This vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Dip uses shredded oyster mushrooms to recreate your favorite tailgate dip!
I have a growing list of foods that I always stock up on anytime I go back to the U.S. to bring back to Europe, to include: Ranch Dressing Mix Packets, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce, and Frank’s Buffalo Sauce.
But then something amazing happened. I was at my little Dutch grocery store one day (the store I always go to), and there she was. A beautiful little bottle of Frank’s Buffalo Sauce. I obviously bought it all and and started testing out the mother of all dips…Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Without the chicken, of course. But how do you make buffalo dip without meat? Oyster mushrooms!
Ingredients for this vegetarian buffalo dip
- King Oyster Mushrooms: These mushrooms can be shredded and cooked into a delicious meat substitute that’s perfect for replacing the chicken in this buffalo dip!
- Buffalo Sauce: It isn’t Frank’s Buffalo Dip without the buffalo sauce! You can use your favorite brand of hot sauce, but you can probably guess my favorite.
- Cream Cheese: Use regular or low-fat cream cheese here.
- Cheddar Cheese: A healthy handful of cheddar cheese mixed in makes this buffalo dip gooey and cheesy!
- Ranch Dressing Mix: Rather than bottled Ranch, we’ll use these dry mix packets for that to-die-for Ranch flavor.
- Garlic Powder: The Ranch brings a lot of flavor, but you can’t say no to extra garlic.
Let’s talk about oyster mushrooms
King oyster mushrooms, to be exact. These have a unique texture which makes them perfectly shreddable with just a fork! If you can’t find them in your local grocery store, look for them in an Asian supermarket. They’re almost always there!
We’ll drizzle the shredded mushrooms with oil then bake until the edges become crispy and they take on a meaty texture. I love using these shredded mushrooms as a substitute for all kinds of meat, like pulled “pork” and now shredded chicken!
Then simply mix the baked mushrooms with all the other ingredients, pop back in the oven to melt the cheese, and serve! I love serving this vegetarian buffalo dip with tortilla chips, celery, or carrots. Enjoy!
For the folks who don’t like mushrooms, you can also make a mock buffalo chicken dip using chickpeas. Here’s how!
Ingredients
- 4 king oyster mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
- 2 tsp garlic powder divided
- 8 oz cream cheese 225 g
- 1 1-oz package Ranch dressing mix 30
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese and optionally more for topping, 200 g
- ½ cup Frank’s buffalo sauce 120 g
Instructions
- Shred Mushrooms: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Using two forks, shred the stems and caps roughly into pieces. Set on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake Mushrooms: Drizzle with oil and 1 tsp of the garlic powder. Toss around to evenly coat the mushrooms, then bake for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are a bit crispy and brown on the edges.
- Bake Everything: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl, combine cooked mushrooms with all remaining ingredients. Transfer to a small casserole dish (optionally topping with more cheddar cheese) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Tips & Tricks
- Serve with tortilla chips, celery, or carrots.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Cesaera says
I am wondering if you have tried canned Jackfruit for these veggie chicken type of recipes. People rave about it, especially for things that are mimicking shredded meat in a sauce, but I have not found success.
Sarah says
I actually haven’t tried the jackfruit yet, but think it would only work well were the recipe is sweeter (like pulled “pork”, which can be a bit sweet). I don’t think the jackfruit would work well here, but the veggie chicken probably would!
Ashleigh says
I subbed out the King Oyster Mushrooms for Shiitake, and one container of them was just enough for the recipe!! Being in college, i’m always on the search for vegetarian apps and meals that are straightforward enough to prep for the week. This was a perfect Super Bowl Sunday recipe 🙂
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Ashleigh! 😀