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BBQ Chicken Thighs + Mac and Cheese

Dual-zone comfort food at its finest: sticky BBQ chicken thighs in one zone, creamy baked mac and cheese in the other.

Medium Dual Zone DUAL ZONESMART FINISHStandard
Home › Dual Zone Dinners › Dual-Zone Meals › BBQ Chicken Thighs + Mac and Cheese
📋 Prep: 15 min 🔥 Cook: 22 min ⏱️ Total: 37 min 🍽️ Serves: 4 📊 Medium
Cooking Parameters
TOP OVEN • Zone 1
15 MIN22 MIN380°F5 MINDUAL ZONETOP OVENPREPCOOKTEMPREST
LOWER OVEN • Zone 2
15 MIN12 MIN350°F5 MINDUAL ZONELOWER OVENPREPCOOKTEMPREST
⚡ SMART FINISH SYNCHRONIZED
✓
What You'll Need
Dish & pan requirements for your Ninja Double Stack XL
Zone 1 • Upper Rack
Quarter sheet pan
Size: Standard
⭐ Ninja
✅ Fits perfectly
Zone 2 • Lower Rack
8x8 square baking pan
Size: Standard
⭐ Ninja
✅ Fits perfectly
✅ Guaranteed Fit — Max dish size per rack: 12"W × 11.5"D × 4"H. All our recipes use dishes that actually fit your Ninja Double Stack XL DCT401.
💡 Zone 1: BBQ chicken thighs. Zone 2: Baked mac and cheese. Mac and cheese must use a solid pan — milk and cheese will drip through air fry basket holes. Zone 1 (Top): Bake chicken thighs on sheet pan. Zone 2 (Lower): Mac and cheese in solid 8x8 pan.
high-protein
🥘 Ingredients
Zone 1
  • 4 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
Zone 2
  • 2 cups cooked macaroni (al dente)
  • 1 cup milk (whole)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar (sharp)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 tsp paprika (for topping)
📝 Instructions
  1. Zone 2: Make cheese sauce: melt butter, whisk in flour, add milk gradually, melt in cheddar. Toss with cooked macaroni. Place in oven-safe dish. Shared 💡 Slightly undercook pasta — it finishes in the oven.
  2. Zone 1: Season chicken thighs with smoked paprika. Shared 💡 Pat chicken dry for crispier skin.
  3. Zone 1: Cook chicken at 380°F. Zone 2: Cook mac at 350°F. Use Smart Finish. Shared 💡 Chicken: 12 min, brush with BBQ sauce, 8-10 more min. Mac: 10-12 min until bubbly.
  4. Zone 1: Brush chicken with BBQ sauce in layers during the last 8 minutes. Top Oven 💡 Layer the sauce for a deep, sticky glaze.
  5. Sprinkle paprika on mac and cheese. Serve alongside sticky BBQ chicken. Shared 💡 The tangy BBQ sauce and creamy mac are a perfect match.
💡 Ninja Tips

Smart Finish coordinates both zones perfectly. Brush chicken with BBQ sauce in layers. Slightly undercook pasta before baking.

Scaling: Double: Two full zone batches. Half: 2 thighs; halve mac and cheese.

Servings: 1
Scale:
📊 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories580 cal
Protein36g g
Carbohydrates32g g
Total Fat34g g
Dietary Fiber1g g
Sugars14g g
Sodium720mg mg
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Not affiliated with SharkNinja. Ninja® and Double Stack™ are trademarks of SharkNinja Operating LLC.

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