Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

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by Mike Hultquist · May 29, 2023 · 24 Comments · Jump to Recipe

This Buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe is so comforting with tender shredded chicken tossed with tangy Buffalo sauce and a creamy cheese sauce made with cream cheese and melty cheddar. Every bite is packed with flavor.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Who's up for a delicious, comforting bowl of Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese? I know I am.

Macaroni and cheese is always on the menu when you think of your favorite comfort food, but when you combine it with spicy, tangy Buffalo sauce, you take it to a whole new level of flavor.

What You'll Love About This Dish

My recipe uses my homemade Buffalo sauce that is nice and tangy, and just the right about of "spicy", though it's easily adjustable to your personal palate. You can also use your favorite brand!
I include a few extra ingredients and spices to make this the best Buffalo chicken mac and cheese out there, better than all the rest.
I use 4 different types of cheese for intense and satisfying flavor, including cream cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and pepperjack. You'll love it!

Let's talk about how we make Buffalo chicken mac and cheese, shall we?

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe (2)

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Ingredients

The full recipe with measurements is listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Dry Elbow Macaroni Noodles. Or use your favorite noodles, like cavatapi.
Butter and Flour. To make a roux.
Jalapeno Peppers. Optional, for a spicier version and extra flavor.
Tomato Paste.
Spices. Paprika, garlic powder, cayenne (for extra spicy), ground mustard, and salt and black pepper.
Milk.
Cheeses. I use cream cheese, pepperjack cheese, cheddar cheese, and crumbled blue cheese.
Sour Cream. Or use Mexican crema, which I prefer. Use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.
Buffalo Sauce.
Cooked Shredded Chicken. Save yourself time by using prepared rotisserie chicken, or simple shredded chicken breasts or thighs.
For Serving. Crumbled blue cheese or blue cheese dressing, fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese - the Recipe Method

Prep the Noodles. Prepare your macaroni noodles by boiling them in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Make the Roux. While the noodles are boiling, melt the butter in a large pot to medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour.

Making a roux adds extra creaminess to the dish, and will allow the cheese to melt properly through later.

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Jalapeno Peppers. Add the jalapeno peppers, if using, and cook for 3 minutes to soften up the peppers. I love adding peppers to my mac and cheese not only for the spice factor, but for the flavor boost.

Tomato Paste. Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings and cook for 1 minute.

Add the Milk. Slowly pour in the milk (be careful of splatter). Bring to a boil, the reduce heat to simmer. Stir until smooth. What you have at this is point is called a béchamel sauce.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe (4)

Stir in the Cheeses. Stir in the cream cheese until melted through. Stir in the shredded cheeses a bit at a time until melted through and the sauce is nice and creamy.

Feel free to add in crumbled blue cheese at this point as well for extra blue cheese flavor.

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Stir in the Rest. Stir in the buffalo sauce, shredded chicken, sour cream, and noodles until well combines. Serve!

Boom! Done! Easy enough, isn't it? This is such an easy yet hugely flavorful recipe. It's perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Or hey, maybe it's your new go-to special occasion recipe! I would love that.

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Recipe Tips & Notes

The Cheeses. I typically go for pepper jack cheeses, as they have that extra level of spiciness I crave. However, you can use other melty cheeses to your preference. Good options are Monterey jack, colby, or a Mexican cheese blend.
Crispy Buffalo Mac and Cheese. For a crispy topped version, add your mac and cheese to a baking dish and top it with bread crumbs or panko, then bake until golden. Super easy!

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave to enjoy again. You can also freeze it in an airtight container for 3 months or longer.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Off to make another batch. Let me know how it turns out for you. Send pics! Share on social media!-- Mike H.

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

Buffalo Chicken
Buffalo Wings Recipe
Boneless Buffalo Wings
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
American Goulash
Creamy Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese
One-Pot Spicy Chicken Mac and Cheese
Cheesy Chili Mac and Cheese
How to Make Creamy Beer Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe (7)

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe

This Buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe is so rich and creamy with shredded chicken tossed with melty cheese and tangy Buffalo sauce, so comforting! Every bite is packed with flavor.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blue cheese, Buffalo sauce, cheddar cheese, cream cheese

Ingredients

8 ounces dry elbow macaroni noodles (or use your favorite noodles, like cavatapi)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1-2 jalapeno peppers chopped (optional, for a spicier version)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for extra spicy)
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups milk
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or use mozzarella)
1/2 cup sour cream (or use Mexican crema)
1 cup Buffalo sauce
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (or use cooked chopped chicken)
For Serving: Crumbled blue cheese or blue cheese dressing, fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes

Instructions

Prepare your macaroni noodles by boiling them in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
While the noodles are boiling, heat the butter in a large pot to medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour.
Add the jalapeno peppers and cook for 3 minutes to soften up the peppers.
Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the milk (be careful of splatter). Bring to a boil, the reduce heat to simmer. Stir until smooth.
Stir in the cream cheese until melted through.
Stir in the shredded cheeses a bit at a time until melted through and the sauce is nice and creamy.
Stir in the buffalo sauce, shredded chicken, sour cream, and noodles until well combines. Serve!

