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This Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip is a reader favorite! The original version tends to be a bit high in calories and fat due to the butter and cream cheese, but this Healthy Buffalo Chicken dip has all the flavor of the original, without the guilt.
Buffalo chicken dip works well for lunches, game day, snacks, or even dinner. You can put it in a wrap, make stuffed peppers, or eat it as a dip with veggies, crackers or chips. So versatile, and easy to prepare. You can eat it hot or cold so it’s perfect to pack in your lunch box, or to eat as an on the go meal.
Where’s the recipe?
My community has readers from all levels of experience in the kitchen, and I receive a lot of questions about recipes. To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I am committed to giving you a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.
If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, swapping ingredients, and healthy eating plans, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find this easy to print healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.
Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use breasts, thighs, or even rotisserie chicken in this recipe. If using rotisserie, start at Step three with making your sauce.
- Cottage Cheese: Look for 2% cottage cheese. It saves you calories without being heavily processed. If you’re concerned about sodium, read here for how to lower the sodium in cottage cheese.
- Greek Yogurt: Just like the cottage cheese you’ll want to look for the 2% variety of Greek yogurt. Also, grab unflavored yogurt–you don’t want any vanilla in your buffalo chicken.
- Hot Sauce: This is important, make sure and get hot sauce, not Buffalo or Wing sauce. The buffalo sauce has a lot of extra ingredients that you just don’t need.
- Cheddar Cheese: This is optional.
- Homemade Ranch Dressing: garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and black pepper– measurements are in the printable recipe below.
Recipe Tips:
- Frozen and thawed chicken in the Instant Pot cook for the same amount of time, the frozen chicken will just take longer to come to pressure.
- Like I mentioned, you can leave the cheddar cheese out of the recipe. Goat cheese or feta are other optional toppings.
- Even if you hate cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, trust me–you cannot taste them individually and mixing the two makes a wonderful creamy ranch dressing.
To shred your chicken with a hand mixer or stand mixer:
- Make sure all liquid is drained from your bowl.
- Starting on low, turn on your mixer and apply slight pressure to chicken breasts.
- Increase to medium speed and move in circular motion around your pot until all of your chicken is shredded. This only takes about 30 seconds.
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip:
Time needed: 25 minutes.
You can use these instructions for any electric pressure cooker–Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express–any of them!
- Cook your chicken
Place your chicken breasts into your Instant Pot. Be careful not to stack them to ensure they cook fully, and cover with 1 cup of water.
- Pressure Cook
Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set cook time for 12 minutes.
- Prepare your sauce
Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy.
- Natural Release
When the cook time is complete, allow your Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid. Drain the liquid from your pot and use two forks or a mixer to shred your chicken.
- Mix in your sauce
Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté and stir in your yogurt and hot sauce mixture. Stir well and cook until the liquid begins to bubble. Then mix in your cheese (if using).
- Optional Garnish
These ingredients aren’t added to the nutrition or special diet info below–they’re just options for you.
Green onions, cheddar cheese, feta cheese, goat cheese - Broil
This step is optional, but I love to slightly crispen the top of the dip. Transfer your dip to an oven safe dish and broil for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Watch the oven carefully, the broiler can start to burn things very quickly.
Crock Pot Instructions:
- Place chicken breasts in a Crockpot and cook on high heat for 4 hours.
- Once your chicken is fully cooked shred it with two forks or a hand mixer.
- Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy.
- Stir yogurt mixture, and cheese into your chicken, and cook on low heat for 1.5 hours.
- Optional: Place your Crockpot insert under your broiler for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Boil your chicken for 15-20 until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Drain all liquid from your pan and shred your chicken using two forks or a hand mixer.
- Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy.
- Mix blended sauce into your chicken, and add cheddar cheese. Stir well and transfer to an oven safe dish.
- Optional: Broil 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Remove dip from the oven and let it rest for 10 or 15 minutes before serving
Healthy Eating Plans:
Click here if you’re looking for the Weight Watchers Buffalo Chicken Dip
- 21 Day Fix: For this entire 21 Day Fix Buffalo Chicken dip recipe: 10 Red Containers and 2 Blue Containers.
- Per serving: Makes 8 – ½ cup servings, each is 1 ¼ Red Containers. If you add cheddar cheese, and ¼ Blue Containers.
- 2B Mindset: This recipe counts as a protein. Fill 25% of your plate with an FFC, and 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch. Serve with 50% vegetables for dinner.
- Trim Healthy Mama: This recipe is an S with no substitutions required.
More Air Fryer recipes:
- Buffalo Chicken Roll ups
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- How to cook frozen vegetables in the air fryer
- Air Fryer Baked Apples
- Air Fryer Carrot Fries Recipe
More Instant Pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken
- Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites
- Healthy Mac and Cheese
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Food processor
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts frozen
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese 2%
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt plain, 2%
- 3/4 cup Hot Sauce Frank’s Hot Sauce, NOT Buffalo sauce :)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Place your frozen chicken breasts into your Instant Pot. Be careful not to stack them to ensure they cook fully and cover with 1 cup of water.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set cook time for 12 minutes.
- Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy.
- When the cook time is complete, allow your Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid. Drain the liquid from your pot and use two forks or a hand mixer to shred your chicken.
- Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté and stir in your yogurt and hot sauce mixture. Stir well and cook until the liquid begins to bubble. Then mix in your cheese (if using).
