Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
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Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip is a delicious, lighter version of your favorite appetizer! Easy, gluten free, keto & loaded with flavor – you’ll love it! There is no cream cheese in this recipe (you don’t need it!)
This post was shared in 2018 but has since been updated.
I mean is there anything better than cheesy, spicy healthy buffalo chicken dip? Let me answer that for you… uh no, no there is not.
This dip is one of my favorite appetizers, with Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip, Parmesan Chicken Wings and Healthy Bean Dip coming in at a close second!
Buffalo chicken dip often gets a bad rep, but this healthy buffalo chicken dip is about to change that.
It still tastes absolutely amazing and is just a little bit lighter then regular buffalo chicken dip.
What makes this buffalo chicken dip healthy?
This buffalo chicken dip is so much healthier than regular buffalo chicken dip! Here’s why:
- Low Fat: Buffalo chicken dip is usually made with tons of cheese, ranch or blue cheese dressing and cream cheese which makes it super high in fat. I swapped out cream cheese/dressing for greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Yes.. you read that right, there is NO cream cheese in this recipe!
- Higher Protein: The greek yogurt/cottage cheese mix still makes this rich and creamy, with way less fat and a whole lot more protein!
- Simple Ingredients: Most dips use cream cheese or ranch dressing. This recipe uses simple healthy ingredients! If you want another easy dip, try our Healthy Onion Dip or Enchilada Dip!
I also added a little bit less cheese to it compared to normal buffalo chicken dip, but if you want to go ahead and add more in – I’m not going to stop you. More cheese is always better!
Now, let’s get into what you’re here for – how do you make healthy buffalo chicken dip?!
Ingredients for healthy buffalo chicken dip:
Making healthy buffalo chicken dip is ridiculously easy. You only need 6 ingredients.
- Cottage cheese (no you can’t even taste it, I swear) – look for a cottage cheese with no fillers/gums and one that is small curd. Good culture is our favorite brand.
- nonfat Greek yogurt
- cheddar cheese – we always grate our cheese fresh, it melts so much better!
- buffalo sauce – this one is our favorite
- cooked chicken
We love to get our chicken from ButcherBox. Learn more about why we love it in this Butcher Box Reviews Post.
Substitutions for this skinny buffalo chicken dip:
This buffalo chicken dip is pretty easy to make and customize.
Cooked Chicken: You can make our crockpot shredded chicken, instant pot shredded chicken or just buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it! I like to make this with chicken breasts, but chicken thighs or chicken tenders will also work.
Cottage cheese: I haven’t tested this recipe without cottage cheese, but if you’re asking because you don’t like it… just put it in there. I don’t like cottage cheese either (at all!) but I swear you can not taste it in this. Do not use fat free cottage cheese. Look for 4% milkfat or a brand with no stabilizers or gums. We like GoodCulture.
Buffalo Sauce: This is our favorite buffalo sauce. It’s made with great ingredients and it tastes amazing! I haven’t tried this dip with other sauces, but I bet it will be delicious!
Cheddar Cheese: We recommend using freshly grated cheddar cheese, not pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese does not melt as well and can result in a watery dip.
Blue Cheese: If you like blue cheese in your buffalo chicken dip, sub 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese with 1/2 cup of blue cheese.
Low fat cheese: Low fat cheeses do not melt as well as regular cheese. It will work in this recipe if you like it but it likely will make the dip watery.
Yogurt: Use nonfat Greek yogurt in this recipe. Do not use regular yogurt. Regular yogurt can make this dip watery.
Vegetarian: We made a vegetarian version of this recipe! Check out our Vegetarian Buffalo Dip.
How to make healthy buffalo chicken dip:
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
- Mix until thoroughly combined.
- You can totally top with extra cheese before popping it in the oven, but you don’t have to!
- Pour into an 8×8 glass baking dish (or a glass pie plate!) and bake!
How to serve healthy buffalo chicken dip:
There’s no wrong way to eat this healthy buffalo chicken dip.. but here are a few ideas
- Chips – these chips are yummy!
- Pretzels – (I love these flat ones for dipping!)
- Veggies – Celery, peppers, and carrots go well with this.
- A spoon… kidding? Not really. It’s that good.
- On a sandwich –Leftovers are delicious in a grilled cheese!
Help! My dip is watery
If your buffalo chicken dip is watery, no worries – we can fix it! Take a paper towel and gently blot it against the edges of the dip. You can tilt the dish using an oven mitt towards the paper towel so the excess water drains towards it.
You can bake the dip for an extra few minutes to help absorb the excess moisture.
