Smoky chipotle peppers in adobo set the tone for this bold, Southwestern-Mexican spin on mac and cheese with chicken. Creamy, stove-top macaroni with tender shredded chicken, melted cheese, and that slow-building chile heat transforms an all-American classic comfort food into something deeper, moodier, and just a little bit daring.
What Is Chipotle Mac and Cheese?
Chipotle Mac and Cheese is Classic All American Comfort Food that moved to the Southwest and picked up a little heat and smoky flavor from Chipotle chile peppers. We’ll combine elbow macaroni with a creamy cheese sauce, cooked chicken breast and then turn up the flavor with the chipotle peppers.
What Are Chipotle Peppers?
Chipotle peppers are dried and smoked jalapeno peppers. For this recipe, we’re using canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, a popular canned condiment, where smoked jalapenos are packed in a tangy tomato-based adobo sauce. The sauce rehydrates them and infuses them with a smoky depth of flavor.
I first started playing with canned chipotle peppers in culinary school. We'd puree it into sauces and I remember thinking, why does this taste like it's been kissed by fire? It simply adds a warm smoky to heat to any dish.
Is It Spicy?
It can be, but you’re in charge. Chipotle peppers can carry a wallop of heat. But if you follow the amounts I’ve indicated in this recipe, you’ll have a medium heat experience with gentle warmth. Two or three? You’ll crank up that heat level to very spicy. Before dicing a chipotle pepper, I slice it open and scrape out the seeds and veins, as that’s where the heat lies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One Pot: This is an easy stove-top, one-pot recipe that’s ready in a jiff.
- No Drain: The pasta is covered with just enough water to cook the pasta. The water cooks down, so there’s no draining of pasta water. You’re left with a starchy thick soupy pasta. And when the rest of the ingredients are added, you have a luscious rich creamy cheesy mac and cheese.
- Mac and Cheese With Evaporated Milk: This recipe uses an old fashioned product, evaporated milk. Evaporated Milk is thickened milk, which results in a creamier liquid for pasta and makes for great consistency for a smooth sauce. If you’ve never tried it, you’re in for a treat.
- Comfort Food: This recipe combines All American Classic Comfort Food with Traditional Mexican and Southwestern Cooking – thanks to those chipotle peppers and lots of cheese.
- Quick: Ready in about 30 minutes … or less.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Best Pasta Shapes: There’s a reason elbow macaroni is a traditional choice for macaroni and cheese. It’s curves, cups and hollows work very well to trap that cheese sauce. Any short variety will work well here. I also love using cavatappi or even shell pasta shapes.
- Choosing The Right Cheese: Since this is a Southwestern Macaroni and Cheese recipe, choose Pepper Jack. It will bring a bit more heat to the overall flavor, and jack cheeses are great melting cheeses. We’re also using Velveeta, the ultimate melting cheese for macaroni and cheese. If you’re opposed to using Velveeta, substitute with a medium cheddar.
- The Smoky Heat: Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. That smoky, brick-red flavor is gold in this recipe.
- Chicken: I like to purchase boneless, skinless chicken breasts. A 30-minute bake in the oven is all you need. You can purchase a rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Mustard Powder: You'll see mustard powder in classic American mac and cheese, Southern baked versions, and even some French-style cheese sauces inspired by Mornay sauce. It matters because once stirred into a creamy sauce, it wakes everything up. Just a pinch cuts through the richness and pulls the flavors into focus. And for the science part, it has compounds that help keep that sauce nice and creamy.
How to Make Chipotle Mac and Cheese With Chicken
- Step 1: Cook The Chicken: Spray a baking dish with PAM. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Step 2: Cube The Cheese: While the chicken is baking, cube the cheese and let it sit at room temperature until ready to use. Set out the butter and let it come to room temperature.
- Step 3: Cook The Macaroni: Add elbow macaroni to a 6 qt. Dutch oven. Add enough water to just cover the pasta. Cook for about 6 minutes or until macaroni is tender and water is mostly evaporated. Stir frequently so the macaroni doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. No need to drain the pasta.
- Step 4: Add Dairy: Add evaporated milk and butter. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Step 5: Add The Cheese: Remove the pot from the heat and add the cubed cheese, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce and mustard powder. Stir well until cheese is melted and ingredients combined.
- Step 6: Add The Chicken: Add the cooked and cubed (or shredded) chicken. Stir well, it should look glossy and lush. Serve immediately in your favorite Southwestern style serving bowl.
Storage, Reheating, Make Ahead
- Make Ahead: If making ahead for a party, completely cook the dish and store in the refrigerator. The dish will thicken, that’s normal. When ready to serve stir in warm milk. Everything will loosen up.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: I like to reheat individual servings in the microwave. The 50% power feature is your best friend. A gentler heat avoids those microwave food explosions. Reheat in 30 second increments until heated.
