Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip is the perfect hot dip recipe for parties and potlucks! Cheesy, spicy, and made with just 5 ingredients.
“This was the best buffalo chicken dip I ever made!! It was gone in 2 hours and got so many compliments!!”
About once a month we head over to my parent’s house to have lunch with my brother and his family who also live in town. I didn’t grow up around my grandparents or cousins, and I can’t tell you how special it is to see all the kids running around making memories together in their grandparent’s home. It’s priceless, really!
My Mom always cooks a big lunch for us, and usually has a dip or appetizer ready to snack on as we trickle in through the door. I do a little happy dance anytime I see her Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip hot, ready, and waiting to be dug into on the counter. The combination of spicy, saucy, cheesy dip scooped up with a crunchy chip is completely irresistible.
Watch How to Make It
Buffalo Chicken Dip in the Slow Cooker
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip can be made in a small, 3 quart crock pot, or a large, 6 quart crock pot, and there’s no extra cooking or work required prior to tossing everything into the crock pot.
No extra bowl, oven, nor baking dish needed — the slow cooker does the work of heating the ingredients up for us. Easy!
This dip is a must have for game days (easier than buffalo chicken wings!), perfect for taking to an office potluck, or serving at any gathering in between.
5 Ingredient Crock Pot Dip
This easy buffalo chicken dip requires just 5 ingredients and, like I said, all you have to do is toss them into the crock pot, mix everything together, then press “on”. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Buffalo wing sauce: I’ve tried a lot of buffalo wing sauces and have landed on Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce as my very favorite – they even have a mild version if you need it. Be sure you’re using buffalo wing sauce vs plain hot sauce.
- Ranch dressing: I like Ken’s classic ranch dressing, but you can use your favorite prepared ranch dressing.
- Canned chunk chicken breast: we’re not getting weird about this – it truly makes for the best buffalo chicken dip! I like Swanson brand. That said, you can swap in hand-shredded chicken if need be.
- Cream cheese: I typically use 1/3 less fat, though full fat cream cheese is great too.
- Colby Jack Cheese: melts deliciously into the dip providing the perfect amount of cheesiness.
As written, this crockpot buffalo chicken dip recipe is about a 5/10 on the heat scale. If you want to make it spicier, feel free to add more buffalo sauce, hot sauce (I like Frank’s and usually add a truck-load), and/or red chili pepper flakes.
If you need to make it a bit more mild, use mild buffalo wing sauce.
How to Store Leftovers and Reheat
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, simply scoop the dip into a glass storage container (plastic storage containers could become stained from the wing sauce), then reheat scoops of it in a glass dish in the microwave.
I’ve also slow cooked this dip then cooled it completely, and then reheated it in the crock pot a few days later.
5 Ways to Repurpose Leftovers
Leftover slow cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip is also great for repurposing into other dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Wrap. Scoop onto a gluten free flatbread then top with shredded carrots, crumbled feta or blue cheese crumbles, and spring mix or arugula.
- Sandwich. Stuff the dip inside a bun or between two slices of bread to make a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Baked potato. Jazz up a baked potato with a scoop of warmed leftover dip plus sliced green onions.
- Nachos. Make nachos with the dip plus an extra sprinkling of shredded cheese. Bake until warm and melty.
- Quesadilla. Add the buffalo chicken mixture inside a tortilla then cook until crispy on both sides.
How to Make Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Like I said, all you have to do is add the ingredients into your crock pot, stir to combine, then start slow cooking. Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to make this process a little easier.
- If you’re using a 3 quart crock pot cook on LOW for 1-1/2 — 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- If you’re using a 6 quart crock pot, cook on LOW for 1 — 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
What Goes Best with Buffalo Chicken Dip
After the buffalo chicken dip is hot and melty, I like to switch the crock pot setting to warm then let it sit on the counter all afternoon for folks to graze on. Here’s what we typically set out to serve the dip with:
- Tortilla chips
- Frito Scoops
- Mini sweet peppers sliced in half
- Carrot sticks or chips
- Celery sticks
- Simple Mills Almond or Pita Crackers
- Cucumber slices
However you serve it, I hope you love this easy, spicy, cheesy, creamy dip – enjoy!
