There’s nothing else quite like a whole roasted chicken – it’s like having Thanksgiving, except a whole chicken is much easier to get hold of at the grocery store.
But if you’re only a small family, leftover chicken is inevitable. And it would be a crying shame to see it all go to waste.
The solution is to read articles like this to find out how you can make your leftover chicken into a meal to be proud of the following day.
Making meals with leftover chicken is often quite quick because the chicken is already cooked, which makes the following leftover chicken recipes perfect for those weeknights when you don’t want to have to slave away forever in the kitchen.
We’ve got all sorts of concoctions that your taste buds will adore, you’re bound to find something you like the sound of – here goes!
1. Scrumptious Easy Chicken Nachos
What a way to kick off our list! This takes a mere 15 minutes to cook, and you can customize it however you like. I just love the salsa and the sour cream! And if you’re feeling brave you can add sliced jalapeño peppers.
2. Indian Butter Chicken Pizza
Can you believe this amazing little Indian dish takes a mere 15 minutes to make? Not bad, huh? It’s different from regular pizza because you use delicious naan bread instead of pizza dough.
3. Chicken Quesadillas
What a flavorful dish – and super simple to make, too. I just love the crispness and the cheese that goes on forever! You can pick your own cheese and seasoning.
4. Chicken Alfredo Bake
What a treat this is – classic comfort food. Penne pasta in a creamy sauce, topped with cheese. And the inclusion of onion powder and garlic really boosts the flavor. So moreish!
5. Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
And speaking of comfort food, how about this classic? Delicious. And the other great thing about this recipe is that you can also use it to use up leftover veg as well as leftover chicken.
6. Thai Coconut Chicken Curry Soup
You can really spice up your leftover chicken with this recipe. So flavorful, it really packs a punch. And I just love the addition of crunchy peanuts on top to serve. It does take time to make, but I promise, it’s worth it.
7. Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Have you tried gnocchi before? Again, it’s great comfort food, and a breeze to prepare. The cream, garlic, and mushrooms in this recipe blend together like a dream.
8. Chinese Chicken Stir Fry
How about pairing your leftover chicken with some noodles and gorgeous oriental flavors, as per this dish? All finished off with a fresh cilantro garnish to serve.
9. Easy Chicken Chili
Who says you need to use ground beef for your chili? This recipe proves that you don’t. It’s delicious, packed full of flavor, and so warming, too.
Perfect to warm you up in those cold winter months. And you get plenty of fiber thanks to the inclusion of red kidney beans.
10. Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
At first glance, this dish looks a lot like the Chicken Alfredo that we showed you earlier. But this dish features a crisp coating of breadcrumbs on top, with a different shape of pasta underneath in a gorgeous creamy mushroom sauce.
11. Leftover Roast Chicken Fajitas
One of my favorite ways to use up leftover chicken is to use it to make fajita wraps. All you have to do is toss the chicken in with some sliced peppers, add seasoning, and enjoyed it all wrapped in a nice tortilla wrap. A cakewalk.
12. Takeaway-Style Chicken Fried Rice
This dish is super simple to make, and quite hearty and filling too. You fry some chopped vegetables, toss in some cooked rice and your shredded leftover chicken, add some sauce and seasoning, and you’re good to go.
13. Chicken Shawarma Pita Wrap
How about this variation on a simple chicken salad? You get all the goodness of a salad, complete with chicken, lettuce, red onions and so on, all combined with shawarma spices and wrapped in filling pita bread. Much more satisfying than your regular salad if you ask me!
14. Fiesta Chicken Casserole
Now, this is a great little for the novice cook, because there is no chopping involved whatsoever. And there are plenty of great ingredients to give it a variety of tastes and textures, like having a fiesta in your mouth. There’s melted shredded cheese, tiny tomatoes, and corn.
15. Quick Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread Pizza
Gotta love a good pizza, right? This one is loaded with mozzarella cheese, has a scrumptious buttermilk ranch dressing, and comes with crispy bacon pieces on top. Perfect comfort food!
16. Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Man, I just love enchiladas, don’t you? And this recipe relies entirely on shortcuts, canned ingredients, with no chopping or measuring required. Prep time is a mere 15 minutes, and it makes plenty of servings. And it’s just so warming and flavorful.
17. Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
A nice cool salad can be such a refreshing treat in the hot summer months. And this salad is bursting with flavor, with little tomatoes, and crumbly feta cheese. And the addition of pasta shells really lends the dish some great carbs for the energy to power through your day.
18. Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I just love this recipe – healthy food meets comfort food. Better yet, this dish is so low in carbs that it’s classed as keto friendly. And you’ll love the addition of creamy avocado and tangy blue cheese, plus the crunchy red cabbage base.
19. Leftover Roast Chicken Biryani
This is a great weeknight dish for using up leftover chicken – it’s all made in just one pot and takes less than 30 minutes to make. It’s a rice dish with plenty of veg and flavoring from a selection of yummy spices and coconut milk.
20. Simple Leftover Chicken Curry
This dish is ready in just half an hour, uses fried onions and spices on a tomato-based sauce, and can easily be scaled up if you need to make more.
