Barbecue Chicken Ranch Dip
Cheesy, loaded with flavor, and packed full of chicken, this BBQ chicken ranch dip is the perfect dip for all kinds of dippers: veggies, crackers, and chips. If you need dips for Game Day, or a party of any kind, and want something hearty, flavorful, and so good, this is the dip for you.
Serve with Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings and End of the Rainbow Fruit Dip for a great party spread everyone will love.
There is just something about the combination of ranch and barbecue sauce that is so good. And when you combine it with rotisserie or pulled chicken, cream cheese, onions, and plenty of cheddar cheese, you get comfort food you won’t be able to get enough of.
Sometimes I even turn this dip into pizza but loading it onto this No Yeast Pizza Dough, and topping it with mozzarella instead of cheddar. No matter how you serve it, or slice it, this chicken dip is one you will want to serve again and again.
What You Need to Make BBQ Chicken Ranch Dip
With just 6 simple ingredients, this dip is not only delicious, but super easy to make. Here is what you need:
- Red onion, chopped: You can leave it out if you aren’t a fan of onions, or sub in green onion.
- Shredded chicken: The chicken can be rotisserie, you can cook some chicken breasts and shred them yourself, or buy a smoked, pulled chicken, or even opt for a canned chicken. Basically get your favorite chicken and use it to make this dip.
- Cream cheese, softened to room temperature: A fun trick for softening your cream cheese if you forget to pull it out of the fridge early enough is to microwave a glass bowl full of water for 3 minutes, then dump the water out and place the bowl right over the cream cheese, the steam from the bowl will soften it up in no time.
- Ranch dressing: Use a pre-made ranch dressing of your choice.
- Favorite BBQ sauce: Pick your favorite, I love using Sweet Baby Ray’s for this dip.
- Sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated: You can swap for a cheese blend, but the sharp cheddar is great inside this dip, it gives it the perfect flavor.
- Cheese Blend: top your ranch dip with a nice cheese blend. A monterey jack, or mozzarella and cheddar combo is nice.
- Garnish: You can garnish with whatever you like, I love adding some fresh herbs like cilantro or some green onion for color and freshness. But feel free to skip it.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Dip
Step One: Get two bricks of softened cream cheese, and put them in a large bowl.
Step Two: Add your shredded chicken. I personally love using rotisserie chicken or a pulled chicken. The flavor is great, it keeps things really easy, and quick.
Step Three:Add sharp cheddar cheese. While you can totally substitute whatever cheese you have, I have made this several times, with several different cheeses. And the reality is, the sharp cheddar is the best option for the best flavor. It is bold and compliments the other parts well.
Step Four: Add diced red onion. I like to cut this pretty fine, as you don’t want a mouthful of just onion. So be sure to slice and dice it pretty thin. If you aren’t a big onion person, this is optional, but I love the flavor it adds. It won’t be overpowering, and it tastes great.
Step Five: Add your ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Note that it isn’t a ranch seasoning mix, but a prepared ranch dressing. You can use fresh or bottled. Just pick your favorite kind. You will be able to taste it some, so opt for a ranch that you like on its own. Same with the barbecue sauce. If you like it on its own, you will love it in this recipe.
Step Six: Stir it all together, making sure it is well mixed, as you won’t want any big chunks of cream cheese or straight chicken etc. So stir it well, then spray a casserole dish (9 x 13 sized) with a non-stick spray, and load the dip into it. Spread it out evenly.
Step Seven: Top with a cheese blend, and some of the red onion. I reserved about 1/3 cup of the diced red onion for the top. I used a basic cheese blend, but again, you can use just cheddar, or whatever cheese you have on hand. I like the mix of the sharp cheddar in the dip and the milder blend on top.
Step Eight: Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly with melted cheese on top. You will see the edges bubbling, and will be able to smell it. When it is done, pull it out and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onion if you would like.
Step Nine: Serve immediately, while hot, with your favorite dippers. I love eating this one with buttery crackers like Ritz or Townhouse, and it is excellent with celery sticks too. But it works well with a variety of dippers, from chips and crackers to fresh veggies.
Tips and Tricks
Making this bbq chicken ranch dip recipe is Eazy Peazy…but here are a few tips for the best results.
- Tip One: Use ingredients that taste good on their own. The chicken, the cheeses, the bbq sauce, the ranch, all of them should be whatever your preferred brand, and flavor. If you like it on its own, you will like it in this dip.
- Tip Two: Serve warm. This dip is so cheesy, creamy, and delicious, and is best served hot. The cheese will be gooey and oh so good. So go ahead and make it ahead of time, but cook or heat just before serving for the best results.
- Tip Three: Serve with a variety of dippers. I LOVE this one with celery, but my kids prefer it with crackers and tortilla chips. You will want a sturdy cracker or chip though since this is a thick and hearty dip.
- Tip Four: Chop onions finely, and shred chicken well. The real beauty of this recipe is the combination of the flavors, so you don’t want a bite to be missing anything. The best way to achieve this is by keeping the ingredients even and chopped finely so you get a good mix.
Make Ahead and Storage
How to make this recipe ahead of time:
This recipe is one that freezes really well. Which means if you make too much (unlikely) you can freeze the leftovers to use later. Or you can make it ahead and freeze it. Just defrost first, or bake for longer.
You can also make it ahead, but don’t bake it, then store covered in the refrigerator and bake just before serving. It can keep 3-5 days in the fridge.
Other Great Recipes:
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BBQ Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 red onion chopped, divided
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 16- ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature (2 bricks)
- 2/3 cups prepared ranch dressing
- 2/3 cups BBQ sauce choose your favorite
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
Topping
- 1 cup Cheese Blend
- Garnish: Cilantro or Green Onion
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Soften cream cheese, and then place in a large mixing bowl. If necessary, microwave in 20 second intervals to soften. Add chicken, red onion, 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, and bbq sauce.
- Mix together, until well combined.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, and spread mixture evenly into pan.
- Top with cheese blend, and some of the red onions, then bake at 425 degrees for 20 mins
- Garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions, if desired, and serve immediately with your favorite dippers.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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