10 Genius Ways to Use Up a Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
Turn that half-eaten grocery store chicken into several new meals before it goes to waste.
Ten simple, practical ideas for using up leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, from five-minute soup to freezer-friendly meals, so nothing goes to waste.
A rotisserie chicken is one of the best shortcuts in grocery shopping, but it's easy to eat the breast meat one night and let the rest sit forgotten in the fridge. Here's how to stretch it into several more meals.
Shred It While It's Still Warm
As soon as you get home, pull all the meat off the bones and shred it into a container. Warm chicken shreds much more easily than cold chicken, and having it ready to go means you'll actually use it instead of digging through a whole carcass later in the week.
Five-Minute Chicken Soup
Simmer store-bought broth with a handful of frozen vegetables and some noodles or rice, then stir in a big handful of shredded chicken at the end just to warm it through. It tastes like it took an hour.
Loaded Chicken Quesadillas
Chicken, shredded cheese, and a spoonful of salsa folded into a tortilla and crisped in a dry pan makes a lunch that's ready faster than delivery.
Two Chicken Salads From One Bird
Mix half the remaining chicken with mayo, celery, and mustard for a classic version, and toss the other half with yogurt, lime, and cilantro for something lighter. Same base, two completely different lunches.
Freeze What You Won't Use This Week
Portion extra shredded chicken into freezer bags, press them flat, and freeze. Flat bags thaw in minutes under warm water and stack neatly, so you're not stuck eating chicken five nights in a row.
Don't Toss the Carcass
Simmer the bones with an onion, a carrot, and a celery stalk for a couple of hours and you've got a rich, free batch of stock for next week's soup.