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Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip is an easy recipe for anyone that loves to use their Instant Pot! Juicy, shredded chicken is mixed with a creamy and cheesy, spicy base. Look no further for the best buffalo dip ever!
If you love all things buffalo, check out our Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and our Hot Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
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This easy, cheesy Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip is the perfect appetizer for the whole family at the big game or any other game day parties.
I usually make this amazing appetizer on the stovetop, but created this alternative method for the Instant Pot (you can use any electric pressure cooker) when my stove was busy cooking other food.
🥘 Ingredients needed to make this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you love traditional hot Buffalo chicken wings, this dip is for you. It's like a creamy, easy-to-eat, less messy version you can eat scooped up in tortilla chips or spread on a crusty bread.
Here's what you'll need:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Raw chicken breasts are what I use, but you can substitute rotisserie chicken breast if you prefer. I find using regular chicken breasts is easier with the Instant Pot than having to pull off the chicken meat from a rotisserie chicken.
- Sea salt. Any other salt will work fine.
- Butter. Salted or unsalted is fine. Please do not use margarine. It is mostly oil.
- Celery. I think adding celery gives this delicious dip a lovely extra crunch. It's also nice to get a veggie in here.
- Cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese gives the best flavor here and ensures you have a decadent, creamy dip.
- Ranch dressing. Use whatever brand is your favorite. We are a Hidden Valley Ranch family.
- Frank's red hot sauce. This is where you get the Buffalo flavor we need in this recipe.
- Sharp cheddar cheese. I think sharp cheddar is needed here to stand up to the powerful flavor of the hot sauce. If it's just not your thing, you can substitute with other melting cheeses such as monterey jack or mozzarella cheese.
🍽 Equipment Needed
Required equipment (if you want to use this method):
- InstantPot (or other electronic pressure cooker)
- knife - this is my favorite and it will last you forever
- cutting board
- baking or casserole dish
🔪 Step By Step Instructions
Place chicken breasts in the Instant Pot inner cooking pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Alternatively, you could use chicken broth instead of water to boost the flavor of the chicken.
Add salt to chicken and water. Cover with the lid and set steam release handle to the Sealing position. Select the Meat cook option and that's it! (If you're having any problems with your InstantPot, check out this very informative blog post about common InstantPot issues.)
Once the time has gone off, you can let it sit and do a "natural release" of the high pressure, or you could do a quick release pressure. Quick release is when you move the steam release handle from Sealing to Venting. This will release the pressure quickly, but make sure to do this with an oven mitt or towel, as the steam will shoot out quickly and can burn you.
Once the pressure has been released (the silver pin next to the steam release handle will drop) you can remove the lid. Remove the chicken from the water or broth and shred. Some people like to shred their chicken with a hand mixer, but with this InstantPot method it will not be needed. The chicken will basically shred on it own. Easy peasy!
Clean the inner cooking pot, or if you're like me, I purchased a second inner pot to have on hand for times like these! Add the new, clean pot and press the Saute button. Add butter and celery and saute until the celery has softened slightly.
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Add remaining ingredients (except shredded cheese) to the pot (cream cheese, ranch dressing, Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce) and mix until all is blended.
Pour the creamy buffalo chicken dip mixture into a baking or casserole dish. I like to use an 8" x 8" glass pyrex dish. Top with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes until dip is hot and creamy. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley or finely sliced green onions.
I like to serve this with tortilla chips (the scoops kind!), celery sticks, carrot sticks and slices of toasted baguette bread. Sometimes I'll add a side of blue cheese crumbles on the side for the blue cheese lovers (even though I am not one of them!)
🧆Need some other appetizers for your party to go with this Buffalo Chicken Dip?
When I'm feeding a crowd, I need more than one appetizer, and these appetizers will go great at your next party next to this instant pot buffalo chicken dip recipe!
- Queso Fundido con Chorizo
- Classic Cold Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza
- Pretzel Dogs with Beer Cheese Dip
- Crab and Artichoke Dip
- Baked Goat Cheese Dip with Marinara
🥣Storage and Reheating
If you have any dip left, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. When reheating, you can warm dip in the microwave for a minute or two, or throw back in the same temperature oven until it's as hot as you like.
❓FAQs
It's possible to freeze this dip in a sealed, airtight container for up to a month, but the texture may not be the same, as cream cheese tends to become grainy in texture after freezing. Fresh, unfrozen dip will provide the best flavor and texture.
The possibilities are endless. You can make sandwiches, add to the top of pizza crust, fill a tortilla and make a quesadilla. Mix in some pasta or rice, and maybe a veggie for a meal. Stuff the dip inside of peppers or baked potatoes.
📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- ½ cup Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce
- 4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add chicken breasts to Instant Pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Add salt to the water. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam release handle in the back is set to the Sealing Position. Select Meat cook option and let the Instant Pot do its thing!
- After the timer has gone off, you can release the pressure one of two ways. Natural release = do nothing until the metal float valve next to the steam release handle lowers. This method can take a while, possibly 30 minutes or more. The other option is Quick Release. With a towel or hand mitt, move the steam release handle to Venting. The steam will escape through this handle and the metal float valve should drop in a minute or two. After the metal float valve has dropped, you can then open the Instant Pot.
- Remove chicken and shred the meat.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Clean metal inner pot and place back into the Instant Pot. Turn on the Saute function. Add butter and heat about 1 minute. Add celery and saute until just soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing and hot sauce. Mix until blended and heated through.
- Remove dip and add to a 8”x8” baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese has melted and is bubbly.
- Serve with tortilla chips, celery sticks and carrot sticks. Toasted baguettes slices work great too!
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