Leftover Rotisserie Chicken is key to making fast dinners! These simple recipes for Leftover Rotisserie Chicken are not only easy and delicious, they will save you time and money. Let me show you how to get the most bang for your buck out of your Rotisserie Chicken!
Whether you start with an Oven Roasted Rotisserie Chicken or an Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or even leftover roasted chicken breasts, these easy leftover rotisserie chicken recipes are perfect to use up that leftover chicken and make family dinners EASY!
No matter what I seem to do, day in and day out, dinner needs to be made. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
I love to eat and even love to cook, but sometimes the meal planning that goes behind it can stress me out. Especially when faced with a busy week. Go ahead, admit it, you are right there with me.
One thing that has saved me on busy weeks is resorting to using a Rotisserie Chicken. They are flavorful, inexpensive, and can be turned into so many wonderful meals.
To Buy or Not to Buy
Personally, I always choose to make my own Rotisserie Chicken at home and I encourage you to do the same.
I know you are asking why, because Rotisserie Chickens are so easy and affordable to pick up from your grocery store, but I have my reasons.
- For the same price as one small rotisserie chicken, you can get 2 small chickens or one large chicken. An average sized rotisserie chicken only weighs a little over 2 pounds, while a whole chicken typically weighs closer to 6 pounds–and costs the same! That is a lot more meat for the same price!
- You can control the ingredients. Often Rotisserie Chickens are filled with preservatives and allergens–so if you are looking to avoid certain ingredients, homemade is the way to go!
- You can roast veggies and cook more than one chicken at a time–talk about an easy way to meal prep!
However, whether you choose to make an Oven Rotisserie Chicken, an Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken, or buy Rotisserie chicken, these easy leftover rotisserie chickens are perfect to have in your arsenal for family dinners!
How to Use Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
Once you have your Rotisserie Chicken, start by picking the meat off the bones. You should have anywhere from 2 cups to 6 cups of shredded chicken to use for recipes of your choice.
Once you have your chicken carcass, you can make chicken stock–which is another huge money saving tip and helps make the most of that leftover rotisserie chicken!
Get the full recipes for homemade chicken broth here:
Rotisserie Chicken Recipes
Now that you have your chicken meat (and hopefully chicken broth too), you can choose from these easy, wholesome recipes to let that rotisserie chicken shine.
Creamy, Cheesy Chicken and Rice
This is one of my most popular recipes using leftover rotisserie chicken. This chicken and rice tastes indulgent and creamy, but is made with wholesome ingredients you can feel good about serving your family.
Parmesan Chicken Pasta
This creamy pasta made with leftover rotisserie chicken is also referred to as Amish Chicken. It was a favorite of mine growing up, and is a favorite of my kids now.
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
This pizza recipe with leftover rotisserie chicken is one of my all time favorite recipes. This pizza is so full of flavor and changes up pizza night in a fun way.
Chicken Salad
This is not like your traditional chicken salad, this one is made with grapes, apples, and a lightened creamy dressing and is just delicious!
Chicken Enchiladas
Mix cream cheese with shredded chicken and then stuff into tortillas, to bake up spicy Chicken Enchiladas that are smothered in a rich Enchilada sauce.
Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie
This chicken pot pie recipe is my Papa’s recipe. He would always make it from scratch and it took hours! By using leftover rotisserie chicken and the homemade stock, you can have this comforting pot pie on your table in less time, but still deliver a wholesome from scratch meal.
Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad
This Tex Mex Salad is AMAZING!! Filled with veggies, chicken, an avocado dressing and CHEESE quesadillas as croutons–it is out of this world! In place of grilled chicken, just mix pre-cooked chicken with juice of 1/2 lime and 1 teaspoon cumin.
Easy Chicken Gyros
This Greek flavored sandwich is such an easy and refreshing option for a light meal.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
This recipe calls for leftover turkey and a cranberry BBQ sauce, but it works perfectly with leftover rotisserie chicken and jarred barbecue sauce.
Barbecue Chicken Salad
Toss shredded rotisserie chicken with barbecue sauce and you are halfway to one of the most flavorful chicken salad recipes out there!
Salsa Verde Enchiladas
If you love salsa verde, you will love these easy green chicken enchiladas!
Buffalo Chicken Dip
This classic Buffalo Chicken Dip from The Forked Spoon is drool worthy! And always a hit!
Jalapeno Chicken Tacos
Switch out the chicken sausage for shredded chicken and these spicy chickens will be on your table in minutes!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
This is not just any Buffalo Chicken Salad–this salad has been topped with Oven Baked Fries–and it is a MUST try!
Southwest Chicken Soup
This recipe calls for leftover turkey, but take my word for it–leftover shredded chicken works PERFECTLY and makes this soup delicious all year round!
Buffalo Chicken and Rice
This recipe is a lot like my recipe for Creamy Chicken and Rice, just spiced up! If you like buffalo Chicken, you will LOVE this Buffalo Chicken and Rice!
Chicken Chili
Instead of using raw chicken, replace with the rotisserie chicken and decrease time on slow cooker by 2 hours.
Chicken Fajita Pizza
Fajitas done in pizza form! This pizza is a breeze to throw together with leftover rotisserie chicken.
One Pot Chicken Poppy Seed
Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole is a recipe I was introduced to after moving to the south. My husband immediately fell in love with this easy leftover chicken recipe. I have updated the recipe to make it a bit healthier and EASIER.
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Or maybe you love buffalo flavor, but don’t feel like buffalo chicken and rice. These Buffalo Chicken Tacos are PERFECT for a change up on taco night. The easy slaw made with a homemade ranch seasoning blend make these easy tacos unforgettable.
White Chicken Chili
Throw leftover shredded chicken into the slow cooker with a few other pantry staples and decrease cook time by 2 hours. You will be left with a healthy, easy white chicken chili. You can also cook in the Instant Pot as directed.
Chicken Tacos
Instead of cooking chicken in salsa, toss leftover rotisserie chicken with salsa and serve up as tacos. This is about the easiest meal ever!
Caribbean Salad
Pair leftover chicken with fresh mangoes, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and a bright orange vinaigrette for a fresh, hearty, healthy salad reminiscent Cheesecake Factory’s Luau Salad.
Fried Rice
Throw in some leftover chicken for a Chicken Fried Rice–so good and so easy!
BBQ Chicken Dip
If you love barbecue flavors, you will LOVE this super easy BBQ Chicken Dip from Five Heart Home—I have made this for parties before and it is always one of the first things to disappear.
How to Freeze Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
If you find yourself with too much leftover chicken–FREEZE IT!!!
- Let rotisserie chicken cool fully if still warm.
- Dice or shred meat.
- Portion out in 2 cup measurements and place in freezer safe bag or container.
- Remove excess air from container and seal well. A great tip is to use a straw to suck out excess air from a freezer bag.
- Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight and use in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. If adding to a slow cooker recipe, throw in frozen and the chicken will defrost and warm up perfectly in cook time specified.
I hope that these meal ideas with leftover rotisserie chicken helped you in your mission to feed your family while remaining sane.
Kristen Chidsey
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The chicken poppyseed recipe doesn’t seem to be linked!
Fixed it and please note my tips on how long to keep chicken in the fridge–not sure that came through yesterday in post.
This week’s meal plan looks to be a real win in my house! I love the idea of precooking the chickens and using them through the week. All the recipes sound delicious.
Thanks so much Paula! I hope you enjoy!