Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Made on the Stovetop
Senior Editor & Writer
Nicholetta Bokolas
Award-winning food blogger and writer sharing simple recipes, good food, and the stories that come with them.
Mac and cheese has to be one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. It’s nostalgic, easy, cheesy, and exactly the kind of dinner everyone is happy to see on the table. So naturally, adding Buffalo chicken to the situation just makes sense. This buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe combines creamy homemade mac and cheese with shredded chicken and tangy Buffalo sauce, and I swear the two flavours taste like they’ve always belonged together. It has a little heat without being over-the-top spicy, plenty of cheese, and it comes together quickly right on the stove.
And can we talk about the toppings? A light sprinkle of blue cheese, sliced green onion, and another drizzle of hot sauce really takes this one over the top for me. The blue cheese is technically optional, but if you like it, I really recommend adding it. You don’t need much!
This is the kind of dinner I want in my back pocket when we’re getting back into school schedules, meal planning, and busy weeknights. Grab a rotisserie chicken to make things even easier and dinner is basically handled.
At a Glance
- Made entirely on the stovetop
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Rotisserie chicken makes it even easier
- No oven or baking required
- Easy to make with gluten-free pasta
- Creamy, cheesy, and a little spicy
- Great for busy weeknights
- A fun option for game day or a potluck
Ingredients:
- 340 gram box elbow macaroni or fusilli pasta (I used gluten free pasta)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (rotisserie chicken works great)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Buffalo hot sauce, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, as needed (you might not need the whole thing)
- 1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled for topping
- 1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook until just al dente according to the package directions.
- Before draining, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Drain the pasta and set aside.While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium-low heat.
- Add the whole milk and softened cream cheese. Whisk continuously until the cream cheese has completely melted and the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Be patient here—it may take a few minutes, but you want a silky-smooth base before moving on.
- Stir in the Buffalo hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until combined.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the cheddar and Monterey Jack a handful at a time, stirring until each addition has completely melted before adding more.
- Keep the heat low to ensure the cheese sauce stays smooth and creamy.
- If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water 1–2 tablespoons at a time, stirring between each addition, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Add the shredded chicken and cooked pasta.
- Toss until everything is completely coated in the Buffalo cheese sauce and warmed through.
- Remove from the heat and finish with crumbled blue cheese, sliced green onions, and an extra drizzle of Buffalo hot sauce.
- Serve immediately while the mac and cheese is hot, creamy, and extra cheesy.
- Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment!
Why Buffalo Chicken and Mac and Cheese Just Work
If you love buffalo chicken dip, you already understand where I’m going with this.
Buffalo chicken has heat and tanginess, while mac and cheese is rich and creamy. Put the two together and each one balances the other.
For this buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe, I start with a creamy cheese sauce made with butter, whole milk, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack. Then I add Buffalo hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
The cream cheese mellows the Buffalo sauce just enough while helping create that smooth, creamy consistency.
Then in goes the shredded chicken and pasta.
Easy!
Tips for A Creamy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
Grate Your Own Cheese
I know the bags of shredded cheeses are convenient, but freshly grated cheese melts so much better.
Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking ingredients that can affect how smoothly it melts. I use freshly shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack here because I want that sauce CREAMY.
Turn Down the Heat
Once you’re ready to add the cheese, keep the temperature low.
High heat can cause a cheese sauce to become grainy or separate. Add the cheese a handful at a time and stir until it has completely melted before adding more.
Be Patient With the Cream Cheese
When you add the milk and cream cheese to the melted butter, keep whisking until the mixture is completely smooth and there are no lumps. It might take a few minutes, so be patient! You want a silky base before adding the Buffalo sauce and shredded cheese—that little bit of extra whisking makes such a difference in the final cheese sauce.
Don’t Overcook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your elbow macaroni or fusilli until just al dente, following the package directions.
Remember, the pasta is going back into the warm sauce, so it’ll continue softening slightly.
Save That Pasta Water
Before you drain the pasta, save some of the cooking water!
If your Buffalo cheese sauce becomes thicker than you want, add a tablespoon or two of reserved pasta water and stir. It’s one of the easiest ways to loosen the sauce without watering down the flavour.
Why I Don’t Bake This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
A lot of mac and cheese recipes go into the oven with more cheese or panko on top and bake until bubbling and golden brown.
Delicious? Absolutely.
Necessary here? I don’t think so.
