Buffalo Chicken Tacos are made by dipping flour tortillas in buffalo sauce, then filled with chicken that has been cooked in buffalo sauce, along with shredded cheese, and pan-fried until browned. There is a kick from the buffalo sauce in every delicious and messy bite! Try my Shredded Beef Tacos for more tacos that are messy in the most flavorful way!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos on a tray from overhead with sauce and celery.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Chicken: Seasoned chicken breasts are cooked in buffalo sauce in a slow cooker. The slow cooking makes the chicken tender and gives it time to absorb all of the buffalo sauce. To save time, you could also heat up a shredded rotisserie chicken (which is already cooked) in buffalo sauce.

Buffalo Sauce: Buffalo sauce is not the same as hot sauce. While both provide a spicy kick, buffalo sauce is a specific blend of hot sauce, butter, and seasonings that gives the wings their signature tangy and buttery flavor. You can easily purchase store-bought buffalo sauce, or make your own.

Tortillas: Look for 6-inch flour tortillas. You could certainly use a different size, but with this recipe, I was sticking with the soft taco size. You could also make your own tortillas!

Cheese: I added mild cheddar cheese to the tacos. You could use another kind of cheese like Monterey Jack, Gouda, or even blue cheese crumbles.

Green Onions: Green onions have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that can add a nice contrast to the spiciness of the buffalo sauce. They can help to balance out the heat and add a fresh, crisp flavor.

Chicken in a crockpot with buffalo sauce one image before it is cooked and the other image is after it is cooked and shredded.

Slow Cooking Chicken

The first step in this recipe is to slow-cook the chicken in buffalo sauce. This will take about 4 hours on low or 1 1/2 to 2 hours on high. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before shredding it. Once shredded, add the chicken back into the buffalo sauce.

Steps for assembling a Buffalo Chicken Tacos in a pan starting with the soaked tortilla, chicken, cheese, green onion, then folding.

Can I Use Shredded Chicken That Has Been Already Cooked?

Certainly! If you already have cooked shredded chicken or leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, simply add that to the slow cooker with the buffalo sauce to heat it up to 165°F. Or, heat up the chicken with buffalo sauce on the stovetop, no slow cooker is needed!

Dipping a Buffalo Chicken Tacos into the sauce it cooked in.

How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Grab the napkins (and maybe a fork)…these tacos are MESSY! But, they are messy in the most delicious way! By dunking the tortillas into the buffalo sauce before frying them, you add so much more buffalo flavor. After all, these are buffalo chicken tacos. I love them served with homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, but you could also add more toppings. Here are some of my favorite options:

  • Avocado or Guacamole
  • Sour Cream
  • Salsa or Fresh Pico de Gallo
  • Lettuce
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • Jalapeño Peppers
  • Red Onions
Buffalo Chicken Tacos stacked next to each other and one is open a bit showing the filling.

How to Store Buffalo Chicken Tacos

I don’t recommend storing the assembled tacos, as those are best served fresh. But, you could certainly get the buffalo chicken made and stored to use when you are ready to make the tacos. Cooked buffalo chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze shredded buffalo chicken for up to 3 months.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos on a tray from overhead with sauce and celery.
5 from 8 votes

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Buffalo Chicken Tacos are made by dipping flour tortillas in buffalo sauce, then filled with chicken that has been cooked in buffalo sauce, along with shredded cheese, and pan-fried until browned. There is a kick from the buffalo sauce in every delicious and messy bite!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts*
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups buffalo sauce
  • 12 small flour tortillas, about 6-inches in size
  • 1 ½ cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 3 green onions, diced (about 4 tablespoons)

Instructions

  • Season both sides of each chicken breast with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  • In the bowl of your slow cooker add chicken and buffalo sauce.
  • Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 1 ½ hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
  • When ready, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and use two forks to shred it. You should have about 4 cups of shredded chicken. Add the shredded chicken back to the juices in the slow cooker.
  • Preheat a nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Once hot, working one at a time, dip a tortilla into the buffalo sauce in the crockpot. (You may have to push the chicken down a bit.) Add the tortilla to the hot skillet. While it is cooking, top half with about ⅓ cup shredded chicken, 2 tablespoons cheese, and about a teaspoon of green onion. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula, fold the taco and flip, cooking another minute or until browned. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the remaining tacos.
  • Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and extra buffalo sauce for dipping.

Video

Notes

*If you already have cooked shredded chicken or leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, simply add that to the slow cooker with the buffalo sauce to heat it up to 165°F. Or, heat up the chicken with buffalo sauce on the stovetop, no slow cooker is needed! (Make sure you have enough buffalo sauce in the pan to cook the chicken in as well as dip the tortillas.)

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Reader Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Okay I found it. May I suggest that you point out the locations to links for other recipes in the instructions to avoid confusion. This looks like a great recipe though.

  2. 5 stars
    SORRY i DON’T SEE ANY LINK TO A RECIPE FOR BUFFALO SAUCE ANYWHERE. ISN’T WHAT IS ACTUALLY CALLED FOR IS CALLED HOT SAUCE? SORRY THIS IS CONFUSING.

    1. Never mind I found the link but it took me awhile to see it. May I suggest pointing out where links are to additional recipes in the instructions to avoid confusion

  3. Never used buffalo sauce, can you buy it in the aisle with the BBQ sauce or do I have to make it ?

    1. You can buy it or make it, it is next to the ketchup and if you click on the like to “buffalo sauce” in the post it will take you to a homemade recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    If you love Buffalo chicken then you’ll love these! They are soooo good! Thank you Amanda for another amazing recipe!

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