Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

This Buffalo chicken mac and cheese is classic comfort food turned all the way up. You get tender bites of seasoned chicken, al dente cavatappi pasta, and a rich three-cheese sauce all coated in buttery Buffalo hot sauce. It is creamy, tangy, a little smoky, and just spicy enough to taste like the perfect cross between Buffalo chicken dip and restaurant-style mac and cheese. If you have made my recreation of Tini’s mac and cheese recipe from TikTok and loved it, this Buffalo chicken version is the spicy, game-day-ready spin you've been waiting for.

Why You'll Love This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

I found Tini’s TikTok account when her mac and cheese started blowing up, and when I recreated it for the blog, it quickly became one of my top recipes. When I saw her Buffalo mac and cheese, I knew I had to try a version that would live up to that hype, too. Being from Buffalo and having eaten more Buffalo chicken everything than I can count, I wanted this to taste like a true Buffalo chicken mac and cheese, not just regular mac with hot sauce splashed in. I tested the seasoning on the chicken, the cheese blend, and the ratio of hot sauce and butter until it tasted like something I would happily serve at a Buffalo Bills tailgate.

This buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe is creamy, cheesy, spicy, smoky, and savory all at once. The chicken is seasoned with a full Buffalo-style spice blend, so it has flavor even before it hits the sauce. The mac and cheese base is ultra creamy from a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, smoked gouda, and Colby Jack, so you get both melty pull and rich flavor. The hot sauce and melted butter bring that signature Buffalo tang and heat that coats every noodle. It feels like a mash-up of Buffalo wings and baked mac and cheese in one pan.

It's the kind of dish that stands out on a potluck table, makes a killer game-day main, and is exactly what you want on a cozy night in when you are craving serious comfort food with personality.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Chicken:

• 8 oz chicken breast, cut into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

For the Buffalo Seasoning Mix:

• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning

For the Pasta & Sauce:

• ½ bag cavatappi pasta
• 4 oz cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 oz smoked gouda, grated
• 8 oz colby jack, grated
• 2 tablespoon butter
• Half of the seasoning mix (above)
• 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup hot sauce
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Step 1: Prep and cook the chicken

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease or spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the oil and all of the chicken seasoning components (hot sauce, spices, etc., from your recipe). Toss until the chicken is evenly coated. 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked through and lightly browned on the edges. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 2: Mix the Buffalo seasoning blend

In a small bowl, combine all of the Buffalo mac and cheese seasonings listed in your recipe (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, any herbs, etc.). Stir until they're well mixed and set the seasoning blend aside.

Step 3: Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatappi (or your pasta of choice) and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Step 4: Prep the cheese

Grate all of the cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, smoked gouda, Colby Jack, or whatever blend you are using) and place them in a large bowl. Toss them together until evenly mixed, then set the cheese mixture aside.

Step 5: Build the Roux

In the same skillet you used for the chicken, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Sprinkle in half of the seasoning blend and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices become fragrant. Add the flour and stir to coat it in the oil and spices, cooking for 2–3 minutes to form a roux. The mixture should look slightly foamy and smell toasty, but not burned.

Step 6: Add milk and cream to the sauce

Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once the mixture is smooth, add the heavy cream and continue whisking until the sauce thickens slightly and is smooth and velvety.

Step 7: Add the seasonings, chicken, and cheese

Whisk in the remaining half of the seasoning blend, the hot sauce, the cooked chicken, and the mustard. Stir to combine. Add about two-thirds of the grated cheese mixture and stir until it is fully melted and the sauce is thick, creamy, and orange from the Buffalo hot sauce. 

Step 8: Add the pasta

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and gently fold everything together until the pasta is completely coated in the Buffalo cheese sauce.

Step 9: Bake until golden and bubbly

Expert Tips To Make The Best Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

