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The ultimate game-day appetizer – Buffalo Chicken Dip! In just 30 minutes and with 5 simple ingredients, this buffalo chicken dip recipe comes out perfectly creamy and cheesy every time. Make it in the oven or keep it warm in the crockpot – either way, it’s always a hit.
This Buffalo Chicken Dip is always the first thing gone at parties and tastes just like Buffalo Wings. It’s perfect right alongside my Rotel Dip and Spinach Artichoke Dip for a winning game day combo!
Why You’ll Love This Game Day Recipe
⭐️ 5 ingredients, big flavor – nothing fancy, but tastes like your favorite buffalo wings.
⭐️ Two easy cooking methods – oven for speed, crockpot for set-and-forget.
⭐️ Perfect for parties – stays warm, creamy, and scoopable for hours.
⭐️ Customizable – swap ranch for blue cheese, add extra spice, or lighten it up.
Game day is practically synonymous with buffalo chicken. Buffalo Chicken Nachos, Buffalo Chicken Sliders, and Buffalo Chicken Sandwich are all delicious, but this creamy, cheesy best buffalo wing dip recipe has become my signature recipe for parties – and my #1 appetizer recipe on All Things Mamma since 2015 and especially during football season!
Try this Buffalo Chicken Casserole for a fun family spin on this recipe!
Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Dip
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Canned Chicken – I know! It sounds crazy but it’s good! You can use the normal 9.75oz size can or the bonus size of 12.5oz. Either work! You could substitute with 2 whole baked chicken breasts.
- Cheddar Cheese – I like the sharp shredded cheese kind!
- Cream Cheese – Can you EVER have enough cheese? Room temperature is best.
- Ranch Salad Dressing – Yes. I said RANCH. I think cools down the hot sauce in this. spicy appetizer dip. You could Blue Cheese Dressing if you’d like.
- Buffalo Chicken Sauce – I like Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce!
- Blue Cheese Crumbles – I don’t have this on my dip BUT it’s a hit for a lot of people. Try it out!
Note: This chicken wing dip uses canned chicken but you can also use leftover cooked shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Dip
Crock Pot Method:
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip can easily be made, too.
- Add ALL of the ingredients below into the slow cooker and turn on low for 3-4 hours.
- Once all of the ingredients are completely melted and heated through, give it a good stir.
- Next, switch the crockpot to the warm setting to keep this cheesy and spicy dip nice and creamy for your party!
Oven Method:
It’s one of THE easiest recipes to make!
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the recipe as directed in the recipe card below. Then pour into a medium baking dish and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese on top and bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. It’s then ready to eat!
Variations
I love this buffalo chicken dip as written, but there are some variations to try:
- Use cooked chicken. While this recipe calls for canned chicken, you can substitute shredded rotisserie chicken or 2 whole cooked chicken breasts.
- Swap out the ranch. I think ranch is perfect because it cools down the hot sauce, but you could Blue Cheese Dressing if you’d like.
- Add blue cheese crumbles. I don’t have this on my dip BUT it’s a hit for a lot of people. Try it out!
- Lighten it up. Try my Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip!
You only need 5 ingredients for buffalo chicken dip – chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Frank’s red sauce and ranch dressing.
No. You can use Blue Cheese Dressing in place of ranch dressing in Buffalo Chicken dip. But you definitely want to use one or the other to cut down on the spicyness.
Yes! Mix everything together, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance. When ready to serve, bake as directed, adding 5–10 extra minutes to account for the cold ingredients.
Reheat covered in a 350°F oven until hot, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.
How to Store Buffalo Chicken Dip
Keep leftover buffalo chicken dip covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350ºF oven or the microwave, stirring every couple of minutes.
Crowd favorites: Homemade Waffles (for the morning after the party!)
For More Amazing Dip Recipes, Try These Next!