The dip is likely watery because of your ingredients. If you used a cottage cheese with fillers or gums, this could cause the cottage cheese to separate, resulting in a watery dip. Preshredded cheese can also cause the same issue. Using low fat ingredients instead of nonfat (they’re different!) can also result in a watery dip.
Either way, just try to blot as much of the excess water out and return to the oven to bake for a few minutes to help.
Can you make this keto buffalo chicken dip in the crockpot?
I wouldn’t recommend making this buffalo chicken dip in the crockpot. The water doesn’t evaporate like it does in the oven and it might be watery. Try this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip instead!
How to make shredded chicken
You have a few options for how to make shredded chicken.
Instant Pot: You can make my Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Crockpot: You can cook chicken in the crockpot (you’d have to do it the day before or in the morning)
Rotisserie Chicken: You can buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up (Save the bones and make crockpot bone broth !)
Boiled chicken: You can boil chicken for about 15 minutes until it is entirely cooked and then shred.
Canned Chicken: You could use canned chicken… but I think it’s gross and bouncy. If you do use canned chicken make sure to drain it EXTREMELY well. If you don’t you’ll be left with a watery mess.
Storing Buffalo Chicken Dip
Prep ahead of time: You can mix together this dip the night before and put it in the refrigerator (unbaked). When you’re ready to eat let the dish come to room temperature and bake per instructions.
Storing this Dip: This dip will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Freezing Buffalo Chicken Dip: I haven’t tried freezing this dip but I wouldn’t recommend it. I don’t think it will freeze well. I think it would get watery/ and might not be as creamy.
Reheating Buffalo Chicken Dip: If you need to reheat this Buffalo Chicken Dip – you can put it in your microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese starts to melt.
You can also reheat it in a toaster oven, or use a crockpot set to warm to keep it warm throughout!
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup nonfat greek yogurt
- ½ cup small curd cottage cheese
- 2 cups cheddar cheese divided (can also sub half crumbled blue cheese)
Instructions
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400.
- In a bowl mix cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and 1 cup cheddar cheese until thoroughly combined.
- Pour dip into an 8×8 baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake at 400 for 25 mins.
- You can turn the oven to broil the last 2 minutes of cooking if you'd prefer a crispier topping.
- Feel free to drizzle the dip with extra buffalo sauce before serving if you'd like. Serve with chips or veggies or choice.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in instant pot base. Add 1/4 cup water.
- Set to pressure cook for 14 minutes. Make sure your pot is set to sealing, not venting. The pot will take 3-4 minutes to come to pressure. Allow it to cook and naturally release for 10 minutes. (You can also quick release if you're in a hurry!)
- Shred chicken with a hand mixer in the pot, or remove from the pot, shred with forks, and return back to the pot. Make sure to drain excess water from the pot/chicken to avoid a watery dip.
- Stir in buffalo sauce, cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese, tossing until warm.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes until cheese has melted.
Crockpot Instructions
- In a bowl mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Pour dip batter into crockpot (top with extra cheese if desired!). Cover and cook for low 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.
Video
Notes
- Chips – these chips are yummy!
- Pretzels ( i love these flat ones for dipping!)
- Veggies – Celery, peppers and carrots go well with this.
- Instant Pot: You can make my Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Crockpot: You can cook the chicken in the crockpot (you’d have to do it the day before or in the morning)
- Rotisserie Chicken: You can buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up (Save the bones and make easy crockpot bone broth !)
- Boiled chicken: You can boil chicken for about 15 minutes until it is entirely cooked and then shred.
Oh em gee! I’ve never thought to add Greek yogurt. That’s genius!
Hope you love it!
Party favourite recipe and absolutely delicious but healthy!!
I love that this recipe was super easy, required ingredients that we all have in our fridge (or can be easily substituted) and incredibly delicious whilst being healthy? Like I’ll eat the whole batch to myself!
I did sub the frank hot sauce to use a scotch bonnet hot sauce and it just elevated the flavours making it so good!
This dip was gone within minutes and was also eaten by people who are lactose but couldn’t resist because that’s how good it is!
Can’t wait to make my next batch !
So glad you liked it, Phylicia! It’s one of my favorite appetizers too. That hot sauce sounds amazing!! Thanks for trying!
Do you need to cook the chicken before putting it in the crockpot? I didn’t and just realized that you need to. Will it still work?
Hi Melissa – The recipe calls for cooked chicken. If you put raw chicken in the crockpot with the ingredients, I don’t know that this will work. Sorry!
This was perfect for me. I’ve been really restrictive on my diet but I really wanted an old treat and this was it! You can’t tell there is yogurt or cottage cheese. I’m so happy I made this it really hit the spot. I gave the rest to my mom so I couldn’t eat the whole thing, because I definitely would have. Side note- I really like how when I went to print recipe I had the choice of serving people size which adjusted the measurements- COOL!!
