Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
intro
Tangy, spicy buffalo chicken folded into ultra-creamy baked mac and cheese, topped with crispy panko for a cozy, crowd-pleasing comfort meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook pasta and chicken
Bring a large pot of water (4 liters) to a rolling boil over high heat, then add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add dry elbow macaroni, cook for 7 minutes until al dente, then drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, season chicken breasts with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, then cook in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat (175°C/350°F pan surface) for 6 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F. Shred cooked chicken with two forks, toss with 60ml (¼ cup) buffalo sauce, and set aside.
Make the roux base
In the same large skillet used for chicken, melt 3 tablespoons (42g) of unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Once butter is fully melted and foaming slightly, whisk in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour to form a smooth roux, cooking for 2 minutes while whisking constantly to remove raw flour taste, until the mixture turns a pale golden color.
Build cheese sauce
Slowly whisk 480ml (2 cups) whole milk into the roux, 60ml at a time, to avoid lumps, then stir in 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, remaining ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cooking for 3 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Reduce heat to low, stir in 56g softened cream cheese and 283 grams (2 ½ cups) of shredded sharp cheddar, stirring until fully melted and smooth, then stir in the remaining 60ml (¼ cup) buffalo sauce.
Combine pasta and chicken
Add the drained cooked elbow macaroni and sauced shredded buffalo chicken to the cheese sauce, stirring gently over low heat for 2 minutes until every pasta noodle and piece of chicken is evenly coated in the spicy, cheesy sauce. If using optional blue cheese crumbles, fold 15g (2 tablespoons) of them into the mixture at this stage.
Add crispy topping
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon (14g) of unsalted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds on high power, then stir in 30g (¼ cup) panko breadcrumbs until all crumbs are evenly coated in butter. Sprinkle the remaining 57 grams (½ cup) of shredded sharp cheddar evenly over the top of the mac and cheese, then scatter the buttered panko crumbs in an even layer over the cheese.
Bake until bubbly
Place the oven-safe skillet in a preheated oven set to 190°C/375°F, baking for 15 minutes until the sauce is actively bubbling around the edges of the pan and the panko topping is deep golden and crispy. Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes before serving, topped with the remaining 15g (2 tablespoons) blue cheese crumbles if desired.
Tips
2.Adjust spice level to taste: add an extra 2 tablespoons (30ml) of buffalo sauce for fiery heat, or cut the sauce amount in half for a mild, kid-friendly version that still has that classic buffalo tang.
3.If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the fully mixed mac and cheese to a 23x23cm (9x9 inch) glass baking dish before adding the cheese and panko topping, then bake as directed.
OMG this is the ultimate comfort food! I made this for Sunday football with the guys and everyone went back for seconds, even my picky brother who hates anything ‘fancy’. The buffalo kick is perfect, not too overpowering but enough to know it’s there, and the creamy cheese sauce? *Chef’s kiss* Didn’t even realize it only took 45 minutes total, thought I’d be slaving over the stove all afternoon. Game changer for game days!
My kids devoured this! I’ve been stuck in a dinner rut lately and was looking for something easy that didn’t require a million weird ingredients, and this checked every box. I used pre-cooked grilled chicken strips from the fridge to cut down even more on prep, and it turned out amazing. Even my youngest who says he ‘hates mac and cheese’ had two bowls. Will absolutely be adding this to our weekly rotation!
Really solid recipe! Made this in my dorm’s community kitchen and my whole floor could smell it, half of them knocked on my door asking for a bite. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish it had a little more crunch on top, so next time I’m adding extra panko breadcrumbs like my grandma used to put on her mac. Otherwise super easy, perfect for a broke college student meal that feels fancy.
Brought this to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and the pan was empty in 10 minutes flat. People were asking me for the recipe before I even got a chance to serve myself! I topped mine with a little crumbled blue cheese and some chopped green onion, and it added the perfect little tangy bite. 10/10, will be making this for every potluck from now on.
Meal prep win! I divided this into 5 individual containers for my work lunches this week, and it reheats so much better than I thought it would. Usually baked mac gets all grainy when you reheat it in the microwave, but the sauce stays super creamy even on day 4. I added a little extra ranch seasoning to the sauce because I’m obsessed with ranch + buffalo, and it was chef’s kiss. No sad desk lunches for me this week!