- Freezer: You can freeze macaroni and cheese, but please know the texture will be compromised. The pasta may become softer. It’s still good, but not like first day magical. Use zip-lock style freezer bags and label with date and ingredient.
What To Serve With It
This is a very hearty and rich dish. I usually just eat a bowl for dinner and call it good. However, you can serve something fresh, like a garden salad with a light vinaigrette to cut through the richness. Take a look at my recipe for Sweet Red Wine Vinaigrette. As far as wine, a crisp California Chardonnay is a perfect pairing.
FAQ’s
Too much heat. Adding cheese while the milk sauce is boiling will compromise the texture. Make sure to lower the heat or pull it off the heat when stirring in the cheese.
All you need to do is purchase gluten free pasta. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten free.
That just depends on what texture you’re after. Stove-top delivers a creamier, looser and silkier texture. Baked mac and cheese will give you some crispy edges and corners and allows you to add a crunchy top using panko. It’s all delicious, there’s really no wrong answer.
In the end, this chipotle macaroni and cheese with chicken recipe is everything I want in a comfort dish. It's creamy, smoky, a little bold, and very weeknight-doable. Keeping this a stove-top recipe for that ultra creamy chipotle chicken mac and cheese vibe, it hits every time. If you've never tried mac and cheese with chipotle peppers in adobo, this is your sign. It's cozy food with a Southwestern edge, and once you taste that smoky heat folded into all that cheese, there's really no going back.
Browse More Comfort Food Mac and Cheese Recipes
And don’t miss my category for Pasta Recipes. You’ll find lots of family favorites, including the most popular macaroni and cheese recipe on my site for Flemings Steakhouse Mac and Cheese.
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Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound Cooked chicken breast cubed or shredded
- 1 pound dry pasta such as shells or elbow
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 ounce can evaporated milk
- 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese cubed in advance, room temperature
- 8 ounces velveeta cubed in advance, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce fine chopped
- ½ teaspoon adobo sauce
Instructions
- Cook The Chicken: Spray a baking dish with PAM. Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish, salt and pepper them and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, cut into cubes or shred.
- Cube The Cheese: While the chicken is baking, cube the cheese and let it sit at room temperature until ready to cook the macaroni and cheese. Set out the butter and let it come to room temperature.
- Cook The Pasta: Add elbow macaroni to a 6 qt. Dutch oven. Add enough water to just cover the pasta. Cook for about 6 minutes or until macaroni is tender and water has mostly evaporated. Stir frequently so the macaroni doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. No need to drain the pasta.
- Finish the dish: Add evaporated milk and butter. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the cubed cheese, chipotle peppers and sauce and mustard powder. Stir well until cheese is melted and ingredients combined.
- Add the cooked and cubed (or shredded) chicken. Stir well, it should look glossy and lush. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Chicken … It’s Whats for Dinner
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
Hi this sounds great,but what kind of adaptions would I use for the stove top directions?
I don’t have an instant pot.
Hi Deb and thanks for your note. Actually, I’ve been wanting to re-do this recipe on my site for a stove-top version. It’s easy to adapt. Cook the macaroni per package instructions, drain, then return the pasta to the pan. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined and cheese is melted. Keep the heat under the pan on low until everything is cheesy and hot.
Great mac & cheese recipe!
I’m now gonna try to make it before my GF gets home (I’m in the dog house for forgetting our anniversary!!!) This is her favorite so hopefully it will do the trick.
Keep up the great work!
You may have just single-handedly convinced me jump on the IP bandwagon… This Mac and Cheese sounds wonderful! Great cheese variation suggestions, too!
Well, I hope that’s a good thing. 🙂 I look forward to reading how you like it.
Yum! Ever notice Mac and Cheese is considered a vegetable in the South? When you go to a restaurant with meat and 3 vegetables deal, Mac and Cheese is on the vegetables list! LOL Good stuff here!
Ooey Gooey Yummy!
I need an instant pot
That first pictures had me wanting to poke the computer screen with a fork, hoping that I could grab a bite or two. YUM! Looks like your truly embracing that InstataPot.
Delicious!
Whooooaaaaaaa!!! So delicious! And, this IP is really becoming mainstream!!
I don’t have the pot but this M&C sounds delicious – I forget many versions can be made.
Woooow!
Looking so much delicious! ???
I just made this for me and my husband here in Texas during our “Artic Blast”. It was so yummy. It was also a great soup for a cold day. Thank you for sharing.
Ha! I tease a friend of mine that she’s in the Instant Pot cult! This recipe makes me want to join up!