This easy game day appetizer combines classic buffalo wing flavors with cool creaminess in an easy dip made in the crockpot. Perfect for any party, serve it up with chips or celery sticks and watch everyone go back for seconds!
This is one of my Dip recipes I know youโll want to keep on hand!
Let’s talk appetizers. Party food is, simply put, the BEST food out there! Probably one of the most quintessential party foods are chicken wings… with buffalo flavor being the most popular. I love a great chicken wing, but sometimes I don’t want all the mess.
Most of you have probably had a version of this buffalo chicken dip recipe before… I know I have. At parties, and even on the appetizer menu at many restaurants, it’s quite the popular dip!
Now you can make this restaurant quality dip recipe at home! And it couldn’t be more simple.
This recipe has been hanging around on the website since 2018, and has been updated with additional information and photos. The recipe however, remains the same ๐
How to make buffalo chicken dip in the crockpot?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Mix. The great thing about this recipe is that there’s no specific order, just add the ingredients and give it a good stir.
- Transfer to slow cooker. I like to give the insert a light spray with cooking spray, but it’s not required.
- Top with cheese. For the gooiest cheese, shred your own, but in this recipe, pre-shredded cheese will work just fine.
- Slow cook. This doesn’t take super long, just a couple of hours to heat it through.
- Garnish and serve.
Helpful Tip!
You can use either traditional hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot), or buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot buffalo wings). We much prefer the buffalo wing sauce, but of course this is your dip, so use what you love most.
Variations of this recipe
- Ranch – ranch dressing is a classic flavor to pair with buffalo chicken, but if you’re not a fan, you can omit it, and just add an equal amount of additional sour cream.
- Chicken – if you’d like a thicker dip, feel free to use up to an additional 1 – 1.5 cups of shredded chicken.
- Spicier – the heat level of this dip is completely up to you, so for a spicier dip, use an extra hot variety.
- Milder – conversely, to reduce the heat, use a mild variety.
- Baked – while I love the convenience of cooking this dip in the slow cooker, if you’d prefer a baked version, check below the full recipe in the “chef tips” section for all the info.
FAQ’s
The best option would be to use a shredded rotisserie chicken (or make your own version of rotisserie chicken at home!). My grocery store even sells them pre-shredded for convenience! Other options would be to cook chicken and shred it yourself, use leftover chicken, or even canned if you don’t have any other other options.
Yes, this dip can be frozen, in a freezer-safe container, for up to 3 months. Thaw, then reheat as desired. However, there could be a little separation of the dairy, so make sure to give everything a good stir before reheating.
Making buffalo chicken dip ahead of time
The great thing about this appetizer is that it can be made ahead of time!
Just assemble it, cover, and refrigerate for a day or two.
Then heat it up per the recipe, and enjoy!
Storage
Leftover dip should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-5 days.
My Favorite Slow Cooker!
I had this crockpot for a while now, and I really love how it cooks. The locking lid feature is amazing for taking foods to potlucks or other gatherings!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese (full fat is best) softened
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat is best)
- 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles divided
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is great for this)
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 3 green onions sliced (for garnish)
- fresh parsley minced (for garnish)
- additional blue cheese crumbles (for garnish)
Instructions
Assemble
- In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ranch dressing, sour cream, 1/4 cup of the blue cheese crumbles, chicken, buffalo wing sauce and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Stir to combine well.
- Lightly spray a 3 quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Cook
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours, until hot and bubbly.
Serve
- Sprinkle with remaining blue cheese, green onions and parsley (if using). Serve hot with tortilla chips or celery sticks.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Recipe makes approximately 6 cups.
- To double this recipe, double all the ingredients and cook in a 6 quart or larger slow cooker on LOW for 3-4 hours.
Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip:
- Mix up the recipe as directed, but instead of transferring to a crockpot, transfer to a lightly greased shallow baking dish, like a deep dish pie pan or 2-3 quart baking dish. ย
- Bake at 350ยฐF for 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Garnish as desired and serve hot.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sarah Lindquist says
Can I use ranch instead of blue cheese?
The Chunky Chef says
This recipe does use ranch dressing, the blue cheese is just the crumbles of cheese on top. If you don’t care for blue cheese you can leave it off ๐
Paul Powers says
I usually marinate the chicken in hot sauce overnight before cooking.
Brittany says
Can I make this with only a 8oz of cream cheese?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested the recipe other than as written, so I can’t say for certain, but it might work.
Kristina Williams says
Made it for a work pot luck. Got a lot of compliments. It was great! I used canned chicken & Franks Red Hot (Buffalo)
Natalie Garay says
How long should I leave it in the crockpot if I use chicken breast, uncooked? Iโll have them cook inside the crockpot with othe ingredients.
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested that specifically, so I can’t say for certain.
Regina Hudson says
This sounds delicious but I don’t have a crock pot ,can it be made in the oven ?
The Chunky Chef says
Absolutely, bake at 350 until hot and bubbly ๐
Jill Orosz says
YUM. I made a double batch of this for a baby shower and it was a HIT. Leftovers are amazing too…if you have any. ๐
Dom says
I know this is kind of hard to mess up but being a rookie cook, I really appreciated the break down. I brought this to a Christmas party and people were practically licking the crockpot clean at the end of the night. Thanks for making me look like I knew what I was doing!!! (For those who donโt love blue cheese such as myself, instead of doing the crumbles I did 1/4 cup of ranch dressing and 1/4 cup of blue cheese dressing. Taste is way less strong that way!!) ย
Mel A. says
I just won first place in the office dip contest with this! Thanks for a great crowd-pleasing recipe!
Thomas says
Question, if Iโm wanting to make this in a 6 quart cooker instead should I just double all of the ingredients? Not experienced at cooking but wanted to make this for game day. Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Yep, you should double every ingredient, so it all has the same proportions as the original recipe ๐
James L says
Made this for my fiancรฉ to take to a baby shower last night, turned out great. Added a little Cayenne to spice it up and nixed the parsley. Also substituted Feta for Bleu Cheese and I think turned out great.
Mark says
Question: (from a bachelor that’s now kitchen saavy) Could I put all the ingredients into a crockpot, and store it in the refrigerator overnight, before cooking on low the next day? I realize this is a dumb question for most of you, please just help me out until I get better!
The Chunky Chef says
Totally not a dumb question! I think, since the chicken is already cooked, that should be just fine. You may want to cook the dip a little bit longer so it’s fully heated through since it’ll be starting off cold instead of room temperature ๐
Sandra | A Dash of Sanity says
This looks like an amazing dip for game day and parties!
Ashlyn says
Buffalo chicken dip is one of my favorite appetizers! I love that this one is made in the crockpot!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
Looks so perfect! Definitely a must try!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This is perfect for our weekend movie night! It looks fantastic!
Sabrina says
Love how easy this is using a slow cooker! Perfect way to keep it warm during the party too.
Jen says
My family and I could make a meal out of this! So yummy!!
Demeter says
This looks so perfect for any party! I’m sure it goes fast!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
Yes please – this looks so delicious!