21. Leftover Roast Chicken Risotto
Normally, with risotto, you usually have to stand over the pan constantly adding more stock – but not with this recipe, the stock gets added all in one go. It does take time to cook, but I promise every mouthful will be worth it!
22. Roast Chicken Leftovers Stew
Now, this is comfort food! It comes with plenty of scrumptious dumplings and prep time is just 15 minutes. And in addition to using up your leftover chicken, it’s also a great way to use up leftover veg too.
23. Peanut Butter Chicken Salad Sandwich
Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that are the best. A chicken sandwich is just fine and all, but why not add some crispy salad and flavorful peanut butter, as per this recipe? Kids just love it.
24. Easy Asian Chicken Rice Bowl
How about this Asian rice bowl for your leftover chicken? It features plenty of shelled edamame for fiber, and the minced ginger is really warming, perfect for those cold winter months. And the addition of honey adds a nice mild sweetness to it to boot.
25. Chicken Ranch Wraps
You’ve got to check this out – the combo of leftover rotisserie chicken in a tortilla wrap with cheese and your favorite ranch salad dressing is a match made in heaven – enjoy!
26. Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
This dish is just so comforting, and with no crazy flavoring, it’s something that even picky eater kids will enjoy. Don’t feel like you have to add fresh parsley and dill if you don’t have it, there’s plenty of garlic in there for flavor.
27. Creamy Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Ever wanted to make a lasagna with a creamier twist? Now, here’s your chance!
This version uses a creamy Alfredo sauce, made up of mozzarella, chopped spinach, a couple of secret ingredients, and your star ingredient, shredded leftover chicken.
Better yet, this recipe makes a whopping 12 servings. Second helpings anyone?
28. Leftover Chicken Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
This Irish recipe is not only good for using up leftover chicken, but you can also use it to use up leftover veg and potatoes too. It’s classic comfort food. I recommend adding extra butter to the mashed potatoes – yum!
29. Creamy French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole
This is just delicious! Classic comfort food at its best – would 100% recommend it. It only takes 5 ingredients and prepping it takes a mere 5 minutes at the most. And you get fluffy rice and an amazing creamy sauce.
30. Chicken-Stuffed Bell Peppers
I just love the taste of roasted bell peppers. And you can use the peppers and fill them up with all kinds of yummy foods to appease the kids and top them off with their favorite cheese.
31. Rosemary Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup
This hearty meal will go down a treat with anyone lucky enough to try it. Super filling and comforting. The perfect accompaniment to a family movie night in front of the TV.
32. Chicken Hash with Eggs
Want to use your leftover chicken in a hearty breakfast dish? No problem.
And you can either enjoy it stripped back with just the main few ingredients, or you can really go to town with it by adding the likes of jalapeños and such.
33. Chicken, Nectarine and Avocado Salad
You gotta try and eat healthy sometimes, right? Well, this is the way to do it!
The avocado is really good for you, and it’s super creamy too. And the nectarine really adds some freshness and juiciness to the dish. And the addition of granola really adds that perfect crunch.
34. Spicy Chicken and Smoky Bacon Macaroni Cheese
I just love this take on traditional mac and cheese – positively scrumptious! The recipe suggests crushed baked potato chips on top, but you could add some shredded hard cheese if you prefer. And you can even add some jalapeños to really jazz it up.
35. Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Every cuisine has its own take on chicken soup, and this one can’t be beaten. It features the likes of chili, cumin, and coriander. And you get to top it off with fried tortilla chips for a nice bit of crunch.
36. Thai Rainbow Chicken Satay Salad
This colorful Thai chicken rainbow salad is packed with goodness, full of crunchy carrot, peppers, and lettuce, super refreshing and good for you. But what really makes it delicious is the peanut butter, minced garlic, and green onions.
37. Hashbrown Chicken Vegetable Pot Pie Casserole
Ever considered a chicken pot pie with a hash brown topping? 100% recommended.
This recipe not only uses up your leftover chicken, but also your leftover veg too.
And the topping is super crunchy, and easier to make than you might think, you simply top the pie with tender shredded potatoes before baking it in the oven. Perfect comfort food.
38. Chicken and Fontina Panini
You don’t need to overthink your dishes – simply dishes like panini sandwiches often go down a treat when done right. This version is amazing because it uses fontina cheese and pesto sauce.
And it’s just perfect – flavorful, crunchy on the outside, and gooey on the inside. And it takes minimal effort to boot.
39. Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits
Why not switch things up a little and make a chicken pot pie with scrummy homemade biscuits for the topping? This way you get to use up both leftover chicken and leftover veg.
I think you’ll love the biscuits – they’re made with cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, and chives.
It sure makes a change from your usual biscuits and gravy.
It does take some time to cook, but I promise you it’s worth it!
40. Couscous Pilaf with Roasted Carrots, Chicken, and Feta Recipe
This easy recipe is a one-bowl meal and has some delicious ingredients. You will love the lemon butter sauce, and there are also golden raisins, toasted almonds, and crumbly feta cheese.
