TL;DR
What it is for: A crowd-pleasing game-day appetizer for 10–12 people that uses cooked or rotisserie chicken and five pantry ingredients, ready in about 30 minutes.
- Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip: 2 cups shredded chicken, 8 oz cream cheese, ½ cup Frank’s RedHot, ½ cup ranch and 1 cup shredded cheddar.
- Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes until bubbling, or warm it in a slow cooker on LOW for 2 hours.
- Use Frank’s RedHot Original for a tangy dip, or Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce for a buttery, milder one.
- Serve with celery, tortilla chips or crackers; keep it warm on LOW for up to 2 hours.
Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip is made by mixing 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken with softened cream cheese, ½ cup of Frank’s RedHot, ranch dressing and cheddar, then baking it at 350°F for about 20 minutes until hot and bubbling. It serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer, and the same mixture works in a slow cooker on LOW for 2 hours.
Table of Contents
What goes into Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip
This Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip recipe follows the classic version, printed on the bottle for years, which needs only five ingredients. Each one has a job, so it is worth understanding them before you swap anything.
| Ingredient | Amount | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked chicken, shredded | 2 cups | Body and protein |
| Cream cheese, softened | 8 oz | Creamy base that holds the dip together |
| Frank’s RedHot sauce | ½ cup | Vinegar heat and the signature flavor |
| Ranch or blue cheese dressing | ½ cup | Cool, herby balance |
| Shredded cheddar or mozzarella | 1 cup | Melty top and richness |
Use full-fat cream cheese for the smoothest texture. Light cream cheese works but can turn slightly grainy when baked. Shred the chicken finely: small strands mix evenly into Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip and make it easier to scoop with a chip.
Which Frank’s sauce to use
Frank’s makes two sauces that people use for this dip, and they give different results. Buffalo chicken dip with Frank’s Buffalo Wings sauce is milder and richer, because that sauce already contains butter flavor. A buffalo chicken dip with Frank’s RedHot Original has the sharper, vinegary kick that most people remember from game-day parties.
- Frank’s RedHot Original: sharper, more vinegar-forward and a little hotter. This is the classic choice.
- Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce: buttery and smoother; good if you are serving kids or heat-shy guests.
- Frank’s hot wing chicken dip variations often add 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the Original sauce to mimic wing sauce.
Start with ½ cup of sauce, taste the mixture, and add more a tablespoon at a time. The heat softens slightly as the dip bakes.
Ranch or blue cheese in Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip?
Ranch gives a milder, herby dip that most crowds love. Blue cheese dressing tastes more like classic Buffalo wings and pairs well with celery. You can also split it: ¼ cup of each, or ranch in the dip with crumbled blue cheese on top.
How to make Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip in the oven
Baking is the fastest way and gives a browned, bubbling top.
Mix
Heat the oven to 350°F. Beat the softened cream cheese with the hot sauce and dressing until smooth, then fold in the chicken and half of the cheese.
Bake
Spread the mixture in a 1-quart baking dish or 9-inch pie plate, top with the remaining cheese and bake 18–22 minutes, until the edges bubble and the cheese melts. The dip should be steaming hot in the center.
Rest and serve
Let it stand 5 minutes, then sprinkle with sliced green onions or blue cheese crumbles and serve warm.
Slow cooker method
For a party, the slow cooker keeps the dip warm for hours. Add all ingredients to a 2- to 4-quart slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until smooth and hot. Then switch to WARM. Our buffalo chicken dip slow cooker version scales this up for bigger gatherings, and the crockpot chicken recipes collection has more hands-off ideas.
Use only cooked chicken in the slow cooker. Raw chicken should not be cooked in a dip at low temperature, and slow cooker food safety guidance recommends starting with thawed ingredients.
Rotisserie chicken for Buffalo chicken dip
Using rotisserie chicken for Buffalo chicken dip is the biggest time saver: one store-bought bird gives about 3 cups of meat, enough for one batch with leftovers. Remove the skin, shred the white and dark meat finely, and taste before adding salt because rotisserie chicken is already seasoned.
No rotisserie chicken? Poach two breasts using our guide to how long to boil chicken breast, or use leftovers from any of our recipes with shredded chicken. Canned chicken also works; drain it well.
Variations to try
Once you know the base ratio, Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip is easy to adapt to what you have in the fridge.
- Extra cheesy: use 1 cup mozzarella in the dip and ½ cup cheddar on top.
- Lighter: replace half the cream cheese with plain Greek yogurt; bake just until hot so it does not separate.
- Blue cheese lover’s: blue cheese dressing in the dip and ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese on top.
- Bacon: fold in 4 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Skillet version: warm everything in an oven-safe skillet on the stove, then broil 2–3 minutes to brown the cheese.
How much to make for a party
One batch made with 8 oz of cream cheese and 2 cups of chicken makes about 4 cups, enough for 10 to 12 guests as one of several snacks. For a bigger crowd, double everything and bake it in a 9×13-inch dish for 25–30 minutes, or hold a double batch of Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip in a 4-quart slow cooker.
| Guests | Cream cheese | Chicken | Dish and bake time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–8 | 4 oz | 1 cup | 2-cup dish, 15–18 minutes |
| 10–12 | 8 oz | 2 cups | 1-quart dish, 18–22 minutes |
| 20–24 | 16 oz | 4 cups | 9×13-inch dish, 25–30 minutes |
Make-ahead and serving tips
- Assemble the dip up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Add 5–10 minutes to the baking time.
- Serve with celery and carrot sticks, tortilla chips, pita chips, crackers or toasted baguette slices.
- Keep it hot: a small slow cooker on WARM holds the dip for up to 2 hours.
- For a thicker dip, add ½ cup more cheese; for a looser one, stir in 2–3 tablespoons of milk.
Storing leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat them within 3 to 4 days; see our guide to how long does cooked chicken last in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until steaming hot (165°F), or bake again at 350°F for about 15 minutes. The FoodSafety.gov storage chart lists the same window for cooked chicken dishes.
RecipeRey HONA
Frank's Buffalo Chicken Dip
Creamy, tangy Buffalo dip with shredded chicken, baked until bubbling.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 5 min
- Total
- 35 min
Easy · Appetizer · American · Baking
Done when Bubbling at the edges and steaming hot in the center
Ingredients
Equipment 1-quart baking dish or 9-inch pie plate, Mixing bowl
Method
Heat oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
Mix. Beat the cream cheese, hot sauce and dressing until smooth. Fold in the chicken and half the cheese.
Bake. Spread in the baking dish, top with the remaining cheese and bake 18–22 minutes until bubbling at the edges.
Serve. Rest 5 minutes, top with green onions and serve warm with celery, chips or crackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip ahead of time?
Yes. Mix it, spread it in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 5–10 minutes.
How do you make Frank’s Buffalo chicken dip less spicy?
Use Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce instead of the Original, reduce the sauce to ⅓ cup, or add an extra ounce or two of cream cheese. Ranch also tames the heat more than blue cheese.
Can I use canned chicken?
Yes. Two 12.5-ounce cans, drained well and flaked, replace 2 cups of shredded chicken. Taste before seasoning because canned chicken can be salty.
Can you freeze Buffalo chicken dip?
You can freeze it for up to 2 months, but the cream cheese may turn slightly grainy. Thaw it in the fridge and stir well while reheating.
