Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

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This is comfort food and game-day food in the same skillet. Bone-in chicken thighs get roasted until the skin renders and browns, then coated in a glossy buffalo sauce and set on top of a bacon-studded, creamy mac and cheese. Everything finishes with a scatter of fresh parsley and crispy bacon bits, so every bite has a bit of heat, a bit of smoke, and a lot of cheese pulling through the pasta.

It looks like restaurant food, but it’s really just two simple components brought together: a stovetop mac and cheese and a batch of oven-baked buffalo chicken thighs. Both can be made ahead and combined right before serving, which makes this a good option if you’re feeding a group or want dinner mostly done before people show up. One skillet, one payoff.

Ingredients

For the buffalo chicken:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 900 g / 2 lbs)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 120 ml / ½ cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
• 30 g / 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon honey

For the mac and cheese:

• 350 g / 12 oz elbow or cavatappi pasta
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 45 g / 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 30 g / ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 480 ml / 2 cups whole milk
• 250 g / 2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 100 g / 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

To garnish:

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Reserved crispy bacon bits (from above)

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Step 1: Season and Roast the Chicken

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place them skin-side up on a lined baking tray.
3. Rub with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is golden and the internal temperature reaches 74°C / 165°F.
5. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Make the Buffalo Sauce

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the hot sauce, melted butter, and honey.
2. Set the sauce aside until the chicken is ready to be coated.

Step 3: Coat the Chicken

1. Brush or dip each roasted chicken thigh generously in the buffalo sauce.
2. Make sure the sauce covers the top and sides evenly, then set the thighs aside.

Step 4: Cook the Bacon

1. In a large skillet or pot, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan and discard the rest.

Step 5: Cook the Pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
3. Drain and set aside.

Step 6: Make the Cheese Sauce

1. In the same pot used for the bacon fat, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to remove the raw flour taste.
3. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously to avoid lumps.
4. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar and mozzarella until fully melted and smooth.
6. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Step 7: Combine and Assemble

1. Add the cooked pasta and half of the crispy bacon bits into the cheese sauce, stirring until every piece is coated.
2. Transfer the mac and cheese into a serving skillet or dish.
3. Arrange the buffalo chicken thighs on top of the mac and cheese.
4. Scatter the remaining bacon bits and the chopped parsley over the top.
5. Serve immediately while everything is hot and the cheese is stretchy.

Things to Remember

• Pat the chicken thighs completely dry before roasting; this is what gets the skin crisp instead of rubbery.
• Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before saucing it, so the buffalo sauce clings instead of sliding straight off.
• Whisk the flour and butter together before adding the milk to avoid a lumpy cheese sauce; add the milk slowly, a little at a time, if you’re worried about lumps.
• Take the cheese sauce off the heat before stirring in the cheese. Cooking cheese over direct heat for too long can make the sauce grainy instead of smooth.
• Slightly undercook the pasta since it will continue to soften once mixed with the hot cheese sauce.
• Keep some bacon bits aside for topping rather than mixing all of it in, so you get that crispy bite on top as well as smoky flavor throughout.
• Add the parsley right before serving so it stays bright and fresh instead of wilting into the heat.