With homemade grain free tortillas, perfectly sauced chicken, and simple toppings, these paleo buffalo chicken tacos with pickled onions and ranch take taco night up a notch!

This year, I committed to developing one new taco recipe each month. This chicken taco recipe is the latest in that series!
Why tacos? Well, I'm a little taco-obsessed. I wrote a paleo taco ebook, I invited friends over for an epic taco buffet for my birthday, and I literally make some kind of taco every week as part of our meal rotation.
Tacos have become a bit of a mainstay for me, so why not make new paleo tacos every dang month?
Homemade buffalo chicken recipe
The main cornerstone of this chicken taco recipe is the buffalo chicken!
Now, this isn't my first foray into buffalo chicken (remember those buffalo chicken smothered sweet potato fries?) so the original buffalo chicken recipe was fairy easy to modify for tacos.
If you choose, you can definitely use pre-made buffalo sauce (this would be my pick if I were going that route). But as usual, I think homemade buffalo sauce is pretty dang easy so I definitely recommend you give it a try!
My homemade paleo buffalo sauce uses just a couple simple ingredients. And once you mix it with shredded chicken? You can use that as your protein for so many different meals — tacos, smothered fries, salads, burrito bowls. Seriously, options! Gotta love recipes like that.

How to make awesome homemade tacos
As I write about in my free taco ebook, toppings are what make an epic taco creation.
Think about it — when's the last time you put meat in a tortilla and dubbed it the best taco of your life?
Toppings are important. And there are SO MANY taco toppings to pick from. But for this buffalo chicken taco recipe, I decided to keep it simple with pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of homemade ranch.
Since the buffalo chicken recipe itself already packs a ton of flavor, you don't need to add much. The pickled onions add crunch and a bright zest to this pickled taco recipe. The homemade ranch has a cooling effect compared to the spicy buffalo chicken. And the cilantro just looks pretty!

More paleo taco recipes
- Steak and Egg Breakfast Tacos with Chimichurri
- BBQ Chicken Tacos with Simple Coleslaw
- Barbacoa Brisket Tacos

Want even more taco recipes?
You're in luck, I wrote a whole ebook of taco recipes that you can get for FREE by signing up for my email list!
Print📖 Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Pickled Onions and Ranch
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Poached
- Cuisine: Tacos
Description
With zesty pickled red onions and cooling homemade ranch, this paleo buffalo chicken tacos recipe make an epic Taco Tuesday meal!
Ingredients
For the buffalo chicken:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons ghee or grass-fed butter
- ½ tablespoon coconut aminos
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the ranch dressing:
- ½ cup paleo mayo
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the tacos:
- 1 batch cassava flour tortillas (my recipe is in my free ebook, or you can use store-bought)
- pickled red onions (follow these instructions, just use red onions instead of radishes!)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
- lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- First, make the buffalo chicken. Put the chicken breasts in a dutch oven or pot and cover completely with water. Heat on medium-high until the water begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together hot sauce, ghee, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar,sea salt, garlic, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Once the chicken is done simmering, use kitchen tongs to transfer the chicken breasts to a bowl or plate. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Add the buffalo sauce and stir to coat the chicken.
- Next, prep the ranch dressing. Combine mayo, coconut milk, dill, parsley, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper in a jar or medium bowl. Whisk or cover the jar and shake until completely mixed. Add more coconut milk to reach your desired consistency (I prefer to keep it thicker for tacos).
- To assemble the tacos, lay out tortillas, add 2-3 tablespoons buffalo chicken to the center of the tortilla. Add pickled onions. Drizzle with ranch. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for (optional) spritzing.
Keywords: Buffalo chicken tacos

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