27 Creative Leftover Chicken Recipes to Transform Your Weeknight Meals
Turn yesterday’s chicken into today’s gourmet meal with these easy and delicious leftover chicken recipes.
Ever found yourself standing in front of the fridge, eyeing the view and that container of leftover chicken with uncertainty of what to do with it?
Using leftover chicken has the potential to be the hero of your next meal. We featured our favorite leftover spaghetti recipes, leftover meatloaf recipes and leftover chili recipes. So now it’s time to spotlight your leftover chicken.
Chicken is a blank canvas ingredient with so many possibilities. Whether you roasted, grilled, or baked it, chicken can take on new forms with a dash of imagination and a few new ingredients.
Plus, by doing so, you’re reducing food waste, but get to eat something completely new. So we’re here to guide you to transform yesterday’s dinner into today’s new culinary masterpiece. Or maybe just something the fam will eat with minimal complaints at the very least!
From quick and easy weeknight dinners to full on weekend feasts, there’s a chicken leftover recipe to suit every craving and any occasion.
Simple Leftover Chicken Recipes
1 – Chicken Tortilla Soup
Give your chicken a Mexican twist by making delicious chicken tortilla soup. Mix your shredded chicken load of veggies and a savory broth for the most amazing weeknight comfort meal. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and fresh salsa for a fiesta in your mouth.
2 – Baked Chicken Spaghetti
Transform your leftover chicken into a creamy pasta dish by making baked chicken spaghetti. Cook your favorite pasta, and in a separate pan, mix the chicken with some low sodium chicken broth, veggies of your choosing, garlic, and loads of creamy cheese.
Toss the sauce with the pasta and chicken and bake in the oven, and you’ve got a comforting and indulgent meal that’s ready in no time. This is the perfect meal for some leftover rotisserie chicken that won’t over dry it.
3 – Chicken Salad Wraps
For a light and refreshing option, make chicken salad wraps. Any chicken salad recipe will do, but we like to toss our chicken with some mayo, avocado, garlic and fresh squeezed lemon. Spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves or for a crunchy and satisfying meal that’s perfect for lunch or a quick dinner and is keto and paleo approved.
4 – Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry
Turn your leftover chicken into a quick and easy chicken stir fry. Sauté colorful vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and snap peas in a hot pan, add your shredded or diced chicken, and stir in a flavorful sauce made from soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Serve it over rice or noodles for a satisfying and wholesome meal.
5 – Chicken and Rice Casserole
Bake up a comforting chicken casserole by mixing leftover chicken with cooked rice, vegetables, and a creamy sauce. Top it with breadcrumbs or cheese and bake until bubbly and golden. This one-dish creamy chicken wonder is not only delicious but also an excellent way to use up various leftovers in your fridge.
6 – Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie is a classic that never misses. Use your leftover roast chicken and combine with cream of chicken soup and your favorite veggies then layer with biscuits and bake.
7 – Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms
A tasty appetizer or even a classic girl dinner, stuffed mushrooms are always a solid choice. Mix leftover shredded chicken with cream cheese and seasonings. Stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture and bake until golden brown.
8 – Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
If you want your leftover chicken to pack a flavorful punch, then this Thai chicken soup is for you. Add shredded chicken to a pot of Thai-inspired broth with rice noodles, veggies, coconut milk, and a touch of curry for a flavor explosion and ultimate comfort meal. Pair it with a complementing Asian dessert.
9 – Crispy Chicken Tacos
Crispy, crunchy and oh so easy these crispy chicken tacos are an easy weeknight meal that is easy and delicious! Warm up your chicken, and spoon into your corn tortillas with cheese. Bake in the oven until crispy and serve with all your favorite toppings.
10 – Chicken and Vegetable Frittata
A delicious chicken frittata recipe that is perfect for a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. High in protein and low in carbs, it’s loaded with fresh veggies and is oven baked for a quick and easy meal that’s ready in 30 minutes. That is a weeknight win!
11 – Chicken and Pesto Panini
A good panini is hard to top which is why it is one of our favorite recipes for leftover chicken. Layer chicken, sun dried tomatoes, pesto and mozzarella between 2 slices of ciabatta bread. Whip up some homemade fries, and you have dinner DONE!
12 – Buffalo Chicken Dip
Who doesn’t love a good buffalo chicken dip? It’s not only easy but a crowd pleaser every time. Mix your leftover cooked chicken with cream cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch and shredded cheese, then bake until bubbly. Perfect for parties, game day, or family game night.
