Description

A rich, creamy, and spicy Buffalo chicken dip made with hand-shredded chicken, real cream cheese, and a blend of blue cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella. Slow-cooked for perfect texture and flavor, this is the ultimate game-day appetizer.

Ingredients

Scale

8 ounces (225g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened and cubed
3 cups (450g) cooked chicken breasts, hand-shredded
1/2 cup (120ml) Frank’s RedHot or similar cayenne-based hot sauce
1/2 cup (120ml) blue cheese dressing
1 cup (100g) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
1 cup (100g) mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
Salt and bay leaf (for boiling chicken)
Celery sticks, carrot sticks, tortilla chips, or crusty bread (for serving)

Instructions

If using raw chicken, boil boneless, skinless chicken breasts in salted water with a bay leaf for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Drain and let cool slightly.
Shred the chicken by hand using two forks into bite-sized chunks. Set aside.
Cut the block cream cheese into cubes and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soften.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, minced garlic, and butter. Stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
Add the shredded chicken to the cream cheese mixture and stir until every piece is coated.
Fold in half of the shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Reserve the remaining half for the topping.
Transfer the mixture to a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 2-3 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking. Do not cook on High.
Once the dip is hot and creamy, sprinkle the remaining cheddar and mozzarella on top, followed by crumbled blue cheese.
Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes until the top cheese is melted and gooey.
Serve directly from the slow cooker or ladle into a bowl, garnished with extra blue cheese and hot sauce if desired.

Notes

Do not rush the cream cheese; it must be fully softened to avoid lumps. Use full-fat ingredients for the best texture and flavor. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting, so shred block cheese yourself. If the dip separates, whisk in a splash of milk or cream to fix it. This dip does not freeze well due to the dairy content.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2-3 hours
Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 320
Sugar: 3
Sodium: 580
Fat: 24
Saturated Fat: 14
Carbohydrates: 6
Protein: 18

Keywords: buffalo chicken dip, tailgate recipe, slow cooker appetizer, game day food, creamy chicken dip, blue cheese dip, football party food