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One Skillet Buffalo Ranch Chicken Enchilada Bake. Quick-cooking ground chicken, seasoned with fajita seasoning and tossed in a mix of spicy buffalo sauce and smoky salsa verde. Top this saucy enchilada skillet with ranch-seasoned cheese tortillas, then bake it up in the oven. The most delicious smells, a bubbly buffalo verde sauce, and melty cheese are all tucked into this skillet meal. It’s a delicious twist on the combination of baked enchiladas and saucy buffalo chicken. Serve with dollops of ranch and avocado on top. So yummy!
I’ve said this before, but it’s the recipes that I come up with at a moment’s notice and with a little bit of a time crunch, that I end up loving most.
I’ve been wanting to make enchiladas for the last 2 weeks. I even tried two new recipes but ended up scratching them both because I did not love them. This idea came to me at the end of the day this week. I knew I really didn’t have time to fully complete the recipe from start to finish, but I tried anyway.
And while I didn’t finish the recipe to my exact liking on day one, I knew I LOVED the idea. Yes, these enchiladas are different, but it’s the buffalo sauce that really makes them special.
The details
Just like any chicken enchilada, this recipe starts with chicken, onions, and peppers. I love to use ground chicken since it’s so quick cooking.
Everything is pan-cooked in a skillet with a mix of seasonings, buffalo sauce, and salsa verde. I use a bit of fajita seasoning (you can also use taco seasoning or just chili powder), and then black pepper.
Once the chicken, onions, and peppers are cooked, add the beer. I use beer for an additional flavor boost, but you can easily replace the beer with water if you prefer.
And the key, the sauce! This is extra saucy with both buffalo sauce and salsa verde. I took inspiration from my white chicken chili, we just love this flavor combination!
For the buffalo sauce, I did a homemade sauce, but you can use one from the store as well. I always recommend Franks!
Now, the cheesy tortillas! Traditionally you would roll the tortillas up with the chicken, then place each in enchilada sauce. But I didn’t want to bother with the mess of rolling up the sauce. Instead, I rolled each tortilla up with the creamy mix that would make up a classic buffalo chicken dip: cream cheese, ranch, and then some shredded cheddar cheese.
The tortillas go right over the sauce. Then I finish this bake with a handful more of cheese and throw the whole pan in the oven.
Bake until the sauce is bubbling up around the skillet and the cheese is melted.
What ends up happening is that the tortillas get a nice crispy crunch around the edge of the skillet, but the cheese inside each melts into the creamiest ranch dip. Which of course is so delicious with any buffalo chicken recipe.
For toppings, I do dollops of salted lime yogurt, avocado, cilantro, and jalapeños. Green onions would be great too!
Simple to throw together with a nice mix of texture and flavor. You get saucy, crispy, and spicy.
The perfect game-day style enchiladas, but really great for a fun dinner with friends or family too!
Looking for other Mexican-inspired recipes? Here are a few…
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
Mini Ranch Pretzels with Buffalo Cheese Sauce
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
One Skillet Street Corn Chicken Enchilada Bake
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Buffalo Ranch Chicken Enchilada Bake, 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!
One Skillet Buffalo Ranch Chicken Enchiladas
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 671 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 poblano peppers, chopped
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup beer (or use water)
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 6 tortillas, warmed
- avocado, limes, and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, combine the olive oil, chicken, onion, and peppers. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the fajita seasoning, then pour in the beer, the buffalo sauce, and the salsa. Simmer 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. 3. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, yogurt, parsley, chives, dill, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir in half of the shredded cheese.4. Spoon the cream cheese mix down the center of each tortilla, tuck, and roll. Place the tortillas, seam side down, into the skillet overtop of the chicken. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted.5. Serve warm, drizzled with yogurt mixed with lime and salt. Top with avocado, cilantro, and jalapeños. Add extra buffalo sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Buffalo Sauce: Mix 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/2 cup olive oil or melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and a 1/2 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a glass jar or measuring cup. Mix together.
Homemade Fajita Seasoning: mix 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. Makes 1/2 cup.
This skillet has so much flavor!! Modifications: I used jalapenos instead of pablanos, Primal Palate taco seasoning instead of fajita seasoning, and chicken bone broth instead of beer. The filling seemed a bit watery at first so I let it cook an extra 10ish minutes, and it thickened more in the oven with the tortillas. It was delicious!!