• Season and cook the chicken well before it ever hits the sauce. For true Buffalo chicken mac and cheese, the chicken needs to taste good on its own. Make sure you toss the chicken cubes in the full spice blend and hot sauce mixture, then cook them until they are browned on the edges, not just barely done. Browning adds flavor and keeps the chicken from tasting bland in the finished dish.
• Use cavatappi or another sauce-catching pasta. Cavatappi is great because the spirals and ridges hold onto the Buffalo cheese sauce, but other short pastas like elbow macaroni, shells, or rotini also work. Whatever shape you use, cook it just to al dente, so it does not turn mushy once it bakes in the sauce.
• Salt your pasta water generously. The pasta is one of the main components of the dish, and it needs seasoning too. Add enough salt to the boiling water so it tastes salty. This step gives the pasta a base layer of flavor, which makes the whole Buffalo mac and cheese taste more complete.
• Build the seasoning in layers. You have spices in the chicken marinade and a separate seasoning blend for the sauce. Use both. Blooming half the seasoning in oil before adding flour, then adding the rest into the sauce later, helps the spices open up and keeps the flavor deep instead of flat or powdery.
• Cook the roux long enough to lose the raw flour taste. After you add the flour to the seasoned oil, cook it for at least 2–3 minutes. It should smell toasty and look slightly foamy. This step cooks out the raw flour flavor and makes your Buffalo cheese sauce taste rich and smooth instead of chalky.
• Add the milk slowly and whisk constantly. When you start adding the milk, pour it in gradually and whisk as you pour. This helps you avoid lumps and gives you a silky sauce. Once it is smooth, you can add the heavy cream and keep whisking until the sauce thickens slightly. If you see lumps forming, take it off the heat and whisk hard until they smooth out.
• Use a blend of cheeses for flavor and melt. Mozzarella and Colby Jack melt easily and give you that stretchy, gooey texture, while cheddar and smoked gouda add sharpness and smoky depth. Grate the cheese from blocks instead of using pre-shredded bagged cheese if you can. Pre-shredded cheese often has anti-caking agents that can make the sauce a little grainy and less smooth.
• Balance the Buffalo heat with butter and cream. Buffalo sauce is essentially hot sauce plus fat. The hot sauce brings the tang and heat, while the butter, milk, and cream round it out. If you like it extra spicy, you can add more hot sauce, but keep tasting as you go. It should taste bold and tangy without burning your mouth. You can always drizzle extra hot sauce or hot honey on individual portions for those who want more heat.
• Do not overbake the mac and cheese. The mac and cheese is fully cooked before it goes into the oven, so the baking step is mainly to melt the topping and let the flavors meld. Bake just until the top cheese layer is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden. Overbaking can make the sauce break and the pasta dry out, which takes away from the creamy Buffalo chicken mac and cheese texture you worked so hard to build.
• Let the dish rest before serving. Once you pull the Buffalo chicken mac and cheese from the oven, let it sit for at least 10 minutes. This gives the sauce time to thicken slightly and cling to the pasta, which makes it easier to scoop and helps the flavor come through better in each bite.
• Garnish for freshness and contrast. A sprinkle of chopped green onions, chives, or parsley on top adds a fresh note that balances the richness. You can also crumble a little blue cheese over individual servings or serve with a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing if you want to lean into the Buffalo wing vibes even more.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese FAQs

More Viral TikTok Recipes To Try Next

• Garlic butter dinner rolls
• Crispy beef tacos
• White bolognese
• Carrot ribbon salad
• Cajun egg boil
• Tini's hot chocolate

Continue to Content

Yield: 8 servings

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Print

This Buffalo chicken mac and cheese is classic comfort food turned all the way up. You get tender bites of seasoned chicken, al dente cavatappi pasta, and a rich three-cheese sauce all coated in buttery Buffalo hot sauce. It is creamy, tangy, a little smoky, and just spicy enough to taste like the perfect cross between Buffalo chicken dip and restaurant-style mac and cheese. If you have made my recreation of Tini’s mac and cheese recipe from TikTok and loved it, this Buffalo chicken version is the spicy, game-day-ready spin you've been waiting for.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 8 oz chicken breast, cut into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

Buffalo Seasoning Mix:

• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning

Pasta & Sauce:

• ½ bag cavatappi pasta
• 4 oz cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 oz smoked gouda, grated
• 8 oz colby jack, grated
• 2 tablespoon butter
• Half of the seasoning mix (above)
• 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup hot sauce
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Combine all the chicken components in a bowl. Cook in a nonstick pan over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Combine all the seasonings together in a bowl. Mix until combined then set aside.

3. Boil the pasta in salted water until aldente. Drain and set aside.

4. Grate all the cheeses and mix them in a bowl. Set aside.

5. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat and sprinkle in half of the seasoning mix. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant then add in the flour.

6. Cook the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Slowly add in the milk while whisking until smooth. Then, pour in the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. 

7. Mix in the remaining seasoning mix, hot sauce, cooked chicken, and mustard. Add in two thirds of the cheese and mix until melted. Add the cooked pasta and fold until well combined.

8. Transfer the macaroni to a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes until the cheese turns golden.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 560Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 28gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 1373mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 24g