Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
by Sommer Collier — on Nov 23, 2025 My buffalo chicken mac and cheese brings everyone’s favorite game day snack to the dinner table! The winning combination of chicken, ranch dip mix, cream cheese and cheddar, spicy wing sauce, macaroni noodles, and blue cheese crumbles will make you do a little touchdown dance, it’s that good. And it scores big points for being easy to make with one pot in just 30 minutes!
I don’t care too much about sports week to week, but I do love to host parties for the bigger events. No matter who’s playing, I am always here to cheer on team buffalo chicken eeeverything! (And here for team bad sports puns, as you’ll soon find out.) From wings to dips and more, I can’t resist the combination of buttery, spicy wing sauce and tangy blue cheese. This quick and easy buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe is way beyond a snack… It combines buffalo chicken wing flavors with my best homemade mac and cheese for a winning main dish that everyone can root for!
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Cheesy Spicy Goodness – Buffalo chicken mac and cheese blends fiery cayenne pepper wing sauce with a rich ranch, cream cheese and cheddar sauce, tender and juicy chicken pieces, and irresistibly pungent blue cheese. It’s a combination that scores all kinds of points with my tastebuds!
Game Day Dinner Winner – Sometimes you need more than snacks for those evening game nights. This cheesy pasta dish is hearty enough for a meal while still bringing the party-food vibes you crave whenever a ball is being thrown around on the TV. And since it only takes 30 minutes to make, you can whip it up during the big halftime show without missing any action.
Leftover Magic – I love leftovers the next day! The flavors get even more intense as everything sits together in the fridge, and the pasta reheats beautifully in the microwave. Put it on your meal plan to add some pep to your lineup of weekday lunches!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Pasta – I like to use what I think of as “traditional” elbow macaroni noodles. This is macaroni and cheese, after all! But you are captain of the team here, so feel free to use whatever small-to-medium-sized pasta noodles you like. Shells, penne, and cavatappi pasta are all fine options.
- Cooked chicken – This is a great recipe to use up leftover chicken breasts or a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Cream cheese – I use full fat cream cheese, because I like to live life to the fullest. (It’s the little things.) I recommend letting the block sit at room temperature to soften a bit before cubing. This will help it melt faster when making the sauce.
- Milk – Whole milk makes the most full-bodied buffalo mac and cheese sauce. But 2% will also work.
- Ranch dip mix – I save myself a bit of time and hassle by buying the ready-to-use packets of dip mix.
- Buffalo wing sauce – Use whatever brand and level of heat you like best! I’m a sucker for my classic homemade buffalo wing sauce made with Frank’s RedHot.
- Cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar cheese off the block is best. Packages of pre-shredded cheese typically contain various anti-caking agents, which can sometimes cause textural issues, but freshly grated cheddar is pure and delicious, and it stirs into the cream cheese sauce beautifully.
- Green onions – Scallions and green onions are the same thing, so call them whatever you want. Either way, slice them up evenly before adding to the pot.
- Crumbled blue cheese – I like to stir in a mixture of small and big crumbles of blue cheese. That way some of it mixes and melts in smooth, but you also have some larger pieces that are left whole for a nice bite.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Cook the Pasta – Follow the package directions to cook the noodles just until they are al dente. Then drain and set aside. I sometimes do this in the morning or even the night before, then cool the pasta and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to stir it into the sauce.
Make the Sauce Base – Make cleanup easier and use the same pot you used to cook the noodles to now make the rest of the recipe. I start by adding cubes of cream cheese, milk, and ranch dip mix to the pot over low heat. Don’t rush here! Be patient and let the cream cheese melt slowly into the milk. Then I stir in the buffalo wing sauce.
Mac and Cheese Time – Once the cream cheese, milk, and wing sauce mixture is warm, it’s time to stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. I do this one fistful of cheese at a time, slowly stirring the shreds into the milk so they melt evenly. Then I stir in the noodles, making sure each piece of pasta is completely coated in the delicious spicy ranch and cheese mixture.
Load it Up – Lastly, I stir in all of the remaining good stuff…The cooked chopped chicken, sliced green onions, and lots of crumbly blue cheese.
Not to overuse the sports theme here, but seriously, this pasta dish will make you want to do a ‘lil touchdown dance! (I regret nothing.)
Expert Tip
It’s extremely important to cook the cheese sauce over low heat. When making a cheese sauce like this, with high acidity from the cayenne pepper sauce and lots of dairy, if the heat is too high, it will cause the cheese sauce to break, curdle, and create a grainy texture. If you want extra silky cheese sauce, cook on low.
Recipe Variations
Alternative Pastas – You can use any type of pasta that best fits your dietary needs. Just follow the package instructions when boiling, and cook on the low end of the suggested timeline to keep the noodles from getting too soft.
Spicy – Craving an extra big kick of heat? You know I am! (They don’t call me Spicy for nothing!) If your buffalo wing sauce doesn’t pack quite enough punch, try adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to the pot before stirring in the cheese.
Serving Suggestions
Buffalo chicken mac and cheese has all of the protein, carbs, and my favorite food group, cheese you need in a meal.
I usually make a salad, too, to lighten things up. Nothing fancy, just chopped romaine or other greens tossed with whatever veggies I have on hand, and a simple dressing like balsamic vinaigrette or just oil and vinegar. While it’s tempting, I steer clear of ranch or blue cheese dressing since there is already plenty of both in the pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
The term al dente means “to the teeth” in Italian, a reference to how pasta should be cooked, so it’s tender with a firm bite, and not overly soft. When noodles are al dente, they are perfect for adding to dishes where the cooking process will continue and the pasta will therefore get slightly softer.
Spicy is a relevant term, but I tend to rank this recipe on the lower side of the heat scale. The richness from the cheeses and noodles really balances the spice level without masking the bold cayenne flavors.
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Since the base is a cream cheese sauce, I don’t recommend freezing the macaroni and cheese. It’ll get grainy if frozen, thawed, and reheated.
I reheat buffalo chicken wing mac and cheese in the microwave in short 10-15 seconds bursts. Give it a good stir, and repeat as necessary until the dish is heated all the way through.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried macaroni pasta or shells, penne, or rotini
- 16 ounces cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
- 12 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes
- 2 3/4 cups milk
- 1 packet ranch dip mix
- 3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (your favorite brand)
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (off the block is best)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Set a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, stir in the dried pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain in a collander and set aside.
- Set the empty pot back on the stovetop, over LOW heat. Add the cubes of cream cheese, milk, and ranch dip mix. Stir on low as the cream cheese melts into the milk. *Do not be tempted to turn the heat up. Too high of heat in a creamy sauce like this will cause the sauce too break and turn granular.
- Once the cheese is melted into the milk, add the wing sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. Continue to stir on low until the shredded cheddar cheese is completely mixed into the sauce.
- Once the cheese sauce is smooth, add the cooked pasta back to the pot. Stir and coat the macaroni noodles in the cheese sauce. Then add in the chicken, chopped green onion, and crumble blue cheese. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat. Serve warm.
