Smart, savory recipes for rotisserie chicken
The convenience of a grab-and-go supermarket rotisserie chicken is beyond reproach. For many busy families — especially now when a back-to-school routine means more home cooks are strapped for time — the golden bird with its burnished skin and moist, pull-apart meat is a mealtime life-saver.
According to the National Chicken Council, about 900 million rotisserie chickens were sold last year in retail and food-service outlets. Whether you buy from a grocery store or a fast-casual outlet, a whole roasted chicken is almost always a bargain and an indisputable center-of-the-plate star on the dinner table.
The budget-friendly birds are typically priced around $6.99, in some cases a sum that is lower than buying a whole raw chicken. And you don’t have to turn on your oven to get that chicken on a plate with side dishes.
Rotisserie chicken provides almost endless recipe possibilities, too. The meat can be used in soups, salads, sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, stir-fry dishes, casseroles, rice dishes, noodle dishes, pot pies, creamy dips and nachos, flatbreads, wraps and curry dishes; the bones can be boiled to make a quick stock.
I recently made four easy recipes using rotisserie chicken meat, so I’m sharing them here. For
additional inspiration, here’s what some local chefs and restaurateurs had to say about using rotisserie chicken in their homes.
Ryan Pera, chef/owner, Agricole Hospitality: “I like to use rotisserie chicken for arepas. I make a masa then add torn chicken, queso fresco, cilantro and cooked onion. I then cook the arepa on a skillet until golden on each side. It takes about 10 minutes total.”
Jessica DeSham Timmons, chef/partner, Cherry Block Craft Butcher & Kitchen: Because she has teenage boys at home, Timmons said she almost always has a supermarket rotisserie chicken in her refrigerator for quick meals. Her favorite thing to do with it is render the skin and use the fat in the dough for chicken and dumplings.
Sylvia Casares, owner, Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen: “I only use Costco chicken because it has a great flavor, and it’s moist. I mostly use it for my chicken salad, but I have also used it for arroz con pollo and chicken tacos or flautas. For the arroz, I use the famous trio of cumin seeds, fresh garlic and black peppercorns ground into a paste with my molcajete. It’s my rice recipe in my cookbook, but just add the deboned chicken instead of raw chicken.”
Peter Petro, executive chef, Bosscat Kitchen & Libations: “I buy three to four rotisserie chickens each week. My daughter loves to eat the skin when we bring it home — arguably the best part of the bird.” Petro makes a Thai Coconut Curry using 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 can of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste and 2 cups of mixed frozen vegetables. Bring everything to a boil in a pot and serve with steamed rice.
Ricardo Moreno, chef de cuisine, Bosscat Kitchen & Libations: “Most of the time I start by shredding the chicken and then do one of three things: I mix the chicken with barbecue sauce and layer it between macaroni and cheese and top the whole thing with shredded pepper jack, and into the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Sauté some sliced green and red pepper with scallions, sliced jalapeños and garlic and throw in chicken, soy sauce, chicken stock and a touch of sugar; bring to a simmer and serve over steamed rice. Mix the shredded chicken with celery, onions, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and a bit of Cajun seasoning and serve the chicken salad between two slices of toast or a hoagie roll with lettuce and tomato.”
Jennifer Da Silva, nutrition educator/chef, Houston Food Bank: “Rotisserie chicken can be a great asset. From a nutritional perspective, it is a good source of lean protein, it contains vitamins and minerals such as niacin, which is good for your digestive and nervous systems, as well as phosphorous, which is good for your teeth and bones. The bones of the chicken are filled with collagen with provides elasticity for your skin, so it’s worth removing all the meat from the bones and cook the carcass with root vegetables and water anywhere from 4 to 24 hours to make fresh chicken stock. The collagen will be extracted from the bones during the cooking process. The stock can be stored in the freezer between six months to a year.”
Kevin Maxey, executive chef, Superica: “The Maxey kids are pretty big fans of ‘giant nachos.’ They are ready in about 10 minutes with ingredients you probably have on hand. We take the pre-fried tostada shells as the base (2-3 per person). Place tostadas on a large baking sheet, spread with canned refried beans, add chopped rotisserie chicken meat and top with shredded cheese, chopped tomato and pickled jalapeño slices. Place under broiler in oven until cheese is melted. Top with fresh cilantro, sour cream and queso fresco.”
Ellen Chen, co-founder, Mendocino Farms: Chen’s favorite 2-in-1 hack is to carve up the white meat to create delicious and kid-friendly buildyour-own Greek chicken wraps, featuring pita bread, hummus, yogurt dip, feta, tomatoes and lettuce. She then shreds the leftover chicken to make comforting chicken noodle soup — an easy and quick meal her two children love on a cool fall day.
Allison Chavez, founder, Sweet Paris Creperie: The mom of two toddler boys takes store-bought crepes (available in the bread/pastry section of supermarket) and fills them with a warmed mixture of rotisserie chicken, mozzarella cheese, pesto, artichoke hearts, roasted bell peppers and sliced kalamata olives. “Moms, pair with a nice pinot grigio — I know we’ve earned it!”
Michael Sambrooks, owner, The Pit Room, 1751 Sea and Bar: “My favorite quick meal is my epic chicken salad. I pull apart the best parts of the rotisserie chicken, mix it with some mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and a little whole-grain mustard. I use lots of chopped celery for crunch, red onion and season with salt, pepper and a whisper of nutmeg.”
