Foolproof Buffalo Mac and Cheese Buffalo Wild Wings Copycat
If you’ve ever ordered wings at Buffalo Wild Wings and found yourself just as excited about the side of mac and cheese, you know exactly why I get so many requests for a buffalo mac and cheese buffalo wild wings copycat. That sharp, buttery buffalo sauce swirled through a creamy cheddar mac is the whole reason regulars order it as a side instead of fries.
I tested this four times to get the ratio right. Too much buffalo sauce and the cheese sauce turns thin and greasy. Too little and it just tastes like plain mac with an orange tint.
This version leans on a real roux-based cheese sauce instead of a thinned-out cheese product, then finishes with a buffalo butter sauce stirred in at the end so the heat stays bright instead of muddy. It’s the closest homemade match to the bdubs buffalo mac and cheese I’ve had, and it holds its texture even a few minutes after the sauce goes in.
The result is a bowl that tastes like the real buffalo wild wings mac n cheese recipe, but scaled to feed a family instead of a bar table, with panko breadcrumbs on top for the crunch the restaurant version skips.
★★★★★ “I’ve ordered this at the bar more times than I’ll admit. This tasted closer to it than any copycat I’ve tried — the heat builds instead of just sitting on top.” — Danielle R., recipe tester (pre-launch)
Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Wild Wings Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Same heat curve as the restaurant version: The buffalo butter sauce is stirred in at the end, not cooked into the roux, so it hits your tongue the same way the bar version does — cheese first, heat second.
- A real cheese sauce, not a shortcut: A flour-and-butter roux means the sauce stays smooth and doesn’t break or turn grainy once the buffalo sauce goes in.
- Panko crunch the restaurant skips: A quick broil on top gives you a textural contrast the original doesn’t have — and nobody’s complained yet.
- Scales for a crowd: This makes enough for a real dinner, not a side dish portion, and doubles cleanly for game day.
Key Ingredients
Elbow macaroni (1 pound). Standard elbows hold the cheese sauce in every ridge. Cavatappi or shells work too if that’s what you have.
Sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack (each 8 ounces, shredded off the block). Sharp cheddar gives the flavor punch; Monterey Jack melts smoother and keeps the sauce from turning grainy. Pre-shredded bagged cheese has anti-clumping starch on it that makes the sauce gritty — block cheese, shredded yourself, is worth the five minutes.
Frank’s RedHot Original (½ cup). This is the actual sauce Buffalo Wild Wings’ own “Original Buffalo” flavor is built on, so it’s the closest match you’ll get at a regular grocery store. A hotter cayenne sauce works if you want more kick — see the Variations section below.
Unsalted butter (6 tablespoons total — split between the roux and the buffalo sauce). Butter mellows the vinegar bite of the hot sauce into something closer to what you’d get in a bar basket, rather than a straight vinegar burn.
Panko breadcrumbs (¾ cup). Regular breadcrumbs go soft under broiler heat. Panko stays crunchy, which is the one texture element the actual buffalo wild wings mac and cheese recipe doesn’t have.
Ingredient Note: Buy block cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to prevent clumping in the bag, and that same coating keeps it from melting smoothly into a sauce — you’ll end up with a grainy, oily mess no matter how carefully you follow the steps.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large pot — for boiling the pasta; any 4-quart or larger pot works.
- Medium saucepan — for the roux and cheese sauce. A heavy-bottomed one prevents scorching.
- Whisk — needed to keep the roux smooth; a fork works in a pinch but whisking is faster.
- Broiler-safe baking dish — a 9×13 ceramic or glass dish works. If you don’t have one, skip the broiler step and serve straight from the pot — the crunch is a bonus, not a requirement.
Controlling the Heat Level (A Controlled Test)
I made three versions of this back to back, changing only when the buffalo sauce was added: mixed into the roux at the start, added halfway through the cheese sauce, or stirred in at the very end off the heat.
Added early, the sauce broke slightly — the butter in the hot sauce separated from the cheese fat and left an oily film on top. Added mid-cook, it was better but the vinegar flavor cooked off and went flat. Added last, off the heat, the sauce stayed glossy and the vinegar tang stayed sharp — this is the version in the recipe card below. The most important variable in this whole recipe is timing: buffalo sauce goes in after the heat is off, not during.
