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Extra cheesy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull Apart Bread with tangy, spicy pickled jalapeño ranch. This pull apart bread is simply the best…and so addicting. Crusty ciabatta bread, stuffed with creamy homemade buffalo ranch chicken dip, topped with additional cheese. Oven baked until golden and crisp on the outside, but extra soft and melty in the center. Every last bite is SO. GOOD. Perfect for game day…and any other occasion in between.

overhead photo of Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull Apart Bread

I hinted to you yesterday that I would have more game day recipes to share today and I wasn’t messing around. This pull apart bread has Super Bowl written all over it. It’s the easiest to throw together and always the crowd favorite…and it feeds a crowd too. There’s nothing not to love about extra cheesy buffalo chicken bread.

This recipe is a good one, and of course, a family favorite…seeing as buffalo chicken has always been one of my family’s most requested meals.

overhead photo of jalapeno ranch

The inspiration…

When I was thirteen or fourteen, my best friend introduced me to buffalo chicken pizza. At the time I really didn’t know what buffalo chicken was, nor did I care. The only thing I cared about was the fact that I LOVED every last bite of that pizza we had delivered to her house. Just like any good buffalo chicken pizza, it had ranch, buffalo sauce, chicken, cheddar, and a good amount of blue cheese. I remember thinking ranch on a pizza sounded so bizarre, but I must have gotten over it. For the record, I still believe ranch on pizza is weird. BUT it works so I’m all about it.

To this day, I can still remember the smell and taste. It was extra cheesy, spicy (but mellow spicy), a little greasy, and topped with just the right amount of blue cheese. Complete “teenager” food. I’m really not sure what inspired us to order this pizza, but once we did, we didn’t stop. I begged my parents to order from “the place that makes buffalo chicken pizza” every time they’d reach for the phone to order carry out. It was that good.

Of course, my memory could be making this out to be better than it actually was. The point is that I was young when I had my first experience with a cheesy buffalo chicken pizza, and to this day it’s still a favorite food.

Having said all that, it’s pretty hard to believe that I don’t have a buffalo chicken pizza recipe on HBH. I should probably change that. In the meantime, I do now have this Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull Apart Bread…inspired by that buffalo chicken pizza.

And it is the most perfect game day appetizer.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull Apart Bread before baking

The details.

This is EASY. You ready?

Find yourself a good loaf of crusty ciabatta bread. You can certainly use another variety of bread (sourdough would be good), but I love the airiness of the ciabatta. All the nooks and crannies in the bread soak up any extra buffalo sauce…so delicious.

Next, score the bread, cutting the bread into one-inch cubes that can easily be torn out once baked. Then rub the bread with a little herby garlic oil to keep it from drying out in the oven.

Now, mix up the “dip”. It’s a pretty simple mix of cream cheese, homemade ranch, buffalo sauce, and cheddar. I also like to use blue cheese, but if you despise blue cheese, simply leave it out. Stuff the dip into each nook and cranny of the bread, then add extra cheese and extra sauce.

Bake until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted.

Simple, right? It’s very much like my cranberry brie pull apart bread, but instead of sweet and cheesy, this bread is spicy and cheesy. Both so different, but both so delicious.

overhead photo super close up of Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull Apart Bread

That pickled jalapeño ranch?

Yes, you need that too! I know that making homemade ranch is just another step, but it’s so worth it. And it’s easier than running to the market to pick up a bottle.

I keep mine pretty simple and straight forward. I even used sour cream this time around…something I have not done in the past. But I’m kind of on a sour cream kick right now after using it in the creamy mustard sauce for yesterday’s cajun popcorn chicken.

So what makes this ranch special? The pickled jalapeños. If you have a copy of HBH Super Simple, you might recall the pickled jalapeño pineapple salsa. Instead of fresh jalapeños, I use pickled, and it’s a game-changer. Using pickled jalapeños adds a subtle, tangy kick that I find especially delicious.

Using pickled jalapeños is also much mellower than if you were to use fresh jalapeños. Making this is a great ranch option for people who enjoy a little heat, but can’t do too spicy. It’s somewhere in the middle.