- This step is optional, but I love to slightly crispen the top of the dip. Transfer your dip to an oven safe dish and broil for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Watch the oven carefully, the broiler can start to burn things very quickly. Remove dip from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with carrots, celery, cucumbers, stuffed inside a jalapeño or bell pepper, eat on a tortilla or in a pita. The possibilities are endless.
Crock Pot Instructions:
- Place chicken breasts in a Crockpot and cook on high heat for 4 hours.
- Once your chicken is fully cooked shred it with two forks or a hand mixer.
- Next, blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy.
- Stir yogurt mixture, and cheese into your chicken, and cook on low heat for 1.5 hours.
- Optional: Place your Crockpot insert under your broiler for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned.
Stove/Oven Instructions:
- Boil your chicken for 15-20 until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Drain all liquid from your pan and shred your chicken using two forks or a hand mixer.
- Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy.
- Mix blended sauce into your chicken, and add cheddar cheese. Stir well and transfer to an oven safe dish.
- Optional: Broil 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Remove dip from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- For the Weight Watchers version, please see this post for the recipe and point information.
- 21 Day Fix: For this entire 21 Day Fix Buffalo Chicken dip recipe: 10 Red Containers and 2 Blue Containers
- Per serving: Makes 8 – ½ cup servings. 1 ¼ Red Containers, and ¼ Blue Containers.
- 2B Mindset: This recipe counts as a protein. Fill 25% of your plate with an FFC, and 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch. Serve with 50% vegetables for dinner.
- Trim Healthy Mama: This recipe is an S with no substitutions required.
- Keto: You’ll want to calculate the carbs in the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt and see if this is acceptable for your personal goals.
- While frozen chicken is preferred, if using thawed – reduce your cooking time to 8 minutes.
- You can leave the cheddar cheese out of the recipe. Add it to the top after you cook it, or omit it completely. Goat cheese or feta also make fantastic add-ins for the dip.
- Even if you hate cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt, you have to give this recipe a try. You cannot taste them individually and mixing the two makes a wonderful creamy ranch dressing without the tang you get from Greek yogurt.
- Shred your chicken with a hand mixer. Make sure all liquid is drained from your pot. Starting on low, turn on your mixer and apply slight pressure to chicken breasts. Increase to medium speed and move in circular motion around your pot until all of your chicken is shredded. It only takes about 30 seconds.
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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Hello! Should the chicken be fully cooked to 165 after the 12 minutes in the instant pot?
Yes :)
If using a crockpot… do you still cook the chicken frozen, for the 4 hours on high, or thaw it first?
I think it’s not advised to put frozen chicken in the slow cooker because it doesn’t cook fast enough. So, I think they should be thawed!
Can you convert this to calories/protein?
Hi Jessica! You can do that here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator. I’m slowly getting around to adding these into all of my recipes.
How many cups of cooked shredded chicken would you say this needs?
3-4? If you’re using less, just make less of the cottage cheese/greek yogurt mixture or freeze it for next time. Add it slowly so it’s not too creamy.
Confused as to why the serving size is only 1/2 a cup? Since you used mostly reds, why wouldn’t you just fill up the red container and count it as 1 red?
Hi there! 1/c cup of this dip counts as 1 1/4 Red and 1/4 Blue. You are welcome to double the serving size and the container if you like!
Do I have to use frozen chicken in the instant pot? How long do I cook it if it’s not frozen?
Same cook time! It’ll just take less time to come to pressure.
Do I need to use frozen chicken in the instant pot?
Nope! You can use thawed for this recipe!
I’m confused by this as well – a 1/2 cup serving can’t possibly equal more than a red (3/4c) container?
It can. When you’re shredding the chicken and mixing it with greek yogurt and cottage cheese you’re fitting more into that space.
3/4 cup cottage cheese – 1R
3/4 cup Greek yogurt plain – 1R
2 lbs. chicken breasts – approximately 8R
10 reds divided by 8 servings = 1 1/4R because everything is mixed together.
Think about it like homemade pasta sauce. You’re using 4 cups of tomatoes plus spices to make approximately 2 cups of sauce. Each cup would equal 2 green containers.
Is there a substitute for the cottage cheese? Thanks!
You could use more greek yogurt but it’ll be a little thick. I really (really) dislike cottage cheese but after blending it, you can’t taste it at all. I urge you to try it before swapping the ingredients!
Buffalo Chicken dip is one of my favorites! I rate it with 5 star rating ! I keep it made and frozen most all the time! Becca’s recipes are always sooo delicious!
I just want to say THANK YOU for these recipes!! They are amazing and doing 21 day fix or 80 day obsession, this helps so much in meal prep. Keep it up!!! :)
Awh, thank you Laura!! You are SO welcome <3
This is sooooo good!!
If I used cooked chicken breast for this recipe how many red containers would I need to equal 2 pounds of frozen chicken?
Thank you
Google is telling me about 5 cups of chicken, but I’ve never measured this before. Your red container is 3/4 cup.
Hi! How long do you cook it in the oven if you decide to do the stove/oven method? I can only find the time for the broiling if opting to do that, but not the cook in the oven prior. Thanks!
It’s all cooked, it just needs to be warmed a little after mixing it together. I’ve found that broiling it usually does the trick. If you want to bake it, I’d do 15 minutes at 350 or so :)
So do you mix in the goat cheese if substituting for the cheddar or just top? Also when you say you use it in a wrap are you using it like a smear and then adding veggies? Thank you for all of these by the way.
Hi Stephanie! If using goat cheese, I’d put it on top. And in a wrap, I add a little more than a smear, but I do love adding veggies to it as well!
Thank you!