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 758kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 27gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 28gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 2502mgPotassium: 455mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2646IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 629mgIron: 2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 5/29/23 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 12/8/17.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Banks says
October 01, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Love this, Mike. We used habaneros as we love how the pepper fruitiness complements buffalo sauce so well. Otherwise we stuck to the recipe as listed and thought it worked great.
Question for you - you use a lot of different ingredients in the YouTube video. Was that just an earlier iteration of this recipe? I'm curious about some of the differences (brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, onion, tomato sauce, etc.) and whether those are just a different take on it or if you consider this current recipe to be an improvement. Thanks as always.
Reply
Lucille A Paquette says
August 22, 2023 at 12:43 am

Excellant , we will make this again
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  August 22, 2023 at 5:34 am
  
  Great! Thanks, Lucille!
  Reply
Patrick Asher says
See Also
Barbecue Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
July 04, 2023 at 2:17 pm

Excellent- made today to take to the 4th of July outing instead of my baked beans. I have sampled and there's gonna be fireworks!
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  July 05, 2023 at 7:09 am
  
  Nice!! Thanks, Patrick! Glad you enjoyed it. =)
  Reply
Boo says
May 30, 2023 at 1:16 pm

We loved this grown-up version of mac & cheese with buffalo chicken. Was a big hit with my family, had a request to make some more for the next day, as there were no leftovers. Very tasty, spicy, and cheesy. It's a keeper, Thanks Mike for sharing your delish recipes.
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  May 30, 2023 at 1:19 pm
  
  Outstanding! Glad everyone enjoyed it, Boo! Thanks for sharing! I need to make this again, too. =)
  Reply
Nicolaas Franken says
May 30, 2023 at 2:29 am

You need some practicing on making the roux, but the recipe will do fine!
Thanks, go on!
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  May 30, 2023 at 5:35 am
  
  Nah on the roux, but yes, the recipe is great. Carry on.
  Reply
Mikey says
April 24, 2022 at 4:26 am

This meal was a spicy little number, needing at least two glasses of milk. It still had those notes that you know about while the afterburn went down, and they were tasty. I used another recipe to make a homemade Buffalo sauce since it's relatively hard to track down in Australia.
It was a great recipe, combing tropes of both chilli and pasta; those are two reliable templates to branch out with recipes. Also, using ground chicken is something I will never pass up.
I reckon this will be one I might bring out a few more times down the line. It is definitely going to make its presence known at the next potluck lunch.
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  April 24, 2022 at 9:06 am
  
  Nice!! Thanks, Mikey!!
  Reply
Angela N Goessner says
October 31, 2021 at 2:39 pm

This one is getting transcribed to an index card and put into regular use for meals! I used ground beef because that's what I had, and it turned out great!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  November 01, 2021 at 7:06 am
  
  Great to hear! Thanks!
  Reply
John Craig says
October 27, 2020 at 4:50 pm

This dish is soo good, I can't stop eating it even knowing the next day will be payday. I used ground turkey and chipotles that I made from our garden jalapenos, threw in some rehydrated Serrano peppers also from our garden. Awesome recipe that the wife insists I make again and again. Thanks Mike.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  October 27, 2020 at 10:04 pm
  
  Awesome, John. Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely one of our favorites. I need to make this again soon!
  Reply
Jérémie says
October 05, 2020 at 1:46 pm

Another great one, Mike!! Your recipes with Buffalo sauce are always great! Thanks again, my friend!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  October 05, 2020 at 1:58 pm
  
  Thanks, Jérémie! I greatly appreciate it, sir!
  Reply
Jonathan says
September 26, 2020 at 1:17 am

This buffalo mac and cheese really delicious. I like spicy so added more chili powder. The noodle is infused in spices, so tasty. I put salad on the plat then pour this buffalo ac and cheese into the dish. Salad and green herb balance fat of cream cheese.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 26, 2020 at 6:50 am
  
  Glad you enjoyed it, Jonathan!
  Reply
RHS says
December 20, 2019 at 9:47 am

This looks great . Anyway to make
This in advance and then heat up later in the day without the pasta getting mushy? Thanks
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  December 20, 2019 at 1:02 pm
  
  RHS, I would make the recipe without the noodles, then reheat it and cook the noodles the day you want to serve it. Just reheat the chicken and sauce, then stir in the cooked noodles. Let me know if that will work for you.
  Reply
Darren says
December 27, 2018 at 9:11 pm

Awesome
Reply
Melissa Griffiths says
December 09, 2017 at 1:49 am

Classic comfort food turned up a notch! Love it!
Reply
Larry Brooke says
December 08, 2017 at 7:02 pm

What are you calling Buffalo sauce??
REPLY: Larry, you can purchase Buffalo sauce from the store, a brand like Frank's or your favorite. A homemade version is typically made from a LA style hot sauce, butter, maybe some vinegar, Worcestershire sauce. I'll have to put mine on the site soon. There are many brands. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Reply