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This easy Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe is classic Midwestern fare, and it can be yours in minutes with just 5 ingredients. Serve with plenty of fresh celery sticks, crackers, and chips.
I’ve spent enough time in Buffalo, NY to know that if you’re making buffalo ANYTHING, you need to make it with blue cheese, not ranch. And the commenters below agree! They take their culinary contributions very seriously, and they aren’t using ranch dressing. They’ve also left numerous 5-start ratings, so if you’re looking for an authentic recipe, look no further.
As a side note, if you don’t love blue cheese, feel free to substitute ranch dressing. But do yourself a favor and don’t tell anyone from Buffalo!
Table of Contents
Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken: I make this easy dip with canned chunk chicken which I always keep in the pantry. Every 10-ounce can of chicken equals 2 small chicken breasts, so you would need 4 small chicken breasts (or 2 large ones), cooked and then shredded with two forks. See my how-to on poaching chicken, which is fast and super simple. You can also use leftover shredded chicken.
- Hot sauce: Frank’s RedHot Original or Buffalo Wing Sauce works best for me, but you may prefer another kind, and that’s okay.
- Salad dressing: For real, authentic, traditional Buffalo Chicken Dip, this recipe MUST be made with blue cheese dressing, not ranch. However, if you don’t like blue cheese dressing, as I don’t, you can use ranch. Just don’t tell anyone from Buffalo, NY.
How to make Buffalo Chicken Dip with Canned Chicken
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine chicken and hot sauce. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in cream cheese, salad dressing, and shredded cheese. Continue to stir until hot and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm. Season with a pinch of salt if it needs it.
- Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, chives, or blue cheese crumbles, and serve with celery sticks, chicken crackers, and tortilla chips.
The Best Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of dip, enough for 12 servings, ½ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the assembled dip in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is classic in Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip, but you can choose a different one or add a variety. Look for cheese with high stretchability like Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese.
- Dippers: Serve Buffalo Wing Dip with crisp celery sticks and carrots, tortilla chips, chicken-flavored crackers, and toasted baguette slices.
- Slow cooker: Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker and stir until combined. Cover and heat on LOW 3 to 4 hours or HIGH 1 to 2 hours. Serve warm right from the crockpot with celery sticks and crackers.
- Oven-baked: Start with softened cream cheese. In a large bowl, stir together all dip ingredients. Spread evenly in a 1 1/2-quart or larger baking dish or cast iron skillet. Bake in a 350-degree oven until hot and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes.
How to store Chicken Buffalo Dip
Cool completely, then store leftover Chicken Buffalo Dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Buffalo Chicken Dip can be safely frozen although there may be some loss in texture because cream cheese and ranch dressing don’t freeze well. It will likely look a little watery after thawing. Pack cooled leftover dip in a freezer-safe container (leaving 1 inch for expansion), then label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165 degrees on the stove top or in a crockpot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hot, cheesy buffalo dip is delicious with crisp, fresh celery or carrot sticks, crunchy tortilla chips, and crackers (chicken-flavored crackers are my go-to here).
Buffalo chicken wing dip is made with cream cheese, shredded cheese, blue cheese or ranch dressing, hot sauce, and other spices like garlic powder.
That is a matter of personal taste. For real, authentic, traditional Buffalo Chicken Dip, this recipe MUST be made with blue cheese dressing, not ranch dressing. However, if you don’t like blue cheese dressing, you can safely use ranch. It’s your dip after all! Just don’t tell anyone from Buffalo, NY.
The most natural substitute for blue cheese is ranch dressing, but sour cream or any cool, creamy dip can work.
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Buffalo Chicken Dip with Canned Chicken
Equipment
- Slow cooker (I love my trusty Crock Pot)
Ingredients
- 2 (10-ounce) cans chunk chicken drained and shredded (see note 1)
- 1 (5-ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce (see note 2)
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
- 1 cup ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing (see note 3)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh chives sliced, or blue cheese crumbles, for garnish
- 1 stalk celery trimmed and cut into 4-inch pieces, for serving
- 1 (8-ounce) box chicken crackers and tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
Stove top method:
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine chicken and hot sauce. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in cream cheese, salad dressing, and shredded cheese. Continue to stir until hot and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm. Garnish with chives or blue cheese crumbles and serve with celery sticks, chicken crackers, and tortilla chips.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chicken: I make this easy dip with canned chunk chicken which I always keep in the pantry. Every 10-ounce can of chicken equals 2 small chicken breasts, so you would need 4 small chicken breasts (or 2 large ones), cooked and then shredded with two forks. See my how-to on poaching chicken, which is fast and super simple. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Hot sauce: Frank’s RedHot Original works best for me, but you may prefer another kind, and that’s okay.
- Salad dressing: For real, authentic, traditional Buffalo Chicken Dip, this recipe MUST be made with blue cheese dressing, not ranch. However, if you don’t like blue cheese dressing, as I don’t, you can use ranch. Just don’t tell anyone from Buffalo, NY.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of dip, enough for 12 servings, ½ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
My go to buffalo chicken dip recipe for years!
So glad you love it, Carissa! ๐ – Meggan
Great for our Superbowl party. Go Chiefs!
Thank you, Rhonda! – Meggan
I love how u say you must use blue cheese for real buffalo chicken wing dip & if you don’t, don’t tell anyone from Buffalo NY. I’m from Buffalo &I agree 100%, we take our contributions to the culinary world seriously(beef on weck, ๐ wings, ๐ wing dip, loganberry etc…). There’s not even ranch in pizza places, unless they sell salads.
The only change I made was to sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on the top &add more cheese!
Hi Rose, thank you so much for your comment! I appreciate how seriously Buffalo takes its food, and I am grateful to be able to pay homage to such deliciousness. If you have any other Buffalo-inspired recipes or suggestions, please write! Thank you for sharing again, and take care! – Meggan
Fabulous & super simple! Perfect food for Game Day!!!
Glad you loved it, Marla! Take care! – Meggan
I’ve made this exact recipe twice now and my family absolutely loves it. I’m not an executive chef but I am a certified chef and I definitely look forward to seeing more recipes from Culinary Hill. This is one of my favorite websites to go on just to see what I can make next ๐
Thank you so much Amanda, so glad you loved it and the site! – Meggan
Went to a birthday party and it was a hit!i kept asking my daughter in law for the recipe and she has sent it. Thank you Jessica. Iโm going to write this one down so if I lose my phone I will have it!Everyone could not get enough. I really donโt do hot and was skeptical at first but I tried it and it was perfect!she also put in one of those crockpot liners and then she just transferred it to a big bowl. She kept in liner. No dirty dishes!!!
At the end of the day it’s all about the buffalo and the chicken for me. I don’t care if you use blue cheese or ranch to get there – just as long as that chicken and buffalo are swimming in something spicy. Happy, Happy, Happy.
Rotisserie chicken definitely. 2 pkgs of cream cheese is way too much. I had to get another chicken to put in it. I’ll cut to 1 pkg next time. Used 1/2 the amount called for of blue cheese dsg and added chunks of bleu cheese when served and a bowl of bleu cheese chunks by the crock pot when serving. Also jalapenos on the side. Some wanted a little more spice.
Sorry about the cream cheese situation. For me and the people I know, we want it like that. But I can see if you don’t have cream cheese figuratively running through your veins, you might not. ๐ Thanks. -Meggan