Only 5 ingredients, RAVE reviews every time!
If I had to pick one appetizer that gets the biggest reaction at our house, it’s this buffalo chicken dip.
Every game day, every Super Bowl, every time friends come over and I need something easy that feeds a crowd, this is what I make.
The whole thing goes into the Crockpot, cooks itself for a couple of hours, and then disappears within about 10 minutes of me setting it out with some chips. (These homemade baked tortilla chips are a crowd favorite!)
I’ve literally watched people hover around the slow cooker guarding the last few scoops. It’s THAT good.
I’ve also turned this flavor into Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks, Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, Buffalo Chicken Taquitos, and even a vegan version with these Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. But imo… nothing beats the original dip.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Cheddar Cheese. A mild or sharp shredded cheddar cheese is best. Also, feel free to swap it out with a milder cheese such as Mozzarella or Monterrey Jack, or leave it out completely.
- Chicken. 1 ½-pounds of shredded cooked chicken is needed, or roughly 5 cups. You can either buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up, make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken from chicken breasts, use canned chicken, or use leftover chicken from my Parmesan Garlic Baked Chicken Wings.
- Buffalo Wing Sauce. You can either get the pre-made kind from the grocery store, such as Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce or make your own Buffalo Sauce from scratch. Since the homemade version is made with butter and not just butter flavoring, the butter will tend to separate as the dip cools and will need to be stirred more frequently. Avoid using Frank’s RedHot original; the dip will turn out WAY too spicy if you do!
- Cream Cheese. You know all of that creamy goodness in this dip? It comes from a block of cream cheese! But no worries if you’re lactose intolerant, because there are some dairy-free cream cheese brands out there now that taste incredible. Daiya and Kite Hill are both highly recommended.
- Ranch Dressing. This is another component that adds some creaminess and helps to mellow out the spice of the buffalo sauce. Blue cheese dressing may be substituted. A dairy-free alternative can also be used.
How to Make Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.
Add the ingreidnets.
Start by pouring the wing sauce into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. You want to make sure there is a liquid in the bottom so the other ingredients do not burn.
Top the sauce with the shredded chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and cheese.
Pro Tip: Cutting the cream cheese into cubes will allow it to melt much faster!
Cook in Crockpot
Warm the ingredients for 1-2 hours on the high setting, or 3-4 hours on low.
Once the cheeses begin to melt (this should take about 30 minutes) stir everything together. Continue cooking until the dip is bubbling hot.
Don’t have a slow cooker? You can also spread everything in a baking dish and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
The slow cooker I love!! ❤️
I make this in my 6-quart Crockpot and it’s the perfect size for a party batch. The oval shape gives you plenty of room to stir without making a mess, and the warm setting keeps the dip at the perfect temperature all night long.
Serve it up!
Garnish this cheesy dip with a sprinkle of green onions and blue cheese crumbles for extra flavor. Pair the dip with homemade baked tortilla chips, a baguette, and crackers. Veggies such as carrots, celery sticks, and bell peppers are great for a low-carb diet!
How to Store + Reheat
Store any leftover buffalo chicken dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, scoop what you need into a microwave-safe bowl and warm in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until heated through. You can also pop it back into the Crockpot on the warm setting for about 30 minutes if you’re reheating a larger amount.
It’s also great repurposed as a topping on Air Fryer Baked Potatoes or stuffed into Buffalo Chicken Taquitos.
I don’t recommend freezing this dip. The cream cheese tends to get grainy once it thaws and the texture just isn’t the same.
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Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken shredded, about 5 cups
- ¾ cup buffalo wing sauce not hot sauce
- 8 oz. cream cheese cubed
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded or cubed
- Green onions optional
- Blue cheese crumbles optional
Instructions
- Add Ingredients to Crockpot: Pour the wing sauce along the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add in the shredded chicken, cubed cream cheese, ranch dressing, and cheese.1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken, 8 oz. cream cheese, ½ cup ranch dressing, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ¾ cup buffalo wing sauce
- Cook the Dip: Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 1-2 hours, or low and cook for 3-4 hours. After about 30 minutes the cheeses should begin to melt. Give the ingredients a good stir and keep cooking until everything is heated through.
- Serve the dip with a sprinkle of green onions and blue cheese crumbles, if desired. Enjoy the dip with tortilla chips and crackers or veggies such as celery sticks and carrots if on a low-carb diet!Blue cheese crumbles, Green onions
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Notes
- Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is my go-to for this recipe. It’s faster than cooking from scratch and has more flavor than canned. You can also use Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or leftover chicken from any other recipe.
- Sauce: Use Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce (not Frank’s RedHot Original). The original hot sauce is much spicier and will overpower the dip. You can also make your own Buffalo Sauce from scratch.
- Make it ahead: Cook and shred the chicken up to 2 days in advance. You can also assemble all the ingredients in the slow cooker insert the night before, refrigerate it, and just set it on the base and turn it on when you’re ready.
- Cream cheese tip: Cut the cream cheese into 1-inch cubes before adding it to the Crockpot. It melts faster and blends more evenly.
- Keep it warm for serving: Switch the Crockpot to the “warm” setting once the dip is done. It’ll stay at the perfect scooping temperature for hours.
- Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, or return to the Crockpot on warm for about 30 minutes. I don’t recommend freezing this one. The cream cheese can get grainy once thawed.
- Serving ideas: Baked tortilla chips, celery sticks, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, crackers, or sliced baguette.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Easy Game Day Dip Recipes
Dips make great game day food, or just a simple snack. Thankfully, these are super quick and easy to make.
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
30 mins
Black Bean & Corn Salsa Dip
30 mins
Homemade Guacamole Recipe
15 mins
Texas Caviar
25 mins
I’ve made this a number of times. Everytime its a success! Last few times I mixed everything with warm chicken and let it all melt together on the stove…then let it cool and served it cold! It was to die for!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Sarah! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!