Buffalo Chicken Dip

There’s your typical one-note dip, and then there’s the ultimate game day appetizer. We are engineering a Buffalo Chicken Dip that is thick, rich, seasoned, and structurally built to hold up on a tortilla chip.

Want to try some of my other dips? Check out my Honey BBQ Chicken Dip, Kickin’ Chicken Sausage Cheese Dip, Cheesy Spinach Dip, or my Grilled Corn & Avocado Salsa.

The secret here starts with chicken—we’re shredding a whole rotisserie chicken into the mix. From there, we build a creamy foundation with cream cheese and ranch dressing, spiked with a dual-threat heat combo of buffalo sauce and Louisiana hot sauce for that authentic, vinegar-forward kick.

But as someone who believes that a great dish evolves around the depth of flavor, I don’t stop at the sauce. Layering in an initial blend of Parmesan and Monterey Jack cheeses, and adding garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper, gives it a smoky, savory baseline. Finally, we blanket the top with a three-cheese blend of Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Monterey Jack, then bake until bubbly and golden brown. It’s spicy, creamy, and bold.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Buffalo Chicken Dip:

• The rotisserie chicken is the foundation of this recipe. You’ll need one whole rotisserie Chicken that will be shredded. Using a whole bird gives you a mix of white and dark meat, resulting in a much juicier, more flavorful dip than using chicken breasts alone. The shredded texture acts as a lattice that holds the heavy cheeses and sauces together.
• To make the dip as creamy as possible, you’ll need cream cheese and ranch dressing. The cream cheese provides the thick foundation needed to keep the dip cohesive and prevents the hot sauces from separating during baking. The ranch dressing adds a cooling, herby tang (thanks to dill, chives, and buttermilk) that balances the heat of the buffalo sauce, while contributing to a scoopable, smooth consistency.
• For the heat, you’ll need buffalo sauce and hot sauce. The buffalo sauce delivers that classic, smooth, cayenne-and-butter profile that everyone expects from a buffalo dish. While the hot sauce introduces a sharp, vinegar-forward kick. I recommend Frank Red Hot Buffalo Sauce and Louisiana Hot Sauce.
• You can’t have Buffalo Chicken Dip without cheese, so we’re using a combination of Parmesan and Monterey Jack in the dip itself, and we’ll top it with cheddar, Pepper Jack, & Monterey Jack.
• To add as much flavor as possible, the seasoning combination includes garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
• And finally, to top it all off, you’ll need dried parsley (to make it nice and pretty) and crumbled blue cheese. The blue cheese is the traditionalist’s choice. Dropping crumbles on top adds a pungent, funky bite that works perfectly with the tangy buffalo sauce.

Making the Buffalo Chicken Dip:

Allow your cream cheese to reach room temperature. Before you get started, set your cream cheese out to come to room temperature, which helps the mixing process go a little more smoothly.

Prep the chicken. Shred your Rotisserie Chicken and place it into a large bowl.

Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken, Parmesan, and Monterey Jack cheese (leaving some to top off before placing the baking dish in the oven), cream cheese, ranch dressing, Buffalo sauce, hot sauce, sea salt, black pepper, and paprika to a large bowl. Mix until blended. 

I’ve tasted my fair share of hot sauces over the years, but I always gravitate back to Frank’s Red Hot Wings sauce for its buttery flavor and heat. Did you know it was the secret ingredient used in the original Buffalo Wings created in Buffalo, NY, in 1964? The Northeast US market loves Frank’s, and according to their commercials, even Grandma puts that $#*t on everything!

Transfer the ingredients into a casserole dish (paid link). Top off with cheddar, Pepper Jack, & Monterey Jack cheeses, then finish with a sprinkle of dried parsley and crumbled blue cheese (optional). 

Bake. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.

Tips & Tricks

• Your cream cheese should be room temperature before you start mixing. If it is cold, it may not emulsify with the ranch dressing and buffalo sauce, leaving you with a lumpy, broken dip. Leave it on the counter for at least an hour before assembling.
• When prepping your whole rotisserie chicken, pull the meat off the bones and shred it by hand into long, thin strands rather than chopping it with a knife. Long strands of chicken act like a lattice, trapping the melted cheeses and sauces so every chipful has the perfect ratio of protein to dip.
• Skip the pre-shredded bags of cheese. Pre-packaged cheeses are coated with anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting smoothly. Grating your blocks fresh ensures a gooey cheese pull.

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5 from 4 reviews

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Recipe by Eric

The ultimate Buffalo Chicken Dip! Packed with juicy rotisserie chicken, five cheeses, and a dual-heat buffalo kick. Perfect for game day.

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• Total Time30 minutes
• Yield6 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, separated
• 1 cup buffalo sauce
• 1 hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black Pepper
• 1/4 cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• crumbled blue cheese (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Shred the whole rotisserie chicken.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, Parmesan cheese, and 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. buffalo sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform.
4. Transfer the chicken mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish, smoothing it into an even layer using a spatula (paid link).
5. Top evenly with 1/4 cup of Monterey Jack, cheddar, and Pepper Jack cheese. Top with dried parsley. If using blue cheese, scatter the crumbles over the top.
6. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes until the dip is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown.
7. Serve with tortilla chips or celery sticks.

Equipment

Glass Bowls

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Casserole Dish

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(paid link)

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Calories: 288
• Fat: 20.7g