If you are a Costco shopper, or you have so much as heard of Costco, chances are, you have heard tell of the $4.99 rotisserie chicken. I’m not that excited about a rotisserie chicken, but I am excited about some of the possibilities of this beloved bird. Read on for my favorite ways to use a rotisserie chicken.
Confession of a Costco Shopper
For several years, I was a faithful Costco shopper, loyally purchasing pallets of toilet paper and jumbo bags of chips, but on every visit, I sailed right on past a beloved staple of the warehouse: the rotisserie chicken.
I had purchased one or two rotisserie chickens, prompted by ravings of so many Costco fanatics, and while the price was good, I didn’t really enjoy the chicken. There is something about the taste that I just do not like. So I stopped buying them. A good price isn’t a good price if I wasn’t going to eat it.
But during the past year or so, I jumped aboard the rotisserie chicken bandwagon, and am firmly planted. What changed? Not the recipe for the chicken. I still don’t enjoy eating it as is. However, I realized that I could use the meat in recipes calling for chicken, saving myself time and money.
There are, of course, nearly countless ways in which you could use a rotisserie chicken. Now that I have embraced the ease of pre-cooked chicken, I snag one on nearly every trip to Costco. Today, I offer up my ten favorite ways to use a rotisserie chicken.
Ten Ways to Use a Rotisserie Chicken
1. Chicken Quesadillas
Starting off super simple here..
One of my favorite lunches for the kids is quesadillas. A simple way to add nutrition and sustenance is to add some chicken to your basic quesadilla. No extra cooking, no extra fuss. I like the way a rotisserie chicken shreds, making it so easy to add to things like quesadillas and so much more.
2. Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Another easy-peasy way to put your rotisserie chicken to good use! Chicken Salad is, in my opinion, Tuna Salad’s less abrasive, more likable cousin. Both easy and filling lunch options, but we all know Tuna is more likely to cause some turned up noses and empty seats in the lunch room.
Chicken Salad, of course, comes in endless variations, with countless add-ins, all with fierce groups of supporters. My favorite Chicken Salad is Curried Chicken Salad. Just add a bit of curry powder to your mayo, and you’re in business. I like to add celery and raisins, but raisins can be as divisive as Tuna, so, take ‘em or leave ‘em.
3. White Chicken Chili
Eight years ago, some sweet friends brought us a meal after our oldest son was born. They delivered a pot of white chicken chili and a loaf of bread. That pot of white chicken chili was so warm and creamy and comforting. I have spent years looking for a recipe that came close. This month, I found one. Though I am sure it isn’t the same recipe, it is of the same creamy, comforting vibe, and I will absolutely be adding it to my binder of recipes.
I used a recipe from Ree Drummond’s cookbook “Super Easy!”, but this recipe on her website is very similar. (If your family is like mine, and needs a more mild dish that can be spiced up for those with more adventurous palates, skip the fresh jalapeño, and stick to one can of the canned, diced jalapeños. If was just enough spice for good flavor and happy kids.)
4. Ramen Cabbage Salad with Chicken
I grew up eating ramen cabbage salad. It was one of my mom’s favorite summer dinners. From what I remember, she always made it with poached chicken breast. I have come to love making it with…you guessed it…rotisserie chicken! This recipe is easy, and is the only salad all my kids eat. The crunchy ramen noodles are very fun, and cabbage is a bit more approachable than lettuce for a kid. At least for mine.
I use this recipe from Budget Bytes. (If you have’t used Budget Bytes before, make that site your next internet stop. We have made dozens, if not a hundred, recipes from this site, and there have been maybe two I didn’t want to make again. The recipes are simple, but flavorful, and just super reliable. As the name suggests, this site is all about budget meals. The recipes are made from basic ingredients, not laden with cream of soups and seasoning packets. It is my cup of tea.)
5. Chicken Risotto
A couple years ago, I started making risotto. I was initially intimidated by the fancy foreign name, and the yells of Gordon Ramsey (what is it about risotto on those cooking shows?!), and so I didn’t even dare try for years. Eventually, I tried a risotto recipe. I don’t remember how I got up the nerve, but I am glad I did. My risotto would probably bring tears of anger to Gordon Ramsey’s eyes but my family likes it, and so does our budget. At the most basic level, risotto is rice very slowly cooked (with frequent stirring) in broth. The rice starches break down, making a creamy, filling, and delicious dish. Once you understand the basic concept, you can make endless risottos. Using leftover veggies and meat that aren’t enough for their own meal, you can make a tasty meal to feed a crowd.
