3 Easy Tricks for Turning Trader Joe’s Buffalo Chicken Dip Into Delicious Dinners

Trader Joe’s never fails to amaze customers with its flavor-packed dips, from the Caesar Salad Dip to one of my hosting staples, Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip. These savory snacks can be enjoyed with any dipping companion you prefer, such as celery sticks, carrots, bagel crisps, or pita chips. (And if I’m already at Trader Joe’s, I’ll almost always grab some of the store’s Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips for dunking). 

But there’s one dip at Trader Joe’s that I always return to. The grocery chain’s Buffalo Chicken Dip is among my all-time favorite items because I can create many minimal-effort meals with it. Priced at about $5 for a tub (though prices may vary by location), this dip is scoopable, subtly spicy, cheesy, creamy, and craveable.  

Trader Joe’s didn’t invent buffalo chicken dip. There are many recipes for this football party staple available, and it’s typically made with shredded chicken, cheese, hot sauce, and a creamy component like sour cream, yogurt, or cream cheese. It may also include scallions and spices such as garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and white pepper. 

The grocery chain’s take on the classic party dip includes chicken breast, cream cheese, sour cream, cayenne pepper sauce, Monterey Jack cheese, onions, garlic, parsley, black pepper, and cayenne powder. You can enjoy it hot (as intended) or cold if you prefer — the beauty of this dip is that it’s already assembled and ready to enjoy, with no effort required. But the best part of Trader Joe’s Buffalo Chicken Dip is that it can be transformed into complete, delicious meals in minutes, and these are just a few of our favorites.

Buffalo chicken dip pasta salad

Buffalo chicken dip already has all the elements needed for a pasta salad: seasonings, cheese, creaminess, tanginess, and chicken for protein. To transform the dip into an easy summer dish, food creator Erin Norcross (@erin_funfoodie) developed a pasta salad recipe that only calls for a total of six ingredients.

Start by boiling a short pasta shape, such as macaroni, cavatappi, or farfalle, until fully cooked. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, combine the noodles in a bowl with the buffalo chicken dip, sliced scallions, an extra drizzle of hot sauce, and some buttermilk ranch, stirring to ensure everything is well coated in the sauce. The pièce de résistance is a sprinkle of scallions and some crumbled blue cheese on top, which truly channels the flavors of the classic sports snack.

Buffalo chicken dip baked potatoes

After discovering a buffalo chicken baked potato recipe by creator Mandi Hickman (@dashofmandi), I thought, why not recreate it using a prepared dip? The result was an easy and comforting dinner. 

Hickman first coats three russet potatoes with olive oil and salt, then bakes them at 350°F for one hour. (Next, she prepares her homemade buffalo chicken dip, but I recommend skipping this step and swapping in Trader Joe’s Buffalo Chicken Dip to make your life easier.) After the potatoes are cooked and cooled, scoop out their centers and mix the fluffy potato interior in a bowl with the premade TJ’s buffalo chicken dip.

Finally, spoon the buffalo chicken dip-potato mixture into the hollowed-out potatoes, top with some shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, and bake until the cheese melts. I recommend enjoying them with a dollop of sour cream and some chives for a finishing touch.

Buffalo chicken dip grilled cheese

For this simple no-recipe recipe, all you need are three ingredients: bread, cheese, and buffalo chicken dip. While some content creators have used homemade dip for this dish, the Trader Joe’s product is perfect for making this crispy, cheesy sandwich in a flash. For the best bread pairing, I like to use sourdough, rye, or multigrain options.

Assemble the sandwich by adding a generous amount of shredded cheese onto one slice of bread. (You can use any cheese that melts easily, like Gouda, Gruyère, cheddar, or Muenster.) Top the cheese with a hearty spread of buffalo chicken dip, then add a little more cheese atop the dip — just trust us, you can’t have too much cheese — and close the sandwich with your second slice.

Once the sandwich is assembled, place it in a buttered pan over medium-low heat and griddle it until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Just be sure to flip it continuously to prevent the bread from burning while waiting for the cheese to melt, and add more butter if needed. From there, dinner is served in five minutes courtesy of Trader Joe’s.