If you love the heat of Nashville hot chicken, you will enjoy this easy twist on the favorite. We have turned the classic meal into a savory dip featuring crispy chicken and a tangy glaze. It is a simple, no-fuss recipe perfect for game days or family snacking.
The Ingredients for the Chicken Dip
- Cream Cheese: Acts as the cool, tangy foundation that balances the heat of the spices.
- Buttermilk: Thins the cream cheese for a dippable consistency and adds authentic Southern tang.
- Frank’s Hot Sauce: Provides the signature vinegar-based cayenne heat essential for the Nashville style.
- Honey: Adds sweetness to counterbalance the heat and acidity, creating the addictive "swicy" flavor.
- Smoked Paprika & Chipotle Powder: Adds depth and smokiness that simple hot sauce lacks.
- Breaded Chicken Tenders: Provides the protein and the crucial crunchy texture of fried chicken.
- Dill Pickles: Cuts through the richness of the dairy with a bright, acidic crunch.
How to Make the Nashville Hot Chicken Dip
- Prep the Chicken: Bake the chicken tenders according to package directions. Once crispy and cool enough to handle, dice them into bite-sized pieces.
- Warm the Base: Place the cream cheese and buttermilk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 45 seconds to soften.
- Mix the Base: Whisk the warmed dairy until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika. Spread onto the bottom of a serving dish.
- Layer: Scatter the diced chicken over the base, pressing down slightly.
- Sauce & Serve: Whisk remaining hot sauce, honey, and garlic powder. Drizzle over the chicken. Top with halved pickle slices and serve.
Serving Suggestions
This Nashville Hot Chicken Dip is versatile and pairs well with a variety of sides to create a complete party platter. Since the dip is hearty and full of texture, you want dipping options that can hold up to the weight of the chicken and cream cheese.
- Bread and Crackers A toasted baguette or crostini is an excellent choice for scooping up the creamy base. You can also use sturdy crackers, such as water crackers or thick pita chips, which add a nice crunch without breaking.
- Fresh Vegetables If you want to balance the heat, add a crudité element to your spread. Crisp celery sticks, carrot rounds, and cucumber slices offer a refreshing contrast to the spicy cayenne and hot sauce.
- Beverage Pairings The heat from the Nashville style spices goes very well with a cold drink. An icy glass of sweet tea or a light lager can help cool down your palate between bites.
- Make it a Meal While this is designed as an appetizer, you can easily turn it into a fun lunch. Spread the mixture onto a slider bun or a wrap for a quick and flavorful sandwich that requires no extra cooking.
Try some of my other appetizers such as the reuben ravioli, or smoked salmon baguette, or my street corn dip!
FAQ's:
This recipe is incredibly quick! With about 30 minutes of active prep time and 25 minutes for chicken cooking (if applicable), the dip comes together in approximately 55 minutes total, making it a perfect quick appetizer.
You can use any type of pre-cooked chicken pieces, whether frozen breaded chicken tenders from the grocery store, baked unbreaded chicken, or even rotisserie chicken. The key is to dice it into small pieces.
Yes, absolutely! The recipe uses hot sauce and chipotle/cayenne powder, but you can easily adjust the amount of hot sauce and honey in the topping mixture to suit your personal taste and desired spice level.
Dill pickles add a crucial tangy contrast to the rich, sweet, and spicy flavors of the dip. While they complete the "Nashville Hot Chicken" experience, the dip will still be delicious if you omit them for guests who don't like pickles.
It's recommended to warm the cream cheese and buttermilk in the microwave for about 45 seconds before combining them. This helps prevent the cream cheese from clumping, resulting in a smoother base for the dip.
While the recipe comes together quickly, you can likely prepare the base mixture and store it separately from the cooked chicken and topping components in the refrigerator. Assemble just before serving for the best texture and freshness.
Recipe
Nashville Hot Chicken Dip – Easy & Spicy
Ingredients
- 2 - 8 ounce packages of room temperature cream cheese
- ½ cup of room temperature buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons of hot sauce
- 1 tablespoons of honey
- ½ teaspoon of chipotle chili powder or cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 baked diced breaded chicken tenders/large pieces
- 2 tablespoons of hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- Sliced dill pickles halved. Enough to cover the top of the dip when served
Method
- Combine the cream cheese and the buttermilk. Mix until very well combined.
- Add Hot sauce, honey, chipotle chili powder, and smoked paprika.
- Place into the bottom of an appropriately sized serving dish or bowl
- Mix the hot sauce, honey, and garlic powder and set aside.
- Add chicken to the top of the base. The chicken should cover the top of the base.
- Pour hot sauce mixture over chicken.
- Add pickles to the top of the dip.
Nutrition
Notes
- Texture Tip: Warming the buttermilk and cream cheese is vital for a smooth, non-clumpy base.
- Spice Control: Adjust the honey-to-hot-sauce ratio in the topping to control the heat level.
- Make Ahead: You can mix the base ahead of time, but add the chicken and pickles just before serving to keep them crunchy.
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