Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey. Show
Follow updated Sep 13, 2021 Page URL comments SaveComments  Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Anna Stockwell Herby Chicken Grain Bowl with Feta Dressing Anytime you find yourself with leftover chicken, consider it a very good thing. You can certainly go for a second round of last night’s dinner, but the wonderful thing about this mild-mannered meat is that it’s so easy to repurpose it into an entirely different meal. It doesn’t matter what cut you have handy: Boneless or bone-in breasts and thighs are all fair game, as is whatever you have left over from a rotisserie chicken. It also doesn’t matter how you cooked it the first time around. All it takes is a little inspiration. If you have a whole lot of leftovers, great. But even if all you’ve got is a scant cup of leftover chicken, you’ve still got a lot of options. We’re here to share a plethora of ideas and dinner essentials that will help you stretch your leftover chicken into a brand-new meal. Here are 35 leftover chicken recipes to try tonight. How Long Does Leftover Chicken Last?While leftovers are a saving grace, they don’t stay fresh forever and can be unsafe to eat if held onto for too long. Leftover chicken should be eaten within four days of cooking it. How Should I Store Leftover Chicken?After chicken is cooked, it should sit out at room temperature no more than two hours before being refrigerated to slow down bacteria growth. Leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you think you won’t use it within three or four days, you can also freeze it to use at a later date. Rubbermaid Brilliance Storage Containers $39.99 Amazon Buy Now1. Round out a grain bowl.The beauty of grain bowls is that anything goes! Pick your favorite grain, a protein (looking at you, leftover chicken), a mess of cooked and/or raw veggies, and a creamy dressing, and you’ve got a meal. Credit: Kelli Foster 2. Mix it into chicken salad.Whether you prefer the classic creamy version or opt for tangy or herby, you can never go wrong with chicken salad. Credit: Joe Lingeman 3. Make a creamy, cheesy dip.A warm dip can absolutely become dinner when you fill it with chicken and serve it with lots of veggies (and chips, too, of course). Credit: Joe Lingeman 4. Stuff it into a baked potato.This might be the ultimate simple-yet-satisfying dinner. Repurpose leftovers while enjoying one of those potatoes you baked during your weekend meal prep session. Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Anna Stockwell 5. Throw it into a quick Japanese curry.Stay home tonight and make a homemade version of a beloved Japanese comfort meal in a flash. Just stir the chicken with the veggies and give it a nice simmer. Credit: Apartment Therapy Roasted Red Pepper, Chicken & Mozzarella Sandwich 6. Make a chicken sandwich.Sandwiches are a quick and easy way to repurpose leftover breasts or thighs into a nearly effortless dinner. Credit: Joe Lingeman 7. Make a batch of chicken enchiladas.Starting with leftover chicken means a large batch of saucy enchiladas comes together in next to no time. Credit: Joe Lingeman 8. Cook it into fried rice.When you don’t quite have enough meat for it to be a meal on its own, this is a cheap and easy way to turn leftovers into dinner for the whole family. Credit: Joe Lingeman 9. Add it to a stir-fry.Since the chicken is already cooked, it just needs to be reheated, so wait to toss it into the wok until the last minute or two of cooking. Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: CC Buckley/Kitchn 10. Stuff it into a taco.Leftover chicken is the start to the easiest taco Tuesday. Shred the meat and pile it into warm tortillas, or give the meat even more flavor by simmering it with some of your favorite salsa. You can also bulk up the tacos with beans or slaw. (Image credit: Lauren Volo) 12. Make it the start of a burrito or burrito bowl.Whether you stuff all the ingredients in a tortilla or pile them in a bowl, a bit of leftover chicken is just the thing to give your burrito a little more substance. Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: Brett Regot/Kitchn 13. Layer it on a tray of nachos.Some chopped or shredded chicken instantly moves nachos firmly into dinner territory. This is a perfect opportunity to use up that last bit of leftover chicken, no matter how much you have! Credit: Sarah E Crowder 14. Layer it into a quesadilla.This is my favorite reason to hang on to leftover chicken when there’s just a few bites or the tiniest of pieces remaining. Grab a couple of tortillas and some cheese, and that tiny bit of chicken is suddenly a meal. Credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink 15. Simmer in a pot of soup.The easiest chicken soup starts with a rotisserie bird from the grocery store or, in this case, whatever leftovers you have handy! Credit: Laura Rege Chicken Alfredo Pizza 16. Top a pizza with it.Chicken on pizza is always a good idea — especially when alfredo or BBQ sauce are involved. Credit: Perry Santanachote 17. Cook it into a casserole.If you don’t love leftovers, a casserole is such a great solution for repurposing chicken into a totally different meal. This works well with chicken that wasn’t cooked with a marinade or sauce. Expect most casserole recipes to call for about two to three cups of cooked chicken. Credit: Joe Lingeman 18. Stir it into a pot of chili.Whether you lean towards white chili, beef chili, or one packed with beans and lentils, there’s always a place for chicken in the pot. Since it’s already cooked, stir it into the pot in the last few minutes of cooking to prevent it