Easy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Easy mac and cheese buffalo chicken recipe is loaded with flavor. The perfect meal to use your leftover chicken and your cooked noodles in. All the ingredients are combined and cooked together on the stovetop then baked to perfection.

Quick and easy buffalo chicken mac and cheese is perfect for any occasion. You can serve as a side dish or as a main meal. The cream cheese and two cheeses melt perfectly with the other ingredients to create an amazing dish. Try these other mac and cheese recipes, Fried Mac and Cheese Balls Recipe, Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe, Taco Mac and Cheese, Sausage Mac and Cheese Recipe, Easy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe and Tiktok Mac and Cheese.

Why We Love This Mac and Cheese

This recipe is tangy, savory and the perfect amount of spice to be enjoyed by all. Add a side salad or some roasted vegetables to make this a complete meal.

This recipe is completely customizable to what you prefer. If you love buffalo sauce and mac and cheese then this is the recipe to make. If you have made our Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip then you are going to love this recipe.

Ingredients

• Salted Butter, Flour, and Milk – Ingredients to make the Roux for the mac and cheese
• Garlic Powder – You can also use minced garlic or The Best Garlic Powder Substitute if you are out
• Onion Powder – Minced Onion is a great substitute
• Cream Cheese – We recommend the cream cheese to be softened
• Mild Cheddar Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese – We recommend shred cheese from bulk cheese
• Macaroni Noodles – Any type of pasta will work
• Buffalo Sauce – Use store bought buffalo sauce or make Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce Recipe
• Shredded Chicken – Use any type of cooked chicken or make Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

Substitutions and Additions

• Chicken Breast – I like to use precooked, frozen grilled chicken; however, you can also use fresh grilled chicken, chicken tenders or shredded chicken. You can also use rotisserie chicken.
• Add Spice – If you want to really up the spice level of this dish, add an extra drizzle of buffalo sauce to the top of the dish when serving. You can also add a few drops of tobacco sauce or hot sauce to the cheese sauce when you add the milk. We have even added in ½ teaspoon of paprika for even more flavor.
• Change the Noodles – We like the elbow macaroni noodles but you use what you have. We think a bowtie pasta would be good to use.
• Change the Cheese – We used cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese but you can easily use pepper jack cheese or Colby Monterrey cheese for added flavor. You can also melt cream cheese for added creaminess.
• Add your favorite toppings – We like to top with diced green onions but sour cream would also be delicious. We love the added creamy texture it gives.
• Dressing – Feel free to add blue cheese dressing for a hint of ranch flavor to the mac and cheese.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

• Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9X13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

Step 2 – Cook the pasta to al dente based on the package instructions. 

Step 3 – Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to create a roux. 

Step 4 – Slowly whisk in the milk and the ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and other simple spices. Heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Heat for a few minutes until the mixture thickens.

Step 5 – Remove from heat and immediately stir in the cream cheese and shredded cheeses.  Stir until the cheese is melted and smooth. 

Step 6 – Stir in the buffalo sauce. Stir in the shredded chicken and pasta until well coated. 

Step 7 – Pour into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes until heated through and bubbly. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Cooking Pasta – Make sure to cook pasta al dente or according to package. You can easily prepare this pasta ahead of time if you are planning on making this recipe.
• Dice Chicken – You can easily dice your chicken ahead of time. This is a great recipe to use for leftover chicken.
• Melting Butter – Make sure the butter is melted before mixing in the flour.
• Mixing in the cheese and Milk – Continuing stirring the cheese and the milk into the butter and flour mixture until everything is melted.
• Stirring in the Macaroni – When you stir in the macaroni, make sure it is completely covered with melted cheese mixture.
• Shredded Cheese – We recommend shredding your own cheese. It melts and taste better than pre-shredded cheese.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese in Crockpot

Making Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese in the crock pot is easy to do. We like making it in the slow cooker when we a feeding a crowd as it keeps it warm.

You can even make this by starting with uncooked noodles and adding in butter, milk and seasoning to cook the noodles. Then stirring in the cheese and chicken to create and amazing dish.

Check our Crock Pot Mac and Cheese for all the tips.

What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese?

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese makes the side dish to many main dish recipes and for any occasion. These are some of our favorites.

• Roasted Cauliflower
• Easy Caesar Salad Recipe
• Teriyaki Vegetables
• Grilled Vegetables in Foil Pack Recipe
• Veggie Tray Recipe with Homemade Ranch Dressing