Buffalo Chicken Tacos
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Buffalo Chicken Tacos are crispy, cheesy, and full of deliciousness! Slow cooker buffalo chicken is stuffed inside warm tortillas and cooked to a crisp in a hot skillet.
Served with a creamy Jalapeño sauce, this is one your family will be asking for over and over again!
Easy Buffalo Chicken Tacos Recipe
Mini Buffalo Chicken Tacos are a great staple for busy weeknights. Change up your standard beef, cheese, and lettuce tacos by making these buffalo chicken tacos with jalapeño sauce.
Not only can you use your slow cooker buffalo chicken for your tacos, but you can use leftover chicken or buffalo sauce in many different ways!
If your buffalo chicken is a little too spicy, you can add an Avocado Crema, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing on top.
Buffalo Chicken Tacos Ingredients
Boneless chicken breasts: I like to use fresh boneless chicken breasts for this recipe; you can use chicken thighs as well.
Hot sauce: you’re welcome to choose any hot sauce that you’d like. I really Frank’s Red Original Hot Sauce because it gives the chicken the perfect buffalo flavor. I also really like this one if you’re looking for something healthier, without giving up great flavor.
Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. If you only have salted, that is okay. I would omit the extra salt that is needed later.
Tortillas: I like to use mini flour tortillas for this recipe, but you can also use mini corn tortillas. Fajita tortillas are a bit larger and will work just as well.
Cheese: I used a mix of cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese. I prefer to buy the block and grate it myself because it melts so much better than pre-shredded cheese.
Toppings: I like to add cilantro, green onion, and avocado to my mini buffalo chicken tacos.
Creamy Jalapeño Sauce Ingredients
Sour cream: I like to use full fat sour cream for the best flavor, but you can also use light sour cream or Greek yogurt as a lighter substitute.
Cilantro: fresh cilantro gives this sauce the perfect flavor.
Garlic powder: you can use any garlic powder that you have, just double check that you’re not using garlic salt!
Lime: You will need fresh lime juice and zest.
Jalapeño: for this recipe, you will need to remove your jalapeño seeds. You can leave this out if it’s too spicy for you, or add some of the seeds if you want to make it even spicier.
Buttermilk: I like to use buttermilk because it adds a nice tang while balancing out the consistency of the sauce.
Avocado: you will need one avocado for the sauce. The riper the avocado, the better because it will blend well when it’s soft.
If you’re short on time, you can use a rotisserie chicken instead. If using rotisserie chicken, you can prepare the buffalo sauce in a sauce pan and then toss the chicken in the sauce pan with the buffalo sauce.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Tacos
1. Cook the chicken. Place the hot sauce, butter, salt, and pepper in the bowl of your slow cooker. Set the slow cooker on high and let the butter melt, whisk everything together. Then add the chicken breasts, tossing in the hot sauce mixture to coat, and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
2. Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker. Transfer to a plate and shred the meat with two forks or place the chicken breasts in the bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred the chicken.
Place the shredded chicken in a bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce from the slow cooker and toss to coat. Don’t get rid of the sauce, you will use it in a bit!
3. Prepare the creamy Jalapeño sauce. To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until creamy. Season with salt to taste and set aside
4. Make the tacos. Heat a large skillet (I like to use my 12″ cast iron pan) on medium heat. Working in batches, coat both sides of the tortillas in the hot sauce mixture from the slow cooker (the best part!), then place them in the hot pan and add about 2 tbsps of shredded cheese and 3-4 tbsps of shredded chicken to one side of the tortilla.
Cook for 1-2 minutes before folding in half. Continue cooking another 1-2 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the tacos begins to char. Flip the taco and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes until it begins to char.
Transfer the tacos to a plate or baking sheet to cool before serving.
5. Serve the tacos. I like to serve my tacos with fresh cilantro, green onions, avocado, and the Creamy Jalapeño Sauce for dipping. You can also top them with blue cheese crumbles or feta cheese.
Oven instructions
- To make these tacos in the oven, follow the directions up to step 4. Instead of placing the tortillas in the pan after dipping them in buffalo sauce, place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Add the cheese to one side of the taco and bake for 4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the chicken, then fold the taco in half and bake for about 5 minutes or until the edges of the tortillas begin to char.
Tip!
If the tortillas start to bubble, press down on the tops with a spatula.
What is buffalo chicken sauce made of?
The base of a buffalo chicken sauce is butter and hot sauce. I like to use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce for this recipe because it gives a delicious buffalo flavor that isn’t too hot or spicy. Butter gives your buffalo chicken sauce a creamy consistency and mild buttery flavor.
You can make your homemade buffalo sauce spicier by using an extra hot buffalo sauce. It’s super easy to make since you only need four ingredients. You can store homemade buffalo sauce in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Is buffalo chicken hot or spicy?
Buffalo chicken is hot and creamy because one of its main ingredients is butter. It’s also more smooth and rich than hot sauce. Hot sauce is spicier because it uses cayenne pepper and other hot spices.
