Need the perfect side to your tailgate and Super Bowl grill-off? This buffalo chicken dip recipe is addictive, beautifully cheesy, and will be an instant crowd favorite. Here’s how to make it from scratch.
Smoked Chicken? Cheese? Buffalo sauce? Cheese and more cheese?!
The smokiness of chicken shredded to perfection and the kick of Buffalo sauce, the sharpness of blue cheese.
This buffalo chicken dip has a flavor so bold you won’t just taste it.
You’ll feel it!
This rich warm dip is perfect served up with tortilla chips or crostini bread. Hell…. it’s so badass we’ve even used the leftovers as a topping on baked potatoes! Grab your cream cheese and chicken, light your grill, and prepare to be sacked by the flavor.
It’s perfect for your tailgate party, or any party for that matter.
In truth, you can use whatever chicken breast you have lying around, but for the absolute best results I strongly recommend smoking chicken. It’ll give your dip a beautifully deep and rich taste that store-bought or ready-made chicken just can’t give you.
If you want to wow people at your tailgate or BBQ party then you won’t find a better way to make it.
Once the chicken has cooked, use some meat shredding claws (like these) and get to work on your meat.
You want it thoroughly shredded, so don’t be shy and really work that chicken.
One of the beautiful things about this recipe is that even though I’ve laid out rough measurements, you can basically eyeball a lot of the ingredients.
This is particularly true in the case of the chicken. Just use whatever you have, and don’t worry if you think you’re little or too much in the mix (as if there’s such a thing as too much).
The same goes for cream cheese. I love cream cheese, so there’s a chance that I go overboard. But hey, you’re making this for a party so why not indulge?
What is buffalo chicken dip?
Buffalo chicken dip is essentially just a blend of shredded chicken (roasted or smoked), and mixed with ranch dressing to form a creamy dip. It has cream cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing. You can make it with freshly cooked chicken, but it’s also a great way to use leftover chicken.
The dip has its origins going back to the inception of buffalo chicken wings in the 1960s, but the benefit of having it as a dip is that it saves a lot of mess.
While it’s often made in a crockpot or oven, we’re going to do away with all of that and put it together on the grill. This will help add a beautiful layer of smoke and wood that’ll be unlike any dip you’ve had before.
What to do with leftover buffalo chicken dip
Buffalo dip is best made in bulk, but this can leave you with a mountain of leftovers to shift. No one likes to see good food go to waste, so here are some quick leftover buffalo chicken dip recipes to help you make the most of the recipe.
- Use it as a burger filling. Recipe here.
- On flatbread pizzas. Simply spread it on flatbread naan breads and top with cheese before baking for just 10 minutes. Recipe here.
- As a filling for jalapeño poppers. One of the world’s best appetizers, and perfect at any BBQ party.
- Mix it with some pasta for a quick 10-minute weekday meal
Can you overcook buffalo chicken dip?
Yes, you can. If you cook it for too long the oil in the cheese will start to separate, giving you a greasy mess. Stick to the 15-minute grill time in our recipe and you should be good.
What is buffalo chicken dip served with?
Like with so many dips, buffalo dip goes best with tortilla chips. Sure, it can be enjoyed with classic ‘dipping’ vegetables like celery and carrots, but nothing quite does the job like chips. They’re light, fuss-free, and the salt in them balance out the cream and heat in the dip.
Can I freeze buffalo chicken dip?
Technically, yes you can freeze the dip. I strongly advise against it for two reasons though. One is that the consistency of cream cheese changes as it is frozen, and will turn into a crumbly texture.
The other reason is that I try to avoid freezing cooked chicken. While a number of food safety organizations say it is ok to freeze cooked poultry once, you have to be very careful. For me, this isn’t a risk worth taking.
How to reheat leftover buffalo chicken dip
If you have plenty to spare then the good news is that it can be enjoyed cold out the refrigerator, but it’s always best warm. Luckily, this is easy to do.
Reheat in the microwave on medium-high, stopping every 30-45 seconds to stir. Do this for 3-4 minutes, or until hot.
Try to avoid reheating it on high. Cooking it too hot can lead to the oil in the cheese separating, which will cause excessive grease.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 3 cups of leftover smoked chicken shredded
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tbsp ranch dressing
- One small celery stalk diced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Heat up your grill.
- Mix all of the listed ingredients together in a large bowl (except the blue cheese crumbles).
- Once combined, transfer ingredients into a skillet and top the mixture with the blue cheese crumbles.
- Place on the grill for 10-15 minutes (or until the dip begins to bubble up).
- Serve with chips or your choice of bread & enjoy!
