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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.
Hello! So excited to try this recipe tonight. Does anyone have any reccomendations for a side to go with it?
Hey Alaina,
My family enjoys these as is, but you could always do a side salad or rice. I hope you love the recipe! xT
This review is for the jalapeno ranch: FIRE. I will never use another homemade ranch recipe cause this is where it’s at. And so easy to throw together. I didn’t even use a blender, just stirred it all together in a mason jar and it was done. Tastes even better the next day. We left out the jalapenos because we have a toddler. She ate it up, too.
Hey Jessica,
Lol love to hear that you enjoyed the jalapeño ranch:) Thanks for making it! xTieghan
Definitely do the homemade shells! Easy- follow the steps. I did olive oil on both sides and turned before adding chicken and cheese. And… THAT CRISPY CHEESE THAT MELTS ON THE PAN….. oh so good!!!
Hey Betsy,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy Wednesday:)
My husband’s remarks, after his last bite…’I could eat this Every. Single. Day.
Hi Maria,
Lol love to hear this! So glad to hear you both enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! xT
Absolutely loved this recipe! It really makes for the perfect game day food on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I didn’t have any chipotle peppers on hand so I used chipotle sauce and it worked beautifully. Also, the pickled jalapeños in the ranch are a must! I’m not usually a fan of jalapeños but trust Tieghan on this one— it elevates the ranch and the dish! Definitely will become a repeat recipe around here! Thank you!
Hi Gretchen,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT
I really enjoyed this recipe! I’m a California native and tacos are kind of like comfort food to me. This was real easy to make and full of flavor. I knew the chipotles in the sauce would be too much for my husband, so I did leave those out. Other than that it was a delicious recipe that I am now going to use for enchiladas and maybe as a soup base when we get some soup weather. Thank you Tieghan!
Hi Cindy,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making these tacos and sharing your review, I love to hear that they were a hit! xTieghan
Delicious!!! The Jalapeno ranch is amazing, thinking of using it on a salad tomorrow with the leftover chicken.
Hi Tori,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan – I wasn’t able to find Chipotle peppers. Would Chipotle peppers in Adobe work for this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, that is what you will want to use:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Unable to pin this recipe too? Want to save and not forget but alive tried several times and detached Pinterest and can’t find the pin there either? Only an issue with this and jalapeño rolls
Hi Mariah,
The Pinterest “save” button is appearing on all photos, please try again and let me know if you are having issues! xx
What happened to the video of you making this?
Hi Tammy,
Unless I make a reel to save the video to my IG profile, the story videos disappear after 24 hours:) xx
Top notch! ⭐️
Hi Violet,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT
Chicken was super easy and tasted amazing. I ended up with soggy corn tortillas after putting them in the oven, but it was definitely user error. Next time I’ll just use pre-made hard shells!
Hi Bree,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! Sorry to hear about your shells! xT
First off, I love your recipes. I really enjoyed the crunch of the corn tortillas (kinda homemade ones) and crispy cheese. I’ve never baked tacos like this before. The recipe was just a bit to spicy for me (and I do like spice). I will continue to bake my regular tacos using this technique. Thank you for teaching me something new!
Hi Beth,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear these were too spicy, next time should a more mild buffalo sauce! I hope this helps! xx
These were soooo good. I am going to make these regularly…thanks for the fantastic recipe! Perfect spices and textures!
Hey Laura,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Happy Monday!
Could you make the homemade hard shells with flour tortillas? Thanks!
Hi Andrea,
Flour tortillas will work, they just won’t get very crispy! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx