Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

I put together a 5-ingredient Slow Cooker Buffalo Dip that’s been pinned over 260k times and is my go-to for parties and game day.

I never meant to become this obsessed with a dip, but Slow Cooker Buffalo Dip does something to people. It is made of shredded cooked chicken, shredded pretty chunky, and a hit of buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s RedHot is classic).

Somehow it tastes messy and clever at the same time, like it broke the rules and won. I bring it to parties and watch conversations die down into happy scooping silence, then someone inevitably swears it’s store bought.

I keep smiling cause it’s not, and no one can resist asking for the recipe even though im tempted to keep it my little weapon.

Ingredients

• Shredded chicken brings protein, chunky texture and savory depth, low carb but watch added sodium.
• Silky cream cheese adds rich creaminess and body, mostly fat and calories, it adds calcium.
• Buffalo sauce gives vinegary heat and tang, bold garlicky flavor, adds sodium not sweetness though.
• Ranch or blue cheese give cool tang and herby notes, creamy fat, extra salt too.
• Sharp cheddar melts into gooey richness, supplies protein and calcium, but adds saturated fat too.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 2 large breasts or a rotisserie), shredded pretty chunky
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened, it’s easier to stir when room temp
• 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s RedHot is classic)
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing (or blue cheese dressing if you like)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

How to Make this

1. Cube the softened cream cheese and put it in the crock pot, add the shredded chicken (keep it chunky like you like), the 1/2 cup buffalo sauce and the 1/2 cup ranch dressing.

2. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cheddar and sprinkle the rest (about 3/4 cup) into the pot so some melts into the mix and some can brown later.

3. Give everything a rough stir so the cream cheese gets broken up into big clumps, it doesnt need to be perfect yet.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for
1.5 to 2 hours or on HIGH for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring once or twice so nothing sticks and the cream cheese melts evenly.

5. After the first stir, press and fold the chicken a bit with the spoon to loosen it, that helps the sauce coat the chunks and keeps the texture nice.

6. When the dip is hot and the cream cheese is mostly melted, stir vigorously to fully incorporate any remaining clumps, scraping the sides as you go.

7. Add the reserved cheddar, stir until melted, let it sit with the lid off for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken up and get extra cheesey.

8. If you want a bubbly browned top, transfer to an oven safe dish, sprinkle the reserved cheddar if you saved some, then broil 2 to 4 minutes watching close so it doesnt burn.

9. Let the dip rest for a few minutes so it sets up a bit, then serve warm. If it gets too thick, stir in a splash more ranch or buffalo sauce to loosen it back up.

Equipment Needed

1. Slow cooker or crock pot, about 3 to 4 quart
2. Cutting board and a sharp chef knife for cubing the cream cheese and loosening the chicken
3. Measuring cups (1/2 cup and 1 cup) and a set of measuring spoons
4. Large heatproof silicone spatula or sturdy wooden spoon for stirring and pressing the chicken chunks
5. Flexible rubber scraper to scrape the sides and get every cheesy bit
6. Small bowl to hold and reserve the shredded cheddar
7. Oven safe baking dish and oven mitts if you want to broil a bubbly browned top
8. Serving spoon and a shallow bowl or platter for chips or veggies to dip with

FAQ

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken: use shredded rotisserie turkey or canned chicken drained for a shortcut, or for a meat-free version try pulled jackfruit or slightly mashed chickpeas
• Cream cheese: swap with Neufchatel for a lighter dip, mascarpone for extra creamy richness, or a vegan cream cheese if you need dairy-free
• Buffalo wing sauce: make your own by mixing a cayenne-style hot sauce with melted butter about 1:1 if you’re out of bottled buffalo sauce, or try sriracha plus a little butter for a different kick
• Ranch dressing: substitute blue cheese dressing for a chunkier, tangier bite, or mix Greek yogurt with a splash of milk, dried dill, garlic powder and salt to mimic ranch

Pro Tips

1) Soften the cream cheese all the way first, not just a little. Cube it, then microwave 10 to 15 seconds if your house is cold, you want it pliable so it melts quick and you dont end up with little chalky bits.

2) Keep the chicken chunky but toss the pieces with a tiny splash of the buffalo or a bit of melted butter before adding, that helps the sauce cling better and keeps the texture from drying out when it cooks.

3) Stir by pressing and folding, not scraping or smashing, do that once or twice during cooking so cheese melts into the sauce but the chicken stays chunky. If you cook on high watch it more, low and slow gives creamier results.

4) Save some cheddar for the finish and broil only a minute or two to brown, watch it the whole time or it will burn fast. If it firms up too much after resting, loosen with a tablespoon or two of ranch or a splash of milk and stir it back to the right dip consistency.