Smoked Fried Chicken Buffalo Dip
Buffalo chicken dip is already pretty hard to screw up. Cream cheese, hot sauce, chicken, blue cheese. Put it all together and people tend to hover around the dish until somebody finally scrapes the bottom clean.
But we figured there was still room to make it better.
Instead of starting with plain shredded chicken, this version uses finely chopped fried chicken. That means you’re getting all those crispy, seasoned bits of breading mixed right into the dip. Then we add fresh herbs, plenty of hot sauce, blue cheese, a little lemon, and Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub before putting the whole thing on the smoker.
The result is creamy, tangy, smoky, spicy, and loaded with enough chicken that nobody is going fishing through a bowl of cream cheese trying to find some meat.
As it should be.
Why Fried Chicken?
Most buffalo chicken dip recipes start with cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Both work, but fried chicken brings something extra to the party.
The seasoned breading gets chopped up along with the meat, soaking up the buffalo sauce and creamy base while still adding little pockets of texture throughout the dip.
We used Popeyes fried chicken, but the basic idea works with your favorite fried chicken. Just remove the bones and finely chop everything before mixing it into the dip.
And yes, keep the breading.
That's where some of the good stuff is hiding.
Why Smoke Buffalo Chicken Dip?
You could absolutely bake this dip in the oven at 350°F, but putting it on the smoker adds another layer of flavor without making things complicated.
At this temperature, you're not looking for hours of smoke. About 25 minutes is enough to heat everything through, melt the cheeses together, and pick up a little wood-fired flavor around the edges.
It's an easy excuse to fire up the smoker before the game starts.
Ingredients
For the Buffalo Chicken Dip
- 8 cups finely chopped fried chicken, preferably Popeyes
- 1½ pounds cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups mayonnaise, preferably Duke's
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1½ tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 2½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 3 teaspoons Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- ½ cup hot sauce
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1½ cups crumbled blue cheese
- ½ cup sliced green onion, for garnish
For Serving
- Celery sticks
- Crackers
- Tortilla chips
Or put all three on the table and let everybody make their own questionable dipping decisions.
How to Make Smoked Fried Chicken Buffalo Dip
1. Fire Up the Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 350°F.
You're basically using the smoker as a wood-fired oven for this recipe, so there's no need to overthink the setup.
2. Chop the Chicken
Remove the bones from your fried chicken and finely chop the meat and breading.
Measure out about 8 cups and place it into a large mixing bowl.
3. Make the Creamy Base
Add the softened cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on medium speed until smooth.
Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the mayonnaise and buttermilk. Continue mixing until everything is smooth and combined.
Starting with room-temperature cream cheese makes this step much easier. Cold cream cheese tends to leave you with little lumps that refuse to cooperate.
4. Season It
Add the chopped dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub, and black pepper.
Mix until the seasonings and herbs are evenly distributed.
This is where Rub Yer Meat brings a little extra BBQ flavor into what would otherwise be a pretty traditional buffalo dip.
5. Add the Buffalo Flavor
Pour in the hot sauce along with the zest and juice from two lemons.
Mix again until completely combined.
The lemon might sound like an unusual addition, but that acidity helps cut through all the cream cheese and mayonnaise and keeps the dip from feeling overly heavy.
6. Bring It All Together
Pour the cream cheese mixture over the chopped fried chicken.
Stir until the chicken is completely coated.
Fold in the crumbled blue cheese.
7. Smoke the Dip
Transfer everything into a smoker-safe baking or soufflé dish and spread it into an even layer.
Place the dish on the smoker at 350°F for approximately 25 minutes, or until the dip is hot and bubbling with a little browning around the top and edges.
8. Garnish and Serve
Remove the dip from the smoker and top it with sliced green onions.
Serve it hot with celery sticks, crackers, tortilla chips, or whatever else you've decided is sturdy enough to haul a ridiculous amount of buffalo chicken dip from the bowl to your mouth.
What Hot Sauce Should You Use?
Use whichever buffalo-style hot sauce you already like.
A traditional cayenne pepper sauce works especially well because it gives you plenty of vinegar and heat without overwhelming the rest of the ingredients.
If you like things hotter, you can always add more hot sauce to the finished mixture before it goes onto the smoker.
Just remember that you're feeding 12 people, and statistically at least one of them thinks black pepper is spicy.
Blue Cheese or Ranch?
This recipe leans firmly into the blue cheese side of the buffalo chicken debate.
The crumbled blue cheese melts slightly into the dip while leaving enough larger pieces behind to give you that funky, tangy flavor buffalo chicken was born to hang out with.
If you're not a blue cheese person, you could reduce the amount or substitute shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack. It'll still be good.
We will quietly judge you from across the smoker.
What to Serve With Buffalo Chicken Dip
This dip works particularly well for game days, parties, tailgates, or anytime you're feeding a crowd.
Try serving it with:
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Tortilla chips
- Crackers
- Toasted baguette slices
- Pretzel crisps
For the best spread, put out something crunchy, something salty, and something pretending to be healthy.
Can You Make It Ahead of Time?
Absolutely.
Prepare the entire dip and transfer it to your baking dish, then cover and refrigerate it until you're ready to cook.
When it's time to serve, put it on the smoker and cook until the center is completely heated through and the edges are bubbling.
If it's going onto the smoker directly from the refrigerator, expect it to take a little longer than 25 minutes.
Smoked Fried Chicken Buffalo Dip Recipe
Serves: 12
Smoker Temperature: 350°F
Cook Time: Approximately 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 cups finely chopped fried chicken
- 1½ pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 3 teaspoons Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- ½ cup hot sauce
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1½ cups crumbled blue cheese
- ½ cup sliced green onion
- Celery, crackers, or chips for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 350°F.
- Remove the bones from the fried chicken, finely chop the chicken and breading, and place 8 cups into a large bowl.
- Beat the softened cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth.
- Reduce the mixer to low and add the mayonnaise and buttermilk. Mix until smooth.
- Add the dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub, and black pepper. Mix until combined.
- Add the hot sauce, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix again.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the chopped chicken and stir until combined.
- Fold in the crumbled blue cheese.
- Transfer the mixture to a smoker-safe baking dish.
- Smoke at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until hot, bubbling, and lightly browned on top.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately with celery sticks, crackers, or chips.
