Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip with Ranch

In this post, we’re making Buffalo Chicken Dip. If you need a delicious appetizer that you can bring to the table, this is the one.

Why You’ll Love This

• It’s a Crowd Pleaser: Whether it’s the Super Bowl or a holiday party, this dip disappears fast. It’s creamy, spicy, and cheesy—exactly what you want in a snack.
• The Rotisserie Hack: We’re using a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time, but we keep the quality high by hand-shredding the meat ourselves.
• The “Forearm Saver”: Use room-temperature cream cheese. Trust me, if you go in with ice-cold cream cheese, it’s going to be a lot harder to mix. Save your forearms from the pain!

things we need

Special Equipment/Instruments:

• Large Skillet (Cast Iron preferred) or Large Saucepan
• 9×13 Baking Dish (or 2-quart baking dish) Note: If using a Cast Iron skillet, you can bake directly in it.
• Chef’s Knife and Cutting Board

Ingredients:

• Chicken: 1 ½ lbs Cooked Chicken, shredded and chopped (approx. 1 whole Rotisserie Chicken, skin and bones removed)
• Onion: 1 Yellow Onion, diced
• Butter: 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• Seasoning: 1 packet (1 oz) Ranch Seasoning Mix
• Garlic: 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• Cream Cheese: 2 blocks (16 oz total) Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
• Dressings: 1 cup Ranch Dressing + ½ cup Blue Cheese Dressing (Or 1 ½ cups Ranch total)
• Hot Sauce: 1 cup Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce
• Cheeses:
  • 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
  • 1 additional cup Cheddar or Colby Jack for topping
• Garnish: 2-3 Green Onions, chopped

instructions

step 1: The Prep Work

First up, Dice one yellow onion. There’s no right or wrong way to do this since it’s going right into the dip, so no need to make it look super pretty. Just give it a nice rough chop.

Next, the chicken. If you’re feeling like an overachiever, you can certainly roast your own chicken, but I’m using a rotisserie chicken right from the store. The goal here is to remove all the skin, bone, and cartilage, leaving behind only the delicious meat.

Pro Tip: Get in there with your hands—separate the meat from the bone carefully. Go over it two or three times to make sure no bone fragments end up in your dip. Once the meat is pulled, chop it into nice bite-sized pieces. We are looking for about 1 ½ pounds of meat.

step 2: Building the Flavor

We’re going to mix our wet ingredients first. Combine 1 cup of ranch dressing with ½ cup of blue cheese dressing. I personally like the “funk” of blue cheese with my buffalo chicken, but if you don’t like it, just use 1 ½ cups of ranch total and you’ll be perfectly fine.

Get a skillet nice and warm and go in with one tablespoon of butter, followed by that chopped onion. Give it a toss and let it get tender for two or three minutes. Add in your chopped chicken, a packet of ranch seasoning mix, and some garlic powder. Mix it up and let those flavors really come together.

step 3: Making It Creamy

Now, I’m going in with two blocks of room-temperature cream cheese and that ranch/blue cheese mixture. Keep the heat on medium and stir until that cream cheese melts down.

Once it’s melted and smooth, add 1 cup of Frank’s RedHot Sauce. You can use whatever hot sauce you like, but traditional buffalo chicken uses Frank’s. Mix that in, then fold in 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of pepper jack cheese.

step 4: Bake and Serve

Once everything is mixed, I add a little more cheese—top it with a final layer of cheese, and put it into the oven at 350°F. Bake it for about 40 to 45 minutes until it’s nice and brown and bubbly.

Pull it out, garnish with some chopped green onions for a little color. Happy cooking.

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Save

 The BEST Buffalo Chicken Dip

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: AppetizerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12-15

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

350

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

5

minutes

A hearty, creamy, and spicy appetizer packed with rotisserie chicken, three types of cheese, and Frank’s RedHot

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Large Skillet or Saucepan

• Baking Dish (9×13 or similar)

• Mixing Spoon/Spatula

• Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Butter

• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, rough chopped

• 1.5 lbs Cooked Chicken (Rotisserie), shredded and chopped

• 1 packet (1 oz) Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

• 16 oz Cream Cheese (2 blocks), softened to room temperature

• 1 cup Ranch Dressing

• 1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing (optional, can sub with more Ranch)

• 1 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce

• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

• 1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

• 1 cup Colby Jack or Cheddar (for topping)

• Green Onions (for garnish)

Directions

• Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Dice the yellow onion. Remove skin and bones from the rotisserie chicken and chop the meat into bite-sized pieces (ensure you have about 1.5 lbs of meat).
• Sauté Aromatics: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until tender.
• Season the Chicken: Add the chopped chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle in the packet of ranch seasoning mix and the garlic powder. Stir to combine.
• Create the Base: Add the two blocks of softened cream cheese, the ranch dressing, and the blue cheese dressing to the skillet. Stir constantly until the cream cheese is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Add Heat & Cheese: Pour in the Frank’s RedHot Sauce and stir to incorporate. Fold in 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of pepper jack cheese until melted and combined.
• Transfer & Top: If your skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Top the dip with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
• Bake: Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until the dip is hot, bubbly, and the cheese on top is golden brown.
• Serve: Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh chopped green onions. Serve warm with tortilla chips, celery, or toasted baguette.

Notes

• Room Temp Cream Cheese: This is crucial! If you use cold cream cheese, it will be lumpy and hard to mix. Leave it on the counter for an hour before starting.
  
• Spice Level: If you want it extra spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or use the “Xtra Hot” version of Frank’s.
  
• Cheese Swaps: Colby Jack is a great substitute for the topping if you want a milder melt.
  
• Blue Cheese: I love the flavor it adds, but if you are a hater, just swap it out for more Ranch.