13 – One Pot Chicken & Rice Burrito Bowls
Create a burrito bowl with leftover chicken, rice, black beans, corn, salsa, and your favorite toppings. It comes together super easily and can be made all in one pot which is a win for any weeknight meal with less mess and dishes!
14 – Chicken and Broccoli Quiche
Breakfast, lunch or dinner… a quiche is always a great way to use what you have got laying around in your fridge. Combine chicken and broccoli with eggs, cheese, and milk to make a delicious quiche for a savory brunch or dinner option.
15 – Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps
A chicken caesar salad wrap is an easy lunch or dinner on the go. Toss your chicken with some mayo, avocado, garlic and fresh squeezed lemon for something easy and fresh. Wrap it up in some butter leaf lettuce or a tortilla for a portable, healthy and satisfying meal.
16 – Mediterranean Chicken Pita Tacos
These Mediterranean chicken pita tacos make a great weeknight meal. Stuff your pita with chicken, fresh cucumber, roma tomatoes, and onion and top with some tzatziki?! You can’t go wrong with a meal this fresh.
17 – Chicken and Corn Chowder
Make a comforting chicken corn chowder with chicken, corn, potatoes, and a creamy broth for a hearty soup that is perfect for a cozy night in on a cold night. Easily add it to your slow cooker in the morning for dinner when you get home. Fix it and forget it meals are the absolute best.
18 – BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Not only are BBQ Chicken stuffed sweet potatoes a delicious dinner recipe, but they are also an easy and healthy gluten free option. Mix your leftover shredded chicken with barbecue sauce and stuff it into baked sweet potatoes for a sweet and savory combination.
Top with red onion, cilantro, or even some greek yogurt for a healthy option. You can even use your air fryer to cook your potatoes to save on time and make them a little crispy!
19 – Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Quesadillas
It’s no surprise that everyone loves a good quesadilla, but this flavor combo of a spinach artichoke chicken quesadilla is next level. Combine your shredded chicken with spinach artichoke dip and tortillas for a super quick and satisfying meal.
20 – Chicken Avocado & Mango Summer Rolls
Fresh, filling and so very good, these chicken avocado and mango summer rolls are a fresh spin on a classic spring roll. Roll shredded chicken with avocado, and fresh mango, shredded carrots, and in rice paper for a light and refreshing snack or appetizer.
21 – Chicken & Rice Stuffed Peppers
5 ingredients and 30 minutes is all you need to bring this dinner together. Stuff bell peppers with a mixture of shredded chicken, cooked rice, black beans, corn, and salsa, then bake until tender for the best chicken and rice stuffed peppers of your life.
22 – Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
The word risotto can scare people away we know, but trust us when we say this is chicken and mushroom risotto is a must make. Add shredded chicken to a creamy mushroom risotto for a comforting and elegant dish that is like a hug in a bowl.
23 – Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Chicken alfredo pizza, often referred to as white pizza is another way to utilize all your leftover chicken. Top a pizza crust with Alfredo sauce (or our favorite white sauce), shredded chicken, spinach , and mozzarella for a decadent pizza your whole family will crave.
24 – BBQ Pineapple Chicken
This easy one sheet pan meal takes just under 40 minutes to make and packs a punch of flavor. Baked BBQ pineapple chicken combines sweet and savory that will have your taste buds singing with each bite.
Toss your leftover chicken in your favorite BBQ sauce and add pineapple, jalapenos, and your favorite veggies, and you’ve got yourself a flavorful Hawaiian recipe.
25 – Chopped Chicken Caprese Salad
Combine chopped chicken with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, then drizzle with balsamic glaze for a refreshing chopped chicken caprese salad that would make amazing lunches for the week or even as a side dish to a shower or summer bbq.
26 – Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Enchiladas are one of the ultimate comfort foods in our humble opinion. Maybe it’s the Texan in us, but they are delicious and full of flavor and typically please even for the pickiest of eaters. Combine your chicken with a ton of cheese and roll inside corn or flour tortillas in a casserole dish.
Then, top with your favorite sauce and add even more cheese! Bake until gold and bubbly and serve with a side of rice and beans. Truly one of our favorite recipes using leftover chicken.
27 – Chicken and Asparagus Pesto Pasta
Don’t let the simple ingredients in this one fool you, this chicken and asparagus pesto pasta is fresh and flavorful and would be the perfect addition to any hot summer day. Toss chicken with cooked rotini pasta, pesto and asparagus.
Add a little lemon, basil