Chicken Ranch Dip
Chicken Ranch Dip is a creamy, cheesy, flavorful dip that comes together in a few minutes with a flavor so good, you can’t stop! This chicken dip features juicy chicken cooked with ranch seasoning mixed with cream cheese, Italian shredded cheese mix, ranch seasoning and a few more ingredients.
This is one of my most popular dips, try more of my very popular dips like the Hot Crab Dip and Four Cheese Dip.
Table of Contents
It’s fair to say that this Chicken Ranch Dip has easily earned the name “addictive.” One bite is never enough… so consider making a double batch if you’re headed to a larger party with friends!
Between the creamy consistency, tender bites of chicken and mouthwatering ranch flavor, there’s just so much to love about this chicken dip. Serve it with your favorite crackers, salty potato chips, or veggies, and watch it disappear.
The real secret to this mouthwatering dip is that the chicken is first cooked in some of the ranch seasoning. It gives the whole dip more depth of flavor, beyond just adding a packet of seasoning.
This dip is my classic go-to for parties, game days, or any time I feel like making a dip for dinner! The best part? It’s SO easy to make with just about 5 minutes of prep time, few minutes to cook the chicken and a few minutes to bake the dip. That’s all, folks! (Psst, you can also prep it ahead of time!)
Ingredient Notes
Oil – use a natural oil with a high burn point like an avocado oil or an appropriate olive oil for cooking the chicken.
Chicken – I like using chicken tenderloins for this recipe, but you can use chicken breasts instead if preferred. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to adjust slice the chicken breasts in half or butterfly them to make them thinner.
Ranch Seasoning – You will need 1- 1 oz. packet of ranch seasoning mix and divide it between the chicken and the dip. If you like a stronger ranch flavor, you can always use a packet and a half but be careful not to overdo it.
Cream Cheese – use full fat cream cheese for the best dip consistency and texture.
Sour Cream – same as cream cheese, it’s best to use full fat sour cream.
Green Onions – you can use green onions (scallions), or chives. I recommend chives for milder flavor and to better incorporate throughout the dip.
Italian Mixed Shredded Cheese – if you can’t find Italian cheese mix in your store, you can use a combination of shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese and some fresh grated parmesan cheese. (Use a cup of mozzarella and about 1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan. A little extra cheese won’t hurt the dip.)
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Chicken Ranch Dip
Cook the chicken: Preheat the skillet over medium heat and add some oil. Coat the chicken tenderloins in about 1/3 of ranch seasoning mix and add them to the skillet. Cook the chicken in the skillet until golden brown on both sides and fully cooked all the way through (1).
Take the chicken out and let it cool on a cutting board until it’s cooled enough to handle.
Make the creamy dip mixture: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, chives, chopped chicken, shredded cheese and remaining ranch seasoning in the mixing bowl (2). Mix well until combined (3). If you wish to have creamier and smoother consistency, you can beat the dip mixture with a hand-held mixer for few seconds.
Bake the dip: Make sure your cast iron skillet is well seasoned and lightly rub it with some oil. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread the dip mixture into the skillet (4) and top it off with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese mix (5).
Bake for about 15 minutes. You want the center to be hot and the edges to be lightly bubbling. If you want to brown the top of the dip some more, turn on your broiler to low for a minute or two and make sure to keep an eye on it.
Recipe FAQs
You can easily make this dip in a Crockpot instead of your skillet if you’d prefer.
Prepare the dip up the the step of spreading the creamy mixture in the skillet. Simply spread it in your Crockpot instead. Close the lid and cook on LOW for about 2 hours.
If you’re making it right before the party, you can switch the Crock Pot to a warm setting after it’s done cooking to keep it warm for the party. (Remember to stir it from time to time as it sits in the slow cooker.)
Yes, of course. Chicken tenders are very easy to work with but you can also use chicken breast or chicken thigh meat. You just want to make sure to use boneless and skinless chicken. If you plan to use chicken breast meat, make sure to slice it in half widthwise or butterfly it before cooking to make it thinner.
If you want to make it super easy, use rotisserie chicken meat and use the whole seasoning packet in the dip.
