Twist Up Your Weeknight Dinner with Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Tacos

by

Let’s talk about tacos.

Slightly overhead shot of four Buffalo chicken tacos on a platter with lettuce, onion, hot sauce, and lime, with small glass bowls of chopped vegetables and a glass bottle of hot sauce in soft focus in the background, on a wood surface with a blue backdrop, printed with orange and white text.

You know, those lovely tortillas packed with a variety of fillings from beef to chicken, vegetables to slow cooker pork, and topped with cheese, your favorite type of salsa, crema, and more. Those handheld delights that fill you up and make your tummy happy.

This is why Taco Tuesday is a really big deal in our house. Tacos can be made with a combination of so many different flavors. They are so versatile, and can easily be made healthy – or not-so-healthy…

Overhead vertical shot of Buffalo chicken tacos on a marble surface, with vegetables and a lime wedge, beside a bottle of hot sauce on a wood surface.

Experimenting with different taco fillings has actually become one of our weekly rituals. We’ve tried fried chicken, baked avocado wedges, and homemade al pastor. I swear, eventually it’ll become like a Chopped challenge in our kitchen when we start running out of ideas.

Thankfully, that shouldn’t happen anytime soon. We’ve got a ways to go.

Overhead closely cropped shot of four tacos o a piece of parchment on top of a round marble serving platter, with chopped onion, lettuce, and celery, crumbled blue cheese, hot sauce, and lime wedges, on a wood surface.

The key to a killer taco is all about starting with a delicious base filling. So it’s time to say hello to my new favorite way to make tacos, this Buffalo chicken version.

Once you make these, good luck going back to that boring old taco seasoning mix…

At this time of year, I am all about putting my Crock-Pot to work. I love how easy it is to throw something into the pot, and by the time I am done with work for the day, our meal is cooked and I can put dinner on the table in absolutely no time.

I’ve made a killer chicken teriyaki recipe in the slow cooker for when my family is craving Chinese food at home. And I’ve served super tasty, deliciously messy Chicken Sloppy Joes countless of times.

But whenever you find yourself looking for an easy-peasy weeknight taco dinner recipe, you need to reach for this one.

Four homemade slow cooker Buffalo chicken tacos on a parchment-topped round marble serving platter with chopped vegetables and lime wedges, with a bottle of hot sauce and four small glass bowls of chopped vegetables and crumbled blue cheese in the background, against a blue backdrop, on a brown wood surface.

You place your chicken in the slow cooker with hot sauce and butter, then let it cook down throughout the day. The meat is infused with all those delicious flavors and heat, making it tender and juicy with a spicy kick.

Shredding the meat is extremely easy, and then you add it back to the hot sauce that’s been simmering all day. Covered in the sauce, the chicken is so flavorful and warm that you won’t believe it only took three ingredients to make it.

Once the chicken is done, you are ready to assemble your tacos. These pull together all those classic flavors of your favorite Buffalo wings, but in a taco form. Topped with blue cheese, red onion, and celery, it’s a familiar taste sensation that you are sure to love.

Overhead shot of four homemade Buffalo chicken tacos in flour tortillas, on a piece of white parchment paper on a round marble serving platter, with chopped lettuce, onion, and celery, crumbled blue cheese, hot sauce, and lime wedges, with small bowls of the same at the top of the frame, on a brown wood surface.

The combination of cooling flavors and spicy chicken in each bite is like what you’ll find dipping a wing into blue cheese dressing, with a celery stick and salad on the side – but with less messy fingers, and no bones to worry about! (If you want something even neater, and appropriate for a lovely sit-down meal, consider our buffalo chicken spaghetti or buffalo chicken soup!).

This recipe also makes a killer centerpiece for game day gatherings. You can keep the chicken warm in your slow cooker, then set out all the tortillas and toppings for guests to make their own tacos throughout the game.

It’s a no-fuss meal that makes your life as a host so much easier. Isn’t that something we can all agree needs to happen more often?