How to Make Buffalo Mac and Cheese Buffalo Wild Wings Copycat
Before you start: Shred your cheese off the block before you start the pasta water — once the roux is going, you won’t have a free hand.
Step 1 — Cook the pasta
Boil the elbow macaroni in well-salted water until just shy of al dente — about 1 minute less than the package says. It’ll finish cooking slightly in the hot sauce later, and starting underdone keeps it from turning mushy.
Step 2 — Build the roux
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour. Cook it for about 90 seconds, whisking constantly — you’re looking for a pale, sandy-blonde color and a nutty smell, not brown. This step cooks off the raw flour taste that would otherwise make the sauce taste chalky.
Step 3 — Whisk in the milk
Add the milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking the entire time so it doesn’t clump. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 4 minutes. It should look glossy, not lumpy.
Step 4 — Melt in the cheese
Turn the heat down to low and add the shredded cheese in two additions, stirring until each addition is fully melted before adding the next. Low heat matters here — cheese added over high heat gets stringy and can separate into grease and solids instead of staying smooth.
Step 5 — Stir in the buffalo butter off the heat
Take the saucepan off the burner completely. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk it into the Frank’s RedHot, then pour that mixture into the cheese sauce and stir until fully combined. This is the step from the Controlled Test above — off-heat mixing is what keeps the sauce glossy instead of oily.
Step 6 — Fold, top, and broil
Fold the drained macaroni into the buffalo cheese sauce until every noodle is coated, then transfer to a broiler-safe dish. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the top and broil for 2–3 minutes, watching closely — panko goes from golden to burnt fast under a broiler. Pull it the moment the crumbs turn deep golden brown.
Pro Tips for Perfect Bdubs Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Tip 1: Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded bagged cheese has an anti-caking coating that keeps it from melting into a smooth sauce — you’ll get a grainy texture no matter how carefully you follow the steps.
Tip 2: Undercook the pasta by a minute. It keeps cooking slightly once it’s folded into the hot sauce and sits under the broiler. Pasta cooked to full al dente before that point ends up mushy by serving time.
Tip 3: Toss the panko in a little melted butter first. A tablespoon of melted butter mixed into the panko before it goes on top gives you a more even golden color under the broiler instead of patchy spots.
Tip 4: Taste the buffalo sauce before you commit to the full amount. Hot sauce brands vary a lot in heat and vinegar sharpness. Start with a scant ½ cup, taste, and add a splash more if you want it hotter.
Variations and Substitutions
Dietary Variations:
- Gluten-free: Swap in a gluten-free elbow macaroni and use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the roux. The sauce thickens slightly faster with GF flour, so pull it off the heat a minute earlier than the recipe states.
- Lower-heat version: Cut the Frank’s RedHot to ¼ cup and add an extra tablespoon of butter to keep the sauce volume the same. This gets you the flavor without the full burn — good for serving alongside a spicier batch for mixed crowds.
Flavor Variations:
- Ranch-buffalo: Stir 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing into the finished sauce for the classic buffalo-ranch combo you’d get with wings at the bar.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- No Monterey Jack? Colby or a mild Gouda both melt smoothly as a substitute.
- No broiler-safe dish? Skip the panko topping and serve straight from the pot — it’s still the same buffalo wild wings mac and cheese recipe flavor, just without the crunch.
If you like this style of restaurant-copycat comfort food, my saltgrass macaroni and cheese recipe uses a similar roux base but leans smoky instead of spicy.
Troubleshooting
My cheese sauce turned grainy or oily — what happened?
Most likely the cheese went in over heat that was too high, or you used pre-shredded bagged cheese. Both cause the fat to separate from the proteins. Next time, melt cheese over low heat in small additions, and shred your own off the block.
The buffalo flavor is too sharp and vinegary?
This usually means the hot sauce went in without enough butter to balance it, or it simmered too long and the vinegar concentrated. Whisk in an extra tablespoon of melted butter off the heat to mellow it out.
My mac and cheese dried out under the broiler?
