Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ready to level up on your mac and cheese game? Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is just the right amount of insanely easy to make, rich and spicy, and totally creamy with a homemade cheese sauce.
Is it possible to have too much cheese? The answer is, of course, no. This buffalo chicken mac and cheese has a super creamy cheese sauce with just the right amount of spice. While it’s a totally grown up version of your favorite kid comfort food, the whole family will love this. Super simple to make and totally homemade with a from scratch cheese sauce… who could refuse a serving or three?! Use your slow cooker to make easy work of this wholesome Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese that everyone will will go crazy for.
Can you cook mac and cheese pasta in a slow cooker?
- The answer is… yes!
- It takes a little bit of a watchful eye after adding the pasta to make sure it cooks evenly.
- Cook the chicken in the broth/sauce base first.
- Add the pasta in the last 30-45 minutes and stir a few times to ensure it cooks just right.
- You don’t even need a fancy or special slow cooker to so this. I used my favorite basic 5 quart slow cooker!
Another important note regarding the pasta… be sure to use shell pasta. You need all the little pockets to be able to hold all of the cheese. Cheese to pasta ratio is an important consideration when it comes to good mac and cheese.
There’s a little trade-off here in the time it takes to make this meal. You’re going to save some time by tossing the pasta right in the crock. But you’ll take a few minutes to make a from scratch cheese sauce because it’s worth it. Really. This will be the key that makes this the best buffalo chicken mac and cheese you’ve ever had.
How do you make cheese sauce for buffalo chicken mac and cheese?
The buffalo sauce part of this dish will go into the slow cooker with the chicken. I suggest starting with less and adding more once the dish is done if you are unsure how spicy you would like it.
While I often make cheese sauces right in the slow cooker (see my cheesy buffalo chicken pasta) this time I’m suggesting taking the few extra minutes to make it on the stove.
If you’ve never made cheese sauce before it’s really just melting butter and whisking in some flour to create a thickener/paste. Let the flour cook a few minutes. Then slowly add milk and let it thicken and simmer. Finally, stir in shredded cheese.
Be sure you use cheese you’ve shredded yourself from the block when making cheese sauces. Pre-grated cheese has an anti-caking agent that will leave you with a grainy sauce.
What sides go with buffalo chicken mac and cheese?
- tossed green salad
- crusty rolls
- buttered peas or any favorite steamed veggies
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (start with 1/4 and add more to taste when done)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 8 ounces shell pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 6 oz shredded colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Add chicken, broth, buffalo sauce and seasonings to slow cooker
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8
- Shred fully cooked chicken with forks and return to crock
- Add uncooked pasta and stir to combine
- Cover and cook pasta on high for 30-45 minutes until fully cooked (if needed you can add additional water 1/4 cup at a time for any uncooked noodles and stir)
- In saucepan over medium high heat melt butter
- Whisk in flour
- Slowly pour in milk while whisking until smooth
- Bring to simmer for 4-6 minutes until sauce thickens enough to stick to a spoon (it will be just a little thinner than most cheese sauces)
- Remove from heat and whisk in cheese until melted and smooth
- Add cheese sauce to slow cooker and stir to combine
- Serve immediately
Notes
Nutrition
Made this today — so good! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks Marie! I’m so glad you liked it!
could you use a family size box of mac & cheese, and the other spices and chicken.
Hi Kathy… yes, check out this buffalo chicken mac & cheese recipe, I think it’s exactly what you are looking for.
This recipe produces fantastically moist and easy to shred chicken. BUT – it calls for way too little buffalo sauce (I could barely taste it with 1/2 a cup in, ended up dumping in a bunch of my favorite to taste) and far too much milk for the cheese sauce For real, unless you want to play the reducing game for ages just put in less, like 1-1.5 cups max to melt the cheese. Otherwise makes a delicious buffalo mac n cheese soup 🙂
My husband and I are excited to try this tonight. However, we just got home,from the store and I realized that I accidentally bought thin sliced chicken breasts instead of regular chicken breast… ? Any suggestions on if I should do different cook times? These are sliced pretty thin…
Hi Mikayla! Did you already make this? Cooking time should not be impacted that significantly with this recipe, since it’s cooking in liquid it won’t dry out. The beauty of how flexible slow cooking can be 🙂
Yes I did make it and it was delicious!! And you are correct, I did not have to vary the time much at all. The only issue I had was my cheese sauce did not get very thick, but after it was mixed in with the pasta you couldn’t tell at all. My husband has requested we add this to our rotation of planned dinners. Thank you again! ?
This seemed more like chicken and cheese because the macaroni was so outnumbered by chicken. Good though! I just added the rest of the box of pasta and more water. Thanks!
Hi Erin! Glad you were able to make it work with a noodle to chicken ratio that works for you!
Made this for our dinner tonight. My husband said if there were so stars…this meal should get them. Delicious, creamy with just the right amount of kick. Thank you!!
How would you modify this if you were using already cooked chicken? I usually shred rotisserie chickens
Hi Rachel! The slow cooker is used mainly for getting the chicken cooked then just as a handy way to finish the pasta right in the pot. If you are using cooked chicken I’d say skip the slow cooker, leave out the broth, and just cook your pasta as usual, add the cooked chicken and the cheese sauce right to that!
Are you putting the chicken in RAW. And still leaving the broth with the raw chicken juices ?
Hi Kimberly! Yes, the chicken goes in raw and will fully cook along with the broth. When you add the pasta all the broth gets absorbed similar to a casserole. Then you will stir in the cheese sauce that you make for the final mac & cheese!
Thank you, starting it now! Very excited 🙂
That was my question too..but thanks for clarifying.
I made this last night. Only used 2 cups of milk instead of 2 1/2, simmered for 6 minutes to thicken. When it was finished it was more like a soup for some reason. Any ideas what I did wrong? Btw, it still tasted fantastic and I will make it again in a heartbeat!!!!
Well that stinks! I’m glad it still tasted good! Was the pasta soupy at all before you added the cheese sauce? The liquid should have been fully absorbed in the pasta. Was the cheese sauce thick enough to stick to the spoon? Could be that you needed a bit more cheese?
Yes, the pasta was very soupy and the cheese did stick to the spoon. Next time I make this I’ll just add extra pasta. Like I said it tasted fantastic! I don’t like things very (spicy) hot, but I like the taste of the hot spice so the 1/4 cup of hot sauce was perfect!
How many does this recipe feed? I’m trying to make but need to know that 1st.
Thanks!
Hi Sonja! With 8 oz of pasta this will easily serve 4 and could even serve 6 if you are serving it along with other dishes. Hope that helps.