7-Layer Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

By
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a creative blogger at Host the Toast. She has an absolute obsession over all things edible.
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Updated January 28, 2019
20160129-7-layer-buffalo-chicken-dip-finished-morgan-eisenberg.jpg
Buffalo chicken dip gets a seven-layer revamp. . Morgan Eisenberg

Why It Works

  • Mixing ranch dressing into the cream cheese and Buffalo sauce into the refried beans thins them to minimize chip breakage while maximizing flavor.
  • Three kinds of cheese deliver lots of flavor and a variety of textures, from creamy to melty and stretchy.

Buffalo chicken dip gets the seven-layer treatment with refried beans, pepper jack cheese, blue cheese crumbles, crispy bacon, and more.

Recipe Details

7-Layer Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 5 strips bacon

  • 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans (450g)

  • 3/4 cup (180ml) store-bought Buffalo hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot Wings or Anchor Bar, divided

  • 1 pound (450g) cream cheese, softened

  • 5 tablespoons (75ml) ranch dressing

  • 1 tablespoon (10g) dry ranch seasoning

  • 1 pound (450g) cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded and roughly chopped into 1/2-inch lengths (about 2 cups; see note)t

  • 1 1/2 cups (170g) shredded Pepper Jack cheese

  • 3/4 cup (85g) crumbled blue cheese

  • 3 scallions, cut into small pieces

  • Tortilla chips and celery sticks, for serving

Directions

  1. Arrange bacon strips on a foil-lined baking sheet and set oven to 400°F. Place bacon in oven as it preheats and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes. (Check frequently, as different ovens will preheat at different rates.)

  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, thoroughly mix refried beans with 1/4 cup of Buffalo hot sauce. Spread refried beans in an even layer in an 8- by 8-inch baking dish or round casserole dish.

  3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix cream cheese with ranch dressing and dry ranch seasoning. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over bean layer in baking dish, being careful not to blend the two together.

  4. Mix chicken with remaining 1/2 cup Buffalo hot sauce. Spread chicken all over cream cheese layer.

  5. Sprinkle pepper jack cheese evenly over chicken.

  6. Once bacon has finished cooking, transfer it to a paper towel–lined plate to absorb any excess grease. Bake dip until it is warmed through and cheese on top has melted, about 8 minutes.

  7. While dip is still hot, top with blue cheese crumbles.

  8. Crumble bacon and sprinkle all over.

  9. Top with scallions and serve with chips and celery. The dip can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. It can be assembled in advance (leaving blue cheese, bacon, and scallions off until the very end) and reheated in the oven before serving.

Special equipment

8- by 8-inch baking dish or round casserole dish (preferably glass, for best visibility of layers)

Notes

For the chicken layer, the easiest option is to use the white meat from a rotisserie chicken, but you can also poach chicken breasts until they're cooked through.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
540Calories
39gFat
13gCarbs
34gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories540
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g50%
Saturated Fat 20g99%
Cholesterol 141mg47%
Sodium 1565mg68%
Total Carbohydrate 13g5%
Dietary Fiber 2g9%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 21mg106%
Calcium 310mg24%
Iron 2mg11%
Potassium 559mg12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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