Buffalo Chicken Dip is one of my all-time game day favorites. Five ingredients, one bowl, and about 30 minutes in the oven, while most buffalo dip recipes I’ve come across run closer to 45 minutes to an hour. What comes out is warm and creamy and loaded with melted cheese, with just enough heat from the buffalo sauce and a cool, tangy hit of ranch running through every bite. It’s the kind of dip you keep going back to for one more chip.
5-Star Review
“My go-to recipe to use for any occasion. Everyone always says how much they love it and are excited when they find out I’m making it. Super easy to make and ready in no time.” -Amy
Five Ingredients, One Bowl, No Fuss
This creamy, cheesy dip tastes just like the best buffalo wings, minus the mess of bones and napkins. Before I started this site, my friend Kathryn made it for a party and taught me how to make it. We still joke that this recipe is what got me hooked on cooking in the first place.
I’ve made this dip more times than I can count, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that the chicken you use matters more than any other ingredient here. Shredded rotisserie chicken keeps the dip tender and creamy, while canned chicken tends to turn the whole thing grainy. Once it comes out of the oven, you’ll know it’s ready. The top will be bubbling at the edges and just starting to turn golden, with the ranch and hot sauce fully melted into the cream cheese instead of sitting on top. With just a handful of ingredients and two quick steps, you’ll have an easy party dip that’s a hit at every get-together, whether it’s game day, a potluck, or something else.
Tips for Beginners
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in an anti-caking starch that keeps it from melting smoothly, and I noticed a real difference in texture when I switched to a block I grated myself. The dip comes out creamier and pulls into cleaner, gooier strings.
- Don’t swap in dry ranch seasoning. I tried this once to save a step, and it just doesn’t work the same way. The dip turns out thinner and lacks that rich, tangy ranch flavor that makes this recipe what it is. Stick with bottled ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing if that’s your thing.
- Use rotisserie chicken. I really like to use shredded rotisserie chicken in this recipe. I’ve seen lots of recipes use canned chunk chicken, shredded, and I don’t recommend it the same way. The higher quality ingredients, the better flavor. It will do in a pinch, but if you have time, don’t take the short cut.
How Spicy Is It?
This dip is made to have a bit of a kick, but it’s easy to adjust in either direction.
To make it milder, cut the buffalo sauce back to 6 oz. (half the bottle), and make up the difference with extra ranch dressing or a spoonful of sour cream. You’ll still get plenty of buffalo flavor with less heat.
To make it hotter, stir in an extra splash of buffalo sauce, a few dashes of cayenne, or some diced jalapeños along with the rest of the ingredients. A hotter sauce, like a habanero-based buffalo sauce, works too if you want more heat without changing the recipe.
Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature (2 bricks)
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup light ranch dressing
- 12 oz. Franks RedHot Buffalo Sauce or original (1 bottle)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, mixing thoroughly.16 oz. cream cheese, 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, 1 cup light ranch dressing, 12 oz. Franks RedHot Buffalo Sauce
- Pour mixture into a nonstick or sprayed baking dish.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until fully heated through.
Video
Notes
- Let the cream cheese sit out until soft, or it leaves lumps in the mix instead of blending in smooth.
- Out of rotisserie chicken? Any cooked, shredded chicken works, though canned chicken makes the dip grainy.
- Grate the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded, or the starch coating keeps it from melting smooth.
- Use bottled ranch dressing, not a dry ranch seasoning packet, or the dip turns out thin.
- Cut the buffalo sauce in half for a milder dip, or add cayenne or diced jalapeños for more kick.
- This dip runs high in sodium between the hot sauce and ranch, so serve smaller portions with plenty of veggies.
- Baking straight from the fridge? Add 5 to 10 minutes so the center heats through evenly.
- This recipe serves about 8, more of a party spread than a sit-down appetizer.
- Leftovers keep for 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Skip the freezer. The cream cheese and ranch separate once thawed, leaving the dip grainy and watery.
- Assemble the dip up to a day ahead and bake it right before serving.
- Cheddar, blue cheese dressing, and original Frank’s RedHot all work in place of what’s listed.
Nutrition
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip Step by Step
Gather the ingredients. Pull out everything you need before you start, and let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, since softened cream cheese blends in smoothly while cold cream cheese can leave small chunks even after a lot of stirring.
Mix the base: In a large bowl, combine the following.
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup light ranch dressing
- 12 oz Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce
Mix until fully combined. At this stage, the mixture will look pale pink and a little streaky. That’s normal. It won’t turn into one smooth, uniform dip until it bakes.
Add to the baking dish: Pour the mixture into a nonstick or lightly greased baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Bake until bubbly: Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, until it’s fully heated through. You’ll know it’s done when the edges are bubbling, and the color has deepened from pale pink to a rich, warm orange. If your dish is deeper than average or your chicken was cold from the fridge, lean toward the higher end of that bake time. Ovens and dish sizes vary enough that a few extra minutes can make a real difference here.
Serve: Let the dip cool for a few minutes before serving so it firms up just enough to scoop cleanly. Serve it warm with tortilla chips, celery sticks, or carrot sticks.
Substitutions & Variations
A few easy swaps if you don’t have everything on hand.
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese. Regular cheddar works just as well.
- Light ranch dressing. Regular ranch or blue cheese dressing are both good substitutes.
- Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce. The original Frank’s RedHot works too, and it’s a little milder if you’re worried about spice.
I always come back to the oven method because those last few minutes of direct heat give the top a golden, bubbling finish you just can’t get any other way. It’s also faster than either alternative below. But if you’d rather free up your oven or let it cook hands-off, both of these work well.
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip: My go-to when I’m feeding a bigger crowd or need the oven for something else. It won’t get that golden top, but it stays warm for hours, which is great for a long game day.
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip: A good middle ground if you want it fast but don’t want to babysit the oven.
You can also switch up what’s in the dip itself. Swap the chicken for fully cooked ground beef or chorizo for a different flavor, or leave the meat out entirely for a vegetarian-friendly version that’s still cheesy and spicy.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container, or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer
I don’t recommend freezing this dip. The cream cheese and ranch can separate once thawed, leaving you with a grainy, watery texture instead of that smooth, creamy consistency.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions in short bursts, stirring between each.
Make Ahead
Combine all the ingredients in your baking dish, cover, and refrigerate up to a day in advance. Bake just before serving, adding 5 to 10 minutes to the cook time since it’s starting cold. If you’re cooking your own chicken instead of using rotisserie, cook and shred it a day ahead too. It will save you time when you’re ready to assemble.
Serving Suggestions
This dip is best served warm, straight out of the oven while the cheese is still melted and bubbling. That’s when the texture is at its creamiest. That said, leftovers are still good cold, straight from the fridge, if you don’t want to bother reheating.
This recipe makes about 8 servings, so it’s sized well for a party spread rather than a sit-down appetizer. For dippers, I always reach for sturdy tortilla chips, something thick enough that it won’t snap off in the dip. For freshness and to cool down the heat a little, celery and carrot sticks are the classic pairing. They taste just like the vegetables you’d get alongside real buffalo chicken wings.
More Game Day Appetizers We Love
- Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings: Same bold buffalo flavor, in wing form, for when you want the classic alongside the dip.
- White Queso Recipe: A cheesy, mellow dip to balance out the heat of the buffalo dip on a loaded appetizer table.
- Baked Chicken Wings: Another game day staple, great for a double dose of chicken apps alongside this dip.
- Ham and Cheese Pinwheels: Something cooler and easier to grab one-handed while watching the game, if you want a break from the heat.
More dip recipes to try
Our Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe was originally published 6/10/19. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 8/29/26.
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