Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
On February 02, 2022 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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If you’re a fan of Buffalo sauce, you’ll be sure to love this amazing Buffalo chicken mac and cheese. This mac and cheese is made with Buffalo-sauced infused cheese and then topped with Buffalo sauce-coated chicken for the ultimate meal.
Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Want to eat something that makes you smile? And I mean, a meal that will truly have you grinning from ear to ear? This smoked Buffalo mac and cheese should do the trick!
I honestly can’t think of anything that makes me smile more than a big, smoky pan of this mac. It has everything a person could ever ask for in food. Creamy mac and cheese, crunchy Panko breadcrumb topping, and a spicy tower of smoked chicken come together for a mac and cheese that screams BBQ. Each bite is better than the last.
Smoked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
As always, with everything we do over here at Hey Grill Hey, we like to add ALL THE FLAVOR to our dishes. This Buffalo mac and cheese is a cut above the rest as both the chicken and the skillet of mac and cheese are both cooked on the smoker.
That final addition of smoky flavor finishes off this macaroni dish and gives it that extra somthin’ somethin’ that other Buffalo mac and cheese recipes can’t compete with. And have I mentioned how much I love cooking everything in one place? The chicken cooks right alongside the macaroni and cheese so you save time and energy!
How to Make Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Have I whetted your appetite yet? Let’s get into this insane mac and cheese!
- Make the mac. Cook the macaroni noodles in boiling water until they are al dente (still have chew and texture). Make the Buffalo mac and cheese sauce in a 12-inch cast iron skillet (full instructions in the recipe card below!), and add in the noodles.
- Add some crunch. Combine melted butter, Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub, and panko bread crumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the mac.
- Smoke the chicken and mac. Season the chicken with Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub (or equal parts salt and pepper if you don’t have any Beef Rub on hand). With your smoker preheated to 225 degrees F, place the chicken and the skillet of mac and cheese on the grill grates and smoke for 1 hour or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F.
- Assemble. Remove the chicken from the grill (but leave the mac and cheese on the grates). Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss in a large bowl with Buffalo wing sauce and 1 Tablespoon of melted butter. Next, remove the mac and cheese from the smoker and top with the chicken. Dig in!
Quick note: You can make your own sweet rub using my recipe for Best Sweet Rub or purchase it pre-made. Both work perfectly for this recipe.
Tips for Making Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Here are some tips for making this Buffalo mac and cheese.
- Use leftover chicken. The recipe includes steps for smoking the chicken alongside the Mac and cheese, but this works equally well with leftover chicken if you’ve got some on hand.
- Go all out with the Buffalo sauce. Want some extra spice in this mac? Drizzle extra Buffalo sauce over the top before you serve.
- Need to reheat? This recipe makes a LOT of Mac and cheese. If you find yourself with leftovers, my favorite way to reheat is to cover with foil and bake at 250 for an hour. Then remove the foil and turn the oven to broil for just a few minutes to crisp that topping back up!
Any tips you found helpful after making this mac and cheese? Let me know in the comments below!
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
It’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of mac and cheese. I wouldn’t say obsessed, but it’s pretty close. I’ll put just about anything in my mac, so check out a few of my favorite recipes below.
Buffalo Mac and Cheese Recipe
Now that you have all the tools and ingredients at your disposal, it’s time to make some epic Buffalo chicken mac and cheese. Check out the printable recipe below for the full steps.
I love connecting with you! If you’re all about BBQ, be sure to follow Hey Grill Hey on social media @heygrillhey or tag any of your awesome cooks from these recipes with the hashtag #heygrillhey!
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Video
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Teaspoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub or equal parts salt and pepper
- ¼ cup Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon butter
Mac and Cheese
- 1 pound elbow macaroni noodles cooked according to package instructions
- ½ cup butter
- 4 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon mustard powder
- 3 cups half and half
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 3 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups gouda cheese
- ¼ cup Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce
Bread Crumb Topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub
- ¼ cup Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F.
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni noodles until they are al dente, meaning they still have a bit of chew and texture (not too soft).
- Make the roux. Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt 1/2 cup of butter and whisk in the flour until a smooth, thin paste forms. Then whisk in the mustard powder.
- Add the cheese. Carefully pour in the half and half and bring up to a boil while whisking. Reduce the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in the cheddar cheese and gouda cheese and stir until melted. Stir in ¼ cup of Frank's Buffalo Wing sauce.
- Add noodles. Turn off the heat and pour in the cooked macaroni noodles. Stir gently until the noodles are coated by the cheese sauce.
- Make the crumbs. Combine the melted butter, sweet rub, and panko bread crumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the mac and cheese.
- Smoke the chicken. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the Beef Rub, or salt and pepper. Place the chicken thighs on the grill grates. Also set the skillet of mac and cheese on the smoker. Close the lid and smoke for 1 hour, until the chicken thighs read 160 degrees F.
- Chop chicken. Remove the chicken from the grill (leave the Mac and cheese). Chop the chicken into cubes and toss with ¼ cup of Frank's Buffalo wing sauce and 1 Tablespoon of butter.
- Assemble. Remove the mac and cheese from the smoker and top with the chopped and sauced smoked Buffalo chicken pieces. As you serve, get a perfect mix of chicken, crunchy topping, and creamy mac and cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made this today and it came out amazing. Followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change anything.
This was delish. I modified it a little at the end. Sprinkled about 1/2 cup of cheese over the chicken then put it under the broiler about 5 mins until melted and browned.
This was an excellent recipe. I didn’t smoke anything, too cold for that in AK, but I did put everything in the grill. Thank you and I can’t wait to try more recipes from your site.
I didn’t see how long you leave the mac