Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch. (2024)

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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!

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!

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.

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

US Customary – Metric

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

For Easy Homemade Hard Shells:Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.

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