I love everything about Buffalo chicken dip: the smooth, creamy texture; the hot-sauce kick; the melty, blistered top. But when I went vegetarian, many of my favorite game day snacks—bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, nachos piled high with slow-cooked pulled pork, and, of course, Buffalo chicken dip—were suddenly off-limits. I decided to recreate my beloved dip with a vegetarian protein source: chickpeas. The first time I made this version, I knew I’d never go back.
In classic Buffalo chicken dip, shredded chicken (often from a rotisserie chicken) merely acts as a sponge, sopping up the rich, creamy, spicy sauce without adding much texture or flavor. I used to drive all the way to Costco to source a rotisserie chicken, but now I reach for canned chickpeas, a permanent fixture in my cupboard. Chickpeas aren’t just the more convenient option: They provide pops of textural contrast to the dip, swimming in an ultra-creamy, just-spicy-enough sauce that comes together quickly in the blender or food processor.
The whole thing takes about 5 minutes to put together (plus 10–15 minutes in the oven) and can be served directly in its cooking vessel, so it’s great for last-minute hosting. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, use a cake pan, small casserole dish, or any ovenproof skillet. Bake for 8–10 minutes just to warm the chickpeas through, then broil the top for that blistered finish. The resulting dip is smooth and melty, but sturdy enough to scoop up with a tortilla chip or celery stick. Even now that I’m no longer vegetarian, this is still the version I prefer.
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What you’ll need
Frank's RedHot Original Hot Sauce
$4 At Amazon
Blender
$140 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes (plus cooling)
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 375°. Combine ¼ cup chickpeas from two 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, 1 oz. Parmesan, finely grated, ⅔ cup hot sauce, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper in a blender or food processor. Grate in zest from half of 1 lemon; cut lemon into wedges and set aside for serving. Blend or process mixture, scraping down sides as needed, until completely smooth (it will be thick but spreadable).
Step 2
Place remaining chickpeas in a 10" cast-iron skillet. Transfer chickpea purée to skillet and stir to combine; spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Top with 4 oz. Monterey Jack, coarsely grated.
Step 3
Bake dip just until warmed through and cheese is melted, 8–10 minutes; remove from oven.
Step 4
Heat broiler. Broil dip until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.
Step 5
Scatter ¼ cup thinly sliced chives over dip. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips for dipping and reserved lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Recipe notes
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