Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip is cheesy and creamy and spicy — and tastes super indulgent. Except there’s no cream cheese and it’s not doused in bottled dressing.
This delicious appetizer is easy to make in the oven or crock pot for holidays, game day, or your next party.
There's nothing not to love about spicy, creamy, gooey buffalo chicken dip. It's a staple on Super Bowl Sunday and holiday parties -- and usually the first to go.
But traditional buffalo dip recipes are loaded with fat and lots and lots of cheese. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but sometimes it's nice to serve healthy appetizers during football season, too.
This healthier buffalo chicken dip is still spicy and creamy but there's no cream cheese, no store-bought dressing, and plenty of cheese to make it gooey and decadent.
This delicious recipe is made with layers of a smooth white bean hummus, creamy Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing, spicy chicken breast meat, and gooey co-Jack cheese.
It's one of my favorite appetizers to make for a special occasion, next to Crockpot Cocktail Chickpea Meatballs and Apples on Horseback.
You’re going to love this
The creamy texture of the hummus is so smooth and decadent, no one will miss the cream cheese.
This is a really easy recipe with simple ingredients you can find even in small grocery stores.
Even though it's lightened up, it still tastes plenty indulgent.
You can make this healthy buffalo chicken dip recipe in the slow cooker!
Ingredients
Great Northern beans. Since this recipe is made without cream cheese, the creamy component comes from white bean hummus. It's made from Great Northern beans, which whiz up to a smooth and creamy consistency. You can also use Cannellini beans, butter beans, chickpeas, or almost any kind of bean.
Tahini. Tahini is sesame paste and adds a warm nutty flavor to the bean dip layer. If you don't have it or can't find it, check out these substitutes for tahini. You can also leave it out.
Plain Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds creaminess and tanginess to the homemade blue cheese dressing. I recommend whole milk Greek yogurt, because low fat and nonfat Greek yogurt can curdle when cooked.
Blue cheese. If you're not a fan of blue cheese, you can substitute feta cheese, or any crumbly cheese you like. If you like ranch dressing in your chicken dip, go ahead and mix some of the dried ranch dressing mix into the yogurt.
Shredded chicken breast meat. You can use leftover rotisserie chicken or poach your own chicken breasts (see below for instructions).
Buffalo sauce. I use Cholula hot sauce, the one with the wooden cap. It has a nice pepper flavor and it's not overpoweringly spicy. Frank's RedHot is another great one.
Co-Jack cheese. Co-jack is a great melty cheese and the perfect topping for this healthy buffalo chicken dip. Feel free to substitute with a different cheese, just pick one that melts really well. Pepper jack or cheddar cheese would both be delicious.
Green onions, blue cheese, and buffalo sauce, for serving. Adding finishing touches to your healthy buffalo chicken dip adds color, and even more flavor.
How to Poach Chicken
Bring water in a saucepan to a boil. Add the chicken, put the lid on, and remove the pan from the heat. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165.
Step-by-step Instructions
You can make this easy buffalo chicken dip recipe in the oven or slow cooker!
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
Step 1
Spray the inside of a small crock pot, under 3 quarts, with cooking spray. If you only have a large crock pot, you can set a small casserole dish inside your crock pot. But first, spray it with cooking spray.
Step 2
Add the drained beans, tahini, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, juice of ½ lemon, and salt and pepper to a small blender or food processor. Process until it reaches your desired consistency. You can keep it chunky and textural or create a smooth and creamy hummus. You can also mash everything together with a potato masher or a fork.
Spread the hummus layer on the bottom of your slow cooker or casserole dish.
Step 3
Mix ½ cup Greek yogurt, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles together.
Spoon the blue cheese mixture over the bean layer.
Step 4
Mix 2 cups cooked chicken with ½ cup buffalo sauce and place it over the blue cheese layer.
Step 5
Top the chicken with ½ cup shredded cheese.
Step 6
Heat on high for 1- 2 hours, or until the cheese is melted and the center is warm.
Serve with a drizzle of buffalo sauce, sliced green onions, and more blue cheese crumbles.
Oven Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray.
