Buffalo Chicken Dip
This buffalo chicken dip recipe is the one that gets requested at every single gathering and never makes it back home with any left in the dish. Seasoned chicken mixed with Frank’s Red Hot, cream cheese, ranch dressing, mozzarella, cheddar, and CTH, spread into a baking dish, topped with more cheese and green onions, and baked uncovered at 350Ā°F for 45 minutes until it’s hot and bubbling and the edges are starting to go golden. Set it out with chips and vegetables and watch it disappear before anything else on the table.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
- Main Ingredients: The Chicken, bone-in chicken thighs, Olive oil, CTH seasoning, Magic Poultry seasoning, The Dip, cream cheese, Frank's Red Hot sauce
- Why You'll Love It: This easy buffalo chicken dip recipe combines seasoned chicken, Frank's Red Hot, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and melted cheddar and mozzarella and bakes until hot and bubbling for the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer.
The CTH in both the chicken and the dip itself is what makes this easy buffalo chicken dip taste specifically more layered and more interesting than the standard version. It adds an herby, slightly Cajun depth that runs through every scoop and makes people ask what’s different about it before they can quite put their finger on it.
Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
- This works with chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or rotisserie chicken so you can make it from scratch when you have time or throw it together in 15 minutes with a store-bought rotisserie on a busy day.
- Frank’s Red Hot is the sauce that makes buffalo chicken dip taste like buffalo chicken dip. The right amount of heat and vinegar in every spoonful is what the whole dish is built around.
- The cream cheese and ranch together produce a rich, creamy base that tempers the heat from the Frank’s and keeps every bite balanced rather than just spicy.
- This feeds a crowd from one baking dish with almost no cleanup and can be assembled the night before and baked right before serving.
Ingredients Needed To Make Buffalo Chicken Dip
The Chicken
Bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with CTH and Magic Poultry seasoning and baked until cooked through produce the most flavorful, most juicy base for the dip. Chicken breasts work for a leaner option. Rotisserie chicken is the fastest and most convenient path and still produces an excellent finished dip.
The Dip Base
Softened cream cheese is the thick, rich, creamy foundation that holds everything together and balances the heat. Frank’s Red Hot is the non-negotiable flavor driver. Ranch dressing adds a cool, herby creaminess that is the classic pairing with buffalo sauce for a reason. Shredded mozzarella and cheddar melt through the dip and over the top for that stretchy, gooey, cheesy finish. CTH and onion powder season throughout. Green onions add a fresh, slightly sharp bite layered through the dip and scattered over the top.
How to Make the Best Buffalo Chicken Dip
1
Preheat the oven to 350Ā°F. Season the chicken thighs with olive oil, CTH, and Magic Poultry seasoning and bake for 35 minutes until cooked through. Let cool slightly and chop into small pieces. Or skip this step entirely with a rotisserie chicken.
2
Add the chopped chicken, softened cream cheese, Frank’s Red Hot, ranch, mozzarella, cheddar, CTH, onion powder, and most of the green onions to a large bowl. Mix until completely combined.
3
Spread into a baking dish. Top with the reserved cheddar and green onions. Bake uncovered at 350Ā°F for 45 minutes until hot, bubbling, and golden at the edges.
4
Scatter the remaining fresh green onions over the top and serve immediately with chips and vegetables while hot.
What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Dip
Tortilla chips are the classic pairing and for good reason. Sturdy chips hold up under a heavy scoop of hot dip without snapping. Celery sticks and carrot sticks add a cool, crunchy contrast that pairs specifically well with the heat of the Frank’s. Crackers work well for a slightly more elevated presentation on a party spread. Sliced baguette toasted until crispy is an excellent option for anyone who wants something more substantial than a chip. For another appetizer that belongs on the same table as this one, the Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs cover a completely different flavor direction that rounds out any party spread beautifully.
Storing and Reheating
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 325Ā°F oven covered with foil for 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through, or microwave individual portions on medium power in 60-second intervals stirring between each. This also reheats beautifully in a small slow cooker on low for a party where you want it to stay warm and ready for grazing throughout the event.
Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Ingredients
The Chicken
- 1 package bone-in chicken thighs 6, or chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken
- Olive oil for coating
- CTH seasoning to taste
- Magic Poultry seasoning to taste
The Dip
- 1 block cream cheese softened
- 1 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
- 1 cup ranch dressing store-bought or homemade
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded, plus more for topping
- 2 tbsp CTH seasoning
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 bunch green onions sliced, divided
For Serving
- Tortilla chips
- Celery and carrot sticks
- Crackers
Instructions
- If cooking the chicken fresh preheat the oven to 350Ā°F. Coat the chicken thighs with olive oil and season generously with CTH and Magic Poultry seasoning. Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through to 165Ā°F. Let cool slightly then chop into small pieces. If using rotisserie chicken skip this step and shred or chop directly.
- Preheat the oven to 350Ā°F if not already on. Add the chopped chicken, softened cream cheese, Frank’s Red Hot, ranch dressing, mozzarella, cheddar, CTH, onion powder, and most of the sliced green onions to a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Transfer to a baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the reserved cheddar and green onions.
- Bake uncovered at 350Ā°F for 45 minutes until hot, bubbling, and golden at the edges.
- Top with the remaining green onions and serve immediately with chips or vegetables.
Notes
- Softened cream cheese is important here. Cold cream cheese doesn’t mix evenly into the other ingredients and leaves lumps throughout the dip that never fully smooth out during baking. Pull it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before mixing.
- Frank’s Red Hot is specifically the sauce that makes this buffalo chicken dip recipe taste like the real thing. It has the right balance of heat and vinegar that other hot sauces don’t replicate the same way. Don’t substitute it if you can avoid it.
- CTH in both the chicken seasoning and the dip itself layers the flavor in a way that makes this taste specifically more complex and more developed than a standard buffalo dip. It’s the One Pot Momma touch that makes this version different from every other one out there.
- Rotisserie chicken is the fastest path to this dip on a busy day. Pick one up, shred it, and you’re mixing the dip in about 5 minutes.
