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This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is the perfect comforting meal you can make your family for dinner! A one-pot meal that’s tangy, creamy, easy to make, and full of protein and flavor.
You may also like my butternut squash mac and cheese or my Broccoli and chicken pasta casserole.
Make the wholesome mac and cheese recipe for your family in just 30 minutes! Made with healthier ingredients, chicken breast, whole-wheat pasta, and milk buffalo sauce! Want to keep this mac and cheese just for adults and a bit on the spicy side? Use spicy buffalo sauce and add some fresh jalapeños.
This buffalo chicken mac and cheese is a total winner and the perfect weeknight meal to serve your family. Full of flavor and loaded with protein.
Why I love it
- Complete meal: no need to figure out what protein to make on the side or what sides to make for this mac and cheese dish. A one-pot meal that has chicken bites for your serving of protein!
- Easy: this dish is easy to make, all in one-pot and less mess to clean up. Ready in just about 30 minutes.
- Delicious: chicken in every bite, creamy smooth, with a tangy flavor. It is so tasty!
Ingredients you will need
Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this recipe. The full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Chicken breast, boneless, skinless: or you can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs. I do prefer chicken breast.
- Herbs: onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, kosher salt, and ground pepper
- Olive oil: or avocado oil
- Chicken broth: or vegetable broth
- Milk of choice: I like using 2%
- Whole-wheat elbow noodles or any other pasta.
- Mild buffalo sauce: I always use mild because of my kids, but you can use whatever spice level you prefer.
- Shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- A small handful of fresh curly parsley, chopped to garnish: this is something you can skip.
How to make buffalo mac and cheese
- Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken into small cubes. Place the chicken cubes, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper into a mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the chicken pieces are evenly coated.
- Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until nicely golden brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then pour in the broth and milk. Allow it to simmer until liquid starts to bubble.
- Add other ingredients and cook: When the mixture starts to bubble, add the noodles. Once again let it simmer until noodles are tender for about 10-12 minutes. When noodles are tender, stir in the buffalo sauce and 1 cup of cheese. Stir well until sauce is thick, creamy, and cheesy.
- Serve mac and cheese: Divide the mac and cheese among your serving bowls. Top with remaining cheese while still piping hot, and serve immediately.
- If you want the dish to be fancier, transfer the mac and cheese to a large baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and broil until the top is golden brown. Garnish with fresh curly parsley, if desired, and enjoy.
Recipe tips
- Chicken: use any protein of choice. Chicken works best in terms of flavor, and you may use the meat of chicken thighs.
- Pasta: any pasta you have on hand that fits your dietary needs. There are healthier pasta choices like chickpea and lentil pasta.
- Buffalo sauce: go with a healthier buffalo sauce with no added sugar.
- Broth: I used chicken broth to bring out the flavor but you can use vegetable broth or water
- Milk: any milk of choice will work. I used 2%
- Add more veggies: a great option would be to add some cooked broccoli florets into the mix to get those veggies for the little ones.
Frequently asked questions
You can absolutely freeze mac and cheese. If you are planning on freezing the whole dish, allow it to cool completely, tightly wrap it to prevent freezer burns, and freeze for up to 3 months. Mac and cheese like other pasta dishes freeze well. Another great way to freeze mac and cheese is to store them into single-serving containers, tightly close, and freeze.
Yes. You can add veggies like chopped broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, or asparagus. I would saute the veggies for a few minutes while cooking the chicken.
Yes. You can use shrimp instead of chicken. Just swap it out. Use raw shrimp if possible. Frozen raw shrimp are available at almost all grocery stores. Just thaw ahead of time and clean if needed. You will need to cook the shrimp for a shorter time or else they will be tough and rubbery.
How to reheat mac and cheese
- Oven: Preheat oven to 350 F. If the frozen mac and cheese isn’t in an oven-safe dish already, place it in a glass dish or casserole dish and place in the oven for 30-45 minutes until mac and cheese is heated through
- Microwave: Place frozen mac and cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat for 3-4 minutes until mac and cheese are thawed and heated through.
- Stovetop: On your stovetop over low heat, place mac and cheese in a pan and cover. Let it heat up for 10-14 minutes until the mac and cheese start to thaw. Then bump the heat up to medium and let it heat up for another 5-10 minutes. Then serve.
How to defrost frozen mac and cheese
A good way to defrost mac and cheese is to place it in the fridge the night before and allow it to thaw overnight. If you do forget to remove it from the freezer overnight, don’t fret. You can still defrost and reheat the mac and cheese following the “how to reheat mac and cheese” options above.
More chicken recipe
- Chicken Shawarma Bowl
- Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Chicken Mango Salad
- Chicken Gyro Sandwich
- Pineapple Chicken Kabob
- Honey Mustard Chicken
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1-1/2 cup whole wheat elbow noodles
- 1/4 cup mild buffalo sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- fresh chopped curly parsley, to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cut the 1 pound chicken breast into small cubes. Place the chicken cubes, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the chicken pieces are evenly coated. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until nicely golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, then pour in the 1-1/2 cup chicken broth and 1-1/2 cup milk of choice. Allow it to simmer until the liquid starts to bubble.
- When the mixture starts to bubble, add the 1-1/2 cup whole wheat elbow noodles. Once again, let it simmer until noodles are tender for about 10-12 minutes.
- When noodles are tender, stir in the 1/4 cup mild buffalo sauce and 1 cup of the 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Stir well until the sauce is thick, creamy, and cheesy. Divide the mac and cheese among your serving bowls.
- Top with remaining cheese while still piping hot, and serve immediately. If you want the dish to be fancier, transfer the mac and cheese to a large baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and broil until the top is golden brown. Garnish with fresh fresh chopped curly parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chicken: use any protein of choice, Chicken works best in terms of flavor, and you may use the meat of chicken thighs.
- Pasta: any pasta you have on hand that fits your dietary needs. There are healthier pasta choices like chickpea and lentil pasta
- Buffalo sauce: go with a healthier buffalo sauce with no added sugar.
- Broth: I used chicken broth to bring out the flavor, but you can use vegetable broth or water
- Milk: any milk of choice will work. I used 2%
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Your calories are way off. We have a total of 2350 calories using fat free cheese and healthier noodles.
I would have to check on this. Our system uses an automatic nutrition facts calculator. It shouldn’t be way off.
Are there any veges that would work well in this dish?
Yes! My first 2 choices would be peas and broccoli.
My sauce started to curd, is that ok?
Did you switch out any of the ingredients ?
Followed the directions Verbatim, you need a thickener. There’s some step you guys must have left out. I suggest making it again and seeing if there are any errors in the recipe you wrote. Cheese curdled, like the above comment.
Hi, I would like to try this recipe, do you think I could use an alternative dairy source, like almond milk?
Yes, you can. It May not be as flavorful but it will work
Delicious and very tasty
Thank you. So glad you liked it