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Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 137 reviews

These Buffalo Chicken Tacos feature tender, slow-cooked chicken breasts simmered in a buttery hot sauce, stuffed inside mini flour tortillas with melted pepper jack cheese and topped with a zesty, creamy jalapeño sauce. Perfectly charred on a cast iron skillet or baked in the oven, these tacos offer a spicy, flavorful twist on classic comfort food, garnished with fresh cilantro, green onion, and avocado.

Ingredients

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Buffalo Chicken

  • 3 boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
  • 1 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 mini flour tortillas
  • 1 cup hot sauce mixture (reserved from slow cooker)
  • 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • Cilantro, green onion, and avocado, for serving

Creamy Jalapeño Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lime, juice and zest
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 avocado

Instructions

  1. Prepare the buffalo chicken: In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the hot sauce, butter, salt, and pepper. Set the slow cooker on low and let the butter melt completely. Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat them thoroughly with the hot sauce mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
  2. Shred the chicken: Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks or the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. Transfer the shredded chicken to a bowl and add a few spoonfuls of the reserved hot sauce from the slow cooker, tossing to coat evenly. Reserve the remaining sauce for later use.
  3. Make the creamy jalapeño sauce: In a food processor or blender, combine sour cream, cilantro, salt, lime juice and zest, jalapeño (seeds removed), buttermilk, and avocado. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust salt to taste, then set aside.
  4. Heat the pan and prepare tortillas: Warm a cast iron pan over medium heat. Working in batches, dip both sides of each mini tortilla into the reserved hot sauce mixture from the slow cooker. Place the tortilla in the hot pan, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of shredded pepper jack cheese on one side, then add 3-4 tablespoons of shredded buffalo chicken on top of the cheese.
  5. Cook and fold tacos: Cook the tortilla for 1-2 minutes until the bottom begins to char slightly. Fold the tortilla in half over the filling and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts and the underside chars. Flip the taco and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to char the other side.
  6. Cool and serve: Transfer the cooked tacos onto a plate or baking sheet to cool slightly. Serve topped with fresh cilantro, green onions, avocado slices, and a generous drizzle of the creamy jalapeño sauce.
  7. Oven option (alternative cooking method): Prepare tortillas by dipping in buffalo sauce as directed. Instead of pan cooking, place tortillas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Sprinkle cheese on one half and bake for 4 minutes until melted. Remove from oven, add shredded chicken, fold tacos in half, then bake for another 10 minutes until tortilla edges begin to char slightly.

Notes

  • For extra heat, keep the jalapeño seeds in the sauce.
  • You can substitute mini flour tortillas with small corn tortillas if preferred.
  • Leftover buffalo sauce can be stored and used as a dipping sauce or mixed into other dishes.
  • The slow cooker method yields the most tender and flavorful chicken.
  • The oven method is a great hands-off alternative to achieve melted cheese and slight charring.
  • Adjust the amount of hot sauce to your preferred spice level.

Keywords: buffalo chicken, chicken tacos, slow cooker recipe, spicy tacos, creamy jalapeño sauce, easy dinner, game day food

Find it online: https://topreci.com/buffalo-chicken-tacos-with-creamy-jalapeno-sauce-recipe/