77 Ways to Use Leftover Rotisserie Chicken

Filled with tender sweet potato, meaty mushrooms, and shredded chicken, these personal potpies are a one-dish meal your family will love. Let the puff pastry thaw in the fridge for about 45 minutes before using.

Premade pizza crusts are a lifesaver for the busy weeknight cook. Here they provide a filling base for these outside-the-box pizzas. To make your own balsamic glaze, simmer down 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

This hearty supper salad is a lean-protein powerhouse thanks to chicken, chickpeas, and edamame; the parsley pesto delivers bone-boosting vitamin K. Pick up frozen shelled edamame to make this meal extra speedy.

Rotisserie chicken and pre-diced honeydew help get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes; pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) and tortilla strips deliver a satisfying double-crunch factor.

This dish gets tons of flavor from the spices. If your fresh oregano is strong, start with less than what’s called for and add more to taste. To speed things up, prep all the ingredients in advance so you can assemble quickly while the fries are still hot.

Think of this as curried chicken salad served on a grill-toasted flatbread. The quick-pickled carrots can be made ahead and hold well for several days; make a double batch to add to salads or sandwiches or even to serve on a cheese board. Prepared whole-grain naan is available in most supermarkets in the bakery or deli department. Change it up with snap peas instead of snow and—if you're serving a nut-free crowd—skip the peanuts. No grill pan? Toast the naan in a large toaster oven or heat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes. Keep it kid-friendly with a mild curry powder, or give it a kick by using spicier Madras curry powder.

Don’t rush processing the cauliflower; it’s key to giving the puree the consistency of grits. You can also use purchased riced cauliflower. If it’s frozen, you can toss it right into the saucepan unthawed.

These quick chicken-and-veggie bowls are endlessly adaptable depending on what you have on hand. Beyond cucumber and tomato, you could try thinly sliced carrots, steamed broccoli florets and zucchini, or roasted cauliflower. You could also sub flaked salmon or sliced cooked lamb for the chicken. Treat the couscous like pasta, simmering until tender and then draining. Unlike most pastas, you'll want to rinse and drain the couscous so the grains don't clump together.

We gave a crowd-pleasing classic like barbecue chicken pizza a Korean spin. Fresh mozzarella is mild enough to complement the caramel and chile notes in the sauce and is a great canvas for the fresh carrot and radish salad on top. Roll out and build the pizza on a large sheet of parchment paper so you can place both directly on the hot pizza stone. The bottom of the crust will still be crisp, and you’ll avoid any potential flops from counter to oven.

The genius of this recipe is the skillet-seared crust, which gives you a pizzeria-quality pie in less than half the bake time. The potpie-style topper is a fun twist on a white pizza and a great way to pack extra veggies onto each slice.

We hacked this Mexican favorite in July 2013 to get it to the table with lightning speed. One richly spiced sauce doubles as the filling and the topper to save time. And since every element is already cooked, the dish needs just three minutes under the broiler to melt the cheese.

A creamy base helps the cheese go further and keeps the chicken moist. For a crisp exterior, coat the filled tortillas with cooking spray instead of coating the pan.

Go ahead and flag this recipe—it's sure to become a family favorite. For convenience, we call for precooked wild rice; if you can't find it, you can substitute 2 cups of your own cooked wild rice or a package of precooked brown rice.

This Middle Eastern-inspired bowl is all about big flavor with minimal effort. A garlicky, tahini-spiked yogurt brings all the elements together and takes just minutes to make. Assemble a few bowls at the beginnings of the week for easy make-ahead lunches.

The secret to a lightening-fast chili is to keep it simple, with starchy, creamy Great Northern beans as the main bean and canned green chiles (already broiled, skinned, and chopped) as your heat source. We blend half the beans to build body, leaving the rest whole for texture. Precooked rotisserie chicken also saves time, but you could use any leftover protein, such as chopped cooked pork tenderloin or cooked ground turkey. Top the chili with creamy sour cream and crunchy radishes, or try diced tomato, cilantro, or sliced jalapeños. Serve with multigrain tortilla chips.

The classic salad is transformed brilliantly into a summer pizza here, thanks to fresh veggies and a dressing-inspired sauce of tangy yogurt, mayo, and buttermilk.

