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Weeknight-style Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Ranch. Chicken slow cooked in homemade buffalo sauce, then mixed with cheese, stuffed into tortillas, and oven-baked. Each buffalo taco is crunchy on the outside, and spicy, saucy, and cheesy inside. Serve with a creamy, tangy jalapeño ranch and an avocado on top. These come together easily and are so delicious. The perfect crispy taco that everyone loves!
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The very first full week of September and I’m already back with the buffalo chicken recipes. The second football season starts back up all I can think about is fun game night appetizers and dinners. That’s the month of September for me. Then, when October hits I move on to Halloween 24/7.
But for now, it’s fun game day style recipes. And while I know these aren’t traditional tacos, they really are so delicious!
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- Hot sauce
- Salted butter
- Seasoned salt
- Black pepper
- Hard shell tacos
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded pepper jack cheese
- Cilantro, green onion and avocado for serving
- Chipotle peppers
Creamy Jalapeño Ranch
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Mayo
- Buttermilk
- Dried parsley
- Dried dill
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Pickled jalapeños
- Kosher salt
- Chopped fresh chives
Here are the details
These are easy you guys. I want to start out by saying you can make these in either the crockpot, instant pot, or on the stove. Either option works, so use whichever method suits you best! They will all give you the same outcome.
For the crockpot, simply add all the ingredients right into the crockpot. For the hot sauce, I like to use Frank’s Red Hot. Next, add the butter, seasoned salt, and pepper. Let it all slow cook, then shred the meat right into the buffalo sauce.
The very same with the instant pot, except the cooking time is much, much shorter (just 8 minutes).
And for the stove-top, it is slightly more involved, but it’s still easy. Just cook the chicken in a skillet until seared, pour in the sauce, butter, and seasoned salt. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Then shred the chicken right into the sauce.
For the crispy shells
Instead of using store-bought taco shells, I like to take corn tortillas and stuff them with the buffalo chicken and cheese. Then I throw them into the oven to bake until the tortillas are crispy.
This method is my favorite and I use it every time I make tacos for my family. We love the crispy oven “fried” shells and melty cheese. It’s the best when some of the cheese melts out onto the pan and gets crispy too. Delicious.
Of course, feel free to use store-bought shells when in a time crunch! The directions I gave in the recipe calls for store-bought, but I provided my homemade recipe too!
The creamy jalapeño ranch
I know that making homemade ranch is just another step, but it really is worth it. And it’s easier than running to the market to pick up a bottle.
I keep mine pretty simple and straightforward. Sour cream or yogurt, mayo, buttermilk, parsley, dill, onion, garlic, and of course, the jalapeños. Instead of fresh jalapeños, I like to use pickled. Using pickled jalapeños adds a subtle, tangy kick that I find especially delicious.
Finish these up with avocado on top, fresh cilantro, and extra buffalo sauce.
Simple to make, but so yummy and fun for fall nights. My family loved these crunchy, crispy tacos!
Looking for more simple game day recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Lastly, if you make these Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch, 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!
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 cup hot sauce , (I like Franks Red Hot)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- black pepper
- 12 hard shell tacos (see notes for homemade option)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- cilantro, green onion, and avocado, for serving
- 2 chipotle peppers, chopped
Creamy Jalapeño Ranch
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the chicken, hot sauce, chipotle, butter, seasoned salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours.2. When finished cooking, shred the meat and toss with the sauce, then remove the chicken from the sauce, saving the extra sauce for serving. Preheat the oven to 425° F.3. Line the taco shells up in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake 5 minutes. Stuff the chicken in each taco shell and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.4. Meanwhile, make the Creamy Jalapeño Ranch. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until creamy. Season with salt. 5. Serve the tacos topped with cilantro, green onions, avocado, additional buffalo sauce and Creamy Jalapeño Ranch.
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the chicken, hot sauce, chipotle, butter, seasoned salt, and pepper. Seal the and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Release the steam. 2. When finished cooking, shred the meat and toss with the sauce, then remove the chicken from the sauce, saving the extra sauce for serving. Preheat the oven to 425° F.3. Continue on with the recipe as directed in steps 3-5 above.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
What’s the spice level? Thanks!
