Cheesy Ranch Chicken Bombs are everything you love about creamy ranch chicken dip wrapped up in warm, golden, handheld “bombs” that practically ooze melted cheese.
Tender biscuit dough bakes around a rich filling of shredded chicken, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and ranch seasoning, so when you bite in you get buttery bread on the outside and hot, cheesy, ranch-loaded goodness on the inside. They’re perfect as a game day snack, party appetizer, or fun weeknight dinner that you can serve with a simple salad and call it a night.
Because they start with cooked chicken and refrigerated biscuit dough, these bombs come together quickly with very little fuss. You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover roast, or even meal-prepped chicken from earlier in the week, and the filling stirs together in one bowl. The tops get brushed with ranch butter and sprinkled with extra cheese before baking, so they come out of the oven bronzed, bubbling, and impossible to resist. If you’re after something crowd-pleasing, cheesy, and extremely dunkable in ranch, this recipe absolutely delivers.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Fork or spatula
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone mat
- Pastry brush or spoon (for butter topping)
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or finely chopped
- 1 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions (optional but delicious)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough (8 large biscuits)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup shredded cheese for topping (cheddar, Colby Jack, or mozzarella)
Instructions
To make Cheesy Ranch Chicken Bombs, start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Having the pan ready and the oven hot before you start shaping means you can pop the bombs in as soon as they’re assembled, which helps the biscuits puff nicely and the filling stay where it belongs.
Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature; if it’s straight from the fridge it will be difficult to mix smoothly with the chicken and cheese.
In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, 2 tablespoons of the dry ranch seasoning, the chopped green onions if you’re using them, the garlic powder, and the black pepper.
Use a fork or spatula to mash and stir everything together until you have a thick, cohesive mixture and there are no big streaks of plain cream cheese left. The filling should be creamy but sturdy enough to scoop and hold its shape—if it seems very loose, add a small handful of extra shredded chicken or cheese to tighten it up; if it feels too stiff, a spoonful of sour cream or a splash of milk will soften it slightly.
Open the can of biscuit dough and separate the biscuits. Working with one at a time, use your fingers or the heel of your hand to gently press each biscuit out into a flat circle, about 4–5 inches across.
You don’t want to make them so thin that they tear, but you do want enough surface area to wrap around a generous spoonful of filling. Place a rounded tablespoon or two of the chicken mixture in the center of each flattened biscuit.
Bring the edges of the dough up and around the filling, pinching firmly to seal at the top so no gaps remain. You’re essentially creating a stuffed ball with the seam at the top; if any cream cheese mixture squeezes out, just tuck it back in and pinch the dough closed over it. Turn each bomb seam-side down and place it on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them to allow for expansion in the oven.
Once all the bombs are assembled, melt the butter in a small dish and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. Use a pastry brush or spoon to lightly coat the tops and sides of each dough ball with this ranch butter, which will help them brown and infuse extra flavor into the crust. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the tops of the bombs, pressing a bit gently so it clings. Don’t worry if some cheese falls onto the pan around them; those crispy, melty edges are part of the charm and make for delicious nibbles once everything is baked.
Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake the Cheesy Ranch Chicken Bombs for about 15–18 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and deep golden brown and the cheese on top is melted and starting to toast. If your oven runs hot, start checking them around the 13–14 minute mark so the bottoms don’t get too dark; if they’re browning unevenly, you can rotate the pan halfway through baking. You may see a tiny bit of cheese or filling bubble out of a seam here and there—that’s normal and usually just means extra crispy, cheesy bits on the edge.
When they’re done, remove the pan from the oven and let the bombs cool for a few minutes before serving. The filling inside will be piping hot initially, and a brief rest helps them set up so they don’t collapse or burn your mouth as soon as you bite in. At this point you can transfer them to a serving platter or just set the sheet pan on the table for a more casual, grab-and-go style presentation. They’re at their absolute best served warm, with the cheese inside still melty and the biscuits soft and fluffy under that ranchy, buttery crust.
Tips & Variations
There’s a lot of room to play with this recipe depending on your taste and what you have on hand. Using rotisserie chicken makes things extra easy and adds a nice roasted flavor, but any cooked chicken works—grilled, baked, leftover from another night, or even poached.
Just be sure it’s well shredded or finely chopped so it blends smoothly into the cream cheese and doesn’t create big lumps that are hard to wrap. Sharp cheddar is a great default choice for the cheese, but Colby Jack, pepper Jack, or a blend can all work nicely and shift the flavor profile slightly. If you like extra gooeyness, you can even tuck a small cube of mozzarella or another melty cheese into the center of each ball along with the chicken mixture.
If you’re a bacon lover, crumbled cooked bacon is a natural addition to the filling and pushes these into full “crack chicken” territory. A quarter cup or so mixed in with the chicken, cream cheese, and ranch gives you smoky, salty pops in every bite. For a bit of heat, finely diced jalapeños or a pinch of red pepper flakes can be stirred into the filling; pickled jalapeños work especially well because they bring both spice and a touch of tang. You can also adjust the ranch flavor by combining dry seasoning with a spoonful of bottled ranch dressing in the mix, just be sure not to make the filling too loose if you add liquid.
Biscuit dough makes these bombs hearty and satisfying, but you can swap it for crescent roll dough if you prefer something flakier and lighter. In that case, you’d work with triangles instead of rounds, placing a small mound of filling near the wide end, rolling up, and tucking in the sides to seal as best you can before baking. Crescent dough tends to bake a little faster, so you’ll want to reduce the oven time slightly and keep an eye on the color. No matter which dough you use, the key is always to seal well, because that gives you the most dramatic “cheesy ranch” payoff when you pull them apart.
Serving & Storage
Cheesy Ranch Chicken Bombs are incredibly versatile at the table. As an appetizer, they can be piled onto a platter with a cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing in the center for dipping, along with some fresh veggie sticks if you want to add crunch and balance.
They’re perfect for game days, movie nights, and casual gatherings because people can grab one or two and eat them out of hand. For a more rounded meal, you can serve them alongside a simple green salad, roasted vegetables, or even a bowl of soup; they’re particularly good with tomato soup, potato soup, or a loaded salad with extra ranch drizzled on top.
If you have leftovers, let the bombs cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep well for about 3–4 days.
To reheat, the oven or an air fryer will give you the best texture: pop them onto a baking sheet or into the air fryer basket and warm at around 325–350°F until heated through and the outside is crisp again. The microwave works in a pinch, especially for a quick lunch, but the dough will soften rather than staying crisp.
These bombs also freeze surprisingly well: once baked and cooled, arrange them on a tray to freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, reheat from frozen in the oven until hot in the center, and you’ve got an almost-instant cheesy ranch snack ready to go.
