip in advance, freeze it, and cook it later! To do this, prepare the dip according to your recipe but stop before the final baking step. Allow the dip to cool completely after mixing the ingredients, then transfer it to an airtight container or a freezer-safe dish. You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the dip in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, stir it well to recombine any separated ingredients, and then bake as directed in your recipe. This method is great for planning ahead and ensuring you have a delicious appetizer ready to go for any occasion.
Can you use whipped cream cheese? If so, is the portion the same?
Yes, you can definitely use whipped cream cheese in your buffalo chicken dip recipe! Whipped cream cheese is lighter and fluffier than regular cream cheese due to air being incorporated during the whipping process. Because of this, you might want to slightly adjust the quantity. Generally, when substituting whipped for block cream cheese, use a little more to match the density and consistency of the block version. A good rule of thumb is to use about 1 1/4 cups of whipped cream cheese for every 8 ounces of regular cream cheese called for in the recipe. This should help maintain the desired creamy texture of your dip.
What’s the best chips ? I like em light and airy. Kinda how Wendy’s salad served their chips.
The best chips are always going to be your favorite chips 🙂
Just an average buffalo chicken dip.
Coming from an average Steve
Ive made this three times and it has been a hit at each party. I used a flame grilled chicken and remove the meat. My chicken shop also packages up some grilled spring onions with it and I chop them up and add it to the recipe.
Made this for a fall potluck and it was scraped clean! The consistency stayed creamy and it wasn’t too greasy which was great. I fresh grated the cheddar, but cheated with pre shredded Tillamook mozzarella and it worked well. Will serve this one again.