Appetizers & Snacks
Crock Pot Sausage Cheese Dip
Appetizers & Snacks
Million Dollar Dip
All Recipes
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
All Recipes
Chili Cheese Dip
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Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 2 12.5oz cans chunk chicken drained – 9.75oz or 12.5oz
- 3/4 cup pepper sauce such as Frank’s Red Hot – I like the Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 2 8oz packages cream cheese softened
- 1 cup Ranch dressing
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 bunch celery
- 1 box chicken-flavored crackers
Instructions
- Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through.2 12.5oz cans chunk chicken, 3/4 cup pepper sauce such as Frank’s Red Hot – I like the Buffalo Wing Sauce
- Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm.2 8oz packages cream cheese, 1 cup Ranch dressing
- Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly.
- If cooking in the oven, add to a 450-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with celery sticks, carrot sticks, baquette slickes, and crackers.1 bunch celery, 1 box chicken-flavored crackers
Video
Notes
- Let the cream cheese come to room temperature. It will mix more smoothly into the rest of the ingredients that way, and it will also melt faster!
- Keep it warm on the go. If you bake your buffalo chicken dip in a dish, use a thermal carrier to keep your dish warm if you’re bringing it to a party. I love mine and use it often!
- Get even more tips. Check out this post for all the best tips and tricks for Buffalo Chicken Dip! How To Make The Best Buffalo Chicken Dip Guide
Sometimes less is more. And this Buffalo chicken dip is THE MOST amazing dip you’ll find. I used Buffalo red hot and canned chicken. This is a staple in our household and my go to for gatherings. It’s always a favorite!
Thanks!! I agree!
Can i use chicken breasts instead of canned chicken and let it cook in the slow cooker?
I’ve not tried it this way.I think I’d cook the chicken breasts before adding to the crock.
My family doesn’t do spicy so is there something else I could use in place of the hot sauce that would give it flavor but no bite (hot)?
I’ve not tried that – I think you could use a mild sauce but it won’t have the “buffalo” flavor. Let me know!
I realize this is a really old question but if you still want to try it I recommend starting with 1/4 cup of wing sauce and adding until you reach your tolerance level.I use a 1/2 cup. Also hot sauce is frequently cut with butter so you could try that too. Hope that helps.
What size can do you use for the canned chicken?
Curious about size cans too. I can’t tell from the photo.
You can use the 9.75 or the 12.5 oz cans.
Is there a way to make this recipe in the instant pot?
I’ve not tried it that way but I bet you could by cooking fresh chicken breasts in the instant pot and then adding the other ingredients on the saute function.
I messed up & didn’t drain the chicken. 🙁 Will it taste bad?
I don’t know that it would be bad without draining, but might change the flavor! How did it turn out? I definitely recommend draining it if you make it again 🙂
Delicious and easy! Has been a hit every time I serve this!
I am so happy to hear that! It is always a smash!
I love this recipe! I made it for my family Christmas party this past year (2019) and it was a big hit! I have recently started eating low carb/keto and wanted to verify the serving size listed in the nutritional facts. It states 1g which is not even a teaspoon full.
We used one cream cheese and one cream cheese with garden vegetables Wow it tasted great best dip we made
I made this yesterday for a Super Bowl party we were attending. I added diced celery and jalapeno’s to it. They LOVED it!!! Thanks for the recipe!
That is GREAT to hear!!!
This so AMAZING! This is a dish that I would totally make for myself and probably keep for myself. My grandmother used to make something similar when I was a little girl.
This is the best buffalo chicken dip that I’ve ever made!
What size cans of chicken do you use?
the best ….thank you very much
Yay! We are so glad you enjoyed! What kind of chips did you end up eating with your dip?
-From the All Things Mamma Team
Crowd pleasure during football season! Super easy to make. I don’t like canned chicken so I shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken. I added pepper and onion powder to taste. It was delish. Everyone that tried it commented how good it was. No leftovers.
If eating this at 9:30 in the morning is wrong, I never want to be right. LOVED it!