Packed with rich flavor, this appetizer recipe uses pecan wood to infuse the chicken and the dip with hearty smokiness.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
3boneless skinless chicken breasts
8ozcream cheeseroom temperature and cut into ten equal-size squares
8ozblock Pepper Jack cheeseshredded
8ozblock Colby Jack cheeseshredded
½cupblue cheese crumbles
¾cupFranks RedHot Wing Sauce
½cupranch dressing
3green onions,greens sliced thin
¼tspsmoked paprika
For the Rub:
¼cupbrown sugar
¼cupsmoked paprika
3tbspcoarse sea salt
2tbspfreshly ground black pepper
2tbsponion powder
2tspcumin
2 tspcayenne pepper
2 tspdried sage
Instructions
Light grill or smoker and set up for two zone cooking, establishing temperature at 225° F as indicated on a reliable leave-in thermometer.
While grill is preheating, season your chicken breasts evenly with rub. Once the grill has preheated, add a chunk of pecan wood to the coals and place the chicken over indirect heat. Let chicken smoke until internal temperature reaches 145° F, about 40 minutes.
While chicken is smoking, add cheeses to a large mixing bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
Remove chicken from the grill and adjust the temperature of the grill to 300° F. Let the chicken cool and chop it into quarter-size pieces that are about 1/2-inch thick. Add the chicken to the mixing bowl and fold in one tablespoon of rub, then add the ranch and wing sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Transfer the dip to a cast iron pan, and top it with remaining shredded cheese and smoked paprika. Place dip on grill over indirect heat for 30 minutes.
Remove dip from the grill, garnish with green onions, and serve hot.
Notes
It should come as no surprise that I absolutely love buffalo chicken wings. I’m the guy that can put down a dozen and a half on an off night, and I’ve found crispy buffalo wings on the grill are my favorites. The problem with wings these days… the price. Have you seen the price of wings lately?I went to the store the other day to buy some wings and seriously couldn’t believe it. You’d think I was trying to buy a baby panda. Not willing to pay $4.49 per pound for wings, I set out to create a smoked buffalo chicken dip that would satisfy my craving. If you like buffalo wings, you’re going to love this smoked buffalo chicken dip, guaranteed.