Pam Fullenweider, registered dietitian, nutritionist and owner, The Clever Kitchen: “My favorite recipe is from my friend Amy: Combine 1 package of H-E-B’s bagged power slaw or broccoli slaw, 1 chopped green apple, diced celery and diced red onion with mayonnaise, curry powder to taste and like juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with chopped rotisserie chicken, cashews and cilantro and serve over your favorite greens.”
Nick Fine, culinary director, Underbelly Hospitality: “My family and I have a few standbys, but my two favorites are chicken and sausage gumbo and chicken quesadillas. For the gumbo, I pick all the meat and make stock out of the bones. Believe it or not, there’s some good store-bought roux, so it’s a really easy meal at home. For the quesadilla, I mix the picked chicken meat with pepper jack cheese, chopped red onions, jalapeños, cilantro and lime juice. I put that mix inside tortillas and fry them in a sauté pan with oil and butter until crispy.”
Chris Cosentino, chef/owner of upcoming Rosalie Italian Soul: “I like to make club sandwiches from the breast meat. I also braise out the legs for a quick cacciatore with polenta. Sometimes I simmer the legs with ginger, pick the meat then make a noodle dish with the meat and broth. I make a killer chicken noodle soup from the carcass. Tortilla soup is the best because everyone has tortillas and salsa in their house now.”
Felipe Riccio, chef/partner, Goodnight Hospitality: “I love using Whole Foods’ smoked rotisserie chicken to make a super quick broth. I pick the meat and cook some short noodles (like farfalle) for a cold day or sick day soup. Lots of lemons and parsley.”
James Lundy, executive chef, The Union Kitchen: “I used to work with rotisserie chicken a lot at Nino’s and Vincent’s with the Mandola family, and we always had leftover each day. Whatever we didn’t sell every night, we would shred it up and use it to make all kind of different dishes. One of my favorite things to make were Rotisserie Lasagna Roll-Ups.”
RECIPES Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
1 cup tomatillo salsa
(your favorite)
1 cup green enchilada sauce (your favorite)
1 small can diced roasted green chiles
¼ cup heavy cream Vegetable oil, for
frying tortillas 8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded
rotisserie chicken 2 cups Monterey Jack
cheese Queso fresco, crumbled for garnish Radishes, sliced for
garnish Onion, sliced for
garnish Cilantro, chopped for
garnish Instructions: Place tomatillo salsa, enchilada sauce, green chiles and heavy cream in a blender and pulse to create a smooth sauce. Set aside.
In a frying pan set over high heat, pour enough vegetable oil to submerge corn tortillas, about half an inch. When oil is hot, use tongs to dip corn tortillas, one at a time, and fry until sturdy but pliable. Shake carefully to remove excess oil and place in a shallow dish. Repeat for all tortillas.
Place a small handful of chicken and jack cheese at one end of each tortilla and roll; place seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat. Pour sauce over enchiladas. Cover with remaining Monterey Jack.
Place baking dish in a 350-degree oven and bake until cheese is bubbled and browning. Garnish and serve hot with a salad or beans and rice. Makes 4 servings From Greg Morago
Vietnamese Cabbage and Mint Chicken Salad
1 pound cooked chicken,
shredded (about 4 cups) 14-ounce bag shredded
cabbage (about 6 cups) 1 cup shredded carrots
¾ cup roughly chopped mint,
cilantro and/or basil Dry roasted peanuts, for
garnish Red bell pepper, for garnish Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons fresh lime
juice, from 2 limes 1 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon grated fresh
ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 1 teaspoon hot chile paste (or
your favorite hot sauce) Instructions: Combine chicken, cabbage, carrots and herbs in a large bowl and toss well. Make vinaigrette, placing ingredients in a glass jar; shake well. Dress salad to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with peanuts and red bell pepper as well as extra cilantro and slices of hot peppers and extra cut limes, if desired. Makes 4 entrée servings From cookbook author and food writer Judy Walker
Artichoke & Spinach Chicken Casserole
3 cups uncooked bow
tie pasta 3 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion,
chopped
½ pound sliced fresh
mushrooms 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups whole milk 4 ounces cream
cheese
½ cup cream 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cracked
black pepper ½ teaspoon crushed
red pepper flakes 1 can (14 ounces) brine-packed quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 2 cups cubed cooked
chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup grated
Parmesan cheese Instructions: Cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.
In a large heavy pot set over medium-high heat, melt butter and cook onions and mushrooms until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over top and cook for 30 seconds. Add milk and bring to a simmer. As sauce thickens, add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add cream and seasonings and simmer until a nice sauce has formed. Turn off heat and add artichoke hearts, spinach, chicken, pasta and jack cheese. Stir until combined.
Pour into a buttered casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with Parmesan and bake uncovered until bubbly and topping is golden brown, another 10 minutes. Makes 6 servings Adapted from Taste of Home
Quick Chicken Fried Rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil,
divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten 4 scallions, sliced (separate
white from green) 3 packages (8.8 ounces) ready-to-serve garden vegetable rice 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon hot chile sauce 2 cups rotisserie chicken
meat, shredded or diced 1 package frozen mixed vegetables, completely thawed Instructions: Place a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Pour in eggs and cook, stirring, until just set. Remove and set aside, breaking up the scrambled eggs.
Return pan to heat, add remaining tablespoon olive oil. When pan is hot, add white parts of scallion and fry quickly, about 1 minute. Add rice packets and fry rice until it begins to brown. Add sesame oil, soy sauce and chile sauce to pan and toss to combine. Add chicken and vegetables and stir until everything in pan is hot and incorporated. Place in a large serving dish or divide among six bowls. Garnish with chopped green scallions. Makes 6 servings Adapted from Taste of Home