Sometimes, you just need quick and easy recipes to help you get through the week. And let’s be real: One of the easiest meals you can possibly buy is a $5 rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store. If, like us, you’re super in love with rotisserie chicken, you might want to consider jazzing it up a bit. These 21 creative recipes are great for using up all your chicken in the most delicious ways possible. They also range from soup recipes to casseroles and healthy to indulgent, so there’s *truly* something for everyone here.
1. White Chicken Chili: This recipe is hearty, warming and full of flavor — and it’s perfect for rounding out your standard rotisserie chicken. You can also use shredded chicken breasts in here, but rotisserie chicken is a tasty alternative. Just note that you may want to sub in low-sodium chicken broth for regular broth, as rotisserie chicken is slightly saltier than regular chicken. (via Cooking Classy)
2. Rotisserie Chicken Tacos With Pineapple Salsa: Tacos are life, and this recipe definitely does them justice. If you hadn’t previously thought of using your rotisserie chicken to make tacos, trust us — it has the perfect salty flavor and tender consistency to make some seriously bomb tacos. (via Hello Healthy)
3. Chinese Chicken Salad With Asian Peanut Salad Dressing: With a rotisserie chicken, this recipe is SUPER quick and easy to put together. That’s good, because it certainly has a lot of ingredients: peanut butter, sesame oil, cabbage, Sriracha, bean sprouts, fried noodles and green onion, to name a few. (via RecipeTin Eats)
4. Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bowl: Want to take your rotisserie chicken to the next level? Put it in a healthy power bowl. Avocado, onion, leafy greens and brown rice pack plenty of nutrition, and cilantro sprinkled over top gives the entire bowl a POP of flavor. (via Joyful Healthy Eats)
5. One Pan Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Skillet: This super yummy, awesomely cheesy skillet is the perfect medium for your rotisserie chicken. You’ll even get to skip the first few steps of this recipe, since they involve cooking the chicken. Yay for fewer steps! (via Heather Likes Food)
6. Japanese Chicken Udon Soup With Bok Choy: Udon noodles are thick, wheat-based noodles traditionally served in Japanese soups. This particular recipe pairs them with bok choy — and works perfectly with a fresh rotisserie chicken. (via Jessica Gavin)
7. Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup: Speaking of soups, you can have the comforting, warming feeling of chicken noodle soup without having to eat it out of a can. Just pick up a rotisserie chicken, add noodles and veggies and you’re done. (via Eazy Peazy Meals)
8. 20-Minute Tuscan Chicken With Penne Pasta: If you’ve got 20 minutes to spare, you can make this one-pot penne pasta with a warm rotisserie chicken. In addition to the meat and pasta, it showcases the flavors of tomato, oregano, thyme, spinach, basil and Parmesan cheese. (via Gal on a Mission)
9. Balsamic Chicken Salad With Lemon Quinoa: This detoxifying, nutrient-packed power bowl is one of the healthiest ways to prepare your rotisserie chicken. The meat and quinoa are packed with protein, while olives, tomatoes and leafy greens give you antioxidants and nutrients. Bonus points for the detoxifying lemon drizzled over top. (via Cafe Delites)
10. Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich: One of the most classic uses of chicken is to combine it with mayo, grapes and celery and stuff it inside a fresh croissant. This super-simple recipe plays up all of the flavors of the sammie for a light, tasty and fresh on-the-go lunch or dinner. (via Life in the Lofthouse)
11. One Pot Gnocchi With Spinach and Chicken: You’ll need a cast-iron skillet (or other apparatus that’s cool to use both on the stove AND in the oven) to make this uber-delicious dish. Gnocchi is a dumpling-like pasta that’s so soft and yummy, it seems tailor-made for pairing with this comforting recipe. (via Chew Out Loud)
12. Shredded Chicken Parmesan Sandwich: This recipe is incredibly tasty, and it comes together in less than 10 minutes. This chicken sammie is the perfect accompaniment for a side of tomato soup. You could also sub the Texas toast out for a whole-wheat bun, if you’re feeling healthy. (via Yellow Bliss Road)
13. Easy Chicken Pot Pie: This comforting pot pie is super easy to make, as it allows you to use plenty of shortcuts (store-bought crust and rotisserie chicken, for example). Bonus tip: Pair it with a side salad and this bad boy will give you sustenance for an entire week. (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
14. Buffalo Chicken Sliders With Easy Blue Cheese Dressing: These easy-peasy sliders are bursting with the flavors of buffalo sauce and dripping with a simple blue cheese dressing, but that’s not even the best part. The BEST part of the entire recipe is the completely delectable pretzel bun that it’s served with. Actually, it may be the 10-minute prep time we love the most. (via Addicted to Yum)
15. White Bean Chicken Chili Soup: This Southwestern-inspired soup is warming, nutritious, hearty and ridiculously easy to make. The flavors of corn, broth, black beans, tomatoes and chicken make for a classic combo. Bonus tip: This is a great soup to make ahead of time and bring to work throughout the week. (via Hip Foodie Mom)
16. Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry: If you’re looking for a yummy, nutritious and low-carb weeknight dinner that also happens to be super easy to prepare, look no further than this stir fry. Picking up a ready-made rotisserie chicken makes preparing this dinner even easier. Pro tip: To make it gluten-free, use tamari in place of regular soy sauce. (via Natasha’s Kitchen)
17. One-Pot Chicken, Bacon and Ranch Pasta: Make this rich and indulgent pasta dish in just one pan — and in about 30 minutes (yay!). We recommend using rotini pasta in this meal, but you could also use macaroni or fusilli. (via Pillsbury)
18. BBQ Chicken Tacos: These flavorful tacos are actually inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ Chicken Salad. Turning salads into taco recipes? Don’t mind if we do! (via Lovely Little Kitchen)
19. Veggie Loaded Rotisserie Chicken Casserole: This casserole might appear unhealthy at first glance, but it’s actually a lot more nutritious than you think. Instead of cream, it’s made with Greek yogurt, which offers tons more protein and a lot fewer calories. (via Project Meal Plan)
20. Easy Burrito Bowl: After a long day at work, you might feel like picking up some Chipotle for dinner. But this alternative is WAY cheaper, and the rotisserie chicken will last you days. We think this is far superior. (via Cookies and Cups)
21. Rotisserie Chicken Casserole: This tasty recipe is full of goodies (yes, those ARE corn flakes on top!) and easy to put together. Just pop it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, and it’s ready to go. (via Mom on Time Out)
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