Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip is a classic game day recipe, made with chicken breasts, cream cheese, shredded cheese, and hot sauce.
Buffalo chicken dip is a crowd favorite at any gathering, from football parties to the office potluck.
This recipe cooked chicken breasts in the Instant Pot in ranch and hot sauce. The chicken is then shredded before adding softened cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
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Using the Instant Pot is a fast and easy way to cook the chicken breasts from scratch rather than using rotisserie chicken. Electric pressure cookers also have a handy "keep warm" setting, so you can keep your chicken dip at the right temperature until it's time to serve.
If you're in the mood for more buffalo recipes, try Buffalo Turkey Meatballs or Buffalo Chicken Thighs. For a lighter recipe, try my healthy buffalo chicken dip with cottage cheese.
Recipe Highlights
- Easy recipe: Cook the chicken directly in the Instant Pot.
- Simple ingredients: Chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing, cheese, and seasonings.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- chicken - raw boneless skinless chicken breasts
- hot sauce - I recommend Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- ranch dressing - or blue cheese dressing
- butter - for that classic buffalo sauce flavor
- cream cheese - softened to room temperature
- cheddar - shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- mozzarella - shredded mozzarella cheese
- Worcestershire sauce - a dark vinegar-based sauce
- garlic powder - a key ingredient in buffalo chicken wings
- green onion - optional, for garnish
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Put chicken breast in the bottom of the Instant Pot liner.
Pour the hot sauce and ranch of the chicken. Place the butter on top of the chicken.
Close the lid and set it to sealing. Pressure cook on HIGH for 10 minutes. It will take the Instant Pot about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
After cooking, allow for 5 minutes of natural release followed by a quick release. When all the pressure is released, open the lid. The chicken should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the chicken, setting it aside in a medium-sized bowl.
With the Instant Pot set to Warm, place the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and shredded mozzarella to the sauce in the pot, breaking up the cream cheese and whisking until the cheese mixture is smooth or mostly smooth.
Tip: Cut the cream cheese into small cubes to help it soften faster.
Forgot to soften the cream cheese? Place the unwrapped cream cheese on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it on high for about 15 seconds.
Shred the chicken with two forks or a hand mixer and add it back to the pot, stirring it into the cheese mixture. Mix in Worcestershire sauce and onion powder.
Shredding with a mixer takes about 1-2 minutes on low speed.
Transfer to a serving dish such as a pie dish, ceramic tart dish, or an 8x8 casserole dish. A 10-inch ceramic tart dish is pictured below.
Serve with a drizzle of ranch or hot sauce or top with blue cheese crumbles, green onions, or chives (optional).
Try the mild version
For this recipe, I recommend Frank's Red Hot Sauce (RedHot Original, NOT the wing sauce) or Louisiana Original.
For a mild heat that still packs in that buffalo sauce flavor, try these tips:
- Cut the hot sauce in half and add 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce. This is not the same thing as pasta sauce. Tomato sauce can be found in a can on the same aisle as diced tomatoes.
- Mix in a quarter cup of mayo or sour cream at the end when you stir in the chicken.
- Drizzle the top of the dip with sour cream or ranch dressing.
Foods to serve with buffalo chicken dip
This is the perfect appetizer for the big game or your next party. Here are a few ideas of foods to dip in buffalo chicken dip.
- Carrots sticks, carrot chips, or baby carrots
- Celery sticks
- Tortilla chips
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Toasted baguette slices (crostini) or crusty bread
Equipment
Pressure cooker: This Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip recipe is made in an electric pressure cooker. I use the Instant Pot Duo 6-quart pressure cooker.
Mixer: I recommend using a hand mixer or stand mixer to shred the chicken quickly. It only takes one to two minutes to shred chicken this way.
If you do not have a mixer, you can shred the chicken using two forks by pulling the forks apart to shred the meat.
Serving dish: A pie plate or a ceramic tart dish are great serving dishes for dips.
Storage
Leftover buffalo chicken dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It can also be frozen for 2 to 3 months.
FAQ
Carrots (carrot sticks, carrot chips, and baby carrots), celery sticks, red and green bell pepper strips, tortilla chips, and sliced baguettes are all great pairings for buffalo chicken dip.
Related
If you love cheesy Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip, you might like these recipes for your Super Bowl party.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ cup hot sauce
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons green onion chopped, optional
Instructions
- Put chicken breast in the bottom of the Instant Pot liner. Pour the hot sauce and ranch of the chicken. Place the butter on top of the chicken.
- Close the lid and set it to sealing. Pressure cook on HIGH for 10 minutes. It will take the Instant Pot about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
- After cooking, allow for 5 minutes of natural release followed by a quick release. When all the pressure is released, open the lid. The chicken should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the chicken, setting it aside in a medium-sized bowl.
- With the Instant Pot set to Warm, place the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and shredded mozzarella to the sauce in the pot, breaking up the cream cheese and whisking until the cheese mixture is smooth or mostly smooth.
- Shred the chicken with two forks or a hand mixer and add it back to the pot, stirring it into the cheese mixture. Mix in Worcestershire sauce and onion powder.
- Transfer to a serving dish such as a pie dish or a ceramic tart dish. Serve with a drizzle of ranch or hot sauce or top with blue cheese, green onions, or chives (optional).
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
Remember to always read your pressure cooker user manual for safety tips.
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165°F (74°C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
Carol says
This is a great dish for summer BBQs, too! In fact, we're serving it up for tomorrow's Memorial Day weekend family pool day. It's delicious and everyone loves it. Thanks, Kelsey, for another great recipe!
Amy Cline says
Thanks for posting Kelsey! I’m glad I searched the group for this. I just made this and it’s somehow better than when I do it in the oven