This needs to be made with an IPA.
The buffalo sauce (which has to be Franks, let’s just get that out of the way) needs a big kick to the face. The only beer up for that job is an IPA.
I made this with Ballast Point’s Sculpin, one of my favorite IPA’s on the planet, and as with so many great IPA’s, it’s made in California.
After all, we have Ballast Point’s Sculpin, Russian River’s Pliny, Bear Republic’s Racer 5, Stone’s Ruination, Drake’s Aroma Coma, and AleSmith IPA.
No offense to the rest of the world, but if you love your hops, the West Coast is a great place to be.
But maybe you don’t like hops. The mere thought making you want to wash your mouth out with a pale lager.
Before you decide, definitively, I dare you to have a blind IPA taste party.
Get a bottle of every beer on the above list (this will be much easier for my West Coast friends), pour them, taste them.
And don’t forget to invite me. I’ll bring the dip.
Ingredients
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
- 8 oz sour cream
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup Parmesan
- 3/4 cup Mozzarella, plus ½ cup mozzarella for top
- 1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
- 2/3 cup IPA beer
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbs cornstarch
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat, add the chicken and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, add the sour cream, cream cheese, Parmesan, 3/4 cup mozzarella, Franks Red Hot, beer, garlic powder and cornstarch, process until well combined, about 5 minutes.
- Pour into an oven safe dish. Stir in chicken pieces, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
- Bake until warm and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with blue cheese and serve warm with chips.
