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Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese is the glorious result of combining two of American history's most popular Soul Food dishes. Between the crunchy, juicy chicken and the gooey mac and cheese, this savory dish guarantees to leave your mouth watering.
Here are some more incredible macaroni and cheese recipes: New Orleans Baked Mac and Cheese, Spanish Mac and Cheese, and Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
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Fried chicken? Amazing. Mac and cheese? Unbeatable. So, what happens when a stroke of genius causes you to combine the two? Fireworks.
The kind of flavor explosions that make you go “Oh my God” as you
continue to shovel as much as you can fit into your mouth. Oh yeah, Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese is that glorious.
Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese is the ultimate soul food dish, made with perfectly crunchy fried chicken and macaroni in a homemade creamy cheese sauce. This dish is the perfect combination of creamy, rich, crunchy, and an insanely flavorful combo.
This is the dish if you want to impress your friends and family with your cooking skills. Serve it up with some biscuits and greens for a complete meal that guarantees to wow. Just don’t expect any leftovers—this dish goes quick!
Key Ingredients
To bring this delicious mac and cheese recipe to life, you’ll need a few key ingredients:
Chicken Breasts
This is my go-to for the fried chicken in this dish, but you can use dark meat (chicken thighs) or tenderloins if that’s what you have.
Buttermilk
It is absolutely essential for making the best fried chicken; buttermilk helps tenderize the meat and make it extra juicy.
Flour
You’ll need all-purpose flour for dredging the chicken and for making the roux that will serve as the base of our creamy cheese sauce. If needed, you can swap it out for gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Elbow Macaroni
The classic noodle shape for macaroni! My go-to is large elbow macaroni, but you can use whichever you like. Other good options include shells, spaghetti, and penne.
Milk
Heavy cream and half and half come together to form our creamy cheese sauce's ‘cream’ part.
Grated Cheese
I like to use the classic combination of mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese. However, feel free to mix and match to add your favorites for the ultimate cheesy goodness. Other great choices include Gruyere, White Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Smoked Gouda.
Dry Mustard
This is one of the most essential ingredients in my mac and cheese recipe. The acidity cuts the dish's richness and helps to round it out for an incredibly satisfying final result.
Herbs and Spices
You’ll need kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic powder, granulated onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper. We’ll be seasoning both the fried chicken and the mac and cheese sauce!
How to Make Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
To bring this delicious dish to life, all you have to do is follow these steps:
Fried Chicken
Add the chicken breast, buttermilk, and spices in a medium bowl. Stir together, then sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it reaches 375°F. Dredge the chicken in flour and fry for 5 minutes. If frying in batches, hold the finished chicken in a 200°F oven.
Macaroni and Cheese
Cook pasta in boiling water for 6 minutes until al dente, drain, and set aside.
Heat a large pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Then, add the flour and whisk together for 30 seconds. Add kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, and dry mustard.
Whisk in half and half in thirds, then add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir until the cheese has melted. Add cooked pasta and ½ of the fried chicken, and mix thoroughly.
Pour mac and cheese into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining fried chicken and the remaining cheese over the top. Then, pop the dish into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has browned evenly.
Remove from the oven and top with the remaining chicken. Let it cool for a few minutes, then serve immediately, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and eat up!
How to Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese
Now, I don’t usually wind up with leftovers when I make my Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese. That being said, this dish is a breeze to store on the off chance that you do end up with some leftovers.
Once the mac and cheese has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 5-7 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this dish, as dairy tends to separate when frozen and will likely thaw out into somewhat of a mess.
To reheat the dish, pop it into a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until warm. You can also reheat it on the stove by bringing a small amount (¼ cup) of milk to a boil, then stirring in your mac and cheese and cooking until hot.
Pro Recipe Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
These are some of my top tips and substitution ideas to help you make this dish:
- If you want to use chicken thighs or tenderloins instead of chicken breast, that'll work great, too.
- Making a roux is the key to creating a perfectly creamy cheese sauce. To fully cook out the flour taste, add your milk ⅓ cup at a time while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Cooking your pasta until al dente (to the tooth, with a bite) will keep the cooked pasta from turning into mush as it bakes in the oven.
- Looking for more of a kick? Try topping off your mac and cheese with a few shakes of Louisiana hot sauce or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- If you love smoky flavor, use smoked gouda or cheddar cheese.
