Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip is your favorite appetizer made lighter without a block of cream cheese. Still cheesy and creamy, no one will notice the difference!
We also love to make Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip and buffalo chicken bites!
Table of Contents
This healthy buffalo chicken dip tastes unbelievably original and creamy but without all that saturated fat that comes with a block of cream cheese.
It might be the skinny version of your favorite buffalo chicken dip but no one will notice when you serve it at your next Super Bowl party!
It is one of my favorite healthy dips along with healthy spinach dip and healthy spinach artichoke dip as equal contenders.
The dip is loaded with creaminess, shredded chicken mixed with just the right amount of Frank’s hot sauce and each bite is sealed with zesty green onion.
What Makes This Buffalo Chicken Dip Healthy?
- Low saturated fat: By omitting cream cheese and other healthy swaps, each serving yields only 2 grams of saturated fat. Sign me up!
- Healthier ingredient swaps: Lighter Greek yogurt and white beans make the perfect substitute for heavy cream cheese, sour cream or ranch dressing.
- “Just enough” cheese: It contains only 1/2 cup of cheese compared to other buffalo dips that contain up to 2 cups. And yet it still tastes so cheesy!
Ingredients You Will Need & Notes
- Cooked chicken: I usually use my Instant Pot chicken breast.
- Can of white beans: A genius substitute for a block of cream cheese.
- Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt: Make sure to use full fat yogurt with 2% and higher. Nonfat yogurt will lack flavor here.
- Hot sauce: I like to use Frank’s red hot sauce.
- Cheese: Any hard variety of yellow cheese like cheddar cheese, marble cheese or Tex Mex cheese works. Just know that grated at home cheese melts better than pre-shredded.
- Green onion and garlic.
How to Make Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
This dip is not only delicious but also easy to make! Especially if you use pre-cooked chicken and canned white beans. Stir, bake, melt the cheese on top and dip!
If using raw chicken, cook it first and shred with 2 forks. Here is how to cook chicken breast in Instant Pot in 20 minutes.
Process canned and drained beans in a blender or food processor with water and garlic until smooth.
Then in a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, white bean paste, yogurt, green onion and hot sauce.
Transfer to a small baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with cheese, bake until melted and let stand for 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I find this healthy buffalo chicken dip tastes best if you let it sit for 10 minutes after cooking. Flavors really marry each other. Sprinkle with a lot of chopped green onion and drizzle with more hot sauce, if you wish.
- Chips: We love it with Que Pasa or Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips.
- Crackers: Mary’s Gone brown rice crackers or Triscuits go well with this spicy and creamy dip.
- Raw vegetables: Celery and carrot sticks, sliced cucumbers, bell peppers or zucchini.
Substitutions
- Cream cheese: This recipe is for skinny buffalo chicken dip without cream cheese, but if you want to include it, choose Neufchatel, low fat cream cheese. Nutritional information will change.
- Cottage cheese: If you are opposed to beans, add 1/2 cup cottage cheese.
- Greek yogurt: You can use sour cream instead for a more creamy dip.
- Blue cheese: If you are a fan of blue cheese, replace cheddar with blue cheese crumbles.
- Low fat cheese: Know it does not melt well. Therefore, I do not recommend to use it.
What Cooked Chicken Can I Use?
Slow cooker: Cook chicken breasts in slow cooker covered with water for 3 hours on High.
Instant Pot: Use my juicy Instant Pot shredded chicken breast.
Boiled chicken: Juts cover chicken breasts in a pot with cold water and cook for 15 minutes after it comes to a boil.
Rotisserie chicken: You can buy rotisserie chicken and shred the breasts.
Canned chicken: If in a pinch, you can use canned chicken. Just make sure to drain it very well and flake with a fork after.
Storing Suggestions
Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They taste great cold or can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Make ahead: Combine all ingredients and refrigerate covered for 1-2 days. When ready, bake as per recipe.
Freezing: I have not tried freezing it and do not recommend it. This dip has dairy and its texture changes after thawing.
More FAQs
If not using cooked chicken, cook chicken breasts in slow cooker covered with water for 3 hours on High. Drain liquid and shred chicken with 2 forks right in a crockpot.
Then add processed in a blender beans with water and garlic, yogurt, green onion, hot sauce and cheese. Stir, cover and cook on Low for 2-3 hours.
To make buffalo chicken dip in Instant Pot, just cover chicken breasts and dried beans with water 2 inches higher and pressure cook on High for 15 minutes with 5 minute Natural Release. No need to soak the beans. Then remove chicken and shred. Drain pot with beans leaving approximately 1/4 cup water in there, add garlic and blend with an immersion blender.
More Buffalo Recipes to try
- Buffalo chicken tacos
- Buffalo chicken chili
- Air fryer buffalo cauliflower
- Cucumber appetizers
- Buffalo cauliflower soup
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless & skinless chicken breasts
- 14 oz can low sodium white beans drained & rinsed
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup plain regular or Greek yogurt 2% or higher fat
- 1/2 cup hot sauce like Frank's
- 3/4 cup cup green onion chopped & divided
- 2 tsp garlic powder or 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 cup marble, Tex Mex or cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Oven
- Cook chicken and shred with 2 forks. I usually use my Instant Pot chicken breast. You can use rotisserie chicken, slow cooker or baked chicken breast leftovers.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Process beans in a blender or food processor with water and garlic until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, white bean paste, yogurt, 1/2 cup green onion and hot sauce. Transfer to a small baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cheese, bake until melted and let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup green onion and more hot sauce, if you wish. Serve with tortilla chips, celery and carrot sticks, thickly sliced cucumbers or whole grain crackers.
Slow Cooker
- If not using cooked chicken, cook chicken breasts in slow cooker covered with water for 3 hours on High. Drain broth and shred chicken with 2 forks.
- Add yogurt, 1/2 cup green onion, hot sauce and cheese. Stir, cover and cook on Low for 2-3 hours. Switch to Keep Warm after.
Instant Pot
- If not using cooked chicken and beans, to Instant Pot add raw chicken breasts, 1/2 cup dried beans and water 2 inches above. Pressure cook on High for 15 minutes with 5 minutes Natural Release.
- Then remove chicken and shred. Drain pot with beans leaving approximately 1/4 cup water, add garlic and blend with an immersion blender. Add shredded chicken, yogurt, 1/2 cup green onion, hot sauce and cheese.
- Stir, cover with regular lid, slow cook for 2-3 hours and then switch to Keep Warm.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They taste great cold or can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- Make ahead: Combine all ingredients and refrigerate covered for 1-2 days. When ready, bake or slow cook as per recipe.
Loved this recipe tonight. I used your oven baked chicken breast recipe to cook the chicken breasts and red onion in the food processor with the garlic and white beans. Skyr 0% gave the creaminess and low fat marble cheese cut the fat without compromising taste. Definitely a “make this again” recipe. Served without veggies and thin crisp tortilla chips.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can’t wait to try this! How much is the serving size approximately?
Probably around 1/4 cup.
Delicious thank you for not only how to teach me how to cook in my instapot, but for giving me delicious ideas my family loves!!
Awe. You are so welcome, Jaime!
So creamy and delicious!
Yay. So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Trish!
Olena, this looks scrumptious!