Why this recipe Matters

It seems that every family member has that signature dish or two that they always make to share at gatherings. My sister in law, Hayley, has several. Often requested, are her bagel dip, deviled eggs, pecan pie tarts and buffalo chicken dip.

In January, we were scrambling to find some last minute snacks for a Bengals game (WHO DEY)! It was slim pickin’s for ingredients on hand and per usual, Mikey wanted chicken wings. Sorry Mikey…way too cold to fire up the smoker.

Chicken wing fix with ingredients already in the pantry?

Hayley’s Buffalo Chicken Dip?

Next, a text to Hayley for her recipe.

“Chicken, ranch, cream cheese, franks 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.

No Franks sauce.

No canned chicken.

Womp-womp.

I had to improvise. I did have a bottle of Buffalo Wild Wings Spicy Garlic Sauce. There was chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken in the freezer. No ranch dressing, but a container of sour cream was staring at me in the fridge.

So…not going to be Hayley’s dip apparently.

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 contributed creaminess. It was decent, but this version still needed something.

Fast forward to the next weekend. More football to watch.

Football without the Bengals, I must add….

No Burrow.

No Tiggs (Tee Higgins).

No Chasin’ Chase.

No Bengals jerseys.

No lucky football necklaces.

Damn. This Buffalo Dip had a lot to make up for.

Prepare your Taste Buds

Hayley’s recipe called for Franks RedHot sauce. This time I had some to add in with the Spicy Garlic sauce. The results were tasty, it almost made up for our Bengals not making it to the playoffs.

That is a total lie, actually.

The new version of buffalo chicken dip was even orange. If the Bengals had been playing while we snacked on this, I would have dubbed it, Burrow’s Bangin’ Buffalo Dip.

Sigh.

Maybe I’ll change the name of it in 2026, when we go back to the Super Bowl.

Fingers crossed.

Anyway, your favorite team doesn’t have to be in the playoffs to make this Spicy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Dip. It will be delicious on any occasion, give it a try!

Handy Hints for Spicy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Dip

•Please note, there are many different varieties of the Franks RedHot Sauce. Most recipes for buffalo chicken dip use Frank’s RedHot Original Hot Sauce. I prefer to use their Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce. For less heat, use the MILD version of the sauce instead.

•Don’t be tempted to add in more chicken than the recipe call for. I had a large rotisserie chicken, so I added in extra chicken, it definitely changes the texture of the dip. I suggest measuring the 1 1/2 cups for a perfectly balanced creamy dip. You can put any extra chicken in a Ziploc Freezer Storage bag. Then pop it in the freezer for later use.

•For easy clean up, check out Reynolds Kitchens Aluminum 8″ x 8″ Cake Pans with Lids. You can assemble the dip ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 24 hours until ready to bake. The disposable container, makes it perfect for serving outside or on the go for a party appetizer. *I buy them at Sam’s club.*

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