This buffalo chicken dip with ranch combines shredded chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, and blue cheese in a hot, scoopable appetizer for game day or potlucks. Warm the sauce until smooth, fold in the chicken, and bake until the edges bubble. The divided cheese goes inside the dip and over the top, where a brief turn under the broiler gives it a lightly browned finish.
The best scoop has tender chicken, tangy sauce, and melted cheese with a sturdy chip underneath. Set out tortilla chips, crackers, or crisp vegetables so everyone can choose a favorite. My homemade tortilla chips belong right beside this dish.
I melt the cream cheese into the ranch dressing and hot sauce over medium-low heat before adding the chicken. Getting that base smooth first means fewer little cream-cheese lumps in the finished dip. The recipe below includes the baked version and the Beautiful multi-cooker method.
Before You Start
This recipe makes about 8 cups for 10-12 servings. Plan on 15 minutes of prep with cooked chicken. Bake for 20-30 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes, watching the topping closely. Cooking raw chicken adds time.
Ingredients You'll Need
Prepared ranch dressing, hot sauce, and cream cheese make the creamy base; shredded chicken and three cheeses give the dip its hearty texture. Use prepared ranch dressing rather than dry ranch seasoning.
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup hot sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
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Tools for This Recipe
Use a medium saucepan to smooth out the sauce before transferring the dip to a broiler-safe round baking dish.
- round baking dish rated for broiling
- Medium saucepan, whisk, and rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Two forks for shredding and a spoon for serving
- Large pot with a tight-fitting lid and an instant-read food thermometer, if cooking the chicken
- Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker, for the slow cooker option
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Buy Now → How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip with Ranch
Melt the cream cheese with the ranch and hot sauce first, then stir in the chicken and part of the shredded cheese. Add the remaining cheeses on top and bake until the edges bubble.
1. Cook and shred the chicken, if needed
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and return to a boil. Remove from heat, cover tightly, and let poach for about 25 minutes. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer: chicken must reach 165°F. Continue cooking if needed. Let it cool enough to handle, then shred.
2. Prepare the round baking dish
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a round baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Check that the dish is safe for the final broiling step.
3. Warm the sauce base
Add cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the cream cheese has fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Combine the dip and add the topping
Stir in the shredded chicken, green onions, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup cheddar until evenly combined. Transfer to the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella, ½ cup cheddar, and the blue cheese crumbles evenly over the top.
5. Bake and briefly broil
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling. Switch to broil for 2-3 minutes, just until the top is lightly browned. Watch closely and remove immediately to prevent overbrowning.
6. Serve hot
Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables. Celery sticks, carrots, pita chips, and toasted baguette slices also make good dippers.
Tips for a Creamy, Scoopable Dip
Keep the sauce base over medium-low heat and whisk until smooth before adding the chicken. Rushing that first melt leaves cream-cheese lumps that are harder to whisk out later.
- Melt the base low and slow: Keeping cream cheese on gentle heat helps avoid overheating the dairy and helps the dip stay creamy after baking.
- Shred, don't chop: Shredded chicken distributes better, so every scoop tastes like buffalo wings without big meat cubes.
- Hold back some cheese for the top: A final layer of cheddar and mozzarella gives you the bubbly finish without making the whole dip heavy.
- Adjust heat at the end: Stir in an extra splash of hot sauce right before serving if you want more kick without throwing off the base balance.
- Stir once if it's holding: In a crock pot, a quick stir every so often keeps the texture consistent and helps distribute heat through the dip.
If the Dip Needs a Little Help
Lumps call for gentle whisking before the chicken goes in; a browned topping calls for an immediate trip out from under the broiler.
- Cream-cheese lumps: Whisk the sauce gently over medium-low heat until smooth before adding the chicken. Give the cubes time to melt instead of increasing the heat sharply.
- Dip firms up as it cools: Serve it hot. Reheat leftovers in the oven or microwave to 165°F, stirring when practical to distribute the heat.
