My creamy buffalo chicken mac and cheese is topped off with a buttery toasted panko for next-level flavor. It’s quick to make in just over 30 minutes! Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Best Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Today’s buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe started out as a just-for-fun experiment (so many of my recipes do!) but after taste testing I didn’t have a choice — I had to share it with you! With its irresistibly creamy texture and buffalo chicken dip-esque flavor, this one was just too good to keep to myself.
This recipe has everything you love about baked mac & cheese, plus an extra kick of flavor from the buffalo sauce. It’s cheesy, creamy, a little spicy, and so hearty with plenty of shredded chicken.
I top mine off with a buttery, crispy crown of toasted panko for some extra texture and flavor, and it’s truly the best mac and cheese I’ve had (my bacon mac and cheese is a close second though!). I just know you’re going to love it too!
What You Need
There are quite a lot of ingredients up there, so let’s go over some of the most important ones:
- Buffalo sauce. Make sure you’re using prepared buffalo sauce and not straight hot sauce (which would add more heat than intended).
- Pasta. You can use macaroni (a classic choice! I use this in my easy mac and cheese), but cavatappi/cellentani is a bit more fun.
- Cheese. Grab some mozzarella and cheddar blocks and shred them yourself–this is critical for the smoothest sauce and best melting. Pre-shredded cheeses may be more convenient, but they contain anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting smoothly.
- Sour cream + cream cheese. To make this buffalo mac and cheese extra creamy, we’ll go beyond your standard shredded cheeses and use cream cheese and sour cream too. These two ingredients are possibly the most critical in developing such a creamy and richly flavored dish!
- Chicken. Any cooked, shredded chicken will work. I like to use a rotisserie chicken or my slow cooker shredded chicken.
- Panko. We toast this panko in butter on the stovetop for wonderful, buttery flavor. Sometimes, instead of using panko I make breadcrumbs out of my sourdough bread and use those, instead!
SAM’S TIP: Since this dish is so creamy and rich, it makes a great party/potluck dish. It’s the kind of comfort food that you pile on your plate at a party, then find yourself going back for seconds…and thirds!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese
- Cook your pasta to al dente according to package directions, then drain and keep warm.
- Melt the butter and stir in the flour until smooth.
- Stir in the spices and milk, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir frequently until thickened. Once thickened, stir in the cheeses and sour cream until smooth.
- Stir in the hot sauce, then add the chicken and pasta.
- Pour into a buttered baking dish and prepare the panko topping.
Panko Topping
- Melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat, then add the panko.
- Stir and toast the panko until it absorbs the butter and oil and begins to turn a light golden brown.
- Sprinkle the panko over your prepared mac and cheese.
- Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, then enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: Fresh chopped parsley makes a pretty, fresh garnish on this mac and cheese. This is optional, but I do like to add it if I have some on hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you’d like to make the recipe up until the baking step, you can cover it and refrigerate until ready to bake. When you’re ready, simply remove your covering and bake until warmed through.
My buffalo mac and cheese carries some heat, but it’s not overwhelmingly hot (though you heat-seekers out there can feel free to up the ante with a few extra tablespoons of buffalo sauce). The heat is nicely tempered by the cheeses, so I find the spice level to be mild or about as hot as a buffalo chicken dip would be.
Yes! This buffalo mac and cheese doubles nicely, especially for parties. You’ll want to bake it in a 9×13 if you do. Keep in mind the bake time might be a bit longer in a bigger pan.
Let me know in the comments if you’d like to see more spruced up mac and cheese recipes!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz (230 g) dry macaroni noodles (I used Cellentani noodles)
- 3 Tablespoons (42 g) butter
- 3 Tablespoons (24 g) flour
- 2 cups (475 ml) milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese
- 1 ½ cup (170 g) shredded mozzarella cheese I use low-moisture part skim
- 1 cup (115 g) sharp shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) buffalo hot sauce
- 1 ½ cups (200 g) shredded chicken
For Panko Topping:
- 1 Tablespoon (14 g) butter
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup (30 g) seasoned panko crumbs
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease a 1.5qt round baking dish or 9×9 square baking dish with butter.
- Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions.8 oz (230 g) dry macaroni noodles (I used Cellentani noodles)
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once it has melted, add flour and stir until smooth.3 Tablespoons (42 g) butter, 3 Tablespoons (24 g) flour
- Add milk and spices, stir well and bring to a boil.2 cups (475 ml) milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 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.4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, 1 ½ cup (170 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup (115 g) sharp shredded cheddar cheese, ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream
- Add hot sauce and stir.½ cup (120 ml) buffalo hot sauce
- Add shredded chicken and cooked, drained pasta noodles and stir until well coated by the sauce.1 ½ cups (200 g) shredded chicken
- 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.1 Tablespoon (14 g) butter, ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- 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 color½ cup (30 g) seasoned panko crumbs
- 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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Recipe originally published August 2017. Recipe remains the same but text has been updated to be more helpful.
Bonnie
This makes a fabulous version of buffalo chicken mac & cheese! My boys get psyched when I tell them it’s on for dinner. Never much left for lunches the next day. 😋
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it has been such a hit and a favorite of your boys, Bonnie! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Katrina
Do you use sharp or mild cheddar cheese? Thank you in advance !
Sugar Spun Run
Either one will work fine, Katrina! I tend to use sharp cheddar cheese when I make this. 🙂
Kennedie
Hi! I was wondering if we can freeze the remaining pasta?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Kennedie! I have had others freeze it and have had success. I hope that they enjoy it! 🙂
Mary
I used half macaroni, half cauliflower to cut the carbs. Delicious. The family couldn’t tell the difference.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the mac and cheese was such a hit and that you were able to cut carbs with cauliflower successfully, Mary! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Terri
Oh my YUMMMMM is all I can say!! I made this tonight for the fam and it quickly vanished!!! I’m new to your site and I’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes! Thanks for sharing 🤤
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the mac and cheese was such a hit, Terri! I am happy that you found my site. I can’t wait to hear what you try next! 🙂
Autumn
What if I wanted to do 16oz of noodles?? How would I modify the recipe? Or do you think it’s be enough to cover the noodles
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Autumn! I think it will be enough to cover the noodles, just might not be as cheesy. Keep me posted on how your buffalo mac and cheese turns out! 🙂
Briti Sengupta
Lovely Recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the buffalo mac and cheese, Briti! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Randi Hope
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
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
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
Will do! Good Luck! 🙂
Stacey A Hooper
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
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
Any experience/recommendations on preparing everything on one day and reheating and eating on another?
Sam
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
I was curious how yours came out because I want to do the same thing. Thank you
Ellie
Amazing. Perfect recipe! Thanks 🙂
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Ellie! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
ALEXIS BROWN
What size pan should I use if I follow this recipe verbatim?
Sugar Spun Run
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
Could Cavatappi noodles work in this recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Alexis! Yes, Cavatappi Noodles should be fine. I hope that you enjoy the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese!
Luke
Would doubling the recipe be too much for a 13×9 pan?
Sugar Spun Run
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
Yummy!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, Keri! Thanks for commenting. 🙂