Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip is so easy to make for gameday - only 5 ingredients! This rich, creamy, slightly spicy appetizer is delicious when served warm with tortilla chips.
🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This creamy, cheesy, slightly spicy dip has all of your favorite flavors of buffalo chicken wings. It tastes like a hot wing, just in dip form.
- Because this recipe can be made in a Crock Pot, it's great for tailgate snacking. We usually leave the slow cooker on warm most of the day, grabbing a chip or two along the way. It stays warm and the Crock Pot makes for the perfect serving dish!
- There are only 5 ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand.
- It's great served warm or cold.
🐔 Ingredients
With just 5 ingredients, this dip is super easy to make.
- 1 cup of hot sauce - There are a ton of different hot sauces out there. I prefer either Louisiana, Frank's Red Hot, or Crystal hot sauce in my recipe. Don't worry about a whole cup of hot sauce making it too spicy - it ends up having just the right amount of heat!
- 1 cup of ranch dressing - The kind out of the bottle is totally fine.
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese - You can absolutely use pre-shredded in this recipe. I've tried both freshly shredded and pre-shredded and can't tell a difference.
- 16 oz (2 blocks) of cream cheese - No need to bring your cream cheese to room temperature for this; it will slowly melt into the dip whether cold or softened.
- meat of 1 rotisserie chicken - Of course, if you have any other kind of cooked shredded chicken on hand, use it. I just think the rotisserie chicken is much more flavorful. You'll need about 3 cups of shredded meat for this dip.
Variations & Additions
- It's also okay to use buffalo wing sauce instead of hot sauce if you have it. This will reduce the heat a little bit and make your dip slightly thicker.
- Blue cheese dressing would be a great substitution for the ranch in this recipe.
- Change up the cheese! You can use Pepperjack or Colby Jack in place of the cheddar.
How to Adjust the Spice Level
If you're concerned about the spice level of this dip, don't be! It has a little bit of heat without being overpowering. However, if you want to reduce the level of heat, simply reduce the amount of hot sauce you use in the recipe.
If you want to make it spicier, don't use extra hot sauce - it can make the dip too watery. Instead, add a teaspoon or so of cayenne pepper to the dip to turn the heat.
Related: Check out dozens more creamy Crock Pot chicken ideas!
🔥How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip in the Crock Pot
Step 1: Add 16oz of cream cheese, 1 cup of hot sauce, 1 cup of prepared ranch dressing, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and 3 cups of shredded chicken to a Crock Pot. Set on low for 4-6 hours.
Step 2: Thirty minutes before serving, top the dip with the remaining cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Allow cheese to melt before serving.
Serve warm with tortilla chips or cool with carrot and celery sticks. That's really it!
Like this recipe? You'll want to try my Crock Pot Corn Dip with Cream Cheese and my Cheesy Crawfish Bread recipes!
🎥 Step-by-Step Recipe Video
👨🍳 Alternate Cooking Methods
You don't have to prep this in the Crock Pot! You have the option to bake, microwave, or even make it in the Instant Pot.
Bake it In the oven
Place ingredients (reserving half of the cheddar) in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until sides of dip are bubbly. Five minutes before the bake time is over, stir the ingredients together and top the dip with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Make it In the microwave
In a pinch, the microwave works too. Add ingredients (reserving half of the cheddar) to a microwave-safe dish and set the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, then re-microwave in 1-minute increments until everything is melted together. Sprinkle cheddar on top and microwave for an additional minute to melt the cheese on top.
Prep it In the Instant Pot
Set the Instant Pot to high slow cooker mode and add all ingredients (reserving half the cheddar). Stir continuously until the ingredients are melted together. Turn off the heat and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the dip. Add the lid and allow the heat from the dip to melt the cheddar for about 5 minutes.
🥨 What to Serve With Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
I usually serve my buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chips. However, there are lots of alternatives! A few of my favorites...
- Corn chips (Fritos)
- Ritz crackers
- Pita chips
- Toast points
- Pretzel sticks or pretzel chips
- Veggies, like bell pepper strips, celery, or carrot sticks (chill Buffalo Chicken Dip beforehand)
It also pairs well with other dips! I like serving this with other snacks, like Rotel Velveeta Dip or Red Lobster Sausage Balls.
🧊 Leftovers & Storage Tips
Leftover Storage: You can keep slow cooker buffalo chicken dip in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after preparation. If it lasts that long. 😉 Make sure the leftovers container is airtight, as this dip has a pretty strong smell and will drift into every other food in your fridge.
Serving Leftovers: When you're ready to enjoy leftovers, you can either serve the dip cold (great with veggies!) or reheat it in the microwave in 30-second increments.
Serving Tip
Leftovers even make an incredible grilled cheese - seriously, try it! You can also spread this dip on Hawaiian buns and pop in the oven for 5-10 minutes for really yummy buffalo chicken sliders.
This dip can also be frozen. Just store in a freezer bag for up to 6 months. When you're ready to serve, thaw the contents of the bag (overnight in the refrigerator works best) and rewarm in the microwave. You can top it with cheddar cheese and melt if you'd like.
❔ FAQs
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Let me know what you think! Share a comment or rating ⭐️ below or tag me on social media (@lambertslately) with your recipe recreations.
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup hot sauce (Louisiana hot sauce is my favorite; I also use Frank's Red Hot or Crystal)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- meat of 1 rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups of meat)
Instructions
- Add cream cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, half of the shredded cheese, and the shredded chicken to a Crock Pot. Set on low for 4-6 hours.
- Thirty minutes before serving, top the buffalo chicken dip with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Allow cheese to melt before serving.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips or cool with carrot and celery sticks.
Notes
- This can also be baked in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes (topping with cheese 5 minutes before cook time is over) if prep time needs to be quicker.
- In a pinch, the microwave works too. Add ingredients (reserving half of the cheddar) to a microwave-safe dish and set the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, then re-microwave in 1-minute increments until everything is melted together. Sprinkle cheddar on top and microwave for an additional minute to melt the cheese on top.
- In the Instant Pot: Set the Instant Pot to high slow cooker mode and add all ingredients (reserving half the cheddar). Stir continuously until the ingredients are melted together. Turn off the heat and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the dip. Add the lid and allow the heat from the dip to melt the cheddar for about 5 minutes.
- The amount of hot sauce in this dip recipe can be a little daunting. Don't be concerned about too much spice, especially when you see how much hot sauce I use in the recipe. Yes, there's a little kick, but it's not overpowering!
- Make sure the cooked chicken is shredded into bite-sized pieces before adding it to the Crock Pot.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