So glad you liked the recipe, Lindsey!! And that feature on the print page 🙂 Thanks for trying!!
Super easy and super impressive! It was delicious I had to force my fiancé to stop eating it all hahha
Glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thank you so much!
Made this recipe for the second time, at my family’s request. They can’t get enough of this dip! We ate it with tortilla chips and baked potato slices. It’s so creamy and you can’t even tell it’s a healthier version!
Thanks, Carole! So glad you + your family enjoyed it 🙂
This is SO good! Not one person in my family (of 7…with 5 teens) knew this was different in any way! I will definitely be making buffalo chicken dip this way from now on!
Love hearing that, Jessica!! So glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Great and easy recipe! Tastes really good as a casserole dish as well!
So glad you enjoyed it Stephanie!
This is my GO-TO recipe for an amazing, healthy appetizer! I bring it to parties, ask people to bring it to mine, make it for dinner : )
SO GOOD! Thanks for this!
Thank you Tamara! Thanks for sharing it with all your friends/family!
OMG this looks so good.. I cannot wait to make it I haven’t tried a recipe of yours that I didn’t love.
Thank you!! Hope you love it!
A party favorite!
So glad you like it!
10/10 recommend this! So good! Perfect for all occasions!!! Absolutely delicious.
Thank you!! We need to put this in egg rolls this football season…
Seriously this dip is THE BEST!!! Have made this for so many occasions with and without blue cheese. Amazing each and every time. No one even knows it’s healthy! Make this for all get togethers. It’s a must!!!
Thanks, Angela! It’s so delish, even without the blue cheese!! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
So yummy. Made for get together and was a huge hit. Can’t wait to make for football season.
Glad you liked it, Erin! You’re going to have to try our Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip next 🙂
This stuff is GOOD!! Just made a batch to enjoy while we sit at home “social distancing” from the rest of the world. The amount of protein that is in a serving is crazy and tastes just as good (maybe even better) than the recipe you’re used to. SO GOOD! 10/10
Thank you so much, Courtney!! I really appreciate it. It’s the perfect treat to enjoy at home 🙂 .. and share with friends when the craziness is over!!
This recipe is incredible! I love anything with extra protein and as someone who has jumped on the Buffalo-crazy train, this was amazing! Eat it with chips or it’s even better with veggies, highly recommend! Makes for a really good dinner option!
Thank you so much, Nicole! We love all things buffalo too 🙂 Glad you’re loving the dip!
This recipe is my favorite! And so delicious!!!
Thanks, Jenn! So glad you like it!
Can you freeze this?
Hi Ariel – I’m not sure. I haven’t tried that! I usually don’t freeze things with dairy in them because I find that sometimes cheese can get a little funny when you reheat it – but if you try it, let me know!
This was SO GOOD! I am not a good cook, but this is dummy-proof. I wasn’t sure about the cottage cheese but you couldn’t taste it at all. Five stars!!
So glad you liked it, Catherine!
This buffalo chicken dip is amazing and so easy to make! Healthy and everyone will enjoy it!
Thank you so much, Carolyn! Glad you liked it!
I have made this recipe twice and both times it was gone within minutes. It tastes just like a regular buffalo chicken dip but yet I love this one. It super simple and easy. Such a great idea if you have leftover shredded chicken as well.
Thank you so much, September!! Makes me so happy to hear you liked it 🙂
This dip is delicious! I was a little worried I would miss the ranch dressing (which I’ve used in a different buffalo chicken dip), so I added a little bit of dill, onion powder, parsley, and garlic. Yum!
This is such a great idea, Rosy! I’m going to try it the next time I make it 🙂
My fiancé and I always make the cream cheese & ranch version, however we are trying to have a healthier 2020. We made this for the Super Bowl and OMG it tastes so good.
Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear!
Y son and I just made this for super bowl, early because you know we needed to taste test. This is delicious. We made the instant pot version, no blue cheese only because neither of us are fans , and YUM! We will definitely make this again, super easy and I love the added spice.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! The instant pot makes it super quick 🙂 It’s the perfect Superbowl snack!
Excited to try this recipe! Thoughts on using low fat blue cheese dressing instead of blue cheese?
Hi Kelsey – I think that this would work! I haven’t tried it with dressing so I’m not sure if it will make the dip a little soupy/soft – but if you try it let me know!
Perfect for our movie night at home! I used canned chicken because I was impatient…lol. so yummy with celery sticks.
So glad you liked it, Ashley!
how much canned chicken did you use? I’d love to make this, but usualy don’t have much time before our get-togethers, so like your quick adaptation.