Healthy Cottage Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip
This healthy cottage cheese buffalo chicken dip is made using greek-yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, hot sauce, and other good-for-you and simple ingredients. This gluten-free and keto recipe doubles as both a healthy appetizer or a healthy buffalo chicken salad for sandwiches, wraps, or on top of a salad. It’s a must have when football season rolls around.
One of my all-time favorite recipes to make for dinner is this 5 Ingredient Crock-pot Buffalo Chicken, and if you follow me on Instagram, it’s pretty darn obvious I’m addicted to cottage cheese.
No, seriously, I sneak it into at least one of my meals every day.
Cottage cheese with eggs? Yep.
Cottage cheese in my pasta sauce? YUP.
Cottage cheese on top of my vegetarian burrito bowls?
You get the idea.
While whipping up some leftover crock-pot buffalo chicken for lunch a couple of weeks ago I was hit with the idea to combine it with cottage cheese.
I added it to a wrap with butter lettuce, crunchy bell peppers, and a yogurt-based ranch dressing. Similar to what I do with my smashed chickpea salad wrap or Greek Yogurt Mediterranean Tuna Salad!
I am so over-the-moon excited to introduce you to this easy appetizer that you can make a ton of different meals out of.
Just like traditional buffalo chicken dip this will definitely be a crowd favorite, except it’s a high protein creamy dip that also makes a delicious snack.
I know it usually has a bad rep, but trust me. Blending it makes a world of difference and its a great way to be able to use it in different dishes. Plus, your guests won’t even miss the cream cheese!
Try my other healthy buffalo dip if you need a dairy free version.
We consider this a healthier buffalo chicken dip because of the added protein from the yogurt and cottage cheese.
How To Serve This Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
- It makes the perfect game day appetizer and is an easy lunch idea.
- Serve as a salad on toasted bread or in a wrap.
- As a dipper for carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, and celery sticks.
- With crispy crackers, pita chips, or tortilla chips.
- Add a scoop to a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Mix it into pasta (specifically with my vegan buffalo cauliflower pasta sauce
- Serve it on top of a baked potato/potato toast
- Add to pizza
Ingredients Needed:
- Chicken – use boneless skinless chicken breasts if making in the crockpot or pressure cooker.
- Franks Hot Sauce
- Onion and garlic – could also swap and season with onion powder and garlic powder.
- Black Pepper
- Cottage Cheese – see below for how to blend it
- Greek Yogurt – adds protein and creaminess
- Cheddar Cheese (Optional)
- Paprika (Optional — for garnish!)
You will also need:
- A crockpot or instant pot to cook the chicken
- A mixer or cutting board and knives to shred the chicken
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- An 8×8 baking dish
Head to my amazon page for all my favorite products, appliances, and more! Especially the express multi-cooker I’m obsessed with!
How to Make Cottage Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip
Instant Pot
Add your chicken, hot sauce, garlic, black pepper, and onions to your instant pot.
Set to pressure cook for 14 minutes. Make sure your pot is set to sealing, not venting. The pot will take 3-4 minutes to come to pressure.
Allow it to cook and naturally release for 10 minutes. Feel free to quick release if you’re in a hurry. 🙂
Follow the remaining instructions listed in the recipe card below.
Slow Cooker
Add your chicken, hot sauce, garlic, black pepper, and onions to your crock-pot.
Set to high and cook for 4 hours or low and cook for 6 hours.
You can also follow my 5 Ingredient Buffalo Chicken recipe, set aside two cups for this healthy chicken dip, and use the remaining buffalo chicken for meal prep.
Follow the remaining instructions listed in the recipe card below.
TIP! Instead of baking this buffalo dip, combine all the ingredients and store it in a container in your fridge to use as buffalo chicken salad for the week!
Oven Baked
*To make in the oven be sure you are using cooked rotisserie chicken or canned chicken.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Sautee the onions in a large skillet over medium heat with a little oil. Once softened, set side.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, Frank’s hot sauce, onions, pepper, and garlic.
Sir in the yogurt and cottage cheese.
Transfer to a square oven safe dish, and top with cheese.
Bake for 10 minute at 400 degrees in the preheated oven or until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown. Sprinkle paprika as a garnish. You can also garnish with green onions or blue cheese crumbles.
Tips for Making
- Whipped cottage cheese is a game changer and is perfect for those who can’t deal with the normal lumpy cheese. Once whipped, it has a creamy texture making the best dips and sauces. It’s also a great option when you want to add a good source of protein to regular dishes.
- This easy buffalo chicken dip recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, simply make in a 9×13 dish.
Variations
Type of cheese: Cheddar tastes great, but you can also use pepper jack or mozzarella cheese.
Sauce: frank’s buffalo sauce or Red Hot sauce will work great. There are different brands that also have the same flavor, so feel free to use your favorite. Add more or less depending on your desired spice level.
Fresh vegetables: dice red bell peppers and saute with the onions for a pop of color, or add diced jalapenos for an extra kick.
Sour cream can be used in place of the yogurt if needed, or you can split the amount for a half and half ratio.
What’s the easiest way to shred chicken breast?
You have a couple of options when it comes to shredding your chicken breasts for this buffalo dip.
Option one: Use a standing mixer. Simply bake or boil your chicken breasts. While they’re still warm, put them in your Kitchen Aid mixer or any stand mixer with your flat beater attachment.
Turn the mixer on at about a 2-speed for 30 seconds to a minute. Make sure to keep an eye on it because it shreds very quickly!
Option two: Place your cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board and shred them with two forks.
How do you thicken buffalo chicken dip?
If you like your buffalo dip thicker, add more cottage cheese.