If it sat under broiler heat for more than 3 minutes, the sauce can tighten up as it cools. Pull it the moment the panko turns golden, and if it’s already dried out, stir in a splash of warm milk to loosen the sauce back up before serving.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Counter: Safe for up to 2 hours at room temperature before the sauce starts to separate.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The sauce will thicken as it chills — that’s normal.
Freeze: Freeze the mac and cheese without the panko topping for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. Add fresh panko and broil after reheating, not before freezing.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of milk stirred in to loosen the sauce back to its original texture. A dry reheat without added liquid will leave it gluey.
Make-Ahead: The cheese sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored separately from the cooked pasta. Combine and add the panko topping just before baking so the crumbs stay crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is this the same as the buffalo wild wings buffalo mac and cheese recipe served in restaurants? A: It’s built to taste as close as possible using the same base hot sauce brand, but Buffalo Wild Wings’ exact recipe isn’t public. This version was tested against the restaurant dish side by side and landed the closest of the four versions I tried.
Q: What makes this taste like actual buffalo mac n cheese bdubs? A: The combination of Frank’s RedHot (the base of BWW’s own Original Buffalo sauce) stirred into a real roux-based cheddar sauce, added off the heat so the vinegar tang doesn’t cook off, is what gets it closest.
Q: Can I make this less spicy for kids? A: Yes — cut the hot sauce to ¼ cup and add an extra tablespoon of butter to keep the sauce volume consistent. See the Variations section for exact amounts.
Q: Can I use a different hot sauce brand? A: You can, but the flavor will shift. Frank’s RedHot has a specific vinegar-forward profile that most closely matches the buffalo wild wings mac and cheese recipe. A thicker or smokier hot sauce will change the final taste noticeably.
Q: Can I make this ahead for a party? A: Make the cheese sauce and cook the pasta up to 2 days ahead, stored separately. Combine and add the panko topping right before broiling so it stays crisp for serving.
Q: Why did my sauce separate after freezing? A: Dairy-based cheese sauces can separate slightly when frozen and thawed. Reheat slowly over low heat with a splash of milk, whisking constantly, and it will come back together.
Q: Is there a version without a broiler step? A: Yes — skip the panko topping entirely and serve straight from the pot. You’ll still get the full flavor of the buffalo wild wings mac n cheese recipe, just without the crunch on top.
Q: Can I add chicken to make this a full meal? A: Diced grilled or fried chicken tossed with a little extra buffalo sauce folds in well right before serving — turns this from a side dish into dinner.
More Comfort Food Recipes You’ll Love
- Chicken Alfredo Bread Bowl — creamy alfredo pasta baked right into a bread bowl
- Cheesecake Factory Alfredo Sauce — the restaurant-copycat sauce base that started my whole roux obsession
- Mission BBQ Mac and Cheese Recipe — smoky, barbecue-style comfort mac and cheese
- Saltgrass Macaroni and Cheese — a steakhouse-style mac and cheese with a similar roux technique
Foolproof Buffalo Mac and Cheese Buffalo Wild Wings Copycat
Ingredients
For the mac and cheese:
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 21/2 cup whole milk
- 8 ounce sharp cheddar, shredded off the block
- 8 ounce Monterey Jack, shredded off the block
- 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Original
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the topping:
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoon chopped green onion (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni about 1 minute less than package directions for al dente, then drain and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 90 seconds, until pale and sandy-smelling.
- Slowly whisk in the milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack in two additions, stirring until fully melted before adding more. Stir in the garlic powder and smoked paprika.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat completely. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk it into the Frank’s RedHot. Pour into the cheese sauce and stir until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fold the drained macaroni into the buffalo cheese sauce until evenly coated. Transfer to a broiler-safe baking dish.
- Toss the panko with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter, then sprinkle evenly over the top. Broil for 2–3 minutes, watching closely, until the panko is deep golden brown.
- Top with crumbled blue cheese and chopped green onion if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Shred your own cheese off the block — bagged pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating that prevents it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce.
- To freeze, leave off the panko topping and freeze the mac and cheese alone for up to 2 months; add fresh panko and broil after thawing and reheating.
- If you don’t have a broiler-safe dish, skip the panko topping and serve straight from the pot.