Hey Kylie,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xT
I was afraid this would have too much going on to be good, but it was DELICIOUS. I used shredded chicken breasts and added a thinly-sliced zucchini. Next time I make it, I will probably omit the beer and use either chicken broth or water. I do think the beer I used might’ve been a little much (Highland Clawhammer Oktoberfest), but still, this recipe is a 9.5/10! We loved it!
Hey Lauren,
Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:)
Almost didn’t make this because it seemed too complicated. But nope! It truly is one dish and was so good! Even my picky 18 month old loved it and she is not easily impressed. I didn’t have any store bought buffalo sauce so I had to make a small batch of my own. Also forgot the salsa verde so omitted it, but would 100% make this again!
Hey Tiffany,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing what worked well for you!! So glad it was delish! xTieghan
Made this vegetarian by using pressed firm tofu. I also ended up putting the tofu + pepper + onion mix inside the enchiladas instead of leaving it on the bottom. Added the salsa verde on top of the already rolled enchiladas. Turned out delicious !!! would def make again 🙂
Hey Annie,
Amazing!! I’m so glad you were able to make this vegetarian friendly, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Amazing, easy everything I love in a weeknight dinner. Can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch!
Hey Kelsey,
Perfect:) I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and I’m so glad it was enjoyed! Thanks! xx
So Good! I couldnt find ground chicken, so used ground turkey. Delicous!
Hi Leslie,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Delicious! My
Husband loved it
Hey Toto,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a winner! xT
Huge hit! Wouldn’t change a thing. I just made on 12 smaller corn tortillas. Again, you never steer us wrong. Thank you, Teighan!
Hey Kathy,
Perfect!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Holy freaking yum! For whatever reason I forgot the yogurt and just used sour cream not sure if that worked the same but it was sooooo good!!
Hey Caraline,
Happy Tuesday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for giving it a go! xTieghan
I am a sucker for enchiladas, so I was excited to make this buffalo chicken variation. They did not disappoint! I was worried that these would be too rich with the cream cheese but they turned out super well balanced and flavourful.
The only tweak I made was subbing in pulled chicken instead of the ground chicken and jalapenos for poblano peppers due to availability. I followed the instructions the same but started by searing the chicken breasts and then added in my onions/peppers until the chicken was cooked through and then shredded in a separate bowl and then continued as instructed. Threw some pomegranate arils on top for serving.
Big hit and will definitely be making again 🙂
Hey KJ,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Oh my gosh! This was such a hit. It’s very delicious, easy and the perfect Sunday Night Football meal. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Karen,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Monday! xx
oh wow. this is my first time making any of your recipes. i choose well for a first time. it is delicious. i didnt have ground chicken so used ground deer. it was a hit in our house. will be making again. the recipe is so well laid out. i didnt get frustrated making it.
Hey Stacey,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try!🍁 xxT
Loved this for the most part – thank you! The sauce was an awesome spin on your typical enchilada recipe!
The ranch was just way too overpowering in terms of dill. Next time I’ll probably cut back on the herbs slightly and make sure to push the rolled up tortillas down into the mixture more. It was truly delicious though! And super easy to make.
Hey Jackie,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try!🍁 xxT
My whole family loved this recipe. I didn’t have poblano peppers so used green bell instead. Also made a vegan version with soy mince, and vegan cheeses. This was a huge hit in my house. And now, I have fresh chili powder Iade at home and fajita seasoning. Its so easy to make here spice mixes and they have more flavor. I used water as I had no beer at home and the flavor was still great. Want to try it with beer next time. My only question is whether there is a lower fat version of buffalo sauce. I used oil in place of butter but its still quite a bit.
Hey Meredith,
Fantastic! I love to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you giving it a try! For the buffalo sauce, you could use a store bought version that you like better, Primal Kitchen has one that is a good “health friendly” option. Let me know how that turns out!! Happy Sunday! 👻
This recipe was SO good! I loved the combination of the cheesy enchiladas with the saucy mixture below. And even though there were multiple parts it came together very easily. I’ll definitely make it again!
Hey Rebecca,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan