Beloved Buffalo Chicken flavors in this creamy, cheesy, easy-to-make dip.
Buffalo chicken wings without the mess! What a genius idea! In this Chicken Wing Dip recipe, the spicy hot sauce, the mellow tang of the cream cheese and the ranch dressing, and the sharp bite of cheddar cheese are in every single creamy, chickeny bite. Whether you serve it with chips or veggies (making it the perfect Keto snack!), this delicious dip is sure to be a huge crowd-pleaser!
The original Buffalo sauce was invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, by Teressa Bellissimo, who co-owned the bar with her husband and made chicken wings covered in melted butter and hot sauce as a snack for her son and his friends. It was a big hit at the time and Buffalo Wings still remain a favorite in restaurants and in homes, especially on game days. And then, in 2011, Franks RedHot, the famous hot sauce company, introduced the recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip, what many sources claim is the most popular dip in the U.S. (though we think our version here of Chicken Wing Dip is even better!).
One of the greatest things about this Chicken Wing Dip is that it takes so little time to assemble; all you have to do is mix the hot sauce into the softened cream cheese, add your chicken, ranch dressing, and cheddar cheese, and bake. That’s it! When you pull it out of the oven and see that golden bubbling cheesiness, you’ll be hard-pressed not to grab a chip (or a spoon!) and dig in immediately. This dip is that irresistible. And you can mix it all up ahead of time and then stick it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake, which makes it perfect for party prep.
Most of us serve chicken at least one night a week for dinner, so use any leftovers for Chicken Wing Dip. If you don’t have any leftovers, it’s easy enough to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it. But what I like to do is make my own Shredded Chicken, which is also simple to do and delicious in this dip.
What Hot Sauce is Best in Chicken Wing Dip?
This is a good question, but you know what I often say: when you have a choice, the best choice for an ingredient is the one you like best! For Chicken Wing Dip, you can’t go wrong with the OG, Franks RedHot (after all, as we say above, this company did invent the recipe for Buffalo chicken dip). But there are other choices, and a lot of them depend on how hot you like your Chicken Wing Dip to be.
Hot sauces, which are basically made from peppers and vinegar, vary in taste and heat. As far as the heat level goes, we have the Scoville Scale to help us know how hot the hot sauce is (so experimenting won’t result in taking a bite and rushing for a huge glass of water!). Franks RedHot has a pretty low Scoville score–about 450 SHUs (Scoville Heat Units)–so while it has a delicious tang, it’s not that hot (compare its score to Tabasco, which comes in between 2500-5000 SHUs, depending on which flavor you choose). So if you want a hotter Chicken Wing Dip, you might use Tabasco (or even mix two kinds of Tabasco together, like the Original Red Pepper with their Cayenne Garlic Sauce, which is a little milder. But, really, the best choice is the hot sauce you like best because they all work in this dip.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can prepare Chicken Wing Dip through Step 4, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking (you might need to add 5-10 minutes onto your baking time, since mixture will be chilled); cooked and cooled Chicken Wing Dip can be stored in the baking dish (cover with plastic wrap) or in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To ensure smoothness…
Bring your cream cheese to room temperature before mixing it with the hot sauce to make sure you get the smoothest, creamiest consistency.
For veggie lovers!
You can easily make a vegetarian version of Chicken Wing Dip by substituting roasted cauliflower florets for the chicken in this recipe. And call it Buffalo Cauliflower Dip!
Serving Suggestions
Buffalo chicken wings are traditionally served with raw veggies like celery and carrots and a side of Blue Cheese Dip, so preparing a tray of fresh vegetables to dip into Chicken Wing Dip is a great idea. But I also love to serve it with these Chardonnay Roasted Carrots and these Grilled Green Beans; if you’ve never used cooked vegetables as vehicles for dip, you’ll fall in love with how perfect they are dipped into Chicken Wing Dip! Of course this dip also needs some chips (what dip doesn’t?); we love crispy tortilla or pita chips, but Air Fryer Zucchini Chips are also great.
You don’t have to keep this Chicken Wing Dip just for parties, though; it makes a really fun family dinner, too. We love it with French Fries on the side (and, yes, I have been known to dip my fries into Chicken Wing Dip), and also with something fresh and green like Kale Caesar Salad. This dip also makes a fantastic sandwich scooped into Cream Cheese Biscuits and then served with a side of Cole Slaw.
Chicken Wing Dip
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup hot sauce
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine the softened cream cheese with the hot sauce.
- Fold in the shredded chicken, ranch dressing, and cheddar cheese into the cream cheese mixture until well mixed.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the dip is hot and bubbly.
- If any oil surfaces during baking, gently blot it with a paper towel.
Leave a Comment