This easy, zero-prep Buffalo Chicken Dip turns a favorite bar food into a foolproof appetizer for any party, and can be made in the Crock Pot, Instant Pot, or your oven! Shredded chicken and lots of creamy cheese come together in a spicy Buffalo-ranch sauce – it’s so good, you may even chow down with a fork when the chips run out!
I am low-key obsessed with this Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Adapted from one of my favorite Publix Deli quick take party snacks, this recipe has been tweaked and nudged to perfection over the past few years.
I’ve tried making it everywhere – from the oven to the Crock Pot to (now) my Instant Pot.
Even the microwave had a shot.
Every method has its perks, but I still can’t decide which way is my favorite!
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Let’s clear something up: I LOVE Buffalo chicken.
I do NOT love Buffalo wings.
They’re so messy and difficult to mindlessly eat when out with friends, which is the whole point of appetizers, isn’t it?
Obviously, Buffalo Chicken Dip is the superior version of Buffalo wings.
All the flavor (and then some!) minus the mess. Plus you can throw some veggies and chips in the mix and turn it into a real meal.
There are only 6 ingredients in this appetizer recipe!
- Shredded cooked chicken – the base of the dip, but hardly the star. Use either leftover (rotisserie) chicken, canned chicken, or cook a few breasts or thighs for the occasion.
- Cream cheese – player #1 in what makes this dip so creamy. Non-negotiable ingredient.
- Sour cream – player #2; see above. (This + ingredient 4 may be subbed out for ranch dressing instead.)
- Ranch dressing mix – because wings need ranch (and since blue cheese is gross IMHO).
- Buffalo sauce – otherwise, it’s just a casserole. (I always go with Frank’s RedHot Wings Sauce!
) - Cheddar cheese – inside and melted on top for that Instagrammable cheese pull. You can use pre-shredded, but I recommend shredding by hand from a block for best results. Other tasty cheese options: colby jack, pepper jack, or Mozzarella.
)
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Dip In The Crock Pot:
- First, combine all of the ingredients, except for the cream cheese, in your slow cooker. Reserve some cheddar cheese for later. Stir to combine.
- Then, place the cubed cream cheese on top of the chicken. Close the lid and cook 1-2 hours on low, until the cheese is melted and everything has come together in a gooey, chunky dip.
- Stir it up, then sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top.
- Finally, close the lid for a few more minutes and allow the cheese to melt.
- Garnish with green onion and serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Dip In The Instant Pot
A few readers have had issues with this particular kind of preparation. Be sure to pay attention and follow the directions exactly, in addition to ensuring that the sealing ring on the lid is properly fitted and the venting knob on your pressure cooker is turned to sealing to avoid the dreaded BURN notice. Adding more liquid will result in watery dip.
If using frozen/raw chicken…
- First, place the chicken in the inner pot of the Instant Pot, along with 1 cup water.
- Next, seal the lid and pressure valve and cook on Manual High for 10 minutes. Press Cancel and perform a quick pressure release.
- Remove the lid carefully. Transfer chicken to a bowl and shred it using two forks. Discard water return pot to cooker. Press Saute Low.
- Then, add remaining ingredients (minus 1/2 cup cheddar, plus extra Buffalo sauce to taste if desired) and stir well. Allow the cheeses to melt, mixing frequently to prevent scorching.
- Sprinkle reserved cheddar on top, loosely close the lid and allow to melt.
- Garnish with green onion and serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
If using cooked chicken…
- First, combine all of the ingredients in the inner pot of the Instant Pot, with the cubed cream cheese on top (reserve 1/2 cup of cheddar for later.) Stir to combine. Seal the lid and pressure valve and cook on Manual High for 0 minutes (not a misprint – it’s just enough to build & release pressure to melt the cheeses).
- Press Cancel and perform a quick pressure release. Remove the lid carefully.
- Then, stir well and sprinkle reserved cheddar on top. Close lid and allow cheddar to melt.
- Garnish with green onion and serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Dip In The Oven:
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Next, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to combine. Reserve some of the cheddar for the top.
