Super flavorful Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is easy to make with cheddar cheese, your favorite buffalo sauce and a boost of protein from rotisserie chicken. This crowd-pleasing recipe comes together on the stovetop and is ready to serve in just 40 minutes!
If you love buffalo sauce, this Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is a must try! It has everything you love about classic mac & cheese, plus major flavor from the buffalo sauce and heartiness from the chicken. This dish is creamy, cheesy, perfectly spicy, and so comforting.
Why you should make this recipe
- It’s a complete meal! This dish is plenty satisfying from the pasta and chicken, and can conveniently be served as a main course without any sides. For extra nutrients, pair it with a fresh salad or a green veggie.
- Easy to make: Other than boiling the pasta, everything cooks in one skillet for easy clean up. And dinner can be served in just about 40 minutes.
- Super tasty: From the spice in the buffalo sauce to the creamy cheesiness, there’s so much flavor in this buffalo checking mac & cheese! Everyone will be asking for the recipe!
Ingredients needed
Here’s some extra information on the key ingredients in this recipe:
- Pasta: We like to use traditional elbow macaroni, but feel free to use any favorite short pasta. Whole wheat or gluten-free noodles work too!
- Cheese sauce: To make the sauce perfectly rich and thick, you’ll need a combination of butter, flour, whole milk and heavy cream.
- Spices: Because most of the flavor comes from the cheese and buffalo sauce, the only spices that you’ll need are mustard powder, onion powder and black pepper.
- Buffalo sauce: The star of the show! Use mild buffalo sauce if you’ll be serving this dish to anyone that might be sensitive to spice.
- Mild cheddar cheese: We do not recommend pre-shredded cheese, but instead shredding your own cheese from a block of cheese. It will melt much better and have more flavor.
- Chicken: Any cooked chicken will work, but we like to use shredded or diced rotisserie chicken because it has tons of flavor.
- Parsley: To give the finished dish a pop of color and freshness.
How to make this recipe
- Boil noodles: Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions (minus 1 minute). Once done, drain the water and set aside.
- Start the sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, add butter; once the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour. Cook for a minute.
- Stir in milk & cream: Slowly whisk in the milk, heavy cream and cook until the sauce is smooth without any lumps and starts to thicken.
- Mix in spices: Add in the spices, mustard powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
- Add buffalo sauce: Stir in the buffalo sauce and cook for a minute until everything comes together.
- Add cheese: Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cheese. Allow the cheese to melt in the heat.
- Finish the recipe: Add the cooked macaroni and shredded rotisserie chicken to the cheesy sauce. Toss them until everything comes together and allow to simmer for couple of minutes.
- Serve: Garnish the mac and cheese with fresh parsley and enjoy while it’s still warm.
Expert tips
- The pasta will cook some after being added to the hot cheese sauce, so it’s best to boil to al dente (firm and about 1 minutes less than the package instructions).
- For the creamiest sauce, be sure to use whole milk and heavy cream.
- If you’d like to make this meal vegetarian, simply omit the chicken. And you can easily make it gluten free by using a gluten-free pasta.
- Any buffalo sauce that you like the flavor of will work. We really like Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce for this recipe.
Frequently asked questions
How spicy is this buffalo chicken Mac and cheese?
This recipe has a medium heat level. You can make it milder by using less buffalo sauce or making sure to use a mild buffalo sauce. However, if you like spicy, you can heat it up by using more sauce, adding red pepper flakes or sliced jalapeños to the recipe.
What to serve with buffalo chicken Mac and cheese?
We enjoy this served on its own or with a big fresh green salad. Some other side dish ideas that would pair nicely: crispy air fryer broccoli, roasted veggies or air fryer Brussels sprouts.
Storage recommendations
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. To reheat, pop individual servings in the microwave until warm.
We do not suggest freezing this recipe, as the cheese sauce most likely won’t reheat well.
More buffalo sauce recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
- Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
To cook pasta
- 8 ounce elbow macaroni
- 3 cups water
- Salt to taste
To make cheesy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions (minus 1 minute). Once done, drain the water and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add butter; once the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour. Cook for a minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, heavy cream and cook until the sauce is smooth without any lumps and starts to thicken.
- Add in the spices, mustard powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
- Stir in the buffalo sauce and cook for a minute until everything comes together.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cheese. Allow the cheese to melt in the heat.
- Add the cooked macaroni and shredded rotisserie chicken to the cheesy sauce. Toss them until everything comes together and allow to simmer for couple of minutes.
- Garnish the mac and cheese with fresh parsley and serve while it’s still warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
