Quick Answer
A 1/4 cup serving of buffalo chicken dip contains around 210 calories on average. However, the exact calorie count can vary depending on the specific ingredients and amounts used in the recipe. Buffalo chicken dip is a creamy, spicy appetizer made with shredded chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and shredded cheese. It’s a popular party food or game day snack.
Calories in Common Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipes
Buffalo chicken dip recipes can differ somewhat based on personal preferences and ingredients on hand. However, most recipes include a similar base of chicken, hot sauce, and cream cheese or ranch dressing. Here are the calories for 1/4 cup serving of some common variations:
| Recipe | Calories (1/4 cup) |
|---|---|
| Classic Buffalo Chicken Dip | 210 calories |
| Buffalo Chicken Dip with Greek Yogurt | 180 calories |
| Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip | 165 calories |
| Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip | 195 calories |
| Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip | 200 calories |
As you can see, the calorie range is roughly 165-210 calories per 1/4 cup serving. The minor differences come down to small variations in the exact ingredients and amounts. Greek yogurt or low fat ranch dressing can slightly reduce calories compared to full fat cream cheese and sour cream based dips. Overall though, a 1/4 cup provides around 200 calories for most recipes.
Calories in Main Buffalo Chicken Dip Ingredients
To understand where the calories come from in buffalo chicken dip, let’s look at the calorie breakdown of the main ingredients:
Chicken
– Skinless, cooked chicken breast: 110 calories per 4 oz
– Shredded rotisserie chicken: around 130 calories per 1/4 cup
Cream cheese
– Regular cream cheese: 100 calories per 2 oz (1/4 cup)
Ranch dressing
– Regular ranch: 60 calories per 2 tablespoons
– Low fat ranch: 45 calories per 2 tablespoons
Cheddar cheese
– Shredded cheddar: 110 calories per 1/4 cup
Blue cheese
– Crumbled blue cheese: 100 calories per 1/4 cup
Hot sauce
– Buffalo wing sauce: 15 calories per 2 tablespoons
When these ingredients are combined, the calories add up quickly. The chicken and cream cheese or ranch dressing make up the bulk of calories. The cheeses and hot sauce add extra fat and flavor. Altogether a typical 1/4 cup serving ends up in the 210 calorie range.
Calorie Breakdown for Classic Buffalo Chicken Dip
To give a specific example, here is the calorie breakdown for a classic buffalo chicken dip recipe.
For 1/4 cup serving:
Chicken (1 cup shredded, cooked)
– 130 calories
Cream cheese (8 oz.)
– 400 calories total
– 100 calories per 1/4 cup serving
Ranch dressing (1/3 cup)
– 67 calories total
– 17 calories per 1/4 cup serving
Cheddar cheese (1 cup, shredded)
– 110 calories
Hot sauce (1/4 cup)
– 15 calories
Total calories per 1/4 cup serving:
– Chicken: 130
– Cream cheese: 100
– Ranch: 17
– Cheddar: 110
– Hot sauce: 15
– Total: Approximately 210 calories
So in this typical recipe, the chicken, cream cheese, and cheddar provide the bulk of the calories. The ranch dressing and hot sauce add smaller amounts.
Factors That Impact the Calorie Count
While most buffalo chicken dip recipes are around 200 calories per serving, there are some factors that can raise or lower the calorie count slightly:
– Type of chicken: Skinless breast is lowest in calories while chicken thighs or wings with skin are higher in fat and calories. Rotisserie chicken is typically in the middle.
– Amount of chicken: Recipes with more chicken tend to be higher in calories than those chicken-light versions.
– Type of cream cheese: Regular cream cheese has 100 calories per 1/4 cup. Reduced fat cream cheese saves some calories.
– Amount of cream cheese: More cream cheese adds more calories. Lightening up on the cream cheese reduces the calorie count.
– Type of ranch dressing: Regular ranch is higher in calories than light or fat-free varieties.
– Cheeses used: Cheddar, blue cheese, and Monterey Jack are high-calorie cheeses. Going light on the cheese or using lower-fat shredded cheese can reduce calories.
– Extra ingredients: Addition of vegetables like celery or green onions add minimal calories, while add-ins like bacon can increase calorie count.
So in summary, lightening up on higher-calorie ingredients like cream cheese and chicken and going easy on additional cheeses and meats will result in a lower calorie buffalo chicken dip. But most standard recipes are in the 200 calorie per serving ballpark.
