This make-ahead Buffalo chicken dip has everything you love about Buffalo wings--chicken, hot sauce, and blue cheese--in creamy, rich dip form that's perfect for sharing with friends. You can make it ahead of time and pack it along on your next camping trip and cook it over the fire, on your grill, or in your RV oven.
This Buffalo chicken dip with blue cheese is one of my favorite snacks for camping. I love that it can be made in advance and that there's plenty to share with whoever we're camping with. And, like my skillet beer cheese dip, it's easy to heat up over the fire or on the grill, and even easier to devour.
Why This Recipe is Great for Camping
- It's a great camping snack that can be made in advance (ie. perfect for a stress-free camping weekend!) and is perfect for sharing with friends.
- You can cook it over the campfire, on your grill, or in your RV oven.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cream cheese--Use full-fat cream cheese here. It will give you the creamiest mixture, and melts better than low-fat cheese.
- Sour cream--Again, full-fat is best, but you can get away with reduced fat for the sour cream.
- Hot sauce--You want a vinegar-based hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot. This is what gives it the classic Buffalo flavor.
- Chicken--Feel free to use any kind of leftover chicken (it's great with the chicken from these Dutch oven chicken tacos!), cook up some chicken breasts or thighs, or purchase a rotisserie chicken at the store. I recommend using a mixture of light and dark meat if it's available to you.
- Shredded cheddar cheese--Use full-fat cheddar and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt well.
- Blue cheese--I will always choose blue cheese dip over ranch anytime I have Buffalo wings, so the same goes for this dip. However, if blue cheese isn't your thing, it's completely fine to leave it off.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Beat the cream cheese, hot sauce, and sour cream in a bowl until smooth.
- Fold in the chicken and cheddar cheese.
- Spread the dip into a square foil pan and sprinkle the blue cheese over.
- Cover with foil and cook over hot coals (or in the oven or on the grill) until bubbling.
FAQs
Yes. You can freeze the unbaked dip for up to 3 months. Wrap your covered pan well with plastic wrap before freezing. Thaw in the refrigerator or in your cooler overnight before heating.
Definitely. Bake the covered dip in a 350°F oven until beginning to bubble in the center, about 30 minutes.
You can serve anything you'd normally have with your favorite chicken wings, like carrot or celery sticks, as well as crackers or sturdy bread cubes.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Cut the cream cheese into small cubes before beating it. This will make it easier to beat and give you a smoother consistency.
- If you're not preparing this in advance, you can make and cook it in your cast iron skillet. Don't store it in your skillet though, as the acid in the hot sauce can damage your skillet.
- Leftover dip can be stored in your refrigerator or cooler for up to 3 days. It will become very firm after chilling, so you'll need to rewarm it gently over low heat until softened and heated through.
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
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Recipe
Make-Ahead Buffalo Chicken Dip
Equipment
- 8-inch square foil pan
Ingredients
- 1 package (8 ounces) full-fat cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup Buffalo-style hot sauce
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce together in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Fold in the chicken and cheddar.
- Spread the dip mixture evenly (it will be very thick) in the foil pan. Sprinkle the blue cheese over the top.
- Cover the pan with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap and store in your fridge or cooler for up to 2 days before cooking.
- When you're ready to cook, prepare a bed of hot coals in a campfire or prepare a grill for indirect cooking over medium heat. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan, but leave the foil cover in place.
- Cook over hot coals (not direct flame) or over indirect heat on your covered grill until the dip is soft and bubbling in spots, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and serve warm with your favorite dippers.
Notes
- Get the smoothest dip--Cut the cream cheese into small cubes before beating it. This will make it easier to beat and give you a smoother consistency.
- Use your skillet--If you're not preparing this in advance, you can make and cook it in your cast iron skillet. Don't store it in your skillet though, as the acid in the hot sauce can damage your skillet.
- Storage and reheating--Leftover dip can be stored in your refrigerator or cooler for up to 3 days. It will become very firm after chilling, so you'll need to rewarm it gently over low heat until softened and heated through.
- Dietary--This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
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