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Home » Recipes

CROCKPOT BUFFALO CHICKEN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Published: Sep 25, 2025 · Modified: Nov 8, 2025 by Al Dente Diva · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

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Crockpot buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese combines spicy Buffalo sauce, creamy ranch dressing, melted cheeses and shredded chicken for a delicious and easy to make dinner.

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

crockpot buffalo macaroni and cheese

Crockpot buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese the ultimate comfort food mashup. Its spicy, creamy, and almost impossible to stop eating. You get the bold heat of buffalo sauce, the rich creaminess of the melted cheeses, and the hearty big scoop of pasta in every bite. The shredded chicken adds protein and texture, while the cheesy sauce cools down the spice just enough to keep you coming back for more and more. It's cozy, crowd-pleasing, and perfect for game day, weeknights, or anytime you want something unique and comforting.

This truly isn't your average comfort food. I promise you that it's next level. It's creamy, spicy, cheesy, and absolutely loaded with flavor in every bite. The buffalo sauce gives it the perfect amout of kick, while the melted cheese pulls everything together into pure, cozy perfection. If you love bold, unique flavors and easy, satisfying meals, you're going to be obsessed with this one. Trust me, once you try my version, no other recipe will compare.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed to make this delicious recipe. You can find the full list of ingredients along with measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Chicken Breast- The chicken will cook but stay juicy in the dressing and wing sauce.
  • Chicken Wing Sauce- I personally love Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce but any brand will bring a slightly hot and flavorful boost to the pasta sauce.
  • Ranch Dressing- I prefer Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing for this recipe. It cuts the heat of the wing sauce perfectly.
  • Ranch Seasoning- Brings in lots of tangy, garlicy and creamy flavor.
  • Cream Cheese- Adds a cool, creaminess to the dish.
  • Cheddar Cheese- Sharp, tangy and creamy.
  • Monterey Jack Cheese- Blends with the cheddar cheese perfectly for the perfect cheese sauce.
  • Medium Pasta Shells- The perfect pasta choice for this recipe. The shape of the shells holds in lots of the sauce and shredded chicken.
  • Pasta Water- Just one ladle of pasta water will add a silkiness to the finished dish and helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
  • Salt and Pepper- The salt enhances all of the other ingredients and the pepper helps to balance out the richness.
  • Garlic Powder- Distributes an even garlic flavor into each bite of pasta.
  • Parsley- Sprinkle a little bit on top of the finished dish for a bright pop of color.

How To Make It

Here are the instructions on how to make this meal along with some personal notes. You can find the full ingredients list and instructions in the recipe card below.

First, place the chicken breast inside. Season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ranch seasoning. Pour the wing sauce and ranch dressing over the chicken.

PRO TIP: Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray to prevent the ingredients from sticking.

Then, place the lid on and set the crockpot to 2-3 hours on high. Using two forks, remove the chicken, shed it and place it back into the crockpot. Add the cream cheese, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Then, give it a little stir and place the lid back onto the crockpot for another 30 minutes.

PRO TIP: Make sure to shred the cheese yourself and avoid the pre-shredded stuff that comes in a bag. It will melt much better that way.

PRO TIP: It's important that the cream cheese is room temperature before adding it to the crockpot so that it melts effortlessly into the sauce and doesn't clump up.

NOTE: You can keep the chicken in the crockpot and shred it in there to avoid getting another bowl dirty just be aware that the liquid inside in very hot so please be careful.

ingredients for buffalo chicken pasta in the crockpot

In the meantime, cook the pasta and stir that and one ladle of the pasta water in until it is evenly coated in the sauce. Finally, garnish with parsley (optional), serve warm and enjoy!

Pro Tip: Don't skip the step of adding the pasta water. The starch will emulsify the sauce, add seasoning and also helps the pasta cling to the sauce.

finished buffalo chicken pasta in the crockpot

What Should I Serve This With

This recipe is super rich and creamy. So, we like to serve a light vegetable like Frozen Roasted Green Beans or Honey Roasted Carrots along side of it. You could always add a nice big slice of Homemade Garlic Bread, too.

Can I Use Blue Cheese Dressing Instead Of Ranch?

Yes, you absolutely can use blue cheese dressing here instead of the ranch. Just keep the ranch seasoning packet and replace the ranch dressing with an equal amount of blue cheese dressing. The flavors will go together perfectly.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead Of Breasts?

Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe instead of breasts. The meat will cook up super juicy and tender.

Storage

Let the pasta cool completely and place it into an air tight container. It will last in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Featured Products

Shop all of the products featured in this recipe tutorial on my Amazon Store. Here are just a few that I love:

  • Crockpot- A large, 8 QT crock pot with a high/low setting and dishwasher safe. Perfect for large meals like this one.
  • XL Cheese Grater- Stainless steel, dishwasher safe and a great tool for shredding the cheese needed for this recipe.
  • Storage Containers- These are my favorite! They’re BPA Free and come with air tight lids. They're freezer safe, too
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Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Macaroni And Cheese Recipe

Crockpot buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese combines spicy Buffalo sauce, creamy ranch dressing, melted cheeses and shredded chicken for a delicious and easy to make dinner.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 hours hrs
Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1.5 Pounds Chicken Breast
  • 1 Oz Ranch Seasoning
  • 1 Cup Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce
  • 1 Cup Ranch Dressing
  • 8 Oz Cream Cheese, cubed and softened
  • 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, hand shredded
  • 1 Cup Monterey Jack Cheese, hand shredded
  • 1 Pound Medium Size Pasta Shells (plus one ladle of the pasta water)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbs Garlic Powder
  • 2 Tbs Parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Lightly spray the crockpot with cooking spray and place the chicken breast inside. Season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ranch seasoning.
  • Pour in the wing sauce and ranch dressing. Place the lid on and set the crockpot to 2-3 hours on high.
  • Using two forks, remove the chicken and shred it or carefully keep the chicken in the crockpot and shred it in there.
  • Add the cream cheese, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Give it a little stir and place the lid back onto the crockpot for another 30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, cook the pasta and stir one ladle of pasta water into the crockpot once the 30 minutes is up.
  • Stir in the cooked pasta until it is evenly coated in the sauce. Garnish with parsley (optional), serve warm and enjoy!
Keyword crockpot buffalo macaroni and cheese

Other Easy Crockpot Recipes

If you like super easy to make crockpot recipes like this one, you have to try my Crockpot Beef and Noodles, Crockpot Chicken And Noodles and Crockpot Beef Stroganoff.

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Comments

    5 from 2 votes

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    Recipe Rating





  1. Al Dente Diva says

    October 12, 2025 at 2:18 pm

    I’m so glad you liked it

  2. Anonymous says

    October 12, 2025 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    Very good. It’s very heavy and we had lots of leftovers between 2 people.

  3. Al Dente Diva says

    October 09, 2025 at 4:22 pm

    Love to hear it Trina!!!

  4. Trina says

    October 09, 2025 at 1:00 pm

    5 stars
    An excellent recipe! My whole family loved it ?

Welcome!

Welcome to Al Dente Diva! My name is Tara Ippolito, and I’ve been the head cook in my family for 20 years now. After all that time testing, tweaking, and just cooking, I’ve found my passion in sharing these unique recipes with families everywhere

More about me

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