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The classic flavors of buffalo chicken come together with melty cheddar and cream cheese, plus ranch dressing and fresh garlic. Give this easy Stovetop Buffalo Chicken Dip a try – you’re going to love it!
Love those buffalo flavors? Try these Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites or these Buffalo Chicken Tacos!
Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip – Only One Pot!
Looking for a knock-your-socks-off weekend appetizer that’s super-simple, but also packed with flavor? Something everyone will absolutely love, without a lot of tedious prep? Look no further! This easy Buffalo Chicken Dip is made with a basic set of easy to find, easy to prepare ingredients. It’s cooked on the stovetop, and comes together very quickly. This dish is special enough to serve for football night, family night, or even a festive birthday meal. But, it’s so darn easy to make that it’s hard not to whip up a batch multiple times a week. Especially if you’re following a low-carb diet…what a treat!
Ingredients For Buffalo Chicken Dip
To make this recipe, we have all the usual suspects: cream cheese, buffalo sauce, cheddar cheese, and ranch. There’s also cooked, shredded chicken, which can be homemade, rotisserie, or even from a can. Your call!
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Garlic: You’ll need 3 cloves, minced or put through a garlic press.
- Cream Cheese: To make this dip, you’ll need two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces. Softened cream cheese will melt easier and make the dip creamier.
- Buffalo Sauce: You’ll need 1-1/2 cups buffalo sauce.
- Ranch Dressing: A cup of your favorite ranch dressing adds a cool, creamy flavor.
- Chicken: Cooked, shredded chicken breasts make this dip even better. You’ll need 2 to 3 cups.
- Cheddar Cheese
- Blue Cheese: For topping; about 1/2 cup.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley
- Celery Sticks and Tortilla Chips: For serving.
Can I Use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce?
Yes! In fact, that is the kind of buffalo sauce that I used when I made this recipe. But if you have another brand of buffalo sauce that you like, you can use that too.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip On The Stove Top
This awesome dip is crazy easy to make – all you have to do is saute the garlic and then melt everything all together. Don’t you just love it when something so delicious is also so easy? A total FRIDAY recipe.
- Saute the Garlic. To saute the garlic, mince it and add it to the hot oil. You only want to cook it for about 15 seconds or until it becomes fragrant.
- Melt the Cream Cheese, Buffalo Sauce, and Ranch. Add the cubed cream cheese, buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing to the skillet with the garlic. Decrease the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes, whisking frequently, until the cream cheese completely melts.
- Mix in the Chicken and Cheddar. Add shredded chicken and cheddar cheese to the saucepan; mix and stir until well blended. Continue to cook until heated through, and the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Pour the finished dip into a serving bowl. Garnish it with blue cheese crumbles and parsley, and serve.
How To Soften Cream Cheese?
The easiest way to soften cream cheese is simply to let it sit on the counter at room temperature until it is soft. This usually takes 2 to 3 hours, requiring some planning ahead. The other way to soften cream cheese is in the microwave – simply unwrap the block of cream cheese and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Then microwave it at 50% power in 10-second intervals, flipping the cream cheese over every 10 seconds until it has softened.
Tips for Success
- Chicken. You’ll need a couple of cups of cooked, shredded chicken. My How To Boil Chicken Breasts recipe makes really good shredded chicken, but you can also grab a rotisserie chicken and shred the white meat before adding it to this sauce.
- Watch the Garlic. Be extra careful as you saute the garlic. Minced garlic is a bit delicate and can easily burn.
- Substitute Neufchatel. If you want to make this savory dip a little lighter, feel free to substitute Neufchatel cheese, which is very similar to cream cheese but has a lower fat content.
- Use a Cast Iron Skillet: This dip is easy to make in a cast iron skillet instead of a saucepan, and the skillet also makes a great presentation.
How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Dip
When it comes to serving dip, celery sticks, and tortilla chips are just the beginning! There are truly tons of great options. Here are a few to get you started:
- Homemade Potato Chips: I love these crispy Chili Lime Baked Potato Chips. They’re flavorful, crunchy, and perfect for hot dips!
- Pita Chips or Crackers: I like Stacy’s Pita Chips or Ritz crackers with this dip.
- Sweet Potato Wedges: These easy, Crispy Sweet Potato Wedges are so good with buffalo chicken dip! And you could serve this dip over whole, baked sweet potatoes for a unique kind of dinner.
- Pretzel Bites: Delicious fresh Pretzel Bites are a hearty, bready dipper that goes perfectly with this cheesy dip.
Storing Leftovers
- You can store leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
- Buffalo Chicken Dip can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you are ready to use it, simply transfer the dip to a skillet and reheat it over medium heat until warmed through.
ENJOY!
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Stovetop Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- 16 ounces (2 blocks) cream cheese,, softened and chopped into cubes
- 1½ cups buffalo sauce,, I use Frank’s Red Hot
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 2 to 3 cups cooked shredded chicken breasts
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese,, for topping
- chopped fresh parsley,, for garnish
- celery sticks, crackers, tortilla chips, etc…,, for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add garlic to the hot oil and cook for 15 seconds or until fragrant.
- To the saucepan add the cubed cream cheese, buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing; decrease heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until mixture is smooth and cream cheese is completely melted and creamy. Whisk frequently.
- Add shredded chicken and cheddar cheese to the saucepan; mix and stir until well combined. Continue to cook until heated through and cheese is melted.
- Remove from heat. Garnish the dip with blue cheese crumbles and parsley.
- Serve with celery sticks, crackers, tortilla chips, veggies, etc…
Notes
- Chicken: You’ll need 2 to 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken. You can use leftover chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken – just shred the meat before adding it to the sauce.
- Neufchatel: To make this dip a little lighter, use Neufchatel cheese, which is similar to cream cheese but has a lower fat content.
- Opt For a Cast Iron Skillet: This dip is easy to make in a cast iron skillet instead of a saucepan, and the skillet makes an excellent presentation.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Good flavor but too soupy. I would decrease the cream cheese, buffalo, & ranch in half for a chunkier texture.