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Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Recipes (Easy Dinner Ideas)

Majory Pilley
By Updated on

If you’re looking for easy leftover rotisserie chicken recipes, you’re in the right place. Grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is one of the best survival tactics for a busy week. But by day two, plain chicken is a little uninspiring.

The short answer: Turn leftover chicken into quick casseroles, soups, and chili, chicken salad, hearty dinner salads, grain bowls, tacos, wraps, or even crispy chicken cakes. You can also add it to meatless recipes for an easy protein boost.

A whole rotisserie chicken on a white plate.

Whether you're craving something cozy and comforting or light and low-carb, these easy recipes prove this time-saving main dish is the hardest-working ingredient in the refrigerator. Here’s how to turn yesterday’s chicken into tonight’s dinner magic.

How to Shred and Store Leftover Rotisserie Chicken

Remove the meat from the bones while the chicken is still slightly warm. It’s much easier! Pull it apart with your fingers or use two forks, then shred or chop it depending on how you plan to use it. Leftover rotisserie chicken lasts 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator when stored properly.

Store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, portion shredded chicken into freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

Tip: Freeze chicken in 1- or 2-cup portions so you can quickly grab exactly what you need for soups, casseroles, salads, and other recipes.

If the chicken develops an off smell or slimy texture, or you're unsure how long it's been refrigerated, discard it.

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Easy Dinners

Chicken Cakes

Plate of easy leftover chicken cakes made with shredded rotisserie chicken on a plate.
Give leftover rotisserie chicken a complete makeover! Combine shredded chicken with cheese, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, then pan-fry into crispy, golden chicken cakes.
Shredded Chicken Patties

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Slice of Creamy White Chicken Enchilada Pie on a plate.
Layer shredded rotisserie chicken with tortillas, a creamy white enchilada sauce and plenty of cheese for an easy casserole. It's also freezer-friendly, so it's a great way to use up extra chicken for another night.
Chicken Enchilada Pie

Burrito Pie

Layered burrito pie casserole in a round tin with a slice missing, exposing the layers.
Turn this vegetarian layered burrito pie into an easy chicken dinner by adding shredded rotisserie chicken. Stack tortillas with beans, salsa, cheese, and your favorite burrito fillings, then bake.
Burrito Pie

Soups

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Creamy white chicken chili made with cream cheese in a glass bowl topped with cilantro, green onions, and shredded cheese.
Leftover rotisserie chicken makes this creamy white chicken chili especially quick. It's loaded with white beans and finished with cream cheese for a hearty one-pot dinner that's ready in under 30 minutes.
White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serving bowl and spoon with chicken tortilla soup showing hominy, black beans, and corn. It's topped with cilantro, 2 slices of avocado, with 3 tortilla chips are tucked on the side.
Use shredded rotisserie chicken to make this easy chicken tortilla soup with hominy, black beans, corn and tomatoes. Everything comes together in one pot in about 30 minutes.
Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hominy

Lemon Chicken Soup

Lemon Chicken Soup with Cauliflower Rice in a bowl
Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut for this light, lemony chicken soup. Cauliflower rice keeps it lower in carbs while plenty of lemon gives the broth its bright, Greek-inspired flavor.
Chicken Cauliflower Rice Soup

Spaghetti Squash Soup

Easy spaghetti squash soup in a bowl with a bowl of spaghetti squash and cut vegetables behind it.
Add shredded rotisserie chicken to this cozy spaghetti squash soup for an easy protein boost. Spaghetti squash stands in for traditional noodles, making it a naturally lower-carb spin on chicken noodle soup.
Spaghetti Squash Soup

Salads and Bowls

Mediterranean Chicken Lentil Bowls

Mediterranean bowl with black lentils, chicken, salad greens, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, Greek vinaigrette and pickled red onions.
Put leftover rotisserie chicken to work in these CAVA-inspired Mediterranean bowls with black lentils, salad greens, tzatziki and Greek vinaigrette. They're high in protein and fiber and perfect for prepping ahead for lunch or dinner.
Mediterranean Lentil Bowl

Chicken Salad

Creamy cranberry walnut chicken salad on baguettes with more salad and baguettes behind it.
This creamy chicken salad was made for leftover rotisserie chicken. Cranberries and walnuts add sweet and crunchy contrast, and you can serve it in lettuce wraps, sandwiches, or straight from the bowl.
Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Spinach Strawberry Walnut Salad topped with chicken on a plate with walnuts and dressing in the background.
Top fresh spinach, strawberries and walnuts with sliced or shredded rotisserie chicken for an easy summer meal. A simple three-ingredient vinaigrette made with jam ties everything together.
Strawberry Walnut Salad with Chicken

Napa Cabbage Salad

Napa Cabbage Salad tossed with Asian sesame salad dressing and topped with ramen noodles and slivered almonds that have been crisped in butter.
Add shredded rotisserie chicken to this crunchy Napa cabbage salad to turn a favorite side dish into dinner. Toss it with Asian sesame dressing and top with crispy ramen noodles and almonds.
Napa Cabbage Salad

Taco Salad

Add leftover rotisserie chicken to these layered taco salad jars for an easy make-ahead lunch. Layer the chicken with your favorite taco salad ingredients and prep several at once for meals throughout the week.
Mason Jar Taco Salad Recipe

No rotisserie chicken? Most of these recipes work just as well with leftover baked, grilled, poached, or slow-cooker chicken. Keep the original chicken's seasoning in mind when choosing a recipe, then shred or chop it and use it just as you would rotisserie chicken. Baked lemon pepper chicken works well in many of these recipes.

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