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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 is on repeat in our house. Such a yummy recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Allisa,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:)
Delicious….will add black beans next time!
Hi Shannon,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
My 15 year old son gives this recipe 5 stars, this is the second time we are making it. This time we omitted the dill in the cream cheese mix. I just couldn’t get past how the dill just didn’t fit the whole thing 😂 so much better in my opinion w out it!
We love making your recipes.
Hey Anne,
Perfect!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xx
Quick question – the top portion of the recipe mentions ranch, but I didn’t see ranch in the ingredient list or instructions. Do we add ranch, and if so how much? Love every recipe I have tried of yours, hoping to make this one tomorrow. Thank you!
Hey Kary,
You can drizzle with ranch for finishing or sour cream. Here is my homemade ranch dressing if you want that:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/essentials/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Although I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the recipes I have tried from your site this one was a dud for me. It turned out waaaay too spicy and I suspect it’s because I followed your home made recipe for the buffalo sauce but you did not mention what kind of hot sauce would be best to use and sadly the one I used ( Tapatio) turned out to be far too intense. The result is I have a meal for dinner tonight that Im struggling to not throw in the trash. The main reason I decided to comment it in the hopes that you will consider naming the brands you use going forward.
Hi Victoria,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear about the heat. I used Frank’s Hot Sauce, but not everyone has access to that or prefers that brand. I hope this helps! xx
New staple in our house! I used ground chicken and the Buffalo sauce recipe. Added cojita cheese and tomatoes on top. Would try shredded chicken next time. Very easy to follow recipe. Flavors were great! 3 of us finished one skillet but plenty for 4/5 people.
Hey Diana,
Happy Wednesday!❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xT
I don’t like beef so I don’t make recipes that call for it so maybe, since you don’t like things spicy, don’t make recipes that call for hot sauce!
My daughter made this recipe over the holidays and it was a hit. I just made it with chorizo sausage instead of chicken!! Looks awesome!
Hey Sue,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Did I miss something? My filling is reddish in color I presume due to the paprika… but yours wasn’t. What did I do wrong?! :/
Hey Morgan,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! My filling is most definitely on the red side, so you did nothing wrong! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
Wow! This may be my favorite enchilada recipe. You are so right, the sauce makes this but I’d argue that the cream cheese yogurt mix also elevates this dish. Exceptional!!!
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
This was delicious! Curious as to what sides you would put this with? I always struggle with adding sides that compliment the main dish
Hi Jennine,
Happy Holidays!!☃️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! My family likes rice and salad! xT
This was just okay, wont make it again. You have SO many great ones though, it was redeemed with your Crispy Tom Herb Cheese pan pizza 🍕
Hey Heidi,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Hi! I live with my brothers and always resort to Half Baked Harvest to make easy, delicious meals. Next time, I’d swap out ground chicken or shredded chicken. Otherwise, it was simply delicious!
Hey Kylie,
Happy Holidays!!☃️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
This tasted amazing! Switched out the ground chicken for rotisserie chicken and it was delicious!
Hey Caiti,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
This is a winner! I could not find ground chicken at any grocery stores so I subbed ground Turkey. Worked well!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Can you do this with ground beef instead of ground chicken?
Hi Jamie,
Totally, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This one is a winner! Everyone loved it and it’ll be going in the regular family meal rotation.
Hey Laura,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
I’ve made this 4 times so far. It’s my favorite meal right now. So good!!!
Love to hear this Maurie!! Thanks for making it! xT