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Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Celery Salsa are your new favorite way to eat buffalo chicken. Perfect for a quick dinner, party appetizer, or game-day treat, these tacos are simple to pull together and crisp up in the oven in no time. Plus, the celery salsa is unexpected in the best way. Yes, you read that right, I said celery salsa. Never heard of it? I hadn’t either until I dreamed up this recipe and honestly, I was unsure of myself when I got in the kitchen to test it out. But trust me, you do NOT want to skip out on making this delicious condiment. Let’s get to making some tacos!

Ingredients needed to make Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Celery Salsa

This recipe calls for cooked and shredded chicken, which is simple to do on the stove, in the Instant Pot, or pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken ahead of time. I love to make mine in the Instant Pot with a little splash of water and hot sauce then cooked on high pressure for 12 minutes. It shreds in seconds between two forks every time. Once you’ve got your cooked chicken, the recipe comes together in a snap. Here’s what you’ll need:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Hot sauce
Butter
Coconut or brown sugar
Soft corn tortillas
Avocado oil
Grated/shredded cheddar cheese
Celery
Jalapeno
Red onion
Cilantro
Fresh lime juice
Avocado
Salt

Tools used to make Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Celery Salsa

When it comes to recipes, this one requires minimal tools to execute it. All you really need is a medium saucepan, two sheet trays, a knife, a cutting board, and a mixing bowl. That’s it!

How to make Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Celery Salsa

As mentioned above, you’ll need to cook and shred 1-1.5lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast ahead of time. You could do this in the Instant Pot as described above, or simply grab yourself a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it. Either way, once you have your shredded chicken, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to pull together.

You’ll make a simple wing sauce by combining hot sauce, butter, and either coconut or brown sugar and simmering it for a few minutes on the stove until the sugar has dissolved. Add the shredded chicken and stir to thoroughly combine.

Next, you’ll microwave some corn tortillas for about 30 seconds until they’re very pliable. Lay them flat on a sheet tray and brush each side with avocado oil, then layer on some shredded cheddar on the top half of each tortilla. Add buffalo chicken on top followed by a bit more cheese, then fold the tortillas over to create a taco. It’s helpful to flip each taco over (onto the side that you first put the cheese on) to help them stay closed, and you can also place another sheet tray on top to help them stay closed for the first few minutes of cooking. Let them bake for 10-12 minutes total, removing the top sheet tray after 3 minutes or so, then flipping over halfway through to allow the other side to crisp.

While the tacos bake, make the celery salsa. Combine the celery, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and a pinch of salt and mix. Set aside.

Finally, you’ll top the tacos with the celery salsa and some fresh avocado and enjoy!

Looking for more easy dishes like these tacos?

Try these other recipes from The Ardent Cook!

Creamy Sausage and Kale Rigatoni

Mom’s Checkerboard Chicken Chili

Broccoli Salad with Quick Homemade Ranch

Recipe Ingredients

1- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cooked and shredded

⅓- ½ cup hot sauce, such as Frank’s, divided

2 tbsp butter

1 ½ tbsp coconut or brown sugar

12-15 soft corn tortillas

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

5 stalks celery, finely diced

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

½ red onion, finely diced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of ½ lime

Salt

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium saucepan, combine hot sauce, butter, and coconut sugar and simmer for 3-4 minutes until sugar has dissolved. Stir in the shredded chicken and fully coat in the buffalo sauce.
Microwave the corn tortillas for 20-30 seconds until very pliable. Place them on one of the sheet trays and brush both sides with avocado oil. Working only in the top semicircle of each tortilla, layer some shredded cheese, buffalo chicken, then more shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over to form a taco, and repeat until all tacos are filled and folded.
If the tacos aren’t staying closed, place the second sheet tray on top of the tortillas to help them stay shut. Bake for 2 minutes, then remove the sheet tray and continue baking for an additional 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the tacos are crispy and the cheese is melted.
While the tacos bake, make the celery salsa. Combine the celery, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and salt to taste. Mix well and set aside.
Let the tacos cool slightly, then serve topped with the celery salsa and fresh avocado. These tacos also taste wonderful with a side of ranch or bleu cheese dressing and extra hot sauce. Enjoy!

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Perfect for game day, a chilly afternoon, or a make-ahead dinner, this Checkerboard Chicken Chili is a staple in my family. My mom used to make this for us kids at least once per week. Her secret ingredient? A jar of white queso blanco. This chili gets its name from the two different kinds of beans we use: black beans and white kidney beans (like a black and white checkerboard). It’s hearty, loaded with veggies and protein, and downright delicious.

Ingredients needed to make Mom’s Checkerboard Chicken Chili

When I asked my mom for the recipe for her chili, of course she responded by saying, “Well, you know I never really use a recipe.” Alas, I got her to give me a general idea of what she uses and how she prepares it. Here’s the full ingredient list:

Olive oil
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Red bell pepper
Yellow onion
Fresh garlic
Chili powder
Salt
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Black beans
White kidney beans (cannellini beans)
Crushed tomatoes
Diced green chiles
Beer
Queso blanco

Tools used to make Mom’s Checkerboard Chicken Chili

The greatest part about soups, stews, and chilis is that they are always made in one pot. Way less mess! I’ve made this chili in both my Dutch oven and my soup pot, and both work well. You just want something large enough to fit all of your ingredients. Here’s the soup pot I love. Additionally, you’ll need a chef’s knife and a large cutting board for all of that chopping.

How to make Mom’s Checkerboard Chicken Chili

This recipe has a bit of chopping to get you started, but then you’re on your way. I recommend chopping everything before any of the cooking begins. You’ll start by chopping the chicken into 1-inch pieces and chopping all of your vegetables. Next, you’ll sauté the chicken until mostly cooked-through, then add the vegetables and spices. Cover with beer, stir, and let simmer until it smells like heaven in your house. For extra oomph, I stir in a cup of jarred queso blanco. This is certainly optional if you’d prefer a thinner soup consistency, or you don’t care for queso. But if you’re open to it, you should definitely try.

Looking for other hearty recipes?

Try these delicious options from The Ardent Cook

Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder

Aromatic Chicken Meatball Curry

Recipe Ingredients

3tbsp olive oil

2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (4oz) can diced green chiles

1 (12oz) can beer

1 cup jarred queso blanco

Recipe Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Chop chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Add to the oil, along with the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until chicken is mostly cooked through (it’s ok if it’s not all the way cooked, it will finish as the soup simmers).
Add the chili powder, salt, cumin, and coriander. Stir to coat the chicken and vegetables. Cook for a minute or so, then add the beans, tomatoes, green chiles, and beer.
Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the queso.
Ladle into bowls and serve with loads of sour cream and fresh cilantro. Maybe a cold beer, too. Enjoy!