Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip – Eating Bird Food

This healthy buffalo chicken dip is the perfect game day appetizer and sure to be a crowd favorite. It’s made lighter with Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, but is still creamy, spicy and absolutely delicious.

This week is all about dips! I’ve already shared a spinach artichoke dip and black bean dip and today I’ve got a healthy buffalo chicken dip recipe for you!

I love a good buffalo sauce recipe (these buffalo cauliflower wings are my fave!) and you can’t go wrong with buffalo chicken. It’s a classic!

Traditional buffalo chicken dip usually calls for lots of butter, cream cheese and ranch or blue cheese dressing. To make things a touch healthier I skipped the butter and used cottage cheese instead of cream cheese and a Greek yogurt ranch dressing. It’s still creamy, spicy and loaded with tons of flavor.

Definitely add this buffalo chicken dip to your Super Bowl menu… it’s sure to be a crowd favorite!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s the perfect game day or party appetizer.
• Easy to make with only 7 main ingredients.
• Jam-packed with flavor and spice.
• Can easily be prepped in advance.

Ingredients Needed

• shredded chicken – this recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded chicken, which is about 1 lb. See my notes below on the different ways to make shredded chicken at home or take a shortcut and use shredded rotisserie chicken.
• buffalo sauce – I like Primal Kitchen’s buffalo sauce and Noble Made buffalo sauce, but any buffalo sauce works. I usually opt for the medium or hot variety, but if you’re not a big heat person go for a mild sauce!
• Greek yogurt ranch dressing – a healthy alternative to traditional ranch dressing that adds creaminess and a touch more protein! I always use the Bolthouse Farms ranch yogurt dressing.
• cottage cheese – a lower-fat alternative to cream cheese that’s typically found in buffalo chicken dip. It also adds a tangy, creamy texture. Full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese will both work in this recipe.
• black pepper – a touch of spice to amplify all the flavors a bit.
• mozzarella and sharp cheddar – my two favorite cheeses to use for this recipe! They add a ton of flavor and cheesiness to this dip! I recommend using fresh blocks of cheese that you shred yourself for the best results.
• green onion – for serving.

How to Make

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an oven-safe dish with cooking spray. I used an 8×8 glass baking dish. Blend together the cottage cheese and ranch dressing until smooth in a food processor or blender.

Stir together shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, blended cottage cheese mixture, pepper, mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Broil for the last 1-2 minutes to brown up the cheese more, if desired. Remove with oven, top with green onion and serve warm with celery, carrots and tortilla chips.

How to Cook Chicken Before Shredding

Slow Cooker

This is my fave method! To make it, simply put your boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs in the slow cooker, season with any seasonings you want to add, cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2 hours. That’s it! I know it’s tempting to want to add liquid, like water or broth to the slow cooker with your chicken, but you don’t need it — the chicken will release its own juices and it won’t dry out! I do like adding a little apple cider vinegar to help tenderize the meat, but it’s optional.

Instant Pot

This method is new to me as I didn’t get on the Instant Pot train until about a year ago, but it’s awesome because it is SO FAST! Place four boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the Instant Pot and add 1 cup broth or water and any seasonings you’d like. Put the lid on, turn to seal, cook for 15 minutes and then quick release the pressure. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks or by hand. Shredded chicken in under 30 minutes? YUP!

Stove Top

Place chicken in a saucepan or pot. Cover the chicken completely with broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks or by hand. This method is awesome because you can cook tender, shredded chicken without any kitchen appliances on the counter!

Oven

Place chicken in a baking dish and add any seasonings you’d like. Add a little bit of water to the bottom of the pan and cover with foil or an oven-safe lid. This makes sure your chicken doesn’t come out super dry! Bake at 375ºF for 25-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and shred away!

What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Dip

You can’t go wrong with how you serve this dip, but here are some yummy options to try out:

• Tortilla chips – my go-to pairing when serving this dip! My two favorite tortilla chip brands are Late July (I like their organic chia & quinoa chips) and Zack’s Mighty, which are organic.
• Veggies – for a healthier option, serve this buffalo dip with a variety of raw veggies, such as carrots, celery, cucumber or bell peppers.
• Bread – a warm slice of bread such as baguette slices, focaccia, sourdough or pita bread for dipping.
• Crackers – try my almond flour crackers or use store-bought. I love Simple Mills crackers for store-bought.
• Pita chips – make homemade pita chips to serve alongside this dip.

How to Store Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight sealed container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. I recommend reheating it in the oven or toaster oven for the best results. You can always use a microwave if you need to reheat it quickly.

More Dips and Spreads

Be sure to check out all of my dips and spreads as well as the full collection of appetizer recipes here on EBF!