Since this recipe calls for Frank’s Red Hot, it does add both spice and heat to your buffalo chicken. If you like it spicier, you can get the extra hot version at the store.
I like to use buffalo sauce in my Buffalo Chicken Wings and my Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls.
What does buffalo chicken go with?
Simply put, you can add buffalo chicken to many meals and make it a base for many recipes. You can use it to make Buffalo Chicken Meatballs or Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip. You can also put your buffalo sauce on grilled or crispy chicken and use it as a topping on a green salad.
Buffalo Chicken is also an excellent base for different air fryer appetizers and game day snacks.
You will also see many dishes paired with celery sticks, carrots, and a dip like a ranch or blue cheese sauce. These are great for cooling down some of the spice.
What’s on a crispy chicken taco?
You can put anything you’d like on your Buffalo Chicken Tacos. I like to use cilantro, green onion, and avocado.
You can also top them with cheese, lettuce, and a creamy jalapeño sauce. Pico de Gallo, salsa, and onions also go really well with this recipe.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- To prepare this recipe ahead of time, store your chicken and your buffalo sauce in the fridge separately. When you’re ready to make the tacos, microwave the sauce for a few seconds because the contents will separate overnight. Stir the sauce, then add your chicken and warmed buffalo sauce into your slow cooker and cook on high for about 30 minutes.
- You can use chicken thighs for this recipe instead of chicken breasts.
- You can make extra buffalo sauce or jalapeño sauce to use later. Just put it in an airtight container or jar and stick it in the fridge. The buffalo sauce will last up to two weeks, but the jalapeño sauce is best if used within 3 days.
Craving something sweet? Try serving this Cherry Crisp Recipe after dinner!
More taco recipes to try
If you’re looking for more easy taco recipes to enjoy on taco Tuesday, I’ve got you covered!
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Trader Joe’s Soyaki Tacos
- Blackened Salmon Tacos
- Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos
- Leftover Turkey Tacos
- Cilantro Lime Spicy Shrimp Tacos
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Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, should equal about 2 lbs
- 1 cup hot sauce
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 mini flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- cilantro, green onion, and avocado, for serving
Creamy Jalapeño Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup cilantro
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lime, juice & zest
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 avocado
Instructions
- In the bowl of your slow cooker, add the hot sauce, butter, salt, and pepper. Set the slow cooker on low and let the butter melt. Then add the chicken, tossing in the hot sauce mixture to coat, and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
- When the chicken is finished cooking, shred the meat with two forks or using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. Place the shredded chicken in a bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce from the slow cooker and toss to coat. Don’t get rid of the sauce, you will use it in a bit!
- Make the Creamy Jalapeño Sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until creamy. Season with salt to taste and set aside.
- Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat.
- Working in batches, coat both sides of the tortillas in the hot sauce mixture from the slow cooker, then place them in the hot pan and add about 2 tbsps of shredded cheese and 3-4 tbsps of shredded chicken to one side of the tortilla.Cook for 1-2 minutes before folding in half. Continue cooking another 1-2 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the tacos begins to char. Flip the taco and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes until it begins to char.Transfer the tacos to a plate or baking sheet to cool before serving.
- Serve the tacos topped with cilantro, green onions, avocado, and Creamy Jalapeño Sauce.
Oven Instructions
- To make these tacos in the oven, follow the directions up to step 4. Instead of placing the tortillas in the pan after dipping them in buffalo sauce, place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 425F
- Add the cheese to one side of the taco and bake for 4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the chicken, then fold the taco in half and bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the tortillas begin to char.
Video
Notes
- You can also use chicken thighs!
- If the tortillas start to bubble up while cooking, press down with a spatula to flatten the bubbles or gently poke the bubble with a fork.
- Use a rotisserie chicken if you are short on time.
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try it soon!
Well, OF COURSE putting tacos and buffalo chicken together is a great idea! They’re my two favorite party foods, so I’m all in on this!
I am saving this recipe for the weekend. My girls love Buffalo tacos and this is such a doable recipe.
There is so much amazing flavor in these awesome tacos!!
Love how quick and easy these buffalo chicken tacos are to make. They look delicious with their crispy outer layer. Yum!
delicious! will def make again. but instead of buttermilk can i just double the sour cream?
Yes, I think that would be ok. If the texture is too thick, add a little water to thin it out.
This is one of my partners favourite meals! We have made it many times, I have tweaked a few things I like to chop up a little garlic and onion to add to the slow cooker and I just cover the tops of chicken breasts with some chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne because we like it extra hot!
But honestly with or without any changes these tacos are the bomb
Wow, thank you so much! I’m so glad you both love this recipe 🙂
These were so so delicious. Added avocado and green onion on the inside of the tacos while crisping them, and they turned out fantastic. I eat a low-carb diet, so I ate mine as a salad with all the toppings (delightful). My husband raved about this dinner, thanks for the great simple Friday dinner idea 🙂