No party is complete without a platter of snacks, and the most beloved of them all also happens to be the simplest to prepare: None other than some good old fashioned dip. Whether paired with chips, crackers, or crispy crudités, a creamy dip is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. But if you want to take things up a notch, we suggest adding some rotisserie chicken to the mix.
While some dips can be plenty hearty and flavorful, they’re not always the most filling of foodstuffs. And if you’re only planning on putting out some light hors d’oeuvres for your gathering, you may run the risk of letting your guests leave hungry. So hosts, take note: In order to turn your party snack into a meal in itself, you can’t go wrong by loading it up with extra protein — and that’s where the chicken comes in. Mild in flavor but powerful in terms of packing a satiating punch, a classic rotisserie chicken can be chopped, shredded, and sprinkled into just about any of your favorite savory dips for an instant upgrade.
The best part? You barely have to put any additional work in to reap the benefits. After all, you can pick up a premade rotisserie chicken from your local supermarket, keep it in your fridge, and carve it when you’re ready to prepare your dip. And in the spirit of Ina Garten, we wouldn’t fault you for simply mixing it into a store-bought dip, either.
The best dips for combining with chicken
Perhaps the most well-known of chicken-infused dips is the fan favorite buffalo chicken dip, a staple at Super Bowl bashes, summer barbecues, and every sort of casual gathering in between. If you’re looking for an excellent way to elevate both your store-bought rotisserie chicken and your party presentation, you can’t go wrong with this option.
Per Tasting Table’s own recipe for a classic buffalo chicken dip, all you need is some cream cheese, cheddar, hot sauce, and ranch to make your shredded chicken taste like your favorite buffalo wings — with, of course, the added bonus of being able to scoop it up and pop it into your mouth, sans the mess. Pro tip? Be sure to heat it before serving, as the warmer it is, the easier it will be to dip into.
If you can’t resist a creamy spinach and artichoke dip, you can zhuzh it up with bits of chicken and call it a meal. Prefer a veggie-packed saucer of salsa? Take our advice and turn it into a zesty chicken dip. Or, for even more flavor, go the fire-roasted route and top it all off with cheese. Finally, for those feeling particularly ambitious ahead of their next get-together, we love the idea of turning your typical seven-layer dip into an eight-layer one by — you guessed it — adding in a layer of shredded rotisserie goodness. But your choices don’t stop there; if you can dream it, you can dip it, and you can throw some chicken in for good measure.