How To Blend Cottage Cheese
Place your cottage cheese in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend on high for 30-90 seconds.
Blending the cottage cheese will give it a texture similar to greek yogurt. If you don’t mind the texture of cottage cheese there is no need to blend it in this recipe.
Can’t wait to hear how you all like this super easy, super delicious healthy chicken dip!
As always, be sure to tag me on Instagram when you make this recipe so I can share it to my stories.
More Healthy Appetizer Recipes:
Healthy Cottage Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, shredded ~ 3/4 lb chicken
- 1/2 Cup Franks Original Hot Sauce
- 1/3 Cup Onion Diced or sliced fajita style
- 1/2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 3/4 Cup Cottage Cheese I use 4%; whip or blend (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt Plain
- 1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese *Optional
- Paprika For garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Place chicken breasts in your instant pot and cover with hot sauce, onions, pepper, and garlic.
- Set to pressure cook for 14 minutes. Make sure your pot is set to sealing, not venting. The pot will take 3-4 minutes to come to pressure. Allow it to cook and naturally release for 10 minutes. Feel free to quick release if you’re in a hurry!
- Shred chicken with a standing mixer, or remove from the pot, shred with forks, and return back to the pot. P.S. — Scroll up to the post for more detail about how to shred your chicken.
- Optional: add cottage cheese to a blender and blend on high for ~60 seconds to make it whipped and creamy. If you don't mind the texture of cottage cheese you can omit this step.
- Stir in yogurt and cottage cheese, tossing until warm. Add mixture to an 8×8 baking dish and sprinkle with cheddar cheese (optional).
- Bake at 400F for 10 minutes until cheese has melted. Dust with paprika for garnish.
- TIP! Skip the last step (where you bake it) and store it in a container in your fridge to use as buffalo chicken salad throughout the week!
Crock Pot
- Place chicken in your crockpot and cover with hot sauce, onions, pepper, and garlic.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Shred chicken with forks, and return back to the pot. P.S. — Scroll up to the post for more detail about how to shred your chicken with a standing mixer.
- Stir in yogurt and cottage cheese, tossing until warm. Add mixture to an 8×8 baking dish and sprinkle with cheddar cheese (optional).
- Bake at 400F for 10 minutes until cheese has melted. Dust with paprika for garnish.
- TIP! Skip the last step (where you bake it) and store it in a container in your fridge to use as buffalo chicken salad throughout the week!
Rotisserie or Oven Baked Chicken
- Sautee your onions on a skillet with a little bit of olive oil and set aside.
- Shred your chicken and measure out two cups. Add shredded chicken, hot sauce, sauteed onions, garlic, and pepper to a bowl and combine.
- Stir in yogurt and cottage cheese, tossing until evenly coated. Add mixture to an 8×8 baking dish and sprinkle with cheddar cheese (optional).
- Bake at 400F for 10 minutes until cheese has melted. Dust with paprika for garnish.
- TIP! Skip the last step (where you bake it) and store it in a container in your fridge to use as buffalo chicken salad throughout the week!
I put extra chicken in and put the dip inside tortillas rolled up and baked it at 375 for about 20 min until golden and toasty and it’s soooo good. My husband said we have to add the recipe to our rotation!
This was so good! I’m not great with spicy stuff so I substituted the hot sauce with a mix of Buffalo ranch and chipotle ranch dressings. Was great with tortilla chips and even carrots!
This recipe is super easy to make, and absolutely delicious! We have started making this multiple times a month because we are obsessed. I enjoy eating it with hearty dippers chips by Tostitos, and carrots! Thank you again for a more guilt free way to enjoy our favorites! (Also HUGE fan of adding cottage cheese to EVERYTHING I possibly can over here, you rock!)
Turned out great! What a non-guilty pleasure! I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta or cream cheese in recipes all the time, but pulse it in a food processor to get rid of the lumps (it’s a texture thing for me). I also make this vegetarian friendly by making just the “base”minus the chicken and serve the chicken as a “dipper” with optional items like blue cheese, cheddar, celery, cauliflower. This way everyone customizes for their taste.
This recipe is so yummy! Super simple and easy to follow instructions. My husband does not like cottage cheese but he loves this recipe!
Making this recipe on repeat! Buffalo chicken dip has always been a guilty pleasure, but with this recipe, I don’t even have to feel guilty! It’s also one of the first lightened-up recipes I’ve made that my husband loves as well!
I absolutely loved this dip!! Instead of a dip I actually put it in a wrap and have it as my lunch:) I personally don’t use cottage cheese, I use more yoghurt and then buy the reduced fat cream cheese and mix in a small amount of that!
There’s absolutely no reason to make the non-healthy version of this recipe. I’m super picky about healthy things that people pretend taste normal and they don’t, but with this recipe, there’s absolutely no taste difference. It’s identical and DELICIOUS. Going to add to my staple recipe rotation.
I found your recipe while searching for a healthier buff chicken dip using cottage cheese and I can tell this is a winner. I’d frozen and thawed 4% cottage cheese twice and the new texture is perfect for this and other recipes like lasagna. What I like about your recipe is although it is complete as is, it can also be modified easily such as adding in red bell peppers or spinach etc. Also, my wife doesn’t care for as much heat as I do so this recipe is perfect because I can add in a small amount of Frank’s for mild flavor and color to begin with, and then each person can season to taste their serving afterward.
Great job on this recipe and thank you, Elizabeth!
Thank you so much for the awesome review! I’m so glad you and your wife are fans 🙂 It’s easily customizable like you said, which is great. It’s also delicious in wraps or lettuce cups as well! Thanks again!