Healthy buffalo chicken dip is creamy, easy, and healthy! Made with ranch seasoning, rotisserie chicken, and cream cheese, this buffalo dip is simple and perfect for game day!
Buffalo chicken dip is probably one of the best ideas anyone has ever come up with. Let’s take buffalo sauce and chicken, and add cheese and ranch to it. Then, let’s dip our favorite things into it. Genius!
Now that I’ve made this easy buffalo chicken dip a couple times, I’m starting to wonder why we don’t make it more often. Sure, game day is coming up, but I honestly feel like we could make this appetizer all football season long. It’s too good to only make once a year.
Healthy buffalo chicken dip is spicy, creamy, cheesy, and so flavorful! Even though traditional buffalo chicken dip isn’t thought of as healthy, it can be made healthier by using whole ingredients!
What does healthy buffalo chicken dip taste like?
Buffalo chicken dip is creamy, cheesy, and has a touch of spice from the Frank’s buffalo sauce. It also has an herby flavor from the homemade salt-free ranch seasoning, and 3 different kinds of cheese. It really is the perfect game day appetitizer.
What kind of chicken should I use for healthy buffalo chicken dip?
I use rotisserie chicken for this recipe because it’s so easy and convienent. It’s also very flavorful and usually pretty juicy, too!
However, if you want to made your own shredded chicken, you can do so by roasting your own whole chicken, or by roasting a couple of chicken breasts.
What’s in healthy buffalo chicken dip?
Shredded chicken – I use rotisserie chicken because of the convienence. You can also make your own shredded chicken by roasting your own whole chicken or a couple chicken breasts in the oven.
Plain Greek yogurt – This adds more protein and probiotics to the buffalo chicken dip, and is healthier than just using cream cheese. You can use fat free, low fat, or full fat plain Greek yogurt in this recipe.
Homemade ranch seasoning – This is a must for healthy buffalo chicken dip because it adds a ton of herby flavor and compliments all the cheeses really well. I make my own salt-free version by combining dried dill, dried parsley, onion powder, onion flakes, garlic powder, black pepper, dried chives, and dried oregano. Get the full ranch seasoning recipe here.
Cream cheese – I used full fat cream cheese in this recipe because it melts well and adds a rich creaminess to buffalo chicken dip. You can use the lower fat cream cheese if you want to cut the fat a little bit.
Shredded cheddar cheese – Just a classic flavor for buffalo chicken dip. It adds a little bit of saltiness without overpowering the other flavors.
Shredded mozzarella cheese – The third cheese, which balances the other cheese flavors and keeps the dip from tasting too much like straight cheddar.
Buffalo sauce – The main flavor component of buffalo chicken dip, it adds that vinegar flavor, and all of the heat. Make sure to use a good quality buffalo sauce with natural ingredients like Frank’s.
Green onions – The final ingredient and garnish for healthy buffalo chicken dip. It adds some color, some mild onion flavor, and pairs perfectly with the other flavors in this game day appetizier.
How do I make my own shredded chicken?
- Toss 2 chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of avocado or olive oil, 1/2 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Place in a baking dish, and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cooked through to 165 degrees.
- Shred with 2 forks and get ready to make some buffalo chicken dip!
How to make Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Soften your cream cheese by microwaving it for 15-20 seconds.
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, plain Greek yogurt, buffalo sauce, and homemade ranch seasoning.
- Add the chicken, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese, and stir to combine.
- Spread the mixture evenly in a greased, medium baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
- Serve with your favorite chips, crackers, or veggies!
How do you thicken buffalo chicken dip?
You dip should not be too thin after all the cheese melts together, but if it is, stir in a 2 more ounces of softened cream cheese. This should help to thicken it up without sacrificing or changing the flavor.
Can I make this in advance?
Absolutely you can make this buffalo chicken dip in advance! Simply bake it in a baking dish, allow to cool, then cover and refridgerate it for up to 2 days in advance.
On game day, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes until heat through and serve!
How do I store buffalo chicken dip?
Once cooled from the oven, store this chicken dip in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can also freeze this buffalo dip for about 3 months, and then reheat it later!
How long will this last in the fridge?
Healthy buffalo chicken dip will last about 2-3 days in the fridge after baking. You can freeze it in an airtight, freezer-safe container if you’d like it to last longer.
How do I reheat healthy buffalo chicken dip?
To reheat easy buffalo chicken dip you can use your oven or the microwave:
Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cold buffalo chicken dip in an oven-safe container for 25-30 minutes, until melty and heated through.
Microwave: Place the buffalo chicken dip in a microwave-safe container and microwave for 45-60 seconds. Stir, then microwave another 30-45 seconds, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated through.
Can you freeze buffalo chicken dip after cooking?
This healthy buffalo chicken dip is freezer-friendly, and actually freezes really well!
Simply bake the chicken dip in an aluminum pan, allow to cool, then cover, date, and label it. Freeze for up to 3 months.
The day before you want to eat it, take it out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until heated through and serve!
What can I serve with buffalo chicken dip?
Some ideas for serving this buffalo chicken dip:
- Tortilla chips
- Whole grain crackers
- Low carb crackers like Wasa
- Celery and carrot sticks
- Toasted baguettes
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
The reason this buffalo chicken dip is healthier than traditional versions is because it uses less cream cheese and homemade ranch seasoning instead of the storebought stuff.
This recipe uses plain Greek yogurt in place of about half the cream cheese you’d normally find in other recipes. This adds probiotics and more protein to the buffalo chicken dip.
By making your own ranch seasoning, you’re avoiding all the unnecessary preservatives, fillers, and additives that storebough ranch seasoning has. You know exactly what ingredients are in your buffalo dip, and they’re all whole and natural!
The best part about all of this is that your game day guests will have no idea this dip is lower in sodium and added preservatives than traditional buffalo chicken dip. You may even want to make a double batch, this dip goes fast!
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 293 calories
- Protein: 25 grams
- Sodium: 392 mg
- Carbohydrates: 4 grams
Budget Friendly
This game day dip costs about $5.49 to put together, or roughly about $1.37 per serving. The good news is, you can repurpose the leftovers (if there are any!).
What can I do with the leftovers?
You can put the leftover buffalo chicken dip in the fridge or freezer and serve later with crackers, chips, or veggies.
You can also turn this chicken dip into quesadillas, chicken sandwiches, add it to pasta, add it to chili, or even use it as a salad topping! There are so many possibilities for repurposing leftover buffalo chicken dip!
Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!
Recipe
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp homemade ranch seasoning
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 2 cups shredded chicken (like rotisserie)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, soften the cream cheese by microwaving it for 15-20 seconds.
- Mix the softened cream cheese together with the plain Greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, and buffalo sauce. Add the chicken, cheddar, and mozzarella to the buffalo mixture. Stir to combine.
- Grease an 8×8 baking pan, and spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
- Serve hot with your favorite veggies, chips, or crackers!
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Healthy buffalo chicken dip is one of my new favorite game day appetizers! You can make this ahead of time, store in the fridge or freezer, and repurpose the leftovers into another delicious meal! It’s creamy and cheesy, slightly spicy, and full of flavors that are sure to please any crowd!
xoxo Megan
Mary says
So yummy! How much dip per serving?
Megan Byrd, RD says
About 1/2 cup 🙂
Joetta Gibbs says
I love this dip and have used the yogurt instead of sour cream for card club. Added a couple chopped and rinsed artichokes for extra texture. Had none left.
Megan Byrd, RD says
Yogurt is just so much healthier, I use it all the time in place of sour cream! Artichokes are such a great idea, I’ll definitely have to try that next time! I’m glad you enjoyed it!