High Protein Buffalo Chicken Dip (Made With Cottage Cheese!)

This creamy high protein buffalo chicken dip with cottage cheese comes together quickly in just 20 minutes! Make it for a game day appetizer or party snack when you’re craving a cheesy dip.

If you know us at all, you know buffalo chicken dip is our all-time favorite Sunday football snack (although our bacon jalapeno popper dip might be giving it a run for its money these days…). Well lately, we’ve been craving it more than usual – which inspired us to find a slightly healthier way of making it, so we’re not eating an entire block of cream cheese every weekend.

Enter cottage cheese, our secret ingredient for healthier cheesy sauces and dips! By using cottage cheese instead of cream cheese and adjusting the ratio of ingredients from our classic buffalo chicken dip recipe, we created an all-new buffalo chicken dip that’s lower in fat and higher in protein. 

It’s just as creamy, decadent, and flavorful as the original. Plus, it comes together quickly in about 20 minutes with minimal effort. So it’s a no-brainer when we’re craving our favorite game day snack but also want to be kinder to our bodies.

What This Recipe Entails

This is almost the easiest version of buffalo chicken dip you could ever make. The only cooking required is for the chicken! It’ll simmer on the stove for about 15 minutes, during which you can mix up the cheese blend in your food processor. Then, just combine and serve.

• Ready in: 15 to 20 minutes
• Serves: 4 to 6 people
• Great for: Game day parties, cookouts, and late-night snacking
• Flavor profile: Cheesy and buffalo flavored with a little bit of heat
• Why we love it: It’s a higher protein, lower fat alternative to our oven baked buffalo chicken dip that we feel good about indulging in more often. Plus, it comes together quickly for an easy party appetizer!

Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to make this buffalo chicken dip:

• Chicken breast – Start with uncooked chicken and simmer it on the stove for this recipe. We find it’s the easiest way to make plain shredded chicken for dips like this one, and yields the best texture and flavor.
• Cottage cheese – Opt for fuller fat options (2% or higher) instead of low-fat or fat-free. These are much creamier and give this dip a lovely texture.
• Cheddar cheese – We like to use sharp cheddar cheese in buffalo chicken dip. You can use the bagged stuff, or buy a block and shred it yourself.
• Ranch dressing – You can use any kind of ranch, it won’t really make a difference. This just adds a little extra creaminess to the dip and some of that classic buffalo flavor.
• Frank’s Red Hot – The secret ingredient to making the best buffalo chicken dip! No other flavor compares to Frank’s when making something buffalo. Make sure to use the original cayenne hot sauce.

How To Make Cottage Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip

1. Cook the chicken – Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the chicken breast and lower to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of about 165 degrees F.
2. Make the cheese blend – While the chicken cooks, combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the texture is smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed to help the ingredients combine.
3. Combine and serve – Transfer the cheese blend to a large mixing bowl. Shred the chicken, then add it to the bowl and mix well until everything is combined. Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips for dipping!

If you serve the dip right away, it will be sort of room temperature since the chicken will warm up the cheese a bit. We don’t recommend heating this dip for serving. Cottage cheese has a high water content, which means it can separate when heated.

If you like your buffalo chicken dip served cold, read the section below on making this dip ahead of time.

Make Ahead Option

If you prefer cold buffalo chicken dip, you can easily make this whole dip (or just the chicken) ahead of time. Prepare the chicken as directed and then either refrigerate it until you want to mix up the dip. Or, make the cheese blend too and mix it all together, then let the dip cool a bit before storing in the fridge for later.

Serving Suggestions

This healthier buffalo chicken dip is the perfect appetizer for Sunday football! We also love making it for cookouts and family parties since it’s easy to prep ahead of time.

Pair it with other game day apps like air fryer cheeseburger egg rolls, bacon cream cheese jalapeno poppers, or beer battered onion rings for a tasty spread. Or if you’re looking for other high protein game day recipes to fuel up with, serve this dip alongside a sheet pan of high protein nachos with cottage cheese sauce!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do. If you try it, let us know what you think by leaving a rating below!

Love this recipe? You may enjoy these recipes, too:

• Cottage Cheese Queso
• Cottage Cheese Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Mexican Bean Dip
• Easy Mexican Street Corn Dip (Crockpot Recipe)