A creamy, spicy buffalo chicken mac and cheese topped off with a buttery toasted panko. Be sure to check out the video just above the recipe for a super quick and easy visual how-to guide!
Because I literally just shared a savory recipe with you exactly one week ago, I was extremely hesitant to share this Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese recipe with you today.
This is still a dessert blog, and I promise you that there are plenty more cookies in the very near future and lots, lots more sugar. Just, sometimes a recipe is too darn good not to share right away, and this buffalo chicken mac & cheese definitely fits the bill.
And, honestly, if I wasn’t sharing this one with you, it probably would have been my Halloween recipe that I mentioned in my last post, and I’m not sure that everyone else is quite as ready as I am to jump into full-blown Halloween prep (or are you? I hope so because I can’t wait much longer!). 
This Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese recipe started out as a just-for-fun experiment. Those happen a lot around here, especially with savory recipes, and most of them don’t make it onto the blog (because we do sugar here, right? Hard to tell recently!).
This one wasn’t originally destined for the blog, but then it happened…
That first mind-blowing bite where I knew that I had to share it with you because it was just so perfect, so decadently rich, so creamy, so cheesy, so mind bogglingly addictive that my hands were absolutely tied on the subject.
It’s actually so creamy and richly delicious that I really consider it to be more of a “party food” rather than a true dinner. It’s absolutely addictive and sure it has protein (chicken) and calcium (cheese and milk), but it’s a stretch to consider this as a nutritious dinner. It’s more of a comfort food, the kind that you pile on your plate at a party and keep going back to for seconds, and thirds. However, if you want it for dinner, who am I to tell you how to live your life?
To make this buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese so creamy, I went beyond your standard shredded cheeses, and in addition to shredded mozzarella and cheddar, and I also used cream cheese and sour cream. These two ingredients are possibly the most critical in developing such a creamy and richly flavored dish.
Everything is topped off with a buttery, crispy, crown of toasted panko that gives way beneath your spoon to the best dang mac and cheese of your life.
It carries some heat, as all buffalo-flavored things do, but it’s not overwhelmingly hot (though you heat-seekers out there can feel free to up the ante with a few extra tablespoons if you dare), and is nicely tempered by all of that cheese.
Alright, that’s all for today and I promise there will be a lot more sugar in my next post 😉
Be sure to check out my easy mac & cheese recipe if you’re looking for something more classic and simple!
If you make this Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese in the meantime, though, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag it #sugarspunrun so I can see your work and we can obsess together over how amazing this dish really is!!
Enjoy! The printable recipe is just below the video.
Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry macaroni noodles I used Cellentani noodles (230g)
- 3 Tablespoons butter (42g)
- 3 Tablespoons flour (24g)
- 2 cups milk (475ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 4 oz cream cheese (115g)
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese , I use low-moisture part skim (170g)
- 1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese (115g)
- ⅓ cup sour cream (80g)
- ½ cup buffalo hot sauce (120ml)
- 1 ½ cups shredded chicken (200g)
For Panko Topping:
- 1 Tablespoon butter (14g)
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup seasoned panko crumbs (30g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease a 1.5qt round baking dish or 9x9 square baking dish with butter.
- Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once it has melted, add flour and stir until smooth.
- Add milk and spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard), stir well and bring to a boil.
- Once mixture begins to boil, reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and stir frequently until it is slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Stir until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth.
- Add hot sauce and stir.
- Add shredded chicken and cooked, drained pasta noodles and stir until well coated by the sauce.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and prepare your Panko topping.
Panko Topping
- Combine butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.
- Add panko and stir well until the butter and oil has been mostly absorbed. Continue to stir until panko is lightly toasted and turns a light-medium brown color
- Use a spoon to sprinkle over prepared buffalo chicken mac and cheese
- Transfer to oven and bake on 350F (175C) for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve.
Nutrition
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Briti Sengupta says
Lovely Recipe.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the buffalo mac and cheese, Briti! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Randi Hope says
This looks delicious. Any suggestions on how to make this with ground chicken? I have a contest for Christmas and have to use ground chicken . Many of the other ingredients are in the recipe ( although I have to also incorporate brussels sprouts and cinnamon lol) However I May just shred some raw brussels sprouts for a little garnish on top and somehow get the cinnamon involved. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated . Thanks
Sam says
Hi Randi! I really think the texture of the shredded chicken is best with this recipe (similar to buffalo chicken dip) but I think if you cooked and browned the ground chicken separately you could then add it in to the recipe just like you would add the shredded chicken. That’s quite an interesting contest, you’ll definitely have to be creative with the cinnamon! I hope you win!
Randi Hope says
Lol! Thanks for your reply!
Yes I was thinking of doing the same but have no idea how to incorporate the cinnamon sticks! ( we could grind and maybe add a pinch )
The ingredients were ground chicken, brussels sprouts, cinnamon sticks, pasta, cream cheese! Ugh
Going to do a trial this weekend because your recipe looks delicious. Will post an update 😊
If you could think of anything please get back to me LOL and Happy Holidays!
Thanks again
Randi
Sugar Spun Run says
Will do! Good Luck! 🙂
Stacey A Hooper says
This was so delicious — I’m making a few pans for our family Christmas Eve get-together. I wouldn’t chance it without trying it — and now i’m worried about making it ahead of time because it’s so tempting!!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the buffalo chicken mac and cheese, Stacey! Let me know if they make it to your Christmas Eve Gathering. lol. 🙂
Reed says
Any experience/recommendations on preparing everything on one day and reheating and eating on another?
Sam says
I haven’t done this but I think it would be fine to prepare in advance, just cover well. I also might recommend storing the panko topping separately and then topping just before baking, that way it doesn’t get soggy. I hope that helps, and maybe someone else who has tried can chime in!
Randi Hope says
I was curious how yours came out because I want to do the same thing. Thank you
Ellie says
Amazing. Perfect recipe! Thanks 🙂
Sam says
So glad you enjoyed, Ellie! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
ALEXIS BROWN says
What size pan should I use if I follow this recipe verbatim?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Alexis! I recommend using a 1.5qt round baking dish or 9×9 square baking dish for this recipe. I hope that you enjoy the Buffalo Mac and Cheese. 🙂
ALEXIS BROWN says
Could Cavatappi noodles work in this recipe?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Alexis! Yes, Cavatappi Noodles should be fine. I hope that you enjoy the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese!
Luke says
Would doubling the recipe be too much for a 13×9 pan?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Luke! It depends on how deep the baking pan is. If you double it may be slightly more than what will fit into a 9 x 13, but if the pan is 3″=4″ deep, I think you will be fine. You may just need to bake a little longer. I hope that you enjoy the mac and cheese. 🙂
Keri says
Yummy!!!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so happy that you enjoyed the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, Keri! Thanks for commenting. 🙂