Step 2
Add the drained beans, tahini, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, juice of ½ lemon, and salt and pepper to a small blender or food processor. Process until it reaches your desired consistency. You can keep it chunky and textural or create a smooth and creamy hummus. You can also mash everything together with a potato masher or a fork.
Spread the hummus on the bottom of your casserole dish.
Step 3
Mix ½ cup Greek yogurt, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles together.
Spoon the blue cheese mixture over the bean layer.
Step 4
Mix 2 cups cooked chicken with ½ cup buffalo sauce and place it over the blue cheese layer.
Step 5
Top the chicken with ½ cup shredded cheese.
Step 6
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious dip with:
- Bake tortilla chips
- Whole grain crackers
- Pretzels
- Baguette slices
- Carrot sticks or coins
- Apple slices
- Celery sticks
- Sliced cucumbers
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
Reheat leftovers for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Or cover with foil and heat in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Expert Tips
Rinse the beans and drain them really well to keep the bean dip layer from becoming watery.
If you don’t have a small CrockPot, place a small casserole dish into a large Crock Pot.
This recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken breast meat.
FAQs
There are so many delicious things you can dip in this lightened version of buffalo chicken dip. Chips and crackers, carrot sticks, celery sticks, sliced cucumbers, even sliced apples are all great options.
You can reheat it in the microwave for a couple of minutes or cover it with foil and heat it in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
There’s nothing in this dip recipe that needs to be cooked, so if you prefer cold buffalo chicken dip, go for it! Leftovers can be eaten cold, too. By the light of the fridge, late, late at night is the best time ;).
If your buffalo chicken dip is runny, give it a few minutes, it may thicken as it cools. Or it could be that you didn't use enough chicken, added too much yogurt, or didn't drain the beans thoroughly.
Hungry for more healthy recipes?
Recipe Essentials
This little mini food processor is perfect for making the hummus in this recipe, but also for chopping nuts, crushing graham crackers, even making single-servings of banana nice cream!
A 3-quart Crock Pot is perfect for dip recipes, dinners for one or two, and smaller quantity cooking. When this one is occupied, I also use my 6-quart Crock Pot and just set a small baking dish inside.
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Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 15 ounces Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 lemon (divided)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder (divided)
- salt & pepper
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- ½ cup co-jack cheese, shredded
- green onions, blue cheese, and buffalo sauce, for serving
Instructions
Oven Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Add the drained beans, tahini, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, juice of ½ lemon, and salt and pepper to a small blender or food processor. Process until it reaches your desired consistency. You can keep it chunky and textural or create a smooth and creamy hummus. You can also mash everything together with a potato masher or a fork.
- Spread the hummus on the bottom of your casserole dish.
- Mix ½ cup Greek yogurt, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles together.
- Spoon the blue cheese mixture over the bean layer.
- Mix 2 cups cooked chicken with ½ cup buffalo sauce and place it over the blue cheese layer.
- Top the chicken with ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the center is warm. To serve, top with a drizzle of buffalo sauce, sliced green onions, and more blue cheese crumbles.
Crock Pot Directions
- Spray the inside of a small crock pot, under 3 quarts, with cooking spray. Or, if you only have a large crock pot, spray a small casserole dish that will fit inside your crock pot with cooking spray.
- Add the drained beans, tahini, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, juice of ½ lemon, and salt and pepper to a small blender or food processor. Process until it reaches your desired consistency. You can keep it chunky and textural or create a smooth and creamy hummus. You can also mash everything together with a potato masher or a fork.
- Spread the hummus layer on the bottom of your slow cooker or in your casserole dish.
- Mix ½ cup Greek yogurt, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles together.
- Spoon the blue cheese mixture over the bean layer.
- Mix 2 cups cooked chicken with ½ cup buffalo sauce and place it over the blue cheese layer.
- Top the chicken with ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Heat on high for 1- 2 hours, or until the cheese is melted and the center is warm. To serve, top with a drizzle of buffalo sauce, sliced green onions, and more blue cheese crumbles.
Storage & Reheating
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Or cover with foil and heat in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
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