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I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it is THE BOMB. It’s also just as good in a bowl over rice too, with the slaw and the sauce on top. Mmmm!
aurora
Hey friends, it’s me! Still cooking, still blogging, STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO HAVE FOR DINNER.
9 out of 10 times this month, these Buffalo Chicken Tacos have been my answer.
Gang’s all there: buffalo tangy, salty browned bits of broiled chicken covered with a limey fresh slaw and a smothering of homemade ranch, all tucked into a pan-charred tortilla, and suddenly it’s Tuesday night and my mouth is having a total rave.
It’s all the good things we like in a weeknight wonder:
- Mindlessly easy.
- Fast.
- Healthyish.
- Flavortown USA.
- Filling.
- But not like, heavy-filling. More like, fresh-filling.
- Saucy, crispy, crunchy, TEXTURAL HEAVEN.
These Buffalo Chicken Tacos are the cousin to the Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos and the Hawaiian Chicken Tacos, both of which are also delicious.
A few things to know.
About The Chicken
PLEASE use boneless skinless chicken thighs even if you think you don’t like chicken thighs. We’re going to cook them in buffalo sauce, gently pull apart with two forks, and broil them until they resemble straight-up carnitas level yumminess.
If you use chicken breasts, they won’t roast up the same way. Chicken thighs roast into crispy bits AND stay nice and juicy because there’s more fat in them. It’s so good.
About The Slaw
Very flexible. Just shred some cabbage or really just other crispy veggies and toss with some salt and lime. Mwah.
About The Ranch
You guys, I am very pro-shortcuts and I only say this when I really think it matters, so here I go: please do not use store-bought ranch for this. This homemade ranch is so saucy and creamy and fresh in a way that just makes the whole thing sing and I would be sad for you to miss out on the crowning glory of this taco.
If anything can make me rethink my attitude about weeknight cooking, it’s these tangy, crunchy, fresh buffalo chicken tacos loaded with crispy bits of broiled chicken and showered with a drizzle of homemade ranch. Like, can we just have these every night?
You know what to do.
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Buffalo Chicken Tacos:
Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
For another easy, mindless, and delicious chicken taco, you need this recipe – my whole family is OBSESSED with these tacos.
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Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 servings, depending on hunger level 1x
Description
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Tacos! Buffalo broiled chicken covered with a limey slaw and a smothering of homemade ranch, all tucked into a charred tortilla.
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken:
- 1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
Ranch:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried dill (or about 1/4 cup fresh)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
Tacos:
- tortillas
- shredded cabbage
- cilantro
- avocado
- limes
Instructions
- Place chicken, seasonings, and buffalo sauce in the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow for natural pressure release for 5-10 minutes. When chicken is done, shred with two forks.
- While chicken cooks, make the ranch. Combine everything in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Transfer shredded chicken and sauce to a baking sheet. Broil for 10-15 minutes until browned and crispy.
- Assemble tacos: buffalo chicken, mashed avocado, shredded cabbage, lime squeeze, cheese of choice, and ranch all in a nice fluffy tortilla.
Equipment
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Buy Now → Notes
Slow Cooker Instructions: Place ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.
Kid-Friendly Adaptation: Cook the chicken in broth instead of buffalo sauce. Shred and drain off excess liquid. Put some of the chicken aside for the kiddos (plain, no sauce) and toss the remaining chicken with the buffalo sauce before you broil it.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: buffalo chicken, instant pot buffalo chicken, chicken tacos, buffalo chicken tacos, weeknight dinner
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our creamy and delicious dairy-free recipes. Check it out!
This was really tasty! Used whole foods buffalo sauce and while it was pretty spicy out of the bottle, the spice chilled out a lot after cooking so I think my kids would have eaten it. It made closer to 2 servings for us. I would suggest making the hawaiin chicken tacos the same week and maybe doubling the ranch sauce to use on both! super delish!
Can I use a crockpot?
I haven’t made these yet but I plan. I just wanted to tell you, Thank you for always including the Nutrion label. It’s a great help.
What if you don’t have an instant-pot? How can the recipe be adjusted? It looks so good!