I mean, you put in enough work as a host already. I say, take any path that will make it easier on yourself, so you can enjoy your time with family and friends.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Four chicken tacos with hot sauce, blue cheese, lettuce, onion, celery, and lime, on a marble round serving platter with a bottle of hot sauce and small dishes of chopped vegetables, on a wood surface.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Tacos

★★★★★

5 from 1 review
  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 Servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Weeknight dinner gets a twist with our epic Buffalo chicken tacos. It’s all the taste of the wings you love, but slow-cooked and juicy.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce or more to taste, plus more for serving
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 12 small flour tortillas
  • 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery

Instructions

  1. Place chicken, hot sauce, and butter in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
  2. Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Shred with two forks, then return to the slow cooker. Stir to combine well with the sauce, and return to the warm setting until ready to serve.
  3. Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add tortillas one at a time and heat for about one minute, turning halfway through. Or, reheat tortillas in the microwave between damp paper towels, until they are warm and pliable.
  4. Spoon about 1/2 cup of chicken onto each tortilla. Add additional hot sauce if desired. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, onion, lettuce, and celery. Serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours, 10 minutes
  • Category: Tacos
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Keywords: Crock-Pot, Buffalo chicken, chicken tacos, hot sauce, taco

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Chop Vegetables and Measure Ingredients

Peel and chop the red onion. Tired of those tears? Check out our tips to find out how to avoid crying over chopped onions!

Place them in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Chop the celery and place it in another bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Shred the lettuce, using a sturdy cutting board and your favorite chef’s knife, or the shredding/slicing blade in your food processor. I prefer to use a crisp variety to add some crunch to this dish, but you can use whatever type you like.

Overhead shot of four small glass bowls of chopped celery, crumbled blue cheese, chopped red onion, and shredded lettuce, with a small stack of flour tortillas, on a brown and beige wood surface.

Measure the rest of the ingredients as they are listed in the ingredients list. Note that you can use corn tortillas instead of flour if you prefer.

If you like your chicken spicy, you can use more hot sauce. The amount listed is on the milder side. I like a strong level of spice, so I added 1/3 cup in the next step.

Step 2 – Slow Cook

Add the chicken breasts, hot sauce, and butter to your slow cooker.

Raw chicken breast, a pat of butter, and hot sauce in a metal and black plastic slow cooker, on a wood surface.

Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.

Cooked chicken and hot sauce in a metal slow cooker.

If your slow cooker switches automatically to warm when it’s done cooking or if you aren’t quite ready yet to move on to the next step when it’s finished, it’s fine keep the slow cooker on the warm setting until you’re ready to proceed.

Step 3 – Shred

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred all of the meat, then return it to the slow cooker.

Shredded cooked chicken on a white plastic cutting board with two forks, on a wood surface.

Stir well to combine with the sauce.

I like to taste the chicken at this time to check the spice level. If you want even more spice, go ahead and add more hot sauce as desired.

Shredded cooked chicken breast in the bottom of a metal slow cooker with red sauce, on a wood surface.

Leave on warm in the slow cooker until you’re ready to serve.

Step 4 – Warm Tortillas

Warm a small skillet over medium heat, and add each tortilla one at a time, heating for 30 seconds on each side.

Tortillas can also be reheated in the microwave between damp paper towels in 30-second bursts, or wrapped in foil and placed in the oven or toaster oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Microwaving or foil wrapping 6 at a time is recommended for these methods.

Step 5 – Assemble

To assemble the tacos, spoon about 1/2 cup chicken onto each tortilla. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, onion, lettuce, and celery.

Buffalo style tacos with chicken, blue cheese, celery, lettuce, onion, and hot sauce, with vegetables and lime wedges on the side, on a piece of white parchment paper on top of a round marble serving platter, on a wood surface.

Serve warm with additional hot sauce, if desired.

Bring On the Heat

I have this thing for spicy food. The burn that you get that lingers on your tongue and around the inside of your mouth always brings me back for another bite of whatever is giving me that sensation.

Like I explained in the Cooking By Numbers section above, the amount of hot sauce listed in the ingredients is on the milder side, so you can add more if you like your chicken more spicy.

Four chicken tacos with hot sauce, blue cheese, lettuce, onion, celery, and lime, on a marble round serving platter with a bottle of hot sauce and small dishes of chopped vegetables, on a wood surface.

If you are not sure how much to add, you can cook the chicken as noted and then once it’s cooked through and added back to the sauce, taste it. Not spicy enough? Start adding more hot sauce about 1-2 tablespoons at a time.

Then you can simply taste and adjust from there. Get ready to set your taste buds on fire, friends!

For even more delicious Buffalo flavor, check out these enticing recipes:

How spicy do you like your tacos? Tell us in the comments below, and be sure to come back to rate the recipe when you make it for yourself.

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on June 17, 2012. Last updated: February 28, 2021 at 14:13 pm. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

More of Our Expert Guides

2 thoughts on “Twist Up Your Weeknight Dinner with Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Tacos”

  1. Yes please! These chicken tacos look delicious. I’ll be adding them to my Game Day Roundup and pinning your recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.