- Top browns too quickly: Watch closely under the broiler and remove the dish as soon as it is lightly browned. The broiling step is a brief finish after baking.
Making It in the Slow Cooker
For the Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker, use Sauté on low to melt the cream cheese with ranch, hot sauce, pepper, and garlic powder. Switch to Slow Cook-Low, stir in cooked chicken, green onions, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup cheddar, then cover and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining cheeses about 15 minutes before serving, cover to melt, and use Keep Warm for serving.
Start with cooked chicken for this method. Use Keep Warm for serving and check that the dip stays at 140°F or above.
Getting a Head Start
Cook and shred the chicken ahead, then refrigerate it until you are ready to make the dip. Measure the cheeses separately so the filling and topping amounts are ready to go.
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until the center reaches 165°F, stirring when practical. Refrigerate promptly after serving; do not leave the dip at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Spoon reheated leftovers into wraps, quesadillas, or baked potatoes. For a party, hold already-hot dip at 140°F or above and offer small batches of fresh dippers as needed.
Can You Freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Freeze fully cooled dip in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven until the center reaches 165°F. Use a slow cooker to hold already-hot dip at 140°F or above, rather than to reheat cold leftovers.
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Dip
Serve the hot dip with tortilla chips, crackers, celery, carrots, pita chips, or toasted baguette slices. Homemade chips and salsa round out the snack table; charcuterie cups add individual portions of party food.
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Taqueria Restaurant Style Salsa
For a bigger spread, add Monte Cristo sliders or sweet and spicy sriracha hot wings. Individual 7 layer dip cups give guests another cool dip to choose from.
Browse easy game day dips for more hot and cold options that fit the same snack table.
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Tried It?
Leave a rating and a comment to share how the dip turned out. I'd love to hear what you served alongside it.
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Buffalo Chicken Dip
Creamy, cheesy buffalo-style dip with tangy heat-bake it bubbly or keep it warm in a crock pot. Perfect for game day with chips, veggies, or baguette.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (cut into cubes)
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup hot sauce (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup green onions (sliced)
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (grated & divided)
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated & divided)
- ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
Cook the Chicken (If Not Already Cooked)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the chicken breasts and return to a boil.
- Remove from heat, cover tightly, and let the chicken poach for about 25 minutes.
- Remove chicken and let rest until cool enough to handle, then shred.
Prepare the Baking Dish
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly coat a 9×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Warm the Sauce Base
- Add cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Whisk constantly until the cream cheese is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Remove from heat.
Combine the Dip
- Add shredded chicken, green onions, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup cheddar to the saucepan.
- Stir until evenly combined.
- Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining mozzarella, remaining cheddar, and blue cheese crumbles evenly over the top.
Bake
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling.
- Switch oven to broil and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the top is lightly browned.
- Remove immediately to prevent overbrowning.
Serve
- Serve hot with tortilla chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables.
Slow Cooker Instructions (Drew Barrymore "Beautiful" 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker)
- Use the Sauté function on low to melt the cream cheese with the ranch dressing, hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder, stirring until smooth.
- Switch to Slow Cook - Low.
- Stir in shredded chicken, green onions, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup cheddar.
- Cover and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle remaining mozzarella, cheddar, and blue cheese on top, cover, and allow cheeses to melt.
- Keep warm using the Keep Warm setting for serving.
Notes
Substitutions
- Use rotisserie chicken in place of cooked chicken breasts.
- Substitute Monterey Jack or Colby Jack for mozzarella.
- Replace ranch dressing with blue cheese dressing for a stronger flavor.
- Reduce hot sauce by half for a milder dip.
Serving Suggestions & Pairings
- Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, celery sticks, carrots, or toasted baguette slices.
- Spoon leftovers into wraps, quesadillas, or baked potatoes.
- Pairs well with crisp vegetables or simple crackers.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing
- Freeze fully cooled dip in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently in the oven or slow cooker, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
- Calories: 302
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 1025
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 0.2
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 70
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