This is chicken is amazing. We used it on nachos and it is so good!
This recipe has been in constant rotation for our family for a long time. I use a slow cooker and greek yogurt instead of mayo for the sauce. ALWAYS a hit!
mmm this was really delicious and a nice switch from our usual ground beef tacos. I added some chicken broth to the instant pot with the buffalo sauce so it wouldn’t burn and then drizzled more of it on before broiling. The ranch dressing is delicious too. Devoured it on a salad after!
Glad you enjoyed it, Kirsten!
I only had chicken breasts on hand but really wanted to try this – in case anyone else has the same problem – it worked fine with a minor tweak. I ended up putting a little water in the instant pot with the buffalo sauce – was too afraid it would burn, and I have the rule burned into my brain that you always need a cup of water. Anyway – All good – I just took the chicken out to shred and reduced the liquid with the saute function for a few minutes, before putting the chicken back in to coat in the sauce – along with about a tablespoon of olive oil – to facilitate the crisping under the broiler. Worked out great! Will try with thighs next time. Ranch is yummy too. Great meal.
This is one of my most fav recipes of all time — we make it a few times a month and have gotten others addicted too. Make it as/is and have never gotten a burn notice (and have plenty of liquid in the pan afterwards). I use the New Primal Buffalo Sauce and it’s all just perfect. Thank you for such a great recipe!
So delicious! These are a summer staple for us! We serve with a side of pineapple chunks and extra guac and it’s sooo good!
I made this tonight. The used chicken breast and after reading comments added some chicken broth. The chicken was great!! Tender and delicious. However, I would use a different ranch dressing recipe. This one has too much dill and I really didn’t care for the olive oil in it either. Definitely not my favorite.
Fantastic one! Thx for a recipe!
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Loved this recipe! Amazing flavor without being too spicy. We dressed angel hair cabbage with blue cheese dressing…awesome on these tacos!!
These tacos are so yummy! I’m from California and spoiled with great tacos all the time but I have to say all your taco recipes are so yummy and different then anything I’ve had before. I love this one and the spicy shrimp and the Hawaiian one with the pineapple. They are all so creative and flavorful!
I make this in my slow cooker on low and it is so delicious! The ranch recipe is delicious although I don’t think the water is necessary, makes it too thin.
Leftovers are delicious on nachos with melted cheddar cheese.
This was absolutely delicious. We were given some packaged Raw chicken strips seasoned with Buffalo spice. I actually thought it was chicken with Paprika on it and I had on my dinner menu to make chicken alfredo with it but as soon as I understood it was buffalo sauce , my menu for the evening meal changed and I quickly looked up y recipe to make with the already seasoned strips and I found yours. All I had to do was quickly run out to the local market to buy the little bit of extra ingredients I needed and made this. My 14 your old daughter loved it and I’m going to put some together and put them in her lunch for school tomorrow.
I made this today and not only was it incredibly easy but sooooo tasty! It was like something you could get at a restaurant. The ranch is liquid gold – literally never found a better homemade ranch recipe. The sauce in the instant pot was very watery (still packed with flavour though!) so next time I might follow the instructions for a kid-friendly version and toss my shredded chicken in buffalo sauce just before broiling for a thicker coat. Thank you for this great recipe, I will definitely be making this a lot.
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Beautifully brilliant. My husband has a new favorite! Thank you!
I’m late to the party, but these are so freaking delicious! Thank you!!!
These were fantastic! We usually make breasts (I don’t know, they’re easier) but the thighs were worth it. The ranch is definitely a must. Will definitely make again.
These are sooooo good! Just curious, how many tacos are in a serving?
You have a blue cheese recipe for this? This sounds great, but Buffalo chicken should never be cooled off with ranch — it needs some sort of blue cheese.
These are the Buffalo rules.
Unfortunately, we don’t!
I made this as you wrote the recipe. No burn. Made plenty of broth/juices. Others who said burn notice may have been using breast meat which could be drier. Any how, EXCELLENT! My husband really liked the flavors. Will make again. Made is as a taco bowl… May make the Korean tacos next.
Have a blessed day.