- Then, transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Spread it into an even layer and sprinkle the reserved cheddar on top.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Garnish with green onion and serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
FAQ
Can you prepare this dip in advance?
Yes, especially if you’re baking it or cooking it in the crock pot. Cover the crock or serving dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook it.
An additional 5 minutes should be added to the total time, to compensate for the cold temperature of the ingredients.
Can you freeze it?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dip. Frozen cheese has a tendency to lose its moisture when it is reheated, leaving a chalky mouthfeel behind upon reheating.
How long can Buffalo chicken dip sit out?
The dip should be kept warm (140 degrees F) in the crock pot during the festivities for no more than 4 hours. If it’s on the table out of the crock pot, it must be refrigerated after 2 hours max.
If you’re worried about foodborne illness, refrigerate the dip after 2 hours. Transfer any leftover dip to a large container with a lid and store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. When ready to serve, either microwave or follow oven instructions to reheat.
What goes with Buffalo chicken dip?
- Vegetables – like carrots and celery sticks (classic!), as well as raw broccoli or cauliflower, cucumber slices, radishes, or raw jicama sticks.
- Chips – tortilla chips are perfect, but any kind of corn chip or potato chip will be equally delicious.
- Potatoes – think French fries or potato wedges.
- Bread – crostini, breadsticks, crackers, etc.
This dip would also be delicious on top of pizza, in a sandwich or wrap, or on a salad!
Is Buffalo chicken dip keto?
Yes, this dip is a perfect keto appetizer! It is low in carbohydrates and high in fat.
Keep it Keto by serving it with low carb vegetables like celery or broccoli, low carb crackers and chips, or homemade baked lavash chips.
Love all things Buffalo chicken?
Make sure you try my Easy Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas next, or use Frank’s on some air fryer wings! For your next picnic or BBQ, whip up a batch of Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs or fancy up your ordinary hot dogs with Buffalo fixins. If you need something more substantial for dinner, this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake or an old fashioned Buffalo Wing Casserole is sure to do the trick.
LOOKING FOR MORE CHICKEN APPETIZER RECIPES?
HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS FOR MAKING BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP:
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Buffalo Chicken Dip (in the Crock Pot, Instant Pot, or Oven!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken breast shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened; cut into cubes
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese blend divided
- ½ cup Buffalo hot sauce
- Green onion chopped; for garnish (optional)
Instructions
In the Crock Pot…
- Combine all ingredients except cream cheese in the crock of a slow cooker, reserving 1/2 cup of cheddar for the top. Stir to combine. Place the cubes of cream cheese on top of the mixture.
- Close the lid and cook 1-2 hours on low, until cheeses are melted. Stir well, then sprinkle remaining cheddar on top. Close lid and allow cheddar to melt. Garnish with green onion if desired, then serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
In the Instant Pot…(with raw chicken)
- Place whole chicken breasts in the inner pot of the Instant Pot, along with 1 cup of water. Seal the lid and valve and cook on Manual High for 10 minutes. Press Cancel and perform a quick pressure release.
- Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a mixing bowl. Carefully discard the water from the inner pot and return it to the cooker. Shred the chicken, then return it to the pot.
- Press Saute Low. Add cream cheese, sour cream, ranch mix, 1 cup of cheddar, and Buffalo sauce (feel free to add more than 1/2 cup if you want to). Allow cheeses to melt, mixing occasionally to help combine. When well mixed, sprinkle remaining cheddar on top. Close lid and allow cheddar to melt. Garnish with green onion if desired, then serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
In the Instant Pot…(with cooked chicken)
- Pour Buffalo sauce and 1/4 cup water in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Layer in the cooked chicken (pre-shredded), then add ranch mix, sour cream, cream cheese, and 1 cup of cheddar on top. Seal the lid and valve and cook on Manual High for 0 minutes (yes – that’s ZERO minutes – just for pressure building purposes). Press Cancel and perform a quick pressure release.
- Remove the lid carefully. Stir well until combined, then sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top. Close lid and allow cheddar to melt. Garnish with green onion if desired, then serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
In the Oven…
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to combine, reserving 1/2 cup of cheddar for the top. Transfer the contents of the bowl to prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Garnish with green onion if desired, then serve with carrot & celery sticks and/or tortilla chips.
