Buffalo Chicken Dip
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Nothing says game day feast like some thick and creamy buffalo chicken dip. Make this easy football appetizer for your team’s next big win!
As you may know, Nicole and I love buffalo chicken. So much so that we have to share our absolute favorite way to enjoy it with you: buffalo chicken dip.
This delicious recipe has been a staple at family parties for years, and is always requested when we ask “what can we bring?” It’s gotten to the point where we have to make a double batch just to make sure everyone gets some!
With a great balance of heat and flavor and a creamy dippable texture, this buffalo chicken dip is the perfect finger food for any game day, cookout, or party. And really, you don’t even need a reason to make this amazing dip. We make it all the time just for the two of us! (Especially for the Super Bowl).
What This Recipe Entails
This recipe is really easy to make, especially if you already have shredded chicken available to work with. It all just comes together in a baking dish, then you can pop it in the oven and get back to the football game while it bakes.
- Ready in: 55 minutes, if you don’t already have shredded chicken ready
- Serves: 6
- Great for: Game days, cookouts, holidays, and parties
- Flavor profile: Creamy, cheesy, spicy – everything you love about buffalo chicken, in dip form
- Why we love it: It’s a combination of our favorite things, buffalo chicken and cheese dip. And it goes great with a cold beer during a football game!
Ingredients
There’s no reason for any complicated ingredients here! You’ll need just 5 simple ingredients to make what everyone in our family calls the best buffalo chicken dip out there:
- Shredded chicken – We like to simmer chicken breast in a pot of water, then shred it. It’s the easiest way to make plain shredded chicken that mixes into the dip really well and takes on the cheesy, buffalo flavor. Note that you can easily make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it until you’re ready to make buffalo chicken dip. Just be sure to defrost the chicken before making the dip if you opt for the freezer method.
- Cream cheese – You’ll want to let this soften for about 30 minutes on the counter before making the dip. It’ll be much easier to mix with the rest of the ingredients if you do so.
- Frank’s Red Hot – If we’re making something buffalo, we’re using Frank’s. It’s the best for pure spicy cayenne flavor! Make sure to use the original cayenne flavor, not their buffalo sauce.
- Ranch dressing – We like the milder flavor of ranch in this dip compared to blue cheese, but you can use blue cheese dressing instead if that’s what you prefer. Or, use a mix of both! Their textures are so similar it won’t affect the creaminess of the dip – just the flavor.
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar goes best with buffalo flavor, in our opinion. Shred it yourself from a block or use pre-shredded cheese.
And of course, you’ll need something to dip with! We always recommend using Fritos scoops, and you won’t catch us eating buffalo chicken dip without them. For other suggestions, see the section below called What Do You Dip In Buffalo Chicken Dip?
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Make the shredded chicken – Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the chicken and lower heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of about 165 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- Mix the dip – Add the softened cream cheese, Frank’s Red Hot, ranch, cheddar cheese, and chicken to a large, oven-safe baking dish. Stir well to combine.
- Bake – Bake the dip, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir well, then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until it’s hot and bubbly. Stirring partway through helps the dip heat evenly without drying out the top layer.
- Serve – Serve hot with Fritos scoops (or your favorite dipping vehicle) and enjoy!
Storing And Reheating Leftovers
When you do happen to have leftover buffalo chicken dip (which is a very rare occurrence), you can store it for up to 5 days in a covered container in the fridge.
To enjoy the leftovers, you have a few options:
- Microwave – Heat up smaller portions of leftover dip in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway through
- Oven – Heat larger portions in the oven at 350F until warm, at least 10 to 15 minutes (this will depend on how much dip you’re reheating).
- Eat it cold – This dip tastes just as good cold as it does hot! Get right to the good stuff if you don’t care about the temperature.
- Use it in other recipes – Try making a sourdough buffalo chicken grilled cheese, or other game day snacks like buffalo chicken rangoons, buffalo chicken dip bites, or buffalo chicken dip sliders with leftovers!
What Do You Dip In Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Determining what to dip is almost as important as the dip itself. You want something that complements both the flavor and texture of the dip and helps take it to another level. Here are some of our top recommendations for buffalo chicken dip:
- Fritos scoops – These thick and sturdy corn chips are the most structurally sound option for a thick, chickeny dip! They won’t break, and their flavor goes really well with cheesy buffalo dip.
- Tortilla chips – Great with any dip, but less structurally sound and may break.
- King’s Hawaiian rolls – Okay, this ends up being more of a sandwich or slider, but we love eating this dip with Hawaiian rolls!
For parties or game days, you can put out both chips and rolls, so that your guests can decide for themselves how they want to snack.
No matter what you choose to dip, or if you decide to make sliders, this buffalo chicken dip will become your new go-to appetizer as quickly as it disappears from the dish. Just don’t blame us if you don’t have a second batch ready to go! We tried to warn you 🙂
And if you’re looking for a slightly healthier, cold version of this dip, check out our high protein buffalo chicken dip that’s made with cottage cheese!
Don’t forget to rate, comment, and share below to help spread this delicious dip for the world to enjoy!
Expert Tips
Love this recipe? You may also enjoy these buffalo chicken recipes:
Tell us what you think!
We hope you enjoy this recipe! When you try it out, please leave a review and a star rating in the comments below. Happy cooking! – Nicole and Alex
Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken breast raw
- 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese softened
- ½ cup Frank's Red Hot
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- 1 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 party-size bag Fritos Scoops
Instructions
- First, slice the chicken breast into pieces, roughly about the size of your palm.
- Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then add the chicken to the pot and turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- While chicken is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and begin preparing the dip. Combine cream cheese, Frank's Red Hot, ranch, and cheddar cheese in a large, oven-safe baking dish. Stir well to combine.
- Next, remove the cooked chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Shred using two forks. Add the shredded chicken to the baking dish in batches, stirring to incorporate.
- Bake (uncovered) for 15 to 20 minutes, then stir well and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with Fritos Scoops, or your chip of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
This has been my go to recipe for football games my whole life. I’ve never had a buffalo chicken dip as creamy as this one. We just made it for the Super Bowl and it was delicious as always!