Buffalo Chicken Dip

This easy Buffalo Chicken Dip is creamy, cheesy, and packed with buffalo flavor from just five ingredients. Bake it in the oven in about 25 minutes, or let the crockpot do the work in 3 to 4 hours and keep it warm all through the game. I’ve been making it for family parties for more than a decade, and it’s still the first dish to disappear.

If you’re building an appetizer spread, set it out next to my Rotel Dip and Spinach Artichoke Dip—three warm, scoopable dips that never make it to halftime.

Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Dip has become my signature dish for family parties. When we get together, my mother-in-law brings her Easy Vegetable Dip, my sister-in-law brings Easy Cheesy Potatoes, and everyone expects me to show up with this dip.

I first shared this recipe in January 2012, and it has been one of the most-loved recipes on All Things Mamma ever since—it has been saved and shared more than 300,000 times on Pinterest, more than 280 readers have rated it, and the comments below go back over a decade. It’s the appetizer I make for football season and Super Bowl parties because it’s simple, dependable, and easy to keep warm so everyone can go back for another scoop.

• ✅ Only five ingredients: canned chicken, Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce, cream cheese, ranch, and sharp cheddar.
• ✅ Two ways to make it: 25 minutes in the oven, or 3 to 4 hours on Low in the crockpot.
• ✅ Built for a crowd: it stays creamy and scoopable on the Warm setting for the whole party.

Ingredients You’ll Need

See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Canned chicken: Use two 12.5-ounce cans of chunk chicken and drain them well. Two 9.75-ounce cans also work. You can substitute two cooked, shredded Baked Chicken Breasts or the meat from a rotisserie chicken—several readers make it that way.
• Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce: This recipe is written for Buffalo Wings Sauce, not Frank’s Original RedHot Sauce. The wing sauce is already seasoned and gives the dip its classic buffalo flavor.
• Cream cheese: Let both packages soften before mixing so the dip becomes smooth and creamy.
• Ranch dressing: Ranch balances the heat and adds extra creaminess.
• Sharp cheddar cheese: Use shredded sharp cheddar for plenty of cheesy flavor. Divide it when using the oven method, or add all of it to the crockpot.

Variations

• Blue cheese instead of ranch: swap the ranch dressing for prepared blue cheese dressing. One reader, Sherri, calls it “delicious” and says the dip is “a keeper” either way.
• Blue cheese crumbles on top: sprinkle them over the finished dip just before serving.
• Rotisserie or cooked chicken: use about 2½ cups of shredded cooked chicken in place of the two cans.
• Milder for kids: start with ¼ cup of wing sauce and add more to taste—a tip from reader Gen, who lands at ½ cup. The dip is not very spicy as written; Paige, who “doesn’t generally like buffalo sauce,” says this one “is the exception.”
• Lighter: try my Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Add the drained chicken and Buffalo Wings Sauce to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the chicken is warmed through.
3. Stir in the softened cream cheese and ranch dressing. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and warm.
4. Stir in half of the shredded cheddar.
5. Transfer the mixture to a 9×9-inch baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top.
6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dip is hot and bubbly.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

1. Add the drained chicken, Buffalo Wings Sauce, softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, and all of the shredded cheddar to the crockpot.
2. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is hot.
3. Stir well, then switch the crockpot to the warm setting for serving.

If you prefer, you can prepare the dip on the stovetop first and transfer it to the crockpot. This works well when you want the faster preparation of the oven method but need to keep the dip warm for a party.

Why Is My Buffalo Chicken Dip Greasy or Runny?

Almost every buffalo chicken dip problem comes down to liquid or heat. Here’s how I keep mine creamy:

• Drain the chicken well. Canned chicken holds a surprising amount of water. Press it in the can lid or a sieve until it stops dripping. This is the number one cause of a watery dip.
• Use full-fat block cream cheese. Whipped or tub-style cream cheese has more water and air and won’t set up the same way. Let the blocks soften on the counter first so they melt in smoothly instead of leaving lumps.
• Keep the heat low. If the crockpot is on High, or the dip sits in a hot oven too long, the cheese can break and a layer of oil rises to the top. Cook on Low, bake just until bubbly, and stir well while it’s hot—stirring brings it back together.
• Don’t skip the ranch. It’s what keeps the texture creamy rather than stringy. If you swap in blue cheese dressing, use the same amount.
• Serve from the Warm setting. Once the crockpot dip is melted, switch to Warm. Left on Low for hours it slowly overcooks and separates.

