Crock-Pot® buffalo chicken dip is a spicy sauce usually made with small pieces of chicken mixed in with the rest of the ingredients. This kind of sauce is normally made with red or orange hot sauce combined with thickening ingredients, such as sour cream. Most recipes for Crock-Pot® buffalo chicken dip require only basic preparation before mixing the ingredients in the slow cooker and leaving them to simmer. This type of slow cooker dish is often served as an appetizer with tortilla chips, crackers, celery sticks, or small pieces of bread.
Some recipes for Crock-Pot® buffalo chicken dip call for precooked canned chicken that has been diced or shredded. While this type of ingredient can be a convenient option, many cooks prefer to instead slice up fresh chicken pieces and brown them in a skillet. They often report that freshly-cooked chicken yields a better tasting dip than canned chicken. Just as with similar types of Crock-Pot® meals for sauces, dips, or stews, most recipes that call for fresh chicken require it to be cooked before adding it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
Other common ingredients for Crock-Pot® buffalo chicken dip include sour cream, shredded cheese and blue cheese salad dressing. Some cooks use shredded cheddar cheese while others prefer mozzarella or jack cheese. Ranch dressing can also be substituted for blue cheese if preferred. A common mistake with using ranch dressing for Crock-Pot® buffalo chicken is turning the slow cooker temperature slightly too high. An excessively hot slow cooker can often cause the ranch dressing to separate from the rest of the dip ingredients.
The type of hot sauce added to Crock-Pot® buffalo chicken dip depends on individual preferences for spiciness. Most brands of buffalo hot sauce come in mild, medium, and extra hot varieties. Many cooks recommend adding a smaller amount of hot sauce at first and then tasting it throughout the slow-cooking process before adding more. This practice will prevent buffalo chicken dip that is too spicy for some people.
Average slow cooker temperatures for making Crock-Pot® buffalo chicken dip are normally not above medium. Many recipes call for the dip to be cooked for about four hours once all the ingredients have been stirred together in the Crock-Pot®. Some cooks like to mix in the shredded cheese with the other ingredients and then sprinkle even more cheese on top of the dip just before serving it.