Absolutely! You can easily double this recipe, just use a larger skillet. For this dip, I use a 10 inch skillet but if you double the recipe, use a 12-inch skillet or a 9×13 baking dish.
Of course! You can either add some spice yourself using chili peppers and a pinch of cayenne pepper or use a spicy ranch seasoning mix. Note that when you add your own spicy ingredients, you are in full control of how much spice you add. You can use less spicy peppers like jalapeno or a more spicy pepper like habanero and serrano. And, you can add more or less cayenne pepper (just remember, cayenne pepper is quite spicy, so start with a pinch.)
Storing and Reheating Instructions
You can store this dip in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should stay fresh for 3-4 days. For the best results, make sure the dip is fully cooled to room temperature prior to storing.
To reheat this chicken dip, you should do so slowly in the oven. Reheat it in a ceramic or glass casserole pan (or in the original skillet) at 325°F until heated all the way through.
You can feel free to use a microwave to reheat a creamy dip like this, but it’s very easy to overheat it and scald the cheese on top. If you do want to use a microwave, simply reheat the dip for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring the dip each time the timer goes off until it’s warmed through.
Make Ahead Instructions
This is such an easy dip to prepare ahead of time! Simply prepare the recipe up to the step of baking. Then, spread it in a baking dish and cover airtight with a lid or wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Pull it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking, discard the cover, and let it warm up a little bit on the counter. Bake per recipe instructions.
Tips for the Best Chicken Ranch Dip
- I believe that there’s just enough ranch seasoning to hit the spot, but that’s completely subjective. It you want a stronger ranch flavor, feel free to add another 1/2 packet of seasoning (1/2 oz) or even another entire packet. (Note that adding 1 more whole packet will yield a very strong ranch flavor, it would most likely be too much.)
- Craving more flavor? You can also try adding buffalo or spicy ranch seasoning mix flavors. Or, you make it spicy, you can either add chili peppers, like jalapeno, habanero, or serrano, and/or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- You can serve this as a dip or even as a topping for a delicious chicken breast dinner.
Some More Dip Recipes To Try
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Chicken Ranch Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 14-16 oz chicken tenders
- 1 oz packet of ranch seasoning split in two (1/3 and 2/3)
- 10 oz cream cheese
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup diced chives or scallions
- 1 cup Italian shredded cheese mix
- 1/2-1 cup Italian shredded cheese mix for topping
Instructions
- Preheat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add some oil. (Note: you can use the same skillet to cook chicken and then bake the dip, just make sure to clean the skillet in between so the dip doesn't get stuck to the skillet.)
- Coat the chicken tenders in about 1/3 of ranch seasoning mix, evenly. Cook them, flipping half way through, until golden brown and completely cooked.
- Take the chicken out of the skillet and place it onto the cutting board to cool down. Once cooled, dice the tenders into small pieces.
- Combine all of the ingredients, including the chicken and remaining ranch seasoning in a mixing bowl. Mix very well, until all evenly combined.(If you wish to have creamier and smoother consistency, you can beat the dip mixture with a hand-held mixer for few seconds.)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and make sure the skillet is clean and lightly greased.
- Transfer the dip mixture into the skillet and spread it evenly. Top off with 1/2-1 cup of shredded cheese evenly.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until hot in the center and starts to bubble around the edges. (If you want the cheese to be a little more golden, turn on the broiler on low for 50-60 seconds. Make sure that your rack is not in the top position and if it is, broil for much less time.)
Video
Notes
- Double the recipe: You can easily double this recipe, just use a larger skillet. For this dip, I use a 10 inch skillet but if you double the recipe, use a 12-inch skillet or a 9×13 baking dish.
- Make it spicy: You can either add some spice yourself using chili peppers and a pinch of cayenne pepper or use a spicy ranch seasoning mix. You can use less spicy peppers like jalapeno or a more spicy pepper like habanero and serrano. And, you can add more or less cayenne pepper (just remember, cayenne pepper is quite spicy, so start with a pinch.)
- Storing: You can store this dip in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: To reheat this chicken dip, you should do so slowly in the oven. Reheat it in a ceramic or glass casserole pan (or in the original skillet) at 325°F until heated all the way through.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in March 2017.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