Healthiest Ways to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you’re looking to lighten up your buffalo chicken dip, here are some healthy substitutions to reduce the calories, fat, and carbs:
– Use Greek yogurt instead of some of the cream cheese or ranch dressing. This cuts calories and boosts protein.
– Choose reduced-fat cream cheese over regular varieties.
– Use extra lean chicken breast instead of thighs. Remove skin for rotisserie chicken.
– Opt for low-fat or fat-free ranch dressing instead of regular.
– Go easy on the amount of cheese or choose reduced-fat shredded cheese.
– Add veggies like chopped celery or scallions to bulk up the dip.
– Bake or air fry instead of cooking in the slow cooker with heavy cream.
– Swap in cauliflower in place of some of the chicken for lower calorie “rice”.
– Use hot sauce or buffalo wing sauce instead of blue cheese dressing for the sauce.
With simple subs like non-fat Greek yogurt, you can still enjoy the savory flavor of buffalo chicken dip while saving calories and fat.
Low Calorie Buffalo Chicken Dip Alternatives
In addition to lightening up traditional buffalo chicken dip, there are some lower calorie recipes you can try:
– Buffalo Chicken Hummus: Chickpeas, Greek yogurt, buffalo sauce, and chicken. About 140 calories per 1/4 cup.
– Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Chicken, hot sauce, and blue cheese crumbles in lettuce cups instead of dip. 70 calories each.
– Buffalo Cauliflower Bites: Baked cauliflower florets coated in buffalo style hot sauce and yogurt dip. About 100 calories for six large bites.
– Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats: Chicken, hot sauce, and Greek yogurt baked in halved zucchini. 60 calories per zucchini half.
– Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Skins: Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with spicy chicken. About 90 calories per stuffed skin half.
These slimmed-down versions allow you to enjoy buffalo flavors in lighter, healthier recipes using vegetables, hummus, Greek yogurt, and other nutritious ingredients.
Cooking Methods and Calorie Content
How you cook your buffalo chicken dip also impacts the nutrition profile:
– Baked: Baking in the oven adds no extra calories. This dry-heat cooking method is low in fat and calories.
– Slow cooker: Many slow cooker buffalo chicken dip recipes call for butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream adding extra calories and fat.
– Air fried: Air frying uses a tiny amount of oil resulting in a lower calorie cooking method. Breading or coating adds minimal calories.
– Instant Pot: Pressure cooking is a moist cooking method. But you control the ingredients so you can make it lighter.
– Sautéed: Sautéing uses oil or butter which adds about 50 calories per tablespoon. It also cooks off moisture, concentrating calories.
For lowest calorie preparation, baking, air frying, or pressure cooking are your best bets. Slow cooker or sautéed versions may be higher in calories due to added fats.
Serving Sizes
The calorie count for buffalo chicken dip is typically based on a serving size of 1/4 cup. Here are some other common serving sizes and calorie estimates:
| Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|
| 2 tablespoons | 100 calories |
| 1/4 cup | 210 calories |
| 1/3 cup | 280 calories |
| 1/2 cup | 420 calories |
The calorie density increases with larger serving sizes. A typical 1/4 cup serving provides around 200 calories. But scooping a full half cup serving can deliver over 400 calories. So pay attention to portion sizes, especially if scooping the dip onto crackers, chips or bread.
Nutritional Profile
In addition to calories, buffalo chicken dip contains these other key nutrients per typical 1/4 cup serving:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 12g |
| Carbs | 3g |
| Fat | 16g |
| Saturated Fat | 8g |
| Cholesterol | 45mg |
| Sodium | 400mg |
As the nutrition information shows, buffalo chicken dip is high in fat and sodium, which comes from the cream cheese, cheese, chicken skin, and salt in many recipes. Lighter versions can have less fat and cholesterol.
Conclusion
Buffalo chicken dip is a high calorie appetizer, with around 210 calories and 16 grams of fat per typical 1/4 cup serving. The calories come mostly from the chicken, cream cheese, and ranch or cheddar cheese. However, you can modify recipes to make a healthier version using Greek yogurt, low fat cream cheese, and more vegetables to reduce the calories, fat, and sodium. Portion control is also key. Enjoy this flavorful appetizer in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet.