This speedy summertime pizza gets topped with a crisp, lemony zucchini ribbons, making for a perfectly balanced bite every time. Use a vegetable peeler to get wide ribbons from the zucchini. Ground coriander has a distinct lemony flavor that perks up the rotisserie chicken and the zucchini.

Easy assembly and bold flavors join forces for a dinner the whole family will love. A kid-friendly mix of quality convenience items and bright produce imparts fresh taste with minimal legwork. A probiotic-rich stand-in for sour cream, yogurt offers creaminess and helps bind the toppings. Rotisserie chicken, one of the most versatile supermarket proteins, makes for a fast and fresh meal. Look for BBQ sauce varieties with less than 250mg sodium and 5g sugar. We like Annie's Original BBQ Sauce.

Poblano chiles become smoky and lose some of their intensity when broiled. Wrap the peppers in the same foil used to line the pan, and let stand so that the steam can loosen the skins before you peel them.

Quality meets convenience in this speedy springtime main. This salad fits right into your weekday lineup with minimal effort and maximum flavor. Prewashed greens let you grab a handful and go. Build a salad, wilt into sautés, or blend into a pesto. Look to Buitoni pasta packs for quick meals on their own or to help you elevate salads and soups. Rotisserie chicken is one of your best supermarket allies for fast and fresh weeknight meals.

Leftover roasted potatoes make the crispiest cakes, a great base for the chicken and zingy poblano topper.

Dinner doesn’t get much easier, or more fun, than sheet pan nachos. The pan does double duty: Toast the chips first, then pile high with toppings and return to the oven to melt the cheese and heat everything through. Here the Mexican classic takes a detour to Greece with pita chips, a shredded Greek salad, and crumbled feta. Rotisserie chicken breast makes this meal even easier, though this dish is a great use for any leftover cooked chicken. Bring the whole pan to the table and cut into servings, like you would a square pizza.

These skillet-grilled burritos come together in a flash thanks to store-bought rotisserie chicken. Keep this meal light by serving with a fresh green salad.

We skip the croutons and add toasted walnuts for a bit of heart-healthy crunch.

Assemble this hearty sandwich for a quick and easy weeknight meal. The fresh mozzarella and tomato lend a bright and summery taste.

The classic delight of Thai curry paste and coconut milk meet with tender rotisserie chicken and fresh vegetables in this soup to make delicious Thai cuisine an easy, healthy weeknight option.

The perfect dinner with some leftover rotisserie chicken you have in the fridge.

Hearty and oh-so-tasty, this is a great choice for a weeknight family dinner.

Traditional creamy chicken casserole can have more than 800 calories per serving, but we’re serving up this classic comfort dish with a fraction of the calories.

Fresh, tasty, and delicious is how this 5-star Avocado Chicken Salad is commonly described. Mrs. Hartzell raves, “So delicious and easy! I could seriously eat this every day!” You’re not alone. We could, too. This particular recipe uses vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise but doesn’t lose its creamy texture, thanks to avocado. Salsa and fresh cilantro give this chicken salad its south-of-the-border flavors. So, instead of layering over a bed of greens, serve with tortilla chips for scooping and an added crunch.

Dig into a simple end-of-summer pasta toss loaded with chicken, cucumbers, and peanuts. We use dried udon noodles; if using fresh noodles, you'll need about 11 ounces.

The texture and flavors of this pie are sure to impress. Substitute fresh mozzarella for blue cheese to make a kid-friendly option.

Give average chicken quesadillas new life with sweet peaches and spicy cheese. For the kids, try fontina or Monterey Jack instead.

Pair this simple, no-cook meal with toasted buttery baguette slices.

Tarragon and rye bread make a classic chicken salad sandwich extra special. You can make the chicken salad ahead. If you're packing it to go, keep the salad cold, and make your sandwich right before you're ready to eat to keep the bread from getting soggy.

Let this simple soup warm you up during the chillier months. You can also use this recipe as a template for other chicken and veggie soups.

Baked potatoes get dressed up in this cozy-warm recipe. We scale down this comfort-food favorite by using Yukon gold potatoes which tend to be smaller than larger russet potatoes.

We made a classic Greek sauce of creamy yogurt and cucumber for the base of this tangy salad. Serve with Mixed Greens Salad.

Bagel halves are a quick, kid-friendly stand-in for traditional pizza crust.

You can serve this salad chilled or at room temperature, depending on your preference. You can also substitute lime juice for lemon.

