Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
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This healthy buffalo chicken dip is the perfect game day appetizer and always a crowd favorite. It’s made lighter with Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, but still creamy, spicy, and full of flavor.
I love a good dip, especially when it’s something everyone can gather around on game day. And when buffalo chicken is involved, you know it’s going to be a hit. 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.
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“This was fabulous! Made half a recipe as we were a small group. Definitely will make again”
Why I Love This Buffalo Chicken Dip
- It’s lighter, but still legit: Greek yogurt and cottage cheese keep things creamy without sacrificing that classic buffalo chicken flavor.
- Perfect for game day: This is always the first thing to disappear at parties and Super Bowl get-togethers.
- Easy to prep ahead: Make it in advance and reheat when you’re ready to serve.
- Crowd-approved: Even people who don’t care about “healthy” swaps love this one.
Ingredients Needed
- shredded chicken – this recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded chicken, which is about 1 lb. See my notes in the recipe card 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.
- 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.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Step 1: Preheat the oven and spray an oven-safe dish with cooking spray. Blend together the cottage cheese and ranch dressing until smooth in a food processor or blender.
Step 2: Stir together shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, blended cottage cheese mixture, pepper, mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese.
Step 4: 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.
Brittany’s Tips
- This dip gets better as it sits: If you have time, make it earlier in the day and reheat before serving. The flavors really settle in and deepen.
- No one will know there’s cottage cheese: Blending it smooth is the key. Once it’s mixed in, it just tastes creamy, not “healthy.”
- Go light on the buffalo sauce at first: You can always add more, but it’s harder to take the heat back once it’s mixed in.
- Serve it hot: This dip is at its best when it’s warm and melty, so plan to reheat right before serving if needed.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can assemble the dip ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge. When ready to serve, bake or reheat until warm and bubbly.
It does! Even with the lighter swaps, this dip is still creamy, spicy, and full of classic buffalo chicken flavor.
Yes. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut and works perfectly in this recipe.
More Dips and Spreads to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken, about 1 lb chicken
- ⅔ cup medium or hot buffalo sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt ranch dressing, I like Bolthouse Farms
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, dived
- Green onion, for topping
- Celery, for serving
- Carrots, for serving
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a baking dish with cooking spray. I used an 8×8 glass baking dish.
- Blend together cottage cheese and ranch dressing until smooth in a food processor or blender.
- Combine 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 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.
Video
Notes
- Slow cooker: Add chicken breasts or thighs to a slow cooker, season as desired, cover, and cook on low for 3–4 hours or high for 2 hours. Shred once tender.
- Instant Pot: Place chicken in the Instant Pot with 1 cup water or broth. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then quick release and shred.
- Stovetop: Cover chicken with water or broth in a pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Shred and use.
- Oven: Bake seasoned chicken at 375°F for 25–35 minutes, covered, until cooked through. Shred once cool enough to handle.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Could I freeze this??
I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could! I would just be worried about the consistency of the dip changing after being defrosted, but I’m sure it would be fine. Let me know if you end up trying it!
How much time should I add to the cooking time if I prep this the day before and put it in the fridge? (Making ahead today for the Super Bowl!)
Hey Erin – Sorry I didn’t get to this in time. You shouldn’t really need to add much cook time. I would assume it’d be nice an hot and melted in the 30 minute cook time. Definitely let me know how this turned out for you. I hope it was a hit!
Could I use just regular Greek yogurt?
Instead of the cottage cheese? The sauce might be a bit thinner, but it should work! Enjoy!
I have same question but I think the question is, can we use Greek yogurt instead of Greek yogurt dressing?
Yes, plain greek yogurt will work! The ranch dressing does add some nice flavor, so you might want to add some additional spices if you desire like garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, dried parsley, etc. But I’m also sure it would still taste delicious without those extra spices! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Brittany, do you think that ricotta would work as well here?
Hi Rebecca – I bet it would, I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure but it’ll be a 1:1 replacement. Hope you enjoy! Let me know how it turns out for you!
This was fabulous! Made half a recipe as we were a small group. Definitely will make again
WOO! I am excited to hear that this recipe is a hit, Katie. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!