Taco of the Month: Shredded Buffalo Chicken Tacos

We absolutely love buffalo chicken, so we couldn’t let this year’s Taco of the Month series go by without making our very own shredded buffalo chicken tacos recipe. 

While we enjoy getting creative and pushing the boundaries of our “Of The Month” series, we still want to make sure we stay true to what makes each food – in this case, tacos – so amazing. For our taco, that means a spicy, saucy shredded buffalo chicken tucked in a street taco size flour tortilla with crispy lettuce, red onion, creamy ranch, and shredded cheese toppings. 

This easy taco recipe is perfect for a family dinner, a game day snack, or a fun fusion Taco Tuesday!

Shredded Buffalo Chicken Taco Ingredients

You don’t need any special or unique ingredients to make these easy buffalo chicken tacos. Here’s the full list of ingredients you’ll need to make our recipe:

• Chicken tenderloins
• Vegetable oil
• White vinegar
• Salt
• Frank’s Red Hot
• Butter
• Light ranch dressing
• 4-inch flour tortillas (street taco size)
• Romaine lettuce
• Red onion
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Chives

First you’ll marinate the chicken, cook it, and shred it, and then you’ll toss it in our signature homemade buffalo sauce (made from Frank’s, butter, and ranch). If you want an even easier dinner, you can make these shredded buffalo chicken tacos with rotisserie chicken instead of baking and shredding your own.

How To Make Easy Buffalo Chicken Tacos

This shredded buffalo chicken tacos recipe is super easy to make in just about 45 minutes. Once you gather all the ingredients, simply bake, shred, and toss the chicken in buffalo sauce before dinner is served!

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown for how to make shredded buffalo chicken tacos:

1. First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the chicken, vegetable oil, white vinegar, and salt. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Next, transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 12 to 16 minutes. A digital meat thermometer is a great tool for ensuring chicken is fully cooked.
4. While the chicken is baking, prepare the buffalo sauce. Combine Frank’s Red Hot sauce, melted butter, and light ranch dressing in a bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine.
5. Then, once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks and toss it in the buffalo sauce until it’s fully coated.
6. Next, warm the flour tortillas in the microwave between a set of damp paper towels for about 15 seconds per 3 tortillas.
7. Finally, serve buffalo chicken with tortillas, lettuce, red onion, shredded cheddar, chives, and ranch dressing for DIY taco assembly at the dinner table!

If you want an easy shortcut to make these buffalo chicken tacos even faster, you can use a rotisserie chicken instead of baking your own. Simply shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken and toss it in the homemade buffalo sauce.

Here’s a helpful tip for cooking chicken perfectly every time: We don’t ever cook chicken without our handy meat thermometer! Since each chicken breast or tenderloin tends to be a different size and thickness, this OXO instant read thermometer is an essential tool to ensure perfectly cooked chicken every time. It makes it super easy to cook chicken to your desired temperature, and even has recommended temperatures for different kinds of meat and poultry based on the FDA and chef guidelines.

Serving Suggestions

If you are looking for ideas on what to serve with these buffalo chicken tacos, here are some of our favorite sides:

• Chips and salsa – just because they aren’t traditional Mexican tacos doesn’t mean you can’t have some classic chips and salsa with your tacos
• French fries, tater tots, or onion rings – just like you’d serve with a buffalo chicken sandwich
• Side salad – perfect if you’re looking for a healthier side option

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

Leftover shredded buffalo chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute per half-cup serving, stirring halfway through.

As for all of the toppings, we like to keep tacos nights easy and fun by serving everything in these handy small glass bowls with lids. By keeping each topping separate, it makes clean-up and storage quick and easy. Just close up each container with a lid and store in the fridge. When you want to enjoy leftover tacos the next day, just remove the lids and serve!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Frankly, we just love buffalo chicken, and these pulled buffalo chicken tacos give us another way to enjoy one of our favorite foods. If you also have an obsession with buffalo chicken, you may find these tacos squeezing their way into your weekly dinner rotation!

Our buffalo chicken taco recipe is a fun and unique twist on classic shredded chicken tacos. The saucy chicken, creamy ranch, and crunchy lettuce and onion provide the same textures as a traditional Mexican taco, but with the much-loved American buffalo chicken flavors.

Next time your family is torn between taco night and American pub fare, try this easy compromise of shredded buffalo chicken tacos! Remember to rate, comment, and share below if you love this recipe, and check out more of our taco recipes here.