Name a strong contender for best party food, and the chances are good that “buffalo chicken dip” will come up in the conversation.
Served hot with a side of tortilla chips or warm crusty bread, this spicy appetizer is guaranteed to please a crowd.
So what’s not to like?
Buffalo chicken dip is made with hot, creamy cheese and chopped, cooked chicken mixed with a spicy-flavored sauce that usually contains hot pepper sauce or cayenne pepper.
The texture and flavor of this zesty spread make it highly entertaining to eat, but it can also raise several questions.
Is buffalo chicken dip supposed to be served cold? Can you freeze buffalo chicken dip?
Yes – you can make it and freeze it. When you’re ready to serve it, defrost and heat until hot.
In this article, we will tell you how to make buffalo chicken dip, and we will also share a few tips that help make it easy to serve and freeze.
Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe Ideas
Everybody likes a different kind of buffalo chicken dip, so feel free to tweak the recipe a bit.
If you like your buffalo chicken dip milder than most people do, reduce the amount of hot sauce you use in your recipe.
If you make lots of buffalo chicken dip to feed a crowd, you may want to drain off some of the liquid that gathers at the top of your dip, but this step is unnecessary.
You can make buffalo chicken dip with or without blue cheese, and you can also use as much hot sauce as you like.
If you have an aversion to raw onion, add it at the very end just long enough to heat through, stirring gently so as not to break up the onion pieces.
What’s your favorite buffalo chicken dip recipe? Do you have a secret ingredient that you add for extra zip? Before you make, freeze or refrigerate your next batch of buffalo chicken dip, share your ideas in the comments section at the bottom of this article.
Does Freezing Affect Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Refrigerating buffalo chicken dip does not affect its flavor or texture.
It will stay fresh for about as long as you would expect most savory dips to last — about 3 to 5 days when refrigerated.
Freezing buffalo chicken dip is another story.
The flavor and texture of this creamy, spicy spread can change after freezing, and freezing the dip can also hasten spoilage.
Buffalo chicken dip that contains very little or no dairy is a good candidate for freezing.
If you plan to freeze your dip, it’s important to prepare it so that the texture will remain appealing once it is thawed and served.
Freezing buffalo chicken dip can cause the fat content of the cream cheese to rise, and freezing can also affect the texture of the dip.
Buffalo chicken dip usually contains very little water, so it is susceptible to freezing damage.
To prevent quality loss after freezing, you must take precautions to protect your dip from the cold.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Buffalo chicken dip is an easy appetizer that requires very little preparation.
Mixing flour into the softened cream cheese helps to thicken it, and stirring in the hot sauce will give it a spicy kick.
Chopped cooked chicken combined with any leftover hot sauce or melted butter makes this a good meal as well.
The main challenge of making buffalo chicken dip is getting the texture right.
It should be thick enough to spread on a slice of bread or tortilla chip, but it should not be so stiff that you have to eat it with a spoon.
To get the texture just right, cool it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Some people recommend adding milk to buffalo chicken dip, but this can make a soupy mess of your dip and make it difficult to thicken.
Instead, use flour or corn starch — not milk — to thicken your dip.
Doing so helps to maintain the characteristic texture of buffalo chicken dip.
How much hot sauce should you use in a batch of Buffalo Chicken Dip? That’s up to you, but less is more when it comes to pure hot sauce.
If your taste runs milder, add only a little bit to start with, then add more if needed.
To save on calories, use low-fat or fat-free cream cheese.
Although it’s not essential, buffalo chicken dip can be rolled in crushed crackers for a tasty presentation.
This addition gives the dip an extra crunch and makes it easier to serve with more visual appeal.
How to Freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Buffalo chicken dip can be frozen after all the ingredients are blended.
However, it’s important to prepare your dip before freezing it to prevent texture and flavor deterioration.
To keep your Buffalo chicken dip from freezing into a block of solid food, hold back on adding all of the dairies until after you have put it in the freezer.
This will give you a little leeway with adding milk or cream, and you’ll be able to shake up the dip if it begins to freeze into a block.
Here’s how to freeze buffalo chicken dip:
- Let the dip cool to room temperature. Place the bowl of chicken and hot sauce in the refrigerator for a few hours until it’s thoroughly chilled.
- This will help keep your buffalo chicken dip from separating during freezing.
- Freeze the dip for 3 to 4 hours or until it is solid enough to scoop into serving portions.
- The dip can be served straight from the freezer, although you may want to let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before you serve it. You can also remove individual servings of buffalo chicken dip from the frozen block and place them in a serving container in the refrigerator if you don’t need to use the entire batch right away.
- Label the container and return it to the freezer, if necessary. Buffalo chicken dip will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How to Thaw Frozen Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Thawing frozen buffalo chicken dip is as simple as placing it in the refrigerator overnight.
However, thawing a large serving of buffalo chicken dip in your fridge can make the rest of your food soggy and unappetizing.
One easy way to thaw frozen buffalo chicken dip without wasting too much time or risking spoilage in your refrigerator is to use the microwave.
Remove it from the freezer, cut it up into smaller portions, and let them defrost on a plate in the microwave for 3-5 minutes.
Once it’s thawed, be sure to stir the dip well before you serve it so that all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
You can also add a little hot sauce while you’re heating it, which works well to help restore the flavor and kick your buffalo chicken dip.
How to Tell if Buffalo Chicken Dip is Bad?
Buffalo chicken dip can last a long time when it’s properly stored.
However, you should still know how to tell if buffalo chicken dip has gone bad so that you can throw it out before anything goes wrong.
If your buffalo chicken dip is past its expiration date, don’t eat it.
This is especially important if you are hosting a party and need to keep your food as fresh as possible.
Check the consistency of your buffalo chicken dip before you taste it.
If it has begun to separate or look curdled, don’t eat it.
Throw out any bad batches of buffalo chicken dip immediately and buy more if needed for your next gathering.
Taste your buffalo chicken dip before you serve it to other people.
If your buffalo chicken dip has a funky flavor or an off-putting texture, it is not safe to serve.
Check the expiration date if you are in doubt about the safety of your food.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Buffalo chicken dip is one of the most popular party foods in America, and it’s fun to experiment with different ingredients you can use to create a new twist on an old favorite.
However, freezing buffalo chicken dip requires a few special precautions if you want to prevent your dip from getting freezer burn, separating, or spoiling.
With the right storage techniques and serving suggestions, you can freeze Buffalo chicken dip without any trouble.
Can You Freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip? Easy Guide to Freeze Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- Buffalo chicken dip
- Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
- Labels and markers
Instructions
- Let the dip cool to room temperature. Place the bowl of chicken and hot sauce in the refrigerator for a few hours until it’s thoroughly chilled.
- This will help keep your buffalo chicken dip from separating during freezing.
- Freeze the dip for 3 to 4 hours or until it is solid enough to scoop into serving portions.
- The dip can be served straight from the freezer, although you may want to let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before you serve it. You can also remove individual servings of buffalo chicken dip from the frozen block and place them in a serving container in the refrigerator if you don’t need to use the entire batch right away.
- Label theu0026nbsp;container and return it to the freezer, if necessary. Buffalo chicken dip will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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