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BBQ Chicken Pizza Dip

This pizza dip is your favorite pizza turned into your favorite appetizer! It is always a crowd pleaser for parties, game days, baby/bridal showers, game nights, movie nights and on and on! It's made with shredded chicken, cream cheese, barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, bell peppers, red onions and bacon- are you drooling yet? This pizza dip recipe can be served with tortilla chips, baguette slices or veggies for an addicting dip every time.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10 -12

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 2 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup ranch dressing
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 3/4 cups your favorite BBQ sauce
  • 2-4 teaspoons hot sauce, or more to taste
  • 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 green pepper thinly sliced then halved
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced then halved
  • salt and pepper
  • Garlic salt
  • cilantro
  • 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
  • Bread, chips, or crackers for dipping

Instructions

  • Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add sour cream, 3/4 cup BBQ sauce, ranch, cumin and hot sauce to taste and beat until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Add mixture to a lightly greased oven proof 10" round skillet or baking dish that is at least 8"x8" and 4" deep and spread out evenly. Top with remaining 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, followed by the red onion, green peppers, chicken, and mozzarella cheese (I save a few red onions and green peppers to throw on top of the chicken layer purely for looks). Season with garlic salt.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes OR until hot in the center.
  • Optional: Drizzle with extra barbecue sauce, top with bacon and cilantro.
  • Serve as a dip with crackers/chips or as a spread with bread. Best served warm.

Notes

Feel free to add any other toppings you desire! Pineapple in particular would be amazing with this combo. Just note that if you add mushrooms, they don't need to be cooked first but do need to be sliced very thin so they don't "sweat" when baked.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SHREDDED CHICKEN

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Line a small oven proof dish (about 8x8) with foil and lightly grease.
  3. Add chicken breasts then pour 1/2 cup barbecue sauce over the chicken (this will be in addition to the 3/4 cup BBQ sauce you add later.
  4. Turn chicken a few times to completely cover in the BBQ sauce.
  5. Generously season the chicken with freshly cracked salt and pepper.
  6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is baked through. Let chicken rest at least 5 minutes before shredding.

Serving Suggestions

  • After the Pizza Dip comes out of the oven, let it sit for at least 5 minutes so guests don’t burn their mouths.
  • If using a skillet, wrap the skillet handle in a towel to protect your guests from burning themselves.
  • Pizza Dip is best served hot with:
    • French Baguette
    • sourdough
    • tortilla chips (sturdy tortilla chips are best otherwise they can break)
    • crackers
    • pita chips
    • veggies: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber bell peppers
  • My favorite dippers for pizza dip are slices of a French baguette.  I toast the slices first by brushing them lightly with olive oil, spreading in an even layer and baking at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Storage 

Pizza dip will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator. To store, allow it to come to room temperature first, then either cover with foil or transfer to an airtight container. If you made crockpot pizza dip, then you can either place your entire crock pot insert in the refrigerator or transfer to an airtight container.
Reheat pizza dip in the same oven proof baking dish or skillet in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. You can microwave smaller portions at 30 second intervals until heated through.

MAKE Ahead Instructions

You can prepare the pizza dip up to the point of baking then cover with foil and refrigerate. When ready to serve, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes then bake per recipe instructions or until nice and hot in the center.

Crockpot pizza dip

  1. Lightly grease slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or use a crock pot liner.
  2. Layer the ingredients in the crockpot per recipe instructions.
  3. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours or until all the cheeses have melted and the dip is hot and creamy.
  4. Stir dip well before serving for a stress free party appetizer!