Jo E Mandle says
Hello, the instapot recipe for cooked chicken says 0 minutes Help please
Erica says
Hi Jo! Yes, it is a 0 minute cook time – if you’re using cooked chicken in this recipe, all you need to do is melt the cheeses. If you set your Instant Pot to 0 minutes, it will build up pressure and immediately release it so you don’t overcook your already cooked chicken. I promise, it works! Good luck and enjoy this tasty dip! 🙂
Aideen Murphy says
Hi Erica,
Thank you so much for this. Alas, my inner pot burnt before the pressure built up enough to release it. Have you experienced that at all? I’m not the greatest cook so need basic training :/
Aideen
Erica says
Hi Aideen! I’m so sorry to hear you’re having Instant Pot woes! I haven’t had a burn or overheat problem myself, but it could be one of a few things. Were you using cooked or frozen chicken? With frozen, I have 1/4 cup water added to the instructions for that particular method, but it isn’t in the ingredients list – did you add that? If it was cooked, make sure you put the hot sauce in first, then layer the chicken and everything else on top of it. Did you make sure the venting knob was turned to sealing? If it’s not sealed, any liquid that IS in the pot escapes as steams and burns up. Also, make sure your sealing ring is properly fitted in the lid, as that can effect how much steam escapes, also. I hope this helps, and thanks for bringing it to my attention – I’ll update the instructions a bit to avoid this problem for anyone else!
Aideen says
Hi Erica
Thank you for the reply. I used it for a couple of other recipes and put in more liquid and ensured proper sealing and it didn’t burn, yay. However, i literally just msde this again and again, put in more liquid, ensured it was sealed but it burnt again 🙁 Maybe even more liquid? I’m afraid it will be runny though. I did also just use the pot to cook rhe chicken beforehand, is ir possible it was too hot? It’s still edible anyway, haha.
Erica says
That is so very odd to hear, Aideen! I actually made this again today for a Super Bowl party and I didn’t have any problems. I did do a little research and have a solution to try (I updated the recipe to reflect these changes) – add 1 cup of water with the chicken breasts when cooking, then transfer the chicken to a bowl to shred, and discard the water. Then follow the rest of the recipe, stirring in the remaining ingredients until it’s all combined. I truly hope this works better for you, and I’m so SO sorry you’ve had such trouble with it!
Rosie says
I recently made this buffalo chicken dip recipe, and I love how it turned out! It was delicious, easy to make, and a total hit! I would recommend giving this recipe a try!
Debbie says
Hi there. Do you think this recipe can work canned chicken? I have some cans and looking for recipe
Cady Clasby says
Hey I LOVE your explanations of everything. I’m trying it in the instant pot for the first time, but I’m a very seasoned hot wing dip maker. I use the actual ranch and franks red hot (not franks hot wing dip) . I’m afraid to alter that. But here’s my tip: we ALWAYS sauté the shredded chicken IN franks red hot to ensure the chicken soaks it all up. Try it and tell me what you think….
Joy says
This dip is the bomb! It also makes it really easy for us as a mixed diet household (keto/non keto) because we can serve it with two different items for dipping.
mary says
what can I substitute Buffalo hot sauce with?
Mia says
Made this for our weekly game day and it was a huge hit! It was literally devoured in minutes!!
Charlotte says
Served this when we were watching football last week and it was gone before the end of the first quarter! Doubling the recipe next time so maybe it will last until halftime! I did the oven version and used a 9×9 dish.
Jo says
I made ours in the oven and it was perfection! Just the right amount of buffalo flavor and it was super creamy. I plan on making this at every football watch party we host. YUMMY!
Paul says
This is fantastic. Just made it and it taste great with just the amount of heat. Will be making this over and over. Thanks for the recipe.
Harman says
How GREAT a recipe needs to be when you make it 4 times with different preps and it comes out EXACTLY the same – DELICIOUS!!!! If I could, I would write this baby in my will, lol.