Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip
Hot, creamy keto buffalo chicken dip that does not split into an oil slick. The chicken is poached in the hot sauce so the flavour goes all the way through, the base is whisked smooth before anything solid goes in, and it comes out of the oven the moment the edges bubble. 2.4g net carbs per third-cup serving.
Equipment
- Saucepan for poaching
- Large mixing bowl
- Balloon whisk
- 1 1/2-quart or 8-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast 450 g
- 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce 120 ml, divided; original, not wing sauce
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese 225 g, properly softened
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise 75 g
- 1/3 cup sour cream 80 g
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese 170 g, shredded from a block, divided - the carb figure assumes block not bagged
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese 55 g, shredded
- 2 tbsp green onions sliced, to finish
- 1/4 cup blue cheese 30 g, crumbled, optional, on top not stirred in
Instructions
- Poach the chicken: Put the chicken breasts in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of the hot sauce and enough water to just cover. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and cook 12-15 minutes until cooked through. Lift out, shred with two forks, and discard the poaching liquid.
- Whisk the base completely smooth: In a large bowl whisk the softened cream cheese with the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce, the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and black pepper until there is not a single lump and the colour is uniform. This is the step that decides whether the dip splits.
- Fold in the solids: Add the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the cheddar and all the mozzarella. Fold until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust the heat and salt now, while it is easy to judge.
- Bake to bubbling, not browning: Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread into a 1 1/2-quart or 8-inch dish, scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar over the top, and bake 20 minutes until the edges bubble and the centre is hot. A browned top means it went too far. For colour, broil 60-90 seconds at the end and watch it constantly.
- Rest and finish: Let it sit 5 minutes, then scatter over the green onions and blue cheese crumbles. Blue cheese goes on top rather than into the mix, where it turns sour and dominates.
Notes
Hot sauce matters: use original cayenne pepper sauce, not buffalo wing sauce. Original is essentially zero carbs per tablespoon; wing sauce is about 1g, which adds roughly 8g to this batch.
Why no bottled ranch: most versions use 1/2 to 1 cup of ranch dressing, bringing soybean oil, added sugar and about 3.5g carbs per 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise, sour cream and the spices give the same tang for far less.
Slow cooker: LOW for 2 hours, then switch to WARM to hold. Longer times break the emulsion - everything in this dip is already cooked, so there is nothing that needs 6-8 hours.
Stovetop: melt everything together over low heat, stirring, until hot. Lowest split risk, but no browned top.
Dippers: Parmesan crisps (bake tablespoon mounds of grated Parmesan at 400°F for 5-6 minutes, cool flat), celery, cucumber rounds, mini bell peppers, endive leaves, broccoli and cauliflower florets, or low-carb tortillas cut and baked crisp.
Storage: 4 days refrigerated; freezing is not recommended as cream cheese dips thaw grainy. Reheat at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring between. If oil appears, stir it back in while hot.