Buffalo Chicken Dip
Get ready for the ultimate crowd-pleaser that disappears faster than you can say “pass the chips!” This Buffalo Chicken Dip brings that perfect balance of creamy, spicy, and savory that’ll have everyone hovering around the snack table at your next gathering.
What makes this dip special is the layering of flavors – tangy Frank’s RedHot sauce, three different cheeses, and tender shredded chicken all melted together into a bubbling, golden-topped masterpiece. It’s got that classic buffalo wing taste without the mess, and trust me, your guests will be scraping the dish clean and asking for your recipe before they leave.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (approx 2 chicken breasts poached or roasted or even store-bought rotisserie)
- ½ cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce, plus more if you prefer
- 8 oz (250g) block cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh dill and fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions or chives, divided
- ½ cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1½ cups yellow cheddar, freshly shredded
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, plus more for serving
For serving:
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Tortilla chips
- Crusty bread pieces
- Potato chips
- Chopped green onions for sprinkling
- Cracked black pepper
Steps
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Position rack in the middle of the oven to ensure even heat distribution.
- In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet (or an ovenproof baking dish), melt the 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Cast iron works best as it retains heat evenly and creates a beautiful crust.
- Sauté minced garlic until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds. Be careful not to brown the garlic as it can become bitter – you’ll know it’s ready when you can smell its aromatic scent wafting up.
- Add the shredded chicken and hot sauce, stirring to coat every piece. Simmer until sauce has thickened and reduced slightly, about 2-3 minutes. You’ll notice the sauce becoming a deeper red and slightly more clingy to the chicken.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in cream cheese; mix until completely combined with no white streaks remaining, about 2 minutes. The heat helps melt the cream cheese – if it’s still too firm, break it into smaller pieces to speed up melting.
- Take off heat and stir in sour cream, 1½ cups of yellow cheddar, half the green onions (1 tablespoon), and the herbs. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated. (If you are using a baking dish instead of the skillet, transfer mixture to a greased baking dish at this point.)
- Top with the ½ cup white cheddar and sprinkle with ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon green onions. The layering of cheeses creates a beautiful melt pattern and varied flavor in every bite.
- Transfer to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbling around the edges and starting to get golden on top. You’ll know it’s done when the cheese is completely melted and small bubbles are forming around the edges.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. This resting period allows the dip to set slightly and prevents burned mouths from overeager dipping!
- Top with additional crumbled blue cheese, chopped green onions, and fresh herbs if desired. The contrast of the warm dip with the cool, fresh toppings adds another dimension of flavor.
- Serve with chips and chopped fresh veggies. For the ultimate presentation, arrange the dipping options in a circle around the hot skillet.
Storage & Freezing:
- Leftovers taste great for approximately 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven set at 350°F (175°C) and tented with foil.
- To Freeze: Place in a freezer-safe container, remove any excess air and freeze up to three months. When ready to serve the frozen dip, simply remove it from the freezer, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- To Reheat: Microwave until hot, stirring every 30 seconds, or place into an oven-safe baking dish and reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until bubbling hot.
Smart Swaps
- Use Neufchâtel cheese instead of full-fat cream cheese to cut calories by about 30% without sacrificing creaminess
- Substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream (1:1 ratio) for extra protein and fewer calories
- Try rotisserie chicken to save time, or canned chicken in a pinch (be sure to drain well)
- For a lighter version, use reduced-fat cheese and increase the proportion of vegetables for dipping
Make It Diabetes-Friendly
- Replace regular cream cheese with light cream cheese to reduce fat content by approximately 30% and lower the overall glycemic impact
- Use celery sticks and cucumber rounds as your primary dippers instead of chips or bread to dramatically reduce carbs (less than 3g carbs per cup of raw vegetables vs. 15g carbs for just 10 tortilla chips)
- Reduce hot sauce to ¼ cup and add 1 tablespoon tomato paste plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne for flavor with less sodium
- Serve in ¼ cup portions (approximately 7g net carbs per serving) alongside a small protein-rich snack to help balance blood sugar response
Pro Tips
- For the absolute best flavor, let cream cheese come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking
- Shred your own cheese rather than using pre-shredded varieties, which contain anti-caking agents that can prevent smooth melting
- For extra-tender chicken, poach boneless breasts in lightly salted water for 15 minutes before shredding
- Make this dip up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate unbaked, then add an extra 5 minutes to the baking time when cooking from cold