Taste was great, but I think I messed up the cheese sauce? It got a little clumpy when I mixed in the buffalo sauce, so it wasn’t as smooth as I was hoping. Flavor was on point though, my roommate and I ate almost the whole pan in one sitting. Any tips for getting the sauce silkier next time?
Made this for my partner’s birthday dinner because they’re obsessed with all things buffalo, and they said it’s the best thing I’ve ever cooked. We paired it with some garlic bread and a side salad, and it felt like a restaurant meal but was so easy to pull off after work. Definitely earning me major partner points tonight, thank you for the recipe!
Super easy swap for gluten free! I used gluten free elbow pasta and a GF all purpose flour for the roux, and you couldn’t even tell the difference. My whole family loved it, even my teen who turns his nose up at anything labeled ‘gluten free’. Only tiny complaint is I wish it had a little more buffalo zing, so next time I’ll add an extra 2 tbsp of sauce.
Made this after my daughter’s soccer game for the team, and all the kids AND parents were raving about it. I thought 2 pounds of pasta would be too much, but there was literally nothing left by the time everyone went home. I added some crispy bacon bits on top because everything is better with bacon, and it was such a nice salty crunch. Easy, crowd-pleasing, 10/10.
Wait I was so nervous to make a baked mac because I’ve messed up roux so many times before, but this recipe was so straightforward! The steps were super easy to follow, no fancy techniques, and the sauce came out perfectly creamy on the first try. I’m so proud of myself lol, this is the first ‘real’ dinner I’ve made that didn’t come out of a box. Already sent the recipe to all my friends.
I smoked the chicken first before adding it in, and let me tell you — that smoky flavor paired with the spicy buffalo and creamy cheese? Absolute next level. If you have a smoker, toss the chicken breasts on for 45 minutes at 225 before shredding, you won’t regret it. Even without that tweak the recipe is great, but that little smoky kick made it taste like something you’d pay $15 for at a sports bar.
Used leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for this and it was perfect! I didn’t even have to cook chicken, just shredded it up and tossed it in, cut the total prep time down to like 15 minutes. My only note is that the bake time said 20 minutes for me, but mine was perfectly bubbly at 15, so I’d check it a little early if your oven runs hot like mine.
For all my people who hate blue cheese: this recipe is perfect as written, no blue cheese required! I was worried it was going to have that weird tangy blue cheese aftertaste that so many buffalo recipes have, but it’s just straight creamy cheddar and mozzarella with that perfect buffalo kick. I topped mine with some extra cheddar and fried onions for crunch, so good. No blue cheese slander here, it’s just not for me!
Swapped the chicken for roasted cauliflower for a vegetarian version, and it was so good! I tossed the cauliflower florets in a little buffalo sauce before roasting, and it had the same hearty, spicy kick as the chicken. My meat-eating boyfriend didn’t even complain, which is saying something. Will definitely be making this veggie version again, it’s perfect for meatless Mondays!
I think I messed this up bad? I used pre-shredded cheese from the bag and the sauce was all grainy and weird, and the pasta was way too crunchy even after baking. Did I do something wrong? Flavor was good but texture was way off, I want to try again but don’t want to waste ingredients.
I stirred a 1/2 cup of ranch dressing into the cheese sauce and topped the whole thing with crushed cheddar goldfish instead of breadcrumbs, and my roommate said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made. So nostalgic, so creamy, the perfect amount of heat. If you love that buffalo ranch flavor combo you have to try this hack, it’s unreal. I’ve already made it twice in one week.
Served this for our Sunday family dinner last night, and even my 82 year old dad who is the pickiest eater on the planet loved it! He kept saying ‘this has a nice little zing to it’ and went back for a second helping. I served it with some steamed broccoli on the side to make it feel a little more balanced, and it was the perfect cozy Sunday meal. Easy enough for a weeknight, fancy enough for Sunday dinner, 10/10.
This was my first time ever bringing a dish to a work potluck, and I was so nervous no one would like it — but people were coming up to me all afternoon asking for the recipe! My manager even said I should bring it to every company event from now on. I can’t believe how easy it was, I was worried I’d be stressed making it before work, but it came together so fast. Total confidence boost!
Made this at 10pm after a late shift because I was craving something cozy and cheesy, and it hit every single spot. I didn’t even have chicken on hand so I left it out, and it was still insane — just creamy buffalo mac, no protein needed when you’re that hungry. Ate half the pan straight out of the baking dish, no regrets. Worth every single calorie.