Though my favorite way to make risotto is to use leftovers, I also love the simplicity of using some rotisserie chicken. It is so easy, and, of course, so affordable. You can, of course, still use leftover veggies or other add-ins.
5. BBQ Chicken Pizza
Every Friday night, our family has pizza and movie night. We copied some family friends who had the same tradition, and have happily followed suit for over two years. Every Thursday night, my husband or I start a batch of the easiest no-knead pizza dough, and the next afternoon, the dough is ready for shaping. Sometimes, we buy special pizza toppings (salami, pepperoni, pizza sausage, etc.), other times, I just use what I can scrap for in the refrigerator (deli meat ham, leftover pork, etc.).
The fan-favorite, however, is always BBQ chicken pizza. Due to my husband’s love of BBQ sauce we ALWAYS have BBQ sauce in our fridge. Add a little chicken and a good of mozzarella, and you have a truly delicious pizza. I make a point now to set aside a little portion of every rotisserie chicken in a freezer bag so that we always have chicken for pizza night. If you follow suit and freeze your rotisserie chicken, no need to defrost before adding to pizza. Easy as pie. (Pizza pie!)
You could, of course, also make BBQ chicken sandwiches following the same easy-as-pie thinking.
6. Peanut Chicken
One of our longest-running family recipes is Peanut Chicken, courtesy of Budget Bytes.
This Peanut Chicken recipe is really simple, and really good. Over the years, I have tweaked a few things, I like to add extra soy sauce, and a little extra sriracha, but it is just a great starter recipe. No complicated or hard to find ingredients, and pleasing to a wide net of people.
The recipe calls for chicken breast, which you cook as part of the recipe. However, I have also made it with chicken thighs (doubly delicious), and more recently, rotisserie chicken. The rotisserie chicken makes this recipe so fast and so easy, there is no reason not to make it. Tonight!
7. Chicken Taquitos
During a recent visit to Costco, our children sampled some chicken taquitos, and our oldest boys fell head over heels. We bought a box of these frozen taquitos, and boy were they a hit. I couldn’t help but wonder if we couldn’t make something similar at home. Sure enough, making taquitos isn’t quite as intimidating as you might think. They are, of course, fried, but they are simple, and another dish that is easy to customize based on preferences and what you have on hand. A Costco rotisserie chicken makes it really quick and easy to fry up a batch.
Here is a recipe from Damn Delicious (another favorite food blog) with basic ingredients, using a rotisserie chicken.
8. Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings may be my favorite winter soup. And, as you may have guessed, I love to use rotisserie chicken as a quick shortcut. I no longer use a recipe for the soup/broth base, but there are countless online. I like to add a little milk or cream for extra deliciousness.
My new favorite dumpling recipe is this one from Farmhouse on Boone. It is so good. (Lisa and her blog are my go-to place for sourdough recipes.)
If you don’t have sourdough starter, not to worry. There are plenty of other recipes. Here is a recipe for Chicken and Dumplings from Budget Bytes (call back!) that is simple and delicious.
9. Chicken Noodle Soup
If you have pre-cooked chicken, a bag of noodles, and a few veggies in the fridge, you can absolutely, easily make a homemade soup in no time. I typically sauté onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil (and/or butter!) until they are soft and smelling delicious, then add chicken broth, some seasonings, and then let it simmer for 20 or so minutes. I add the chicken, a bag of noodles, and cook until the noodles are to my liking.
Of course, you need chicken broth for this soup, and for many of these chicken meals, which leads me to my absolute favorite part of buying a Costco rotisserie chicken…
10. HOMEMADE CHICKEN BROTH!
Homemade chicken broth is the easiest and most fantastic thing to make at home. All you need are some chicken bones (use the bones from that $4.99 chicken!), some veggie scraps, and maybe some herbs, and you can have the best chicken broth for literal pennies.
I keep a bag of veggie scraps in my freezer – an idea I stole from a friend, who stole it from a friend, who probably stole it from a friend – so that I have veggie scraps ready whenever I have chicken bones. Onion peels, carrot tops, celery leaves, and any other scraps are perfect for broth. Rather than throwing these bits away, put them to good use and squeeze out every last drop of goodness from that rotisserie chicken!
Here’s to successful shortcuts and $4.99 rotisserie chickens!
I once heard someone say: “If you aren’t buying the Costco Rotisserie Chicken, what are you doing?!” If a rotisserie chicken doesn’t get you excited, I don’t blame you. It doesn’t excite me either. But I am excited by easier dinners and quick lunches.
Do you have a favorite use for rotisserie chicken? Comment below!