I wanted this chicken mac and cheese to be something I could get onto the table quickly, so everything happens on the stovetop.
Once the pasta and chicken mixture are coated in that creamy Buffalo cheese sauce, it’s ready to eat.
No second dish. No waiting for the oven.
That’s a win on a busy night.
The Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut
While I used pre cooked chicken breasts here, this is absolutely a rotisserie chicken kind of recipe.
You need two cups of cooked chicken, so picking up a rotisserie chicken means you don’t have to cook chicken breasts first.
If you already have leftover chicken in the fridge, even better.
The whole point is to make dinner easier, not create another cooking project.
Let’s Talk About the Blue Cheese
I know blue cheese can be divisive.
If you love it, definitely add it.
The salty, funky flavour is such a good contrast to the creamy pasta and gives you that classic Buffalo chicken flavor. But you don’t need a mountain of it—a light sprinkle over the top is plenty.
If blue cheese isn’t your thing, just leave it off. The mac and cheese is still delicious without it.
I also love finishing everything with thinly sliced green onion and another little drizzle of Buffalo sauce.
Make It a Buffalo Mac Night
Here’s something fun for busy nights: instead of worrying about a bunch of sides, make a little topping station.
Put the pot of buffalo mac on the table and set out blue cheese, sliced green onions, and extra hot sauce.
It’s also a really fun game day dinner because everyone can customize their own bowl.
And if you’re feeding a crowd, this makes a fantastic casual potluck dish.
If buffalo sauce isn’t your thing—or you’ve got kids who prefer classic mac and cheese—you can absolutely stick with the traditional version.
Classic homemade mac and cheese typically starts with a roux: melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in all-purpose flour, then gradually add milk before melting in the cheese. Some versions add half-and-half or heavy cream for extra richness.
Can I Make This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe Gluten-Free?
Yes—and that’s actually how I made mine.
I used gluten-free fusilli instead of traditional elbow macaroni. Just cook your pasta according to its package directions because gluten-free varieties can vary quite a bit.
There’s also no flour in my cheese sauce, so you don’t need to make any other substitutions to the original recipe.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese: Frequently Asked Questions
What hot sauce should I use for Buffalo chicken mac and cheese?
Use a Buffalo-style hot sauce that you already enjoy. Since there’s ½ cup in the recipe, its flavour really comes through.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely. It’s my favourite shortcut for this recipe. You need about two cups of finely shredded cooked chicken.
Can I make Buffalo chicken mac and cheese ahead?
You can, but mac and cheese is creamiest right after it’s made. If you’re reheating leftovers, add a splash of milk while warming it gently to help loosen the sauce.
Is Buffalo chicken mac and cheese spicy?
It has some heat, but the milk, cream cheese, cheddar, and Monterey Jack balance the hot sauce. You can always drizzle extra Buffalo sauce over individual servings for people who like things spicier.
Do I have to add blue cheese?
Nope. I love the flavour here, but it’s completely optional.
Can I bake this recipe?
The original recipe is intentionally a quick stovetop mac and cheese. If you prefer baked mac and cheese, you could transfer it to an oven-safe dish and add a topping, but that would be a variation rather than my original method.
Put This One on the Weeknight Rotation
This is exactly the kind of comfort food I want when life gets busy.
It’s familiar enough that everyone gets excited about mac and cheese, but the Buffalo sauce, chicken, green onions, and blue cheese make it feel like something completely different.
And I especially love that I don’t have to turn on the oven or dirty a pile of dishes to make it happen.
If back-to-school season has you staring at the fridge at 5 p.m. wondering what on earth you’re making for dinner, save this one. Grab a rotisserie chicken, get a big pot of water boiling, and you’ve got a creamy, cheesy, slightly spicy dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.
Those are the kinds of easy recipes I will happily make on repeat.
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Easy Baked Mac and Cheese With Dill Pickle
Nicholetta Bokolas
Nicholetta is an award-winning food blogger and writer whose work lives at the intersection of food and story. She shares simple, approachable recipes inspired by the flavours she grew up with, grounded in the belief that good food should never be too complicated. She is currently writing a food memoir that traces her grandmother’s journey from Greece to Canada, and the recipes that carried her through building a new life and a successful restaurant. A lifelong home cook, Nicholetta is most at home in the kitchen, cooking for the people she loves and gathering around a table where food is as much about connection as it is about what’s on the plate.
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