When you get your hands on this delicious cooked bird, there are a variety of ways to transform it into different meals throughout the week without it feeling repetitive. Here are five quick and easy recipes you can make using a Costco rotisserie chicken.
Saucy Chicken Bites
A Costco rotisserie chicken is really big. It’s HUGE! Unsurprisingly, I can never finish the whole chicken in one meal, so I always end up refrigerating it. While it may still taste great in the next day or two, the chicken breast does dry out. To make it taste juicy, chop the breasts into bite-size pieces and dunk them in either Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue sauce or Chick-fil-A dipping sauce. The sauce really makes a difference, giving leftover chicken a whole new life. This is the perfect quick meal for kids—have them choose their favorite dips!
Chicken Skin Crouton Salad
You can crisp up the chicken skin, crumble it up, and toss it in a salad for texture and crunch—like croutons! (And for those that care, like me, it is keto-friendly.) Peel the skin off the breasts, but don’t toss it! Carve out and chop some breast meat for the salad, as they’re the most perfect fork-friendly protein. Then comes the power move: place the chicken skin on a small sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and broil it for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until it crisps up and shatters easily. The result? The tastiest crunchy salad topping you’ll ever have. Make a deliciously simple salad with some greens, the chopped chicken, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, crushed walnuts, sliced cherry tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese, and the chicken skin croutons.
Pulled Chicken Sandwich
If you’re tired of eating chicken and might have “accidentally" forgotten about it in your fridge, make an easy pulled chicken sandwich with it. With two forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Toss the shredded chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce and microwave it until warmed through. Mound it on a brioche bun and serve with a side of chips. It really feels like a whole new meal. You’re welcome!
Smart Move: Chicken Bone Broth
After all the cutting and carving, you’re left with the chicken carcass. I am not great at carving out all the meat or perhaps I’m just lazy, and that’s okay because nothing will go to waste! In a large pot of water, combine the chicken carcass and whatever bits of meat are left on it with vegetable scraps, if you have any, like cilantro or parsley stems, carrot tops, ginger skin, onion peels. No scraps? Add what you have: onions, scallions, carrots, ginger, tender herbs. Bring it to a boil and simmer for about 3 hours. Voila! Now you have a tasty chicken broth for two more recipes coming right up!
Chicken Ramen
Transform your chicken bone broth into chicken ramen. Instead of using water to cook your instant ramen, use the chicken bone broth—it adds complexity and depth of flavor. Add the ramen seasoning packet and top it off with soft-boiled eggs, sliced scallions, nori, black sesame seeds, and bamboo shoots, if you’d like. If you happen to have any rotisserie chicken meat left, add that too. The broth will rehydrate the chicken.
Chicken Noodle Soup
If ramen is not your thing, make a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup—you’re already more than halfway there. To the chicken broth add egg noodles, chopped carrots, and any leftover chicken. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until your carrots are soft and the egg noodles are cooked. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and salt to taste. And now it’s practically time for another trip to Costco!