More Irresistible Dip Recipes
- Crock Pot Reuben Dip
- Boursin Bruschetta Dip
- Dirty Martini Dip
- Roasted Garlic and Prosciutto Cream Cheese Dip with Hot Honey
- Cranberry Jalapeno Bacon Dip
- Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Dip
- Pickle Wrap Dip
- Best Fruit Dip EVER
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12.5 oz can chunk chicken breast, drained, Swanson brand recommended
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 oz finely shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce, or more for additional spiciness, Sweet Baby Ray's or Franks Wing Sauce recommended
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- For dipping: tortilla chips, carrots, celery
Directions
- Add chicken, softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, wing sauce, and ranch dressing to a 3 quart or 6 quart crock pot.
- Stir to combine then heat on LOW until hot, 1-1/2 — 2 hours, stirring a couple of times. If using a 6 quart crock pot, the dip will be hot in about 1-1/2 hours. Serve with dippers.
Notes
- Make ahead: Add all the ingredients into the crock of your slow cooker then refrigerate up to 2 days ahead of time. Place on the crock pot base then cook on low for an additional 30 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Can I use a ranch packet instead of dressing?
Hi Pam! The dressing adds liquid/creaminess, so I would prepare the dressing packet as they instruct, and then add that.
When you say make ahead, do you mean warm it too then when ready to serve heat it for 30min?
Hi Nicole! I mention in the post copy: “I’ve also slow cooked this dip then cooled it completely, and then reheated it in the crock pot a few days later. Meaning, it’s perfectly fine to slow cook ahead of time!”
Excellent!! Only thing I changed, instead of canned chicken I seasoned and smoked a couple of boneless, skinless breasts on the pellet grill and shredded those.
Fantastic!! No leftovers, have to make another batch for company coming in tomorrow.
Ooo, that sounds amazing — love the smokey touch! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
hi, do I need to drain the chicken?
Yes! Absolutely drain the chicken – it comes so creamy and I would think that leaving the juice would make it watery. Never tried it without draining. You won’t regret it- this recipe is easy and comes out perfect!
Hi Brianna! Yes, you’ll want to drain any excess liquid from the chicken first.
This is absolutely one of my favorite crockpot recipes to make.
However, I refuse to use canned chicken, simply because it kinda grosses me out. I buy fresh rotisserie chicken from my local grocery store, and spend a good 15-30 mins shredding it up by hand. I may add a little extra Red Hot Wings Hot Buffalo sauce (about 5/8 of a cup) because I enjoy the spice, and I also use a combination of freshly shredded Sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Cheddar Gruyere cheese. I always use Ken’s Ranch, and this gets so many compliments anytime I bring it anywhere. Still, 5/5 for the recipe since even if I didn’t add my own twists to it (besides canned chicken), it would be amazing!
I’m so glad to hear it, Kamil, and am glad you can make this recipe your own. :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Silly question but do you think she meant pre-cooked rotisserie, like you can grab and go in the grocery store? It would so make my life easier! Love the page!~
I made this today for my work potluck! It was a hit. The only thing i did different from the recipe was add more buffalo sauce. Everyone loved it. Will definitely make again.
Oh I’m thrilled to hear it, Tiffany! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Yum! I made this for the Iowa WBB potluck at work today! Delicious and so easy! I doubled the recipe for a bigger crowd.
Perfect game day food — GO HAWKS!
I plan on making this for Easter potluck on Sunday. If I use the gluten free ranch you suggested, will this make it 100% gluten free? A few people there have celiac disease and have to eat gluten free only!
You bet! All the brands shared in this post/recipe are gluten free (I have CD too!) :) Thanks on behalf of your friends for double checking — so thoughtful!
Can I use fresh chicken instead of canned chicken? Thanks.
Hi Elaine! You can use shredded, non-canned chicken if you like!
A friend of mine made this and it sold out fast it’s really good I am going to make my own tomorrow 😊
Awesome!! So glad it was good enough to make and enjoy again. :)
Made this for a cozy Super Bowl evening with the hubs. I was skeptical of the canned chicken, but it was really good paired with a simple relish tray of fresh vegetables. Leftovers went into a big stockpot of potato broccoli soup! Fab!
I’m so glad you gave it a go, Deb!! Your evening sounds really lovely. :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
This was ok! The canned chicken was not good, it gave it a strange taste. I think it would be great with fresh chicken! I would add extra chicken next time, because there was too much cream cheese compared to chicken. I also added an extra cup of hot sauce because it wasn’t spicy enough.
I’m sorry to hear that, Michelle! What brand of chicken did you use?
Did the BC work out?
Hi! I am so excited to try this for a party this weekend. If I double this recipe in a larger crock pot, do I need to adjust the time or will it stay take 1.5 hours? Thanks!
Hi Carly! I would plan on at least 2 hours on low if doubling. You can stir it every so often to keep an eye on the texture/temp. :)