I’ll be making this on Sunday for the Super Bowl. But I’m also excited to have this recipe on hand for other parties throughout the year. What’s great about this recipe is that you can prep the bread ahead of time. Then simply bake it off before guests arrive. It’s very hands-off, very easy, and always loved by everyone.

So much so that if you’re feeding a large crowd, I’d recommend doubling the recipe. Promise, this cheesy pull apart bread does not last long!

overhead close up photo of Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull Apart Bread

Looking for other buffalo recipes? Try my fried buffalo goat cheese balls or my crispy buffalo chicken salad.

If you make this buffalo ranch chicken pull apart bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pull Apart Bread.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 386 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Pickled Jalapeño Ranch

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the bread horizontally and vertically to create 1 inch cubes, being careful not to actually slice all the way through the bread (see above photo). Transfer to a baking sheet.
    2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, parsley, and chives. Rub the inside of the bread with the olive oil mix.
    3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and buffalo sauce until combined. Stir in the chicken, half the cheddar cheese, the blue cheese, and a large pinch of black pepper. Stuff the filling inside the bread, filling in all the spaces in between the cuts, it's ok to pull back a bit on the pieces of bread. Drizzle over a few spoonfuls of additional buffalo sauce, then stuff with the remaining cheddar.
    4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the filling is warmed throughout. Serve topped with fresh parsley, additional buffalo sauce, and ranch, if desired. Enjoy...immediately!
    5. To make the ranch. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake or stir until creamy. 

Notes

To Make Ahead: prepare the bread through step 3. Cover, and keep in the fridge for up to 1 day. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge and let come to room temp while you preheat the oven. Bake as directed. 
To Make Vegetarian: simply omit the chicken.
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Comments

    1. Hi Brandi,
      I just roast mine in the oven with salt and pepper:) This is also a great way to use a rotisserie chicken. I hope you love the recipe! xT

  1. 5 stars
    Excellent!! Made this recipe exactly as directed with the homemade ranch sauce for boat parade snacks and it totally disappeared!! The ranch was so good I made extra and whipped it up with some additional shredded chicken for a yummy chicken salad. Thank you – KEEPER!

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve made this a few times and it’s always a hit! I’ve used sourdough loaves when I don’t have ciabatta and it’s great.

    You really can’t mess this up. I’ve accidentally cut the squares too big, cut all the way through the loaf, but once you cram everything in there, it still turns out looking good and “rustic” and tastes amazing! Highly recommend!

  3. Hi! Wondering if this would work as a Buffalo chicken dip if I just skipped stuffing the bread? Bake it the same amount of time? Thank you!

  4. Hi! Is Buffalo sauce just franks hot sauce? Or what do you add to it? Huge fan of your recipes! & this looks absolutely divine!!

    1. Hey Alia,
      Yes, for this recipe I just used Frank’s Hot Sauce for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx

  5. 5 stars
    Loved it!! Easy to make and was a big hit today. Doubled it so we didn’t run out! The pickled jalapeno ranch really makes it. Great recipe!!

    1. Hey Vanessa,
      Happy Monday!! 💘 Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx

  6. 5 stars
    Hi Tieghan! This recipe has a lot of great reviews and I know I will end up rating it 5-starts so I went ahead and did that 🙂

    I really want to try it! The pictures make the “cubes” look larger than 1-inch. Are they really 1-inch? Would cutting them a little larger make it harder to stuff the ciabatta loaf?

    1. Hi Sheila,
      Honestly, the size really isn’t going to make a difference if the cubes aren’t exactly 1 inch. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx

      1. I appreciate that you take the time to reply to our comments and questions 🙏🙏 I don’t know how you do it!!

  7. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! Every time I put it out, it gets eaten within 20 minutes! I guess I should have made two haha. Thanks so much for creating our new favorite appetizer! Perfect for game day 🙂

    1. Hi Taylor,
      Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xx

  8. The very best ‘buffalo sauce’ is the Original Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Sauce from Frank and Teressa’s Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. If it isn’t available at grocery stores in your area you can order from http://www.anchorbar.com. It comes in different hotnesses from mild to suicidal.

  9. Looking forward to trying this this weekend! Question.. is the buffalo sauce called for in the ingredients just like a frank’s hot sauce? Or is that after you mix the hot sauce with the butter and other fixings? I always get so confused about those definitions!