Ranch Chicken Cheese Dip is the perfect appetizer for parties! This cream cheese dip recipe is made with chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing – that’s it!
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Ranch Chicken Cheese Dip comes together in just a few short minutes, making it perfect for last-minute parties and potlucks! You only need four ingredients to whip up this delicious cream cheese dip recipe. The ingredients are all ones that I keep on hand regularly so if I get asked to make something last minute, this is a perfect option!
This dip can be made right before serving, or you can even make it up to several days in advance. I like it best with crackers, but it tastes wonderful with veggies or chips too! Get creative and try using any other dipper ideas you come up with!
How do you make smooth cream cheese dip for crackers?
The key to making the cream cheese dip smooth is to make sure that the cream cheese is completely softened. Room temperature is optimal, but if you are in a hurry, you can place cold cream cheese in the microwave. Microwave at 10-second intervals, checking in between to make sure that the cream cheese isn’t melting or getting too hot. Continue to stir the cream cheese in between each interval until you get a smooth, creamy texture.
What type of Chicken is best in this Cream Cheese Chicken Dip?
You can use any type of cooked, shredded chicken. I like to use canned chicken in this dip, but I often use rotisserie chicken in this recipe. I have found that canned chicken recipes work best with the canned chicken from Costco – it tastes much better than other brands that I have tried.
One of my favorite ways to cook and shred chicken is by using my Instant Pot! I just place a few chicken tenderloins or 1-2 chicken breasts in my Instant Pot, set it on high pressure for about 7-8 minutes and then just a few minutes later I have perfectly cooked chicken that shreds easily with two forks – I still can’t believe how fast and easy it is!
Ranch Chicken Dip Recipe Ingredients
- 2 8-oz blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 12.5 oz can chicken, drained (I like the Costco brand best!)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
How to Make Chicken Cheese Dip
- Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and then refrigerate until ready to serve. Yes, it really is just that easy! Enjoy!
- Dipper ideas: Wheat Thin crackers, carrots, celery, potato chips (the dip is pretty thick, so make sure your dippers are sturdy)!
RANCH CHICKEN CHEESE DIP
Ingredients
- 2 8- oz blocks cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 12.5 oz can chicken drained (I like the Costco brand best!)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Yes, it really is just that easy! Enjoy!
- Dipper ideas: Wheat Thin crackers, carrots, celery, potato chips (the dip is pretty thick, so make sure your dippers are sturdy)!
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Can you use low-fat cream cheese in this chicken dip recipe?
Yes, you can use low-fat or even non-fat cream cheese in this recipe. There is enough flavor and texture added in with the ranch dressing mix and the shredded cheddar that you probably won’t even notice the difference!
How long does homemade chicken dip last?
Chicken dip will stay fresh for up to 10 days when stores in an airtight container in the fridge.
The dip needs to be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I usually serve this dip immediately after making or as a cold dip, but you can also heat in the microwave or on the stove before serving if you prefer your cream cheese dip to be warm.
Can you freeze chicken and cream cheese dip?
Yes, you can freeze this chicken and cream cheese dip. The texture will change a bit upon thawing, so try and whisk the dip prior to serving.
What kind of cheese do you add to chicken cheese dip?
I usually use medium cheddar, but you could use a different type of cheese or a combination of cheeses to change up the taste a little bit. You could do a mixture of cheddar and swiss, or use a cheddar blend or Monterey Jack would be delicious too! This is a great way to use up any type of cheese you happen to have on hand!
What to Dip in the Cream Cheese Chicken Dip
You can dip Wheat Thins, other types of crackers, carrots, celery, tortilla chips or even potato chips! This dip is very thick so make sure that your dippers are pretty sturdy! If you heat up the dip, the cheese will melt a little bit and it won’t be quite as thick, so you may prefer to do this if you want to serve this chicken dip with chips.
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Ranch Chicken Cheese Dip is the perfect appetizer for parties! This cream cheese dip recipe is made with chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing – that’s it!
Ginger says
Can you use Ranch dressing instead of the powder Ranch?
Nellie says
It definitely won’t turn out the same, but might still be good? The powder is way more concentrated, so I don’t think you’ll get as much flavor if you use Ranch dressing and I think the texture may be too mushy with the extra liquid/moisture as well. Let me know if you experiment!
T Vick says
I made this recipe. It’s really good! I should have added the powder ranch a little at a time. It was salty. It’s really stiff. What can you add to make it less stiff ?
Nellie says
You could add a little milk to thin it out a little bit.
Sonia says
I just made this but I tweaked mine abit, I used 1 block of cream cheese room temp, 2 cans of chicken, 1 dry pack ranch dressing dip , 1/2 cup mixed fiesta cheese, a few sprinkled of bacon bits and I heated it up for just a minute.. It was really good warm, not too salty and just enough for hubby and I… I also made them into whole grain wraps, heated up in a pan.. Hubby loved them, even have some left for tomorrow with some chips.. This is a keeper for my family.. thanks for the recipe..
Nellie says
Thanks so much for sharing your swaps Sonia! I love the idea of turning this into a wrap..that sounds delicious!
Christine @ myblissfulmess says
I always have canned chicken in my pantry, and this is an excellent use of it! I served it when we had some friends over one night. It went over so well that there were no leftovers! I served it with wheat thins and some other fancy crackers. No one even knew that I had lighted it up by using 1/3 less fat cream cheese and reduced-fat shredded cheddar. This is super delicious and incredibly easy to prepare. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Kim says
Love this and always get compliments on it, I serve it with the Sundried Tomato Basil wheat thins, something about the combination of the flavors, it is always a hit!
Nicole says
That sounds like a great flavor combo 🙂