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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-oz. 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 c. of dip, enough for 12 servings, ½ c. each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Thanks to this I can make buffalo wing dip for the super bowl!!
I am also from Buffalo, please don’t use canned chicken, that doesn’t taste as good as cooking chicken, or even buying a rotisserie chicken.
Being from Buffalo I am appalled that people use ranch dressing with their wings. I don’t personally like either ranch or blue cheese, but still, I’m from buffalo and that’s just the way we do things :). Anyway this recipe is a staple in my house We’ve even had it over pasta! Buffalo chicken wing pasta! Thanks for the recipe!
Yum!!! Thanks for sharing!
No offense but who started the idea to use Ranch instead of Blue Cheese. A hot buffalo wing was started with dipping it in blue cheese dressing with chucks of blue cheese.. THATS a buffalo wing. Also I do 1/2 and 1/2 of the cheddar and Monterrey jack jalapeno.., Ditch the Ranch- leave it for the salads… that is not a true Buffalo wing 🙂
Hi Steve, first of all thank you for being nice about this unfortunate situation. The last person who was upset about ranch in my Buffalo dip dropped a few f-bombs… so… I appreciate you. The reason us weird Wisconsin people started putting RANCH in buffalo dip is because we don’t like blue cheese. I really WANT to like blue cheese, but I just don’t. How do I learn to love the taste of moldy feet? I’m taking suggestions. I taught myself to like salmon by eating it repeatedly, so maybe I just need to do that with blue cheese. But either way you’re right, this recipe should be written with blue cheese, garnished with blue cheese, and have a tiny footnote suggestion you “could” make it with ranch if you suck. 🙂 I will have to get it rephotographed but I’ll put it on my list. Thank you, mostly for just not being super mean about your suggestion. You were so nice that I will actually do what you have suggested. Thanks a lot. -Meggan
I was nearly devastated when I realized we didn’t have the canned chicken to make this for the Super Bowl. LUCKILY, we had some fresh chicken in the refrigerator, so cooked that, shredded it with the kitchen aid mixer (BEST TRICK EVER), and let it ride in the crock pot for a few hours. I will never go back to the canned stuff! This is the best recipe ever, and now its even better! Thank you for making the worst Super Bowl ever worth staying up for 😉
Thanks for the handy recipes! I live in Buffalo and buffalo dip is a staple here, but I have never attempted it myself. Your recipe was true to form, although I did make one substitution to make it even more true to Buffalo style…using blue cheese instead of ranch dressing!!! Yum!
Hi Shinea, thank you!!! Other Buffalo residents have been much more unkind about my recipe in the past, LOL! I do agree blue cheese is more traditional, I just can’t eat the stuff myself! I appreciate you, I’m glad you liked the dip, and I hope you have a spectacular week! Thanks. 😀 -Meggan
We love this dip! We use Tostitos scoops!
Ah yes, the BEST chip for getting the most dip! Good call! Thanks Julie. 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by the blog!
When I was in highschool we had a food day in one of my classes and someonmade buffalo chicken wing dip and I love it I just really don’t like the spicy part I’ve never been a fan of spicy foods. So I was wondering if there is a way I could make it mild but still taste good??
Hi Chelsea! I know what you mean about the spiciness, that can get out of control FAST. The good news is, this recipe is full of stuff to offset the spice: Cream Cheese, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing. All that really cools the flavor down. What I would do, if I were you, is just add the red pepper sauce a little bit at a time. Maybe start with 2 Tablespoons, taste it, and go from there. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup so I feel like you might even be able to start with a 1/4 cup but I don’t want you to be disappointed. So just add a little at a time until you like the flavor. Also, if you eat it with celery instead of crackers, that helps a lot too! Crackers are good though, so maybe switch back and forth between fresh celery and crackers. 😀 I hope this helps! Good luck!! BTW if you accidentally overdo the hot sauce, you can always add in more ranch or cheese to compensate! There’s really no “wrong” way to make Buffalo wing dip. 😀
What?! Your hubby doesn’t like buffalo-style foods?! I must admit, I have a bit of a secret addiction to it 😉 Well it’s awfully telling that even he loved this recipe 🙂 Pinning for the holidays!
I always learn something about real American food on your blog, Meggan, and that’s one of the reasons I love it. One of, because there are many!! Delicious-sounding dip! When’s your next party?