Grab your slow cooker and whip up this delicious Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. Tender pasta smothered in a cheesy buffalo sauce paired with shredded chicken in every bite. This is a complete meal with just a few ingredients.
If you love buffalo wing flavored recipes, you will definitely want to make this Buffalo hummus for dipping veggies in. Or try out these bite size buffalo chicken meatballs.
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Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Macaroni is a perfect comfort food to serve for an easy meal any night of the week. Or whip up for a football season party food. The dish works great for all times of the year.
It will become an instant favorite. Frank’s Red Hot sauce is one of our favorite buffalo wings sauce brands, as it offers a nice little kick of heat and extra flavor. You can sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top to help tame down the spicy sauce if you’d like.
Be prepared to give out the recipe! It’s a crowd pleaser every time just like buffalo chicken dip. It’s amazing how just adding in the pasta and it creates one of the best macaroni and cheese dishes you will ever have.
Ingredients/shopping list
- Shredded Chicken – Toss in cooked diced or shredded chicken for this crockpot recipe. A great recipe to use leftover rotisserie chicken on.
- Ranch Dressing Seasoning – Whip up your favorite homemade ranch seasoning or buy a packet.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – The sharp cheddar cheese is going to take this dish to the next level. It adds a nice tangy flavor to the pasta dish.
- Milk – The milk is going to help create a creamy cheese sauce for the dish.
- Buffalo Hot Sauce – You can buy mild hot sauce or hot, it is up to you on how mild or hot you want.
- Chicken Broth – This along with the milk is going to help cook the pasta. Your goal is al dente texture on pasta.
- Pasta – We used rotini noodles, but you can use other medium-sized pasta. Elbow macaroni, shells, etc. work.
- Green Onions – This is great to sprinkle on the top of the buffalo chicken pasta.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Monterey jack cheese in replace of sharp cheddar
2. Drizzle with blue cheese dressing right before serving.
3. Top with blue cheese crumbles once right before serving.
4. Use leftover chicken or make fresh chicken for adding to the dish.
5. Use any brand of spicy hot sauce.
6. 30 minutes before serving add ¼ cup sour cream for an ultra creamy pasta.
How to Make this Mac and Cheese Recipe
Full directions are in the printable recipe card below. This is a quick walk through on how to make this easy recipe.
Step 1: Start by adding the cooked chicken to the bottom of the crock pot. Then add the ranch seasoning over the top.
Step 2: Next add in the shredded cheese and cream cheese.
Step 3: Pour in the milk, chicken broth, and buffalo sauce. Stir well to combine.
Step 4: Next cook as directed for 2-3 hours on low.
Step 5: Then about 30 minutes before it is time to serve, cook your pasta as directed on the box in a pot on the stove. Cook until just al dente.
Step 6: Pour the drained pasta into the crockpot and stir it together. Top with green onions and blue cheese crumbles.
Tips
- If you do not have cooked chicken. You can add the uncooked chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs into the slow cooker with the chicken broth. Season with a little garlic powder and onion powder. Cook for at least 3 hours on low. Then once cooked, shred with two forks and continue with adding milk, buffalo sauce and cheeses, etc.
- I like it best to cook the uncooked pasta in a pot on the stove. You can add the uncooked pasta to the slow cooker in Step 3 if you’d like.
- Be sure to shred your own cheese from a block. It melts so much more creamy than pre-shredded cheese (with the added anti-caking ingredients).
- If you want more spice, add some cayenne pepper or a splash of hot sauce to elevate the buffalo wing sauce spice.
FAQ’s
Refrigerate – You will want to store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Due to the dairy used in the recipe you will find this pasta dish does not freeze well. The texture will be changed once it thaws from being frozen.
In the microwave: heat in a microwave safe dish at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until desired temperature reached.
In the oven: Place the leftovers in a glass baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350° F oven for 20-30 minutes.
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Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 1 packet ranch dressing seasoning
- 16 ounce sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup buffalo hot sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- Green onions sliced, optional for topping
Instructions
- Add the cooked shredded chicken to the bottom of a crock pot and pour entire packet of ranch dressing seasoning over top..3 cups chicken, 1 packet ranch dressing seasoning
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese and cream cheese.16 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounces cream cheese
- Pour in milk, chicken broth, and buffalo sauce and stir to combine well..2 ½ cups milk, 1 cup chicken broth, ½ cup buffalo hot sauce
- Cook for 2 hours on high or for 4 hours on low.
- Approximately 30 minutes before serving, boil water in a large pot and cook the noodles according to the package directions of al dente.16 ounces rotini pasta
- Drain the pasta into a colander over the sink and then add the drained pasta to the slow cooker and stir to coat completely.
- Serve topped with blue cheese crumbles and sliced scallions if desired!Green onions
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
j
Tasted good but was a literal soup.
Hannah
Followed everything to a T and it came out like soup 🙁
Sarah Meyers
I made this yesterday in a 7 quart slow cooker. I cooked the chicken first, (per notes), with the 1 cup of chicken broth in the slow cooker, then I shredded the chicken, put it back in cooker, and added the other ingredients and let it cook per directions. I recommend cooking the rotini al dente on stove top, then add it to the crock pot the last 30 minutes. I added the quarter cup of sour cream before serving – ( I added more!), it really did make it creamier! This was a FULL crock pot, and it made at least 10 servings. Very yummy, and I will be making this recipe often!
Diane
I followed the directions exactly, shredded the cheese myself and it turned out like soup. I thought four cups of liquid sounded like too much. What went wrong?
Sherri
Hmmm. I’m not sure. I used 2 1/2 cups of milk and 1 cup of chicken broth. Making a little slurry of a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon of water and adding it along with more cheese should thicken in more. 🙂
Amanda
Haven’t made it yet but looking to for a potluck. I work at a school, so I can’t watch the crockpot or make pasta during the day. I was planning on making this the day before and storing it. Would it reheat well on warm in a slow cooker? That may be my only option.
April Sowden
What is considered a serving size?
Sherri
It is approximately 1 1/2 cups. Enjoy! 🙂
Stephanie Rain
wondering if this recipe works for a 4.5 qt crockpot?
Amber
I was a bit apprehensive as I’ve never used milk in a crockpot, and I thought the amount of cheese and cream cheese was going to be way too much, but to my surprise this came out really tasty and I plan on serving it with some garlic bread! If the husband approves this will go into our dinner rotation and possibly even his lunch rotation for work! I did add a bit of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, pepper, chili powder, and just a touch of cheyenne pepper.
Melissa
Everybody loved it
Melissa
Would make it again everybody loved it