- Using freshly grated cheese is the best, but if you only find per-shredded cheese, use it.
- Feel free to mix and match your favorite types of cheese for this dish. Keep in mind that white cheeses melt better than yellow ones.
- Add 4 ounces of cream cheese for a creamy mac and cheese.
- You can also use some crispy beef bacon bits too.
- Make this in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven or cast iron pot.
FAQ
Here are the top questions readers have about making chicken mac and cheese at home.
Here are some incredible things to serve with mac n cheese: Southern Pot Roast, Southern Fried Fish, Root Beer Braised Short Ribs, Buttermilk Biscuits, Candied Yams, and Crispy Fried Chicken.
The difference between macaroni cheese and mac and cheese is in the culture and region. Traditionally, mac and cheese refers to baked macaroni covered in a creamy cheese sauce. While macaroni cheese is similar to creamy pasta made on the stovetop with cheese.
Here are some mouthwatering sides to serve with fried chicken: Healthy Baked Sweet Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Dirty Rice, Sweet Southern Cornbread, Baked Beans, and Buttermilk Waffles.
What to Serve With Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese
While this dish is undoubtedly satisfying enough to stand on its own, the flavors pair well with various delicious side dishes and drinks. Not sure what to pair it with? Don’t worry; I’ve got plenty of recipes for you to choose from! Here are some of my top picks:
- Moist Southern Cornbread
- Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
- Southern Sweet Tea
- Southern Collard Greens
- Canned Peach Cobbler
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Get all the ingredients for the fried chicken mac and cheese on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything into individual bowls.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best chicken mac and cheese recipe you’ve ever had.
My fried chicken mac and cheese recipe is not just a meal; it's an experience! A divine blend of crispy fried chicken and super creamy, cheesy macaroni that'll leave your whole family craving for more. The best part? It's simple to make, and the result is nothing short of culinary magic.
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📖 Recipe
Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Fried Chicken:
- 3 chicken breast 1 inch dice
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cayenne
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
- 1 tablespoons granulated onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dry thyme
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- peanut oil for frying
Mac and Cheese:
- 1 lbs. elbow macaroni cooked
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 quart half and half
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 cups grated sharp cheddar
- 2 cups grated mozzarella
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- hot sauce optional
Instructions
Fried Chicken:
- In a bowl add chicken, buttermilk and spices, stir together let sit for 30 minutes-1 hour in refrigerator. Heat oil to 375 degrees; over medium heat in a large skillet. Dredge chicken in flour and fry for 5 minutes; if frying in batches hold finished chicken in 200-degree oven.
Mac and Cheese:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cook pasta in boiling water for 6 minutes.
- In a pot over medium heat melt butter, then add flour and whisk together for 30 seconds. Add salt, pepper, garlic and dry mustard.
- Whisk in half and half in thirds, then add cream. Bring to a boil once boiling add 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup mozzarella. Reduce heat to medium low and stir until cheese has melted. Add macaroni, ½ fried chicken and mix thoroughly.
- Pour in mac and cheese into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish sprinkle remaining fried chicken and the remaining cheese over top. Pop in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has browned evenly. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes before serving immediately with chopped fresh parsley and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Notes
- If you want to use chicken thighs or tenderloins instead of chicken breast, that'll work great, too.
- Making a roux is the key to creating a perfectly creamy cheese sauce. To fully cook out the flour taste, add your milk ⅓ cup at a time while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Cooking your pasta until al dente (to the tooth, with a bite) will keep the cooked pasta from turning into mush as it bakes in the oven.
- Looking for more of a kick? Try topping off your mac and cheese with a few shakes of Louisiana hot sauce or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- If you love smoky flavor, use smoked gouda or cheddar cheese.
- Using freshly grated cheese is the best, but if you only find per-shredded cheese, use it.
- Feel free to mix and match your favorite types of cheese for this dish. Keep in mind that white cheeses melt better than yellow ones.
- Add 4 ounces of cream cheese for a creamy mac and cheese.
- You can also use some crispy beef bacon bits too.
- Make this in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven or cast iron pot.
Veronica C. says
My first time trying this dish was at Essence Fest during Chef Kenneth's live demonstration. He made enough to pass around and it was delicious!! So good, that I made it the next night for dinner! Definitely our family's fav!
Kenneth says
Good times at the Essence Fest for sure! Glad it made it to your dinner table.