This buffalo chicken Mac n’ Cheese is a cosy, creamy, and spicy pasta dish with 3 cheeses – Cheddar, Gruyere and Mozzarella!
PLUS juicy pieces of buffalo chicken. No need to bake anything in the oven, it’s all done on the stovetop.
Nicky’s Recipe Notes
Why do I LOVE making this easy pasta dish for dinner?
- The base of this recipe is a comfort food classic. Everyone loves Mac n’ Cheese. Especially extra cheesy Mac n’ Cheese. Strong Cheddar for flavour, Gruyere for a more savoury flavour and a bit of complexity to the sauce, and a little Mozzarella for creaminess and that nice cheese stretch (Gruyere is a nice stretchy cheese too)!
- We’ve got a lovely spicy kick with the addition of Cajun spice and Cayenne pepper coating the chicken, plus tangy hot sauce and sliced Jalapeno in the sauce. This complements the creaminess of the mac n’ cheese SO WELL!
- The addition of chicken makes it a full meal with plenty of protein. The chicken is seasoned and pan fried until golden and juicy.
**SUB IDEA** If you like, you can also swap out the chicken pieces for breaded chicken (fry in the air fryer or bake separately), then slice and top the spicy mac n’ cheese with it. - It’s totally customisable…
– Want to add vegetables? Bell peppers, peas, sweetcorn and mushrooms make great additions (or add a side salad like I do).
– Want to minimise the heat? Sub the Cajun spice and Cayenne pepper for mild fajita spice mix. Leave the jalapeno out of the sauce and halve the hot sauce (if doing this, add an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce).
– Swap the pasta? Any short or long pasta works great!
But most of all, it’s an easy weeknight family dinner that I know will go down well every single time.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients
Hot Sauce – We’re looking for lots of tang in this recipe, to provide balance with the cream, so we’re using Hot Pepper Sauce. I like Franks Hot Sauce, but any similar type of hot pepper sauce will do. Don’t be tempted to swap it out for Sriracha or sweet chilli sauce or similar. The hot sauce is what gives this dish its signature flavour.
Best cheeses to use for this spicy mac ‘n’ cheese
I use a mix of Cheddar, Gruyere, and Mozzarella because the Cheddar adds that classic tangy flavour, the Gruyere adds a more savoury flavour and a bit of complexity to the sauce, and the Mozzarella adds creaminess and that nice cheese stretch!
Ingredients swaps
Type of pasta – Elbow macaroni is a classic, but any short or long pasta works great! I particularly like spiralli and penne for this recipe too.
Bacon – You can fry up some crispy bacon, chop it up into little chunks and sprinkle it on right before you serve.
Chicken Breast – is my go-to for this recipe, but you can swap it out for bite-sized chicken thigh pieces if you prefer.
Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
Pro Tip
Be sure to reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water when you drain the pasta. You can use this to loosen up the sauce later. The starchiness of the pasta water keeps the sauce velvety and helps it to stick to the pasta.
You could serve this up family style with a green salad on the side or dished out into bowls with chunks of garlic bread.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItStay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).
Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n’ Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ tbsp oil
- 450 g (1lb) chicken breasts chopped into bitesize chunks
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp Cajun spice mix
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
Mac n Cheese:
- 280 g (9.9oz) elbow macaroni
- 2.5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 Jalapeno sliced
- 2.5 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour
- 400 ml (1 + 2/3 cups) full-fat milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp hot pepper sauce – I use Frank's hot sauce (not sponsored!)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 125 g (1 + 1/4 packed cup) cheddar cheese grated
- 75 g (3/4 packed cup) Gruyere cheese grated
- 35 g (1/3 cup) mozzarella cheese grated
To finish:
- 2 tbsp chopped spring onions (scallions)
Instructions
- Put a large pan of water on to boil ready for the macaroni.
- Starting with the chicken, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken, salt, pepper, Cajun spice and Cayenne pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a bowl.1 ½ tbsp oil, 450 g (1lb) chicken breasts, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp Cajun spice mix
- By now the water should be boiling. Add in the macaroni and cook as per the pack instructions. Then drain in a colander, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water.280 g (9.9oz) elbow macaroni
- Meanwhile, add the butter to the frying pan that you cooked the chicken in and heat on a medium heat until melted. Add the onion and Jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion has softened.2.5 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 large onion, 1 Jalapeno
- Stir in the flour until it coats the onion. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often, then a splash at a time, add the milk. Stir with a whisk between each addition of milk until all the milk is used and the sauce has no floury lumps.2.5 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour, 400 ml (1 + 2/3 cups) full-fat milk
- Continue to stir whilst heating until the sauce starts to thicken. Then add cooked chicken and the cooked and drained pasta. Cook for a further minute to heat the chicken back through. Add in splashes of the reserved pasta cooking water if you want to loosen up the sauce.
- Stir in the salt and pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, all three cheeses. Cook, while stirring, for a further 2 minutes, until the cheese melts.¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 4 tbsp hot pepper sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 125 g (1 + 1/4 packed cup) cheddar cheese, 75 g (3/4 packed cup) Gruyere cheese, 35 g (1/3 cup) mozzarella cheese
- Divide between bowls and top with sliced spring onions before serving.2 tbsp chopped spring onions (scallions)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
🍽️ Side dishes to serve it with
- I like to serve this with homemade Garlic Bread or a slice of Artisan Bread.
- Also, with a Simple Green Salad or Butter Lettuce Salad.
- A little extra side dish that goes great with this recipe are these tangy marinated onions!
🍲 More fantastic chicken pasta recipes
Got any leftovers?
If you have leftovers, you can cool, cover and refrigerate them right away. It should keep well in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheat in a pan, on the hob, over a medium heat, stirring often. You’ll probably need to add a few splashes of water to loosen up the sauce. Make sure it’s piping hot throughout before serving.
Note: As the dish cools, the pasta will continue to absorb liquid, so the pasta will be a little softer upon reheating.
? Frequently Asked Questions
Usually, you would bake mac ‘n’ cheese in the oven for a crispy top; however, this can take an extra 20 minutes. This buffalo chicken mac ‘n’ cheese is the perfect creamy, tangy mac ‘n’ cheese that’s on the table quickly.
Sub the Cajun spice and Cayenne pepper for mild fajita spice mix. Leave the jalapeno out of the sauce and halve the hot sauce (if doing this, add an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce).
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
