High Protein Buffalo Chicken Dip with Frank's Red Hot

Jump to Recipe

This buffalo chicken dip with Frank's buffalo sauce has a little secret--and before you panic, yes, that secret is cottage cheese (but no, you cannot taste it). Cottage cheese has been having a moment for a little while now and I'll admit, I was not onboard at first.

But, now that I'm trying to get more protein in my diet, I realized that it's really easy to hide cottage cheese in my favorite recipes. This buffalo chicken dip may be the ultimate high protein hack--it still feels unapologetically indulgent, creamy, and party-worthy but you'd never know there's cottage cheese in there.

A white square dish of Frank's Red Hot buffalo chicken dip on a basket weave trivet along with small plates, celery sticks, and chips on the side.

While my husband and I are on the high-protein train these days, here's the good news: even if you don't care one bit about macros, you're going to love this dip. I promise. It tastes like classic buffalo chicken dip--creamy, spicy, cheesy, and ridiculously craveable, just…better.

Here's why: cottage cheese completely fixes my biggest buffalo dip pet peeve. You know when you dig in with a chip and the dip is so thick the chip snaps and disappears forever? It's THE worst.

This version has the perfect texture. It's much smoother and bakes up perfectly scoop-able without leaving your chip behind. You get all the bold buffalo flavor from Frank's, plenty of rotisserie chicken, sharp Cheddar, and blue cheese, but with a lighter texture that works just as well with tortilla chips as it does with celery sticks.

Serve this for munching on while watching the big football game, for your New Year's party, Super Bowl spread, or anytime a buffalo wing craving hits because honestly, there's never a wrong time for buffalo dip. Am I right? It's always the first snack to disappear.

If I'm hosting a party, I'll serve this dip along with some of my other favorite crowd-pleasing snacks like my ham and cheese empanadas, a charcuterie board that includes jalapeno pimento cheese, my Christmas deviled eggs (of course), and even poke nachos.

Ready to get to it? Let's make that delicious buffalo wing dip!

Jump to:

Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty Tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Pairing
🍽Get the recipe
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

cream cheese
cottage cheese
ranch dressing mix
Frank's Red Hot buffalo wing sauce
rotisserie chicken
sharp Cheddar cheese
crumbled blue cheese
green onions
tortilla chips
celery sticks

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our dip ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

Pulsing cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth.

First, blend the cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth.

Processing cream cheese and cottage cheese in a food processor until creamy.

Then, add the cream cheese and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Stirring together the ingredients for high protein buffalo dip in a glass bowl with a blue rubber spatula.

Next, stir in the ranch dressing mix, hot sauce, chicken, 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese, and the blue cheese crumbles.

Sprinkling cheese onto the top of Frank's buffalo chicken dip.

Finally, spoon the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar cheese and bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish as desired and serve with chips and celery sticks.

Hint: The rotisserie chicken is easiest to shred while it's warm. As soon as you get it home from the store, I recommend going ahead and shredding it and then storing in the fridge if you're not making this recipe right away.

Substitutions

Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some ideas:

Cottage cheese - For this recipe, I used 4% fat, small curd cottage cheese. Use full-fat or low-fat; just avoid fat-free for best texture and taste. Full-fat Greek yogurt would also work great.
Cream cheese - Neufchâtel or ⅓-less-fat cream cheese works well for a slightly lighter option.
Sharp Cheddar cheese - Instead of sharp Cheddar, swap in Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, mozzarella cheese, or use an extra-sharp or mild Cheddar.
Blue cheese - Not a fan of blue cheese? That's okay! Leave it out or replace it with extra cheddar.

Variations

This recipe is so versatile. Here are some variations:

Extra-Spicy Buffalo Dip - Add a little bit of cayenne pepper if you want this dip to have a little more heat.
Buffalo Chicken Dip with Bacon - We all know bacon makes everything better. Add ½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon.
Slow Cooker Method - Guess what? You can make this in the crock pot. Combine all the ingredients in a small slow cooker (3- to 4-quart) and keep warm on low heat.(Note: there won't be a crispy cheese topping.)

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this creamy dip recipe:

dry measuring cups
measuring spoons
liquid measuring cup
chef's knife
large bowl
food processor
2-quart baking dish

Storage

To refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

To freeze: Place mixture in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before warming.

Reheat: Warm in the oven or microwave, stirring occasionally to restore creaminess.

Tasty Tip

For the best results, shred the cheese yourself. It may take a little extra effort, but it's totally worth it. Pre-shredded cheese has been coated in an anti-caking agent so it doesn't stick together in the bag. That's all well and good, but it means the cheese won't bake up all melty like we want.

Frequently asked questions

I don't have a food processor. Do I need it to make this buffalo chicken dip recipe?

Nope! A blender will work too--the secret is blending the cottage cheese so it's smooth so whatever you have to do that works. I bet an immersion blender would also do the trick.

Do I really have to blend the cottage cheese?

Technically, no you don't need to blend the cottage cheese, but it does create the ideal consistency.

Can I make this buffalo chicken dip ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can assemble the dip up to 24 hours in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate. When you're ready to serve, bake as directed until it's hot and bubbly. Depending on how cold your fridge is, you may need to add a few more minutes to the baking time if you're baking from refrigeration.

Can I use another sauce instead of Frank's for this chicken dip?

Personally, I prefer Frank's RedHot. It delivers that perfect balance of heat and tang without overpowering the creamy base. (It's also what I tested with.) Feel free to substitute your favorite if you prefer.

Do I have to use rotisserie chicken?

Not at all! Leftover shredded chicken breasts work if you've got that.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Frank's buffalo chicken dip:

🍽Get the recipe