This smoked chicken bacon ranch dip is one of my favorite appetizers to make on the smoker. We're taking the classic chicken bacon ranch flavors and adding cream cheese and cheddar to turn it into an irresistible dip.
I love serving this dip for a big crowd or for when I'm just watching the football games on Sunday. It's quick, easy, and damn good.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Chicken — Feel free to use chicken breast or thighs. I prefer thighs because they're more tender
- BBQ Rub — Season up your chicken with your favorite rub. For this cook, I used Honey Garlic from Fire & Smoke Society
- Bacon — I used a thick cut, smoky bacon
- Cream Cheese — The cream cheese helps hold everything together and acts as the base for the dip
- Cheddar Cheese — I used sharp cheddar, hand-shredded
- Ranch Dressing — I used my homemade Ranch for this recipe
- Green Onions — For a little added color
HOW TO MAKE SMOKED
CHICKEN BACON RANCH DIP
1. Season the Chicken
Season the chicken with the BBQ rub on both sides, and let it adhere for 15 minutes or so.
2. Cook the Bacon
Cook your bacon in a pan or over a cast iron skillet like I did, until it's nice and crispy. When it's done, transfer the bacon to a plate with paper towels and crumble. Remove some of the grease from the pan, leaving a tablespoon or so to cook the chicken in.
3. Cook the Chicken
In the same pan, cook your chicken in the bacon grease until it's done (165F) and well-browned, about 5-7 minutes per side. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes, then cut it up into bite-sized pieces.
4. Assemble the Dip
In a small cast iron pan or aluminum baking dish, combine the chopped chicken, diced bacon, cream cheese, shredded cheddar (reserving 1/2 cup for later), Ranch dressing, and green onions. Mix it all up until its well-combined. Then, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.
5. Smoke the Dip
Smoke the dip at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until the top layer of cheddar is nice and bubbly and golden brown.
6. Rest & Serve
Remove the pan from the smoker and let it cool off for five minutes. Then serve with potato chips, warm pita bread, or celery & carrots.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Cook the chicken in the bacon grease. This is a great way to add extra flavor to the chicken.
- Grate your own cheese. Try to grate your cheese instead of using the pre-shredded kind. It tastes much fresher and melts much better.
Smoked Chicken Bacon Ranch Dip
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 1 tbsp BBQ rub
- 8 slices bacon crumbled
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups cheddar cheese hand-shredded
- 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 egga beaten
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season chicken with BBQ rub and let stand for 15 minutes
- Cook bacon over medium heat. Remove, crumble, and drain excess grease.
- Cook chicken in the reserved bacon grease, cooking 6-8 minutes per side. Rest for 5 minutes, then chop into pieces.
- In a small cast iron pan, combine chicken, bacon, cream cheese, 1½ cups cheddar, ranch dressing, and green onions. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Smoke the dip at 350F for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
- Serve warm with dippers of choice.
Notes
- Cook the chicken in the bacon grease. This is a great way to add extra flavor to the chicken.
- Grate your own cheese. Try to grate your cheese instead of using the pre-shredded kind. It tastes much fresher and melts much better.
