Why did the chicken cross the road? I’ll get to that in a moment.
One of the things I love most about living in Western New York is being near the birthplace of the hot wing. Order “wings” at a local bar or restaurant and you’ll get that fiery, vinegary, buttery, deep-fried tip of a chicken wing that the rest of the country knows as Buffalo wings. Ask for “Buffalo wings” here and you’ll quickly mark yourself as a visitor.
The story behind Buffalo wings is well known: hungry college students came into the Anchor Bar where Mrs. Bellissimo worked. She fried up a batch of wings, tossed them in a special sauce and served them to the young men. Whether every detail is exact or not, Mrs. Bellissimo and her restaurant are credited with popularizing this beloved bar food. If chickens could speak, they would curse her name — and yet we love the result.
If you’ve had authentic wings, you know the irresistible blend of vinegar-based hot sauce and butter on deep-fried chicken: buttery, spicy, tangy, and utterly addictive. This Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip captures all of that wing flavor in a creamy, scoopable form.
The dip starts with softened cream cheese beaten smooth with milk, mayonnaise and dry Ranch seasoning, then blended with hot sauce. Fold in cooked, chopped chicken and crumbled blue cheese, transfer to an oven-safe dish and bake until the dip is hot and bubbly. Scoop a cracker, chip or celery stick in and your brain will shout “WINGS.”
This version sits at about a medium heat level — warm and zingy but not eye-watering. If you prefer milder fare, reduce the hot sauce slightly, but don’t skip it entirely or you’ll lose the essential Buffalo character; it will just become a bland creamy chicken dip.
About the blue cheese: if you dislike blue cheese, you can use mozzarella or Monterey Jack instead, but the dip will lose the true wing-style bite that blue cheese provides. Traditional wings are typically served with blue cheese dressing (or Ranch if requested) and celery sticks, and the dip mirrors that combination.
Celery sticks are a classic vehicle for this dip, but if you don’t have them on hand, crackers, tortilla chips, corn chips, or breadsticks also work wonderfully. (If your kids have eaten your celery at breakfast as mine did, the dip will survive — though I may have shaken my fist at them for appropriating the crisper drawer.)
This dip is extremely crowd-pleasing and perfect for game day, parties, or any casual gathering. It’s hearty and satisfying — very “man-friendly,” since my family polished off a batch in minutes — and equally beloved by folks who love wings, regardless of gender.
So why did that chicken cross the road? To get the heck out of Buffalo!
Buh-KAWK!
Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 8 ounce brick of cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry Ranch dressing mix
- 1/2 cup hot sauce preferably Frank’s RedHot or Sriracha
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or grated mozzarella/Monterey Jack if you prefer
- 1 clove garlic peeled and finely minced or pressed
- 2 cups cooked, finely chopped or shredded chicken
Instructions
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Add the softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Break it up with a fork, then stir in the milk, mayonnaise and dry Ranch mix. Switch to a sturdy spoon and continue mixing until smooth. Whisk in the hot sauce until evenly combined, then fold in the garlic, blue cheese and cooked chicken.
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Scrape the mixture into a casserole dish or oven-safe bowl and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
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This mixture can also be prepared in a slow cooker on low for 2–3 hours and then kept warm for a couple of hours.
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Serve the dip hot with crackers, tortilla or corn chips, celery sticks, or breadsticks.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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