Hey Jaclyn,
It really depends on the hot sauce that you use, if you don’t like heat, I would use your fave mild buffalo sauce! I hope you love the recipe! xx
These tacos were really, really good! I had issues with the shells falling apart but I think it was because the chicken, just pulled from the sauce, was too wet and made the shells soggy, causing them to fall apart. Next time I will drain the sauce better and maybe not use as much oil on the outside of the shells. Anyway, the flavors, especially paired with the dressing, were really delicious. We used some of the dressing over a side salad, too. Thank you for sharing so many truly delicious and beautiful recipes!
Hey Latia,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you had some issues with the shells! Happy Monday! xx
Fantastic tacos! Easy to make and super yummy.
Hey Lisa,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
Great meal to go with ?! The corn tortillas gave me a bit of trouble but they turned out great anyway. The cheese held them together. The sauce was key. Thanks for sharing this.
Hey Cherre,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Monday! xx
Wow! My husband and I loved this recipe
He was eating the chicken out of the crockpot!
He asked me if I could make it with pork as well
So yummy
Thank you
Hi Sheila,
Fantastic!! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for trying it out! xT
Wow – these tacos are crispy & amazing! I chose the homemade hard shell route & am SO glad I did!
Also the jalapeño ranch is definitely worth going out to buy all the ingredients in order to pair it with these tacos. So good!
Hi Caitlin,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Made this for my mom and I last night and it was easily one of the better things I’ve made recently. It was absolutely delicious!
Hey Kathy,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
These were a HIT! Be sure to use parchment paper. A few of my tacos were overfilled so I used toothpicks to hold the tortillas closed before flipping. I sprinkled a little of the left cheese on the taco before flipping, and it made for a delicious crunchy cheesy shell. Great for football season 10/10
Hey Courtney,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
Is it possible to do flour tortillas rather than corn?
Hi Kelsey,
You can certainly use flour tortillas, they just don’t get as crispy as the corn:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
I made these this evening with what I had in my fridge already and it was a fam favorite!! I used the insta-pot and let the pressure release for 8 mins after the 10 min pressure cooking. The chicken was super tender and delicious!! Great for college football night! I did not have corn tortillas so I used tostada shells instead and YUM! Can’t wait to make it again soon!
Jalapeno ranch was delicious as well and I didn’t use every single spice because I didn’t have them all tonight. I think there is a lot of wiggle room in this recipe!!
Hey Rose,
Amazing!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xx
The tortillas stuck to the pan 🙁 it all came disassembled. Any tips?
I had the same problem. Second time, I lined the pan with parchment paper.
Hi Lulu,
So sorry to hear you had issues with the tortillas. Did you try coating your tortillas in oil? Did you use a nonstick pan? Let me know! xT
Your recipes are flipping amazing! I can’t wait to try this one!
Thanks so much Savannah, let me know how it turns out! xx
These are freaking incredible!! My whole family LOVED them!! Easy to make and so delicious.
Hey Tiffany,
Thanks so much!! I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you giving it a try! Happy Monday!
Great recipe and super easy. I loved the corn tortilla in the oven and mine crisped up fine and the taco stayed closed. I put the chicken then cheese, folded over tortilla, pressed firmly together then flipped over so the chicken was on top and stuck to the tortilla better and kept it folded.
My husband loved this recipe and will definitely make again.
Hi Emma,
Amazing!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
These are amazing. The oven crisping of the shells really levels them up and the homemade jalapeño ranch is amazing. Perfect football food. Highly recommend this one.
Hi Rachel,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! xT
What brand of corn tortillas do you use? Mine seem to tear once I fold them.
Hi Debra,
I like to use Whole Foods 365 brand. It helps to warm them and coat in oil. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I plan to make these next week: do you think they would crunch up more in an air fryer?
Hi Heather,
So sorry, I’ve never tried these in the air fryer, but let me know how it turns out! Happy Sunday! xT