from drying out. Credit: Joe Lingeman 19. Use it to make stuffed shells.It might not be traditional, but it certainly is delicious! Shred or cut up the leftover chicken into small pieces, mix it with the ricotta, and cook according to your favorite stuffed shell recipe. (Image credit: Maria Siriano) 20. Make a weeknight-friendly pot pie.Leftover chicken (along with your cast iron and some frozen pie crust) is the key to a creamy, comforting pot pie that’s easy enough to pull off on a weeknight. Credit: Kelli Foster 21. Repurpose it into an extra-easy skillet dinner.Starting with cooked leftover chicken lets any skillet dinner come together in a fraction of the time. The example below is a cozy Southern-style meal that calls for rotisserie chicken and sausage, but you can swap it for whatever kind of chicken you have in the fridge. Credit: Lauren Volo 22. Bulk up a green salad into a meal.On its own a leafy green salad isn’t always super filling, but toss in a few pieces of chicken and it’s a totally different story. Any type of chicken, regardless of how it was prepared, is fair game here. Credit: Faith Durand 23. Simmer it into a rich ragù.Turning chicken into a saucy ragù brings life to leftovers. Spoon it over pasta, rice, polenta, or gnocchi. (Image credit: Nealey Dozier) 24. Add it to your pasta dinner.Chicken and pasta are great on their own, but when combined they’re a force to be reckoned with. Credit: Lauren Volo 25. Bulk up a bowl of ramen.Whether you’re starting with the instant stuff or making it from scratch, you won’t regret bulking up your noodle soup with some chicken. Credit: Emma Christensen 26. Make some lettuce wraps.Most recipes for lettuce wraps start with ground meat, but you can easily use leftover chicken as an alternative. Chop it into small pieces, then mix with the condiments, sauces, and add-ins in the recipe. Credit: Joe Lingeman 27. Add it to a cold noodle salad.This is one of the easiest ways to repurpose those leftovers when you don’t want to turn on the oven. Credit: Shelly Westerhausen 28. Mix it into mac and cheese.When this comfort food is in the meal plan mix, stirring in some leftover chicken is a quick way to bring a little more protein to the table. Credit: Joe Lingeman 29. Turn it into quick-pulled Buffalo chicken.Your slow cooker is used mainly as a warming device and to help the flavor of the shredded chicken and tangy sauce. Credit: Jeff Roffman 30. Fold it into summer rolls.Starting with leftovers makes this an easy no-cook dinner. All that’s left to do is prep the veggies and stir together the sauce. Get a recipe: How To Make Summer Rolls Credit: Meghan Splawn 31. Make a more filling noodle bowl.Bonus points if you also have roasted vegetables or any sautéed greens on hand, because it mean your noodle bowl comes together even faster and easier. Credit: Joe Lingeman 32. Mix it into a frittata.The beauty of frittatas is that anything goes. Any veggies, herbs, meat and cheese you have in the fridge are all fair game, and that includes chicken, too. This versatile egg dish is a great way to stretch just a tiny bit of leftover chicken into a full meal. Credit: Joe Lingeman 33. Stuff it into a chicken bake.Leftover chicken bodes very well in the company of gooey cheese and smoky bacon bits all wrapped inside the crispy, tender bread of this copycat Costco chicken bake. Get the recipe: Copycat Costco Chicken Bakes Credit: Leela Cyd/ Kitchn 34. Make a sheet pan dinner.There’s no better way to bring some fun into a weeknight family dinner than a recipe where the only thing you truly cook is chicken on a sheet pan. A quick marinade allows cumin and warm spices to work their magic to bring life back to leftover chicken. Fold into a warm pita and pile sky-high with your favorite toppings. Get the recipe: Chicken Schwarma Credit: Melina Hammer/Kitchn 35. Mingle into a panzanella.Panzanella originated in Italy as a means to let stale bread rub shoulders with fresh ingredients and in turn, build a dazzling bread salad. But this flexible dish is inherently a clean-out-the-kitchen dish – in other words, you can totally add leftover chicken into the mix! How do you cook already cooked chicken?Product is already fully cooked.. Sizzle in Skillet: 4-6 Minutes. Place thawed Grilled Chicken into skillet over MEDIUM HIGH heat. ... . Conventional Oven: 7-10 Minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. ... . Microwave: 1-2 Minutes. Place thawed Grilled Chicken into one layer on a microwave safe dish and cover.. How do you cook already cooked chicken breast?Place precooked chicken on a microwave-safe dish.. Cover the dish with a paper towel to lock in moisture while reheating.. Turn the microwave on its high setting and cook the chicken for two to three minutes until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.. What can be made from cooked chicken?Leftover chicken recipes. Leftover roast chicken pad Thai. A star rating of 3.9 out of 5. ... . Roast chicken risotto with chicken crackling. A star rating of 4.9 out of 5. ... . Chicken soup. ... . Easy coronation chicken. ... . Tasty chicken noodles. ... . Chicken chimichangas. ... . Chicken & bacon pasta. ... . Chicken, leek & mushroom pies.. How to flavor pre cooked chicken?Add Your Own Seasonings, Like Sofrito
If the rotisserie chicken has been sitting in your fridge for a couple of days, its flavor and texture is not the same. To add some freshness and flavor back into it, cut the chicken into whatever size you like and add your own seasoning to it.
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What to do with pre cooked chicken
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