What Readers Say

“I’ve made this at least a dozen times and everyone RAVES about it when I bring it to events!”

Meghan, January 2026

“My family absolutely loves this dip! They fight over it when I make it… This was the first one I tried and it will be the last. All others will pale in comparison!”

Christine, December 2024

“I don’t generally even like buffalo sauce or flavored things but this is the exception. It’s really not spicy either!”

Paige, March 2023

How to Store, Reheat, and Freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip

Refrigerate: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reheat: cover and warm in a 350°F oven until hot through, or microwave smaller portions in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. A splash of ranch or milk brings back the creaminess if it has thickened.

Freeze: I haven’t frozen this dip myself, so I can’t promise how the cream cheese holds up after thawing. It reheats so well from the fridge that I make it fresh and keep leftovers for three days instead.

How long can it sit out? No more than 2 hours at room temperature. For a party, keep it in the crockpot on Warm and it’s safe and scoopable for hours.

What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Dip

Serve this creamy dip with any of these easy options:

• Fritos Scoops
• Tortilla chips
• Ritz or Club crackers
• Chicken-flavored crackers
• Celery sticks
• Carrot sticks
• Toasted baguette slices

More Buffalo Chicken Favorites

If you love these flavors, try my Buffalo Chicken Nachos, Buffalo Chicken Sliders, and Buffalo Chicken Wrap next.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you make this Buffalo Chicken Dip, leave a comment and tell me whether you used the oven or crockpot method. I’d love to hear how you served it!

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

This easy 5-ingredient Buffalo Chicken Dip combines canned chicken, Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and cheddar cheese. Bake it until hot and bubbly or make it in the Crockpot for an easy game-day appetizer.

4.68 from 280 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Author: Kasey Schwartz

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• large skillet
• 9×9 baking dish
• slow cooker

Ingredients  

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2 12.5-ounce cans chunk chicken drained
• ▢ 3/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
• ▢ 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1 cup ranch dressing
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Optional for Serving

• ▢ Celery or carrot sticks
• ▢ Crackers
• ▢ Tortilla chips
• ▢ Fritos Scoops
• ▢ Toasted baguette slices

Instructions 

Oven Method

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Add the drained chicken and Buffalo Wings Sauce to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until warmed through.
  3/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce, 2 12.5-ounce cans chunk chicken
• Stir in the softened cream cheese and ranch dressing. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and warm.
  2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, 1 cup ranch dressing
• Stir in half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
  1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Transfer the mixture to a 9×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.
  1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dip is hot and bubbly.

Crockpot Method

• Add the drained chicken, Buffalo Wings Sauce, softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, and all of the shredded cheddar cheese to a slow cooker.
  3/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce, 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, 1 cup ranch dressing, 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is hot.
• Stir well, then switch the slow cooker to Warm for serving.

Video

Notes

• The displayed 25-minute total time applies to the oven method. The Crockpot method takes 3 to 4 hours on Low.
• Drain the canned chicken thoroughly so excess liquid does not make the dip watery. This recipe is written for two 12.5-ounce cans, but two 9.75-ounce cans also work.
• If you substitute chicken breasts, cook and shred them before adding them to the dip. Do not use raw chicken in these directions.
• Soften the cream cheese before mixing for the smoothest texture.
• For the oven method, mix half of the cheddar into the dip and sprinkle the rest over the top. For the Crockpot method, add all of the cheddar at once.
• For the Crockpot version, you can add everything directly to the slow cooker or prepare the mixture on the stovetop first and transfer it.
• Once the Crockpot dip is hot, switch the slow cooker to Warm for serving.
• Make ahead: Assemble the dip, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the oven time when baking it cold.
• Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven or microwave smaller portions in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval.
• Freezing: I have not tested freezing this dip. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days and reheat covered at 350°F.
• Prepared blue cheese dressing can replace the ranch dressing. Blue cheese crumbles also make a great optional topping.

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 36mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @kasey_allthingsmamma or tag #allthingsmamma!