Smoked paprika gives these chicken tostadas rich, grill-like flavor with no cooking. Look for tostada shells (fried, flat corn tortillas) near the flour and corn tortillas or in the Mexican food section of your grocery store. Make sure to serve with lime wedges for the final, perfect touch.

Jambalaya is a classic Creole dish that combines rice with a variety of other ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, peppers and some type of meat or shellfish. This easy one-dish meals features both smoked sausage and shredded rotisserie chicken.

This delicious salad is ready in a snap thanks to rotisserie chicken and a four-ingredient vinaigrette. Leftover salad is also good the next day for lunch; stir in a handful of arugula to add a fresh touch, if you have extra on hand. Serve with pita wedges.

Heat the broth mixture in the microwave to jump-start the cooking. Meanwhile, sauté the aromatic ingredients in your soup pot to get this dish under way. Though we like the shape of fusilli, you can also make this soup with wide egg noodles, rotini, or even orzo.

Serve with a snap pea and radish sauté for a filling and delicious meal.

Crunchy green beans and juicy tomatoes create a beautiful salad. Serve with Roasted Red Potatoes.

A weekday dinner gets very easy and very tasty with this standout 20-minute salad.

Try a lighter taste of Thailand for tonight's dinner. If you can't find udon, substitute 6 ounces uncooked spaghetti.

Adding a tortilla transforms this American salad into a fun, portable meal. Choose a pungent blue cheese, like Roquefort, for a strong hit of flavor, or go with milder Gorgonzola for just a touch.

Gooey cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and earthy mushrooms join chicken for a tasty sandwich you can quickly prepare in a grill pan or panini press.

The grapes are a sweet contrast to the tangy Romano cheese, herby pesto, and juicy chicken. Grapes are said to slow the aging process, so here is a case where eating another slice of pizza definitely has its benefits.

Using rotisserie chicken from the deli makes this such a quick pasta salad dish. Serve it for dinner tonight, and then pack the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

This pungent dip is, as the name suggests, salty. Use it in small amounts. Traditionally, the Vietnamese boil chicken with the skin on and chop the bird into bite-sized pieces through the bones. The chicken is then dipped into this fragrant condiment and eaten with rice on the side. Steamed, roasted, or grilled chicken also will work. Here, shredded rotisserie chicken breast makes this a quick and easy dish. You can also drizzle some of the dip over the chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl.

Dinner prep for this delicious, Asian-inspired main-dish chicken salad is an absolute breeze.

These sandwiches can be prepared the day before and brown-bagged for lunch. The olive salad—which some consider the best part—will moisten the bread overnight.

Think outside the "dish." You can enjoy the flavor and texture of enchiladas in a slow cooker; just stack the tortillas instead of rolling them. We suggest lining your slow cooker with a slow-cooker bag so you can easily remove the stack from the cooker.

Upgrade pizza night by topping a loaf of Italian bread with fresh basil, rotisserie chicken, and all the best of Italian-inspired ingredients. A food processor makes quick work of the homemade sauce. Serve with artichoke–green bean salad.

This unique salad is an easy and filling weeknight option.

Make this Southwestern chicken favorite for a festive dinner. For even more heat, add 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper to the tomatillo mixture.

Dark meat stands up to the intense flavors in the dressing. For a different take, try using a wrap or naan instead of a pita.

Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in this spicy soup.

A combo of yogurt and mayo gives a traditional chicken salad more zip. We like the richness of white and dark meat, but you can use all one type. Serve with Steamed Sugar Snap Peas.

Good barbecue chicken sandwiches don't have to result from hours over the grill. Our chicken sandwich starts with a rotisserie chicken and super easy homemade barbecue sauce. This sandwich is the perfect solution for those busy weeknights.

Tortilla strips sub in for traditional dumplings to create a lighter, quicker version of this Southern classic.

To make these quesadillas kid-friendly, omit the pickled jalapeño peppers.

This colorful orzo and chicken main-dish salad is packed with an assortment of chopped fresh vegetables and tossed with a tangy lemon dressing.

If you don't have white wine vinegar on hand, substitute red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.

For a touch more sweetness, substitute halved grapes for the apple. You can also chop the apple and add it to the salad mixture.

You'll only use the breast meat of the chicken for this recipe, so you'll have more left over for another meal during the week. If you can't find baby portobello mushrooms, use cremini mushrooms. Look for packaged crepes in the produce aisle.