It doesn’t get easier than this BBQ Chicken Dip! The less spicy cousin to buffalo chicken dip, shredded chicken is combined with ranch dressing, bbq sauce, and cheese for a dip the whole family can enjoy.
BBQ and chicken are perfect for each other! For more recipes with this combo, try this BBQ Chicken Pizza or these BBQ Chicken Wraps.
I am a spicy lover. Give me spice, and I’m a happy girl.
But I probably know more people who like things on the mild side than the spicy side.
So what do you do if you are serving a crowd of non-spicy lovers? You make a twist on a favorite dip, and make it crowd friendly!
I’m a huge sucker for Buffalo Chicken Dip. But I know it’s not for everyone. Especially when there are kids involved.
But I can bet that most people really love bbq. So this BBQ Chicken Dip is what happens when you swap out buffalo sauce for bbq sauce.
This dip is hot and cheesy and perfect for any party or game day. Or do what we did, and make a batch where everyone crowds in to eat and then they are not hungry, so we call the dip dinner. It really is that good.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese: This dip is easiest to make if your cream cheese is softened. I just like to leave it out on the counter for a half and hour.
Ranch Dressing: This is prepared ranch dressing. You can use homemade ranch dressing or store bought.
BBQ Sauce: You must use a bbq sauce that you know you like. The flavor will really come through, so choose a bbq sauce that you know you enjoy.
Cheese: I like Monterey Jack cheese for this recipe, but feel free to change it up, if desired.
Chicken: The first time I made this recipe and posted it back in 2012, I used canned chicken. And it’s not that I’m opposed to canned chicken, but using cooked, shredded chicken really makes this dip so much better. I used both white and dark meat from a whole cooked chicken I made, but you could use all white meat if that’s what you have.
Crackers: These are for serving. My favorite is Ritz crackers, but I like to put out an assortment.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Dip
STEP 1: Combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken and part of the cheese. It may look like you can’t get it all mixed, but that’s normal.
STEP 2: Add in the chicken and mix to combine.
STEP 3: Spread the mixture into a baking dish. It fits perfectly in a 9-inch pie dish, but you could also use an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish.
STEP 4: Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the dip. Then bake until the dip is hot and bubbling and the cheese is melted.
Tips and Tricks
This works best if you roughly chop the chicken before adding it. If the chunks of chicken are too big, it makes it harder to dip your crackers in.
This is best served hot, when the cheese is nice and melted.
You could also make this in a slow cooker if you want to keep it warm while at a party or get together. You’ll want a smaller slow cooker, otherwise the dip will be too shallow. Simply add the mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low until everything is melted.
Transfer any leftovers to the refrigerator. You can heat up the leftovers in the microwave or in the oven.
More Favorite Dip Recipes
Spicy Sausage Dip
Bacon Horseradish Dip
Mushroom and Chorizo Queso Dip
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BBQ Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese divided
- 1 lb cooked, shredded chicken
- crackers for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a bowl, stir the cream cheese to loosen it. Add the ranch dressing, bbq sauce, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix to combine.
- Spread the mixture into a 9-inch pie dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
- Serve with crackers.
Sasha says
Ooh awesome idea! I love that you baked it.
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
Oh this is a perfect snack to bring to our next bbq!
Jennifer @ Mother Thyme says
You must have been reading my mind I was just thinking of a dip like this! Can’t wait to try!
Cassie says
This is beyond perfect snack food Deborah. My husband is a BBQ sauce fanatic, he will go crazy for this!
Amy J says
Buffalo Chicken Dip IS addicting! I can’t wait to make your BBQ version! I have some frozen chicken to cook up, so I’ll probably use that – and tortilla chips or veggies (for dipping) as I’m eating gluten-free. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Kristy (Sweet Treats & More) says
This is sooo my kind of dip. Love how easy it is!
Emily says
Totally pinned!
Kim says
I just ran out and bought all the stuff to make this dip. LOL! Looks delicious.
Eleni says
Ooh it looks yummy! I live in Greece and we don’t have canned chicken. Could I use leftover slow cooker chicken pieces? They would be a bit more moist than roast chicken. We also don’t have ranch dressing (crazy isn’t it?). Would Greek yogurt with mayo do? Or the British salad cream dressing? Any ideas would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Deborah says
@Eleni, you could definitely use leftover shredded chicken. To substitute ranch, I’d probably go with sour cream and some herbs – ranch usually has parsley, chives & dill. I’m not sure what British salad cream dressing is, so I’m not sure if that will work. Hopefully you can make it work!
Eleni says
@Deborah,
Eleni says
@Deborah, Oops sorry about the empty comment! iPhone is too small! Thanks so much for yr reply!
carrian says
That looks so addicting. The buffalo version is always too spicy for me, so this is perfect!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
as much fun as I have making buffalo recipes… BBQ is where my heart is!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Thanks for linkng up my dip and boy, what you made looks awesome – and anything with bbq sauce, ranch, cheese – and Ritz (love em) is always gonna be a hit!
Ali @ Gimme Some Oven says
Oooooh girl! This looks SO yummy!!! Definitely bookmarking for football season coming up… 🙂
shelly (cookies and cups) says
Love dips like this! The kind that you can make a whole meal out of!!
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?! says
This is sure to be a hit at a party!! Perfect for the upcoming Labor Day holiday… 🙂
Rosa says
What a scrumptious dip! I’m sure it is quite addictive.
Cheers,
Rosa