Spice up your party with this irresistibly creamy and tangy buffalo chicken dip. Quick, easy, and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser! Serve it with cut peppers, carrots, celery sticks, tortilla chips, crackers or even on a baked potato!
The rain came back to Texas the other day. That may not seem as if it’s a big deal, but it is since it signals one thing; fall is coming! Well, the Texan version of fall anyhow, but here and in many, many other places, autumn and the start of a new school year means one thing:
Football!
Technically you could watch the game without food and drinks, but what’s a game day without some finger-lickin’ good snacks to keep you fueled up?
Second only to buffalo chicken wings, dips such as this buffalo chicken dip recipe and a creamy spinach artichoke dip, have always been a touchdown in my book when it comes to hosting those weekly gatherings in front of the TV or gathering after your favorite high school team won.
They’re simple, they’re satisfying, and they’re practically a game day tradition!
Believe it or not, I am super picky when it comes to buffalo chicken. If it’s not made just right, you’ll end up with a chewy mess of dry chicken that is hard to both chew and swallow. Even with an ice cold beer in your hand, dry chicken is a mess that no cook wants to admit to.
That’s one of the reasons I absolutely adore this buffalo chicken dip recipe. It’s quick, it’s simple and is fool-proof enough anyone can make it!
Does Buffalo Chicken Dip Have to Be Made with Fresh Chicken?
When it comes to ingredients, fresh is always best, but I do understand that it’s not always possible. Luckily, if you don’t have fresh chicken breast handy, this particular recipe does very well with well-drained canned chicken breast or freeze dried chicken breast that has been rehydrated properly.
I actually love using rotisserie chicken in this one. It’s a super fast way and rotisserie is almost always moist enough to keep the chicken from drying out during the cooking process. Plus, I get amazing bones to make homemade chicken bone broth at the same time!
To do so, simply shred the chicken as you would with fresh and follow the recipe below normally.
Is Buffalo Chicken Dip Gluten Free or Keto?
Yes! This buffalo chicken dip recipe is both gluten free and keto friendly! All of the ingredients are low carb making it great for those of us who don’t do carbs well.
With that said, what you serve with it will matter. Eating it on bread for instance, will add gluten and carbs. Tortilla chips will add grain and carbs, but not gluten. If you follow either diet, be mindful of things and you should be fine.
Does Buffalo Chicken Dip Have to Be Baked?
No. This recipe is versatile enough that it can be made in multiple ways. However, I will be honest and say that my favorite version of it is baked. I think it tastes better baked and since it comes together in less than 45-minutes, it’s fast enough to suit me.
The recipe below is for the baked version of this buffalo dip recipe.
How to Make Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Making crockpot buffalo chicken dip is just as easy as baking it. In fact, it may be easier since the slow cooker version is pretty set it and forget it as most slow cooker recipes are with the exception of stirring.
To make a slow cooker buffalo chicken dip using this recipe, follow steps one and two on the recipe card below. Then, add all ingredients to your slow cooker.
Cook on low 3-4 hours or high 1-2 hours making sure to stir well every 30-minutes or so.
I also recommend using a slow cooker liner like THESE for this one. It will be quite messy in the crock pot if you don’t.
Can You Freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip?
This buffalo chicken dip freezes very well. I often make more than I need at the time and freeze it for later. To freeze it, allow it to cool completely. Once it has cooled, portion it out into meal prep containers like THESE, pop it in the freezer and freeze normally.
How to Reheat Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you want to reheat buffalo chicken dip, you have a couple of options. First, simply pop it in the microwave. Doing this from frozen, however, may lead to a runny dip as water drains during the thawing process.
The best way to reheat buffalo chicken dip is by warming it slowly in the oven or crockpot. If you do find that you have an excess of melted ice in the baking dish or pot, simply pour it off and stir well to recombine the ingredients.
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you’re already serving buffalo wings, this dip is a great addition and gives people multiple ways to enjoy the great taste of buffalo wing sauce. Serving ideas are endless too!
It can be served as buffalo chicken baked potatoes with blue cheese dressing, with potato chips or tortilla chips or on baguette slices. It’s also very good with cut vegetables like carrot sticks, celery sticks, peppers and even cucumbers!
Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 c. Chicken cooked and shredded
- ½ c. Hot Sauce
- 12 oz. Cream Cheese
- ¾ c. Ranch Dressing
- Cheddar Cheese shredded
- ¾ c. Celery chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook and shred chicken. If using a rotisserie chicken, shred. Chop celery and soften cream cheese.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and ranch dressing and mix thoroughly. It will have the consistency of cottage cheese when it is ready.12 oz. Cream Cheese, 3/4 c. Ranch Dressing
- Add the shredded chicken to a large skillet or pot. Stir in the hot sauce and heat over medium heat until warmed and thoroughly mixed.2 c. Chicken, 1/2 c. Hot Sauce
- Stir in the cream cheese/ranch mixture and celery, if using, and heat until warmed.3/4 c. Celery
- Add the mixture to a baking dish and smooth out so it bakes evenly.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Use however much or little cheese you prefer. I used around 1 cup give or take.Cheddar Cheese
- Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes or until heated throughout and cheese is bubbly. Serve with crackers, on buns, with baked potatoes or cut veggies.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are auto-calculated. Please use caution if you follow a special diet.
- This dip freezes well. To do so, allow the dip to cool completely and freeze in portion sized containers.
- To make a slow cooker buffalo chicken dip using this recipe, follow steps one and two on the recipe card below. Then, add all ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on low 3-4 hours or high 1-2 hours making sure to stir well every 30-minutes or so.