Why this recipe Matters
It seems like every family has that one person with a signature dish or two that they always bring to gatherings. My sister-in-law, Hayley, has several. Her bagel dip, deviled eggs, pecan pie tarts, and Buffalo chicken dip are always requested.
One of those recipes came to mind in January, when we were scrambling to come up with some last-minute snacks for a Bengals game.
The ingredient situation was looking a little bleak, and as usual, Mikey wanted chicken wings.
Sorry, Mikey. Way too cold to fire up the smoker.
Was there a way to get the Chicken-wing fix using ingredients already in the house?
Then, Hayley’s Buffalo Chicken Dip came to mind, so I texted her for the recipe.
“Chicken, ranch, cream cheese, Frank’s sauce and cheese…I mix the cheese in with everything, not really on top, and stick it in the oven. I’ve used fresh chicken and canned. Homemade ranch and bottled. I swear it’s all the same!”
To the pantry I went…
No ranch dressing.
Frank’s sauce? Nope.
And no canned chicken.
Womp-womp.
I had to improvise.
I did have a bottle of Buffalo Wild Wings Spicy Garlic Sauce. There was some rotisserie chicken breast tucked away in the freezer. And while there was no ranch dressing, a container of sour cream was staring at me from the fridge.
So…apparently this was not going to be exactly like Hayley’s dip.
I mixed together what I had, popped it in the oven, and to my surprise, it was pretty good. The Spicy Garlic Wing Sauce added a nice zip of flavor, and the sour cream made it extra creamy. It was decent, but it still needed something.
Fast-forward to the next weekend, with another round of playoff football to watch.
Football without the Bengals, I should add.
No Burrow.
Tee Higgins? Nope.
No Chasin’ Chase.
Not a Bengals jersey in sight.
No lucky football necklaces..
Damn. This Buffalo dip had a lot to make up for.
Prepare your Taste Buds
The second time around, I made a few adjustments and landed on the version that stuck. This Spicy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Dip is creamy and cheesy with plenty of tangy Buffalo flavor and a little extra kick from the spicy garlic sauce. The sour cream keeps the texture smooth, while the chicken and melted cheese make it hearty enough to hold up to a serious scoop of Fritos.
Best of all, it has just enough heat to make things interesting without being overwhelmingly spicy.
And while it may not have been quite enough to make up for a Bengals-free football weekend, it was pretty darn close.
Of course, had Joe Burrow been playing, I might have been tempted to name this recipe…
Burrow’s Bangin’ Buffalo Dip.
Maybe I’ll change the name when we finally make it back to the Super Bowl…in the meantime…
WHO DEY!!!
Simple Ways to Serve This
Serve this Spicy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Dip hot with Fritos, tortilla chips, celery, or carrot sticks. For a full game-day spread, add Classic Cincinnati Chili Dip, Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket, or a Beef & Onion Cheeseball.
Spicy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Dip
This delicious hot dip is the best stand in for chicken wings. It’s creamy, zippy and the perfect appetizer for game day or any party for that matter!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 people 1x
- Category: Appetizer
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup Buffalo Wild Wings Spicy Garlic Wing Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, finely shredded
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup Frank’s Redhot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded
- Optional Garnish: green onions, sliced or fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, sour cream, spicy garlic sauce, chicken and garlic powder. Stir until well combined.
- Evenly, spread the cream cheese mixture into a pie plate or a shallow one quart baking dish.
- Next, pour the Frank’s wing sauce over the cream cheese mixture and top with the cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the dip is hot and bubbly. Serve with celery, carrots and Tostitos or Fritos Scoops for dipping. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Calories: 186
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 493
- Fat: 17
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 3
- Fiber: 0.02
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 51
Handy Hints
- Choose the right hot sauce: Frank’s RedHot makes several varieties. Most Buffalo chicken dip recipes use Frank’s RedHot Original, but I prefer Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce for this recipe. For less heat, use the mild version.
- Measure the chicken: Don’t be tempted to add extra chicken. I tried it with a larger amount, and it changed the texture of the dip. Stick with 1½ cups for the best creamy, balanced consistency. Freeze any leftover rotisserie chicken for another recipe.
- Make it ahead: Assemble the dip up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.
- Use a disposable pan for easy cleanup: An 8 x 8-inch foil pan with a lid works well if you’re taking the dip to a party or serving it somewhere away from home.
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