Rotisserie chickens are a versatile option for a quick and cost-effective meal. When I am eating on a budget, this is my go-to ingredient. Costco also has a nice bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables that can be added to many of these ideas. Serve with a side of rice for a quick and easy meal!
Whole Breasts or Leg Quarters
Serve with a side of rice and vegetables.
Stir Fries
Shred the chicken and toss with vegetables and your sauce of choice (Oyster Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Soy Sauce etc …)
Fried Rice
Shred or cube the chicken and toss with some scrambled egg and vegetables for a tasty fried rice.
Mexican Food
Use the shredded chicken in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, quesadillas or burrito bowls.
Thai Food
Combine chicken with any vegetables that you have around the house and your choice of Thai curry or peanut sauce.
Pasta
Top or toss chicken with pasta and your favorite pasta sauce (Pesto, Alfredo, or Tomato.) Add veggies for a complete meal.
Some of my favorites:
- Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo
- Pesto pasta (rotini or penne) with sautéed zucchini and tomatoes.
- Penne Alfredo with Broccoli
- Rotini with Tomato sauce, onions and squash
Use shredded chicken to fill Creamy Chicken Manicotti.
Soups & Chili
There is chicken noodle soup, of course, but you can also add chicken to all varieties of soups.
Pantry soups or chilies can be made by combining whatever vegetables, beans, rice, noodles, etc that you may have lying around.
Don’t forget to save the bones and vegetable scraps to make your own chicken stock!
Salads
You can dice up the chicken breast and make up chicken salad to be eaten out of a lettuce cup.
You can also top most any green salad with chicken to make it a complete meal.
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Italian Bread Salad (sub chicken for ham)
- Roasted Tri Tip (or Chicken) & Sweet Potato Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Cobb Salad
Add chicken to a Waldorf Salad.
Sandwiches & Wraps
You can turn Chicken Salad into sandwiches. Or turn green salads into wraps!
Toss shredded chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce and serve on a roll similar to a pulled pork sandwich.
Or do the same with honey mustard sauce … on a roll or in a wrap.
Try the California Grilled Chicken Sandwich or add shredded chicken to a Club or Mediterranean Wrap.
BBQ Chicken
Brush the whole breasts or leg quarters with BBQ sauce and set under the broiler for a minute or two.
Or shred the chicken and toss with BBQ sauce. Serve with a side of cornbread.
Sauced!
Keep your chicken pieces whole, cube or shred them and top or toss with various sauces, bottled or homemade, including:
- A’la Patterson
- Apricot Sauce:
- Berry Sauce
- Chutneys
- Cranberry Sauce:
- French Mustard Sauce
- Harissa
- Hoisin Sauce
- Honey Mustard Sauce:
- Hungarian Paprikash Sauce
- Lemon Sauce
- Mushroom Sauce
- Orange Sauce
- Secret Sauce
- Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Thai Peanut Sauce
- Chicken Veronique
- etc ….
Stroganoff-Style
Shred the chicken and toss with creamy stroganoff sauce and sautéed mushrooms. Serve over egg noodles.
Pot Pie
Use a basic pot pie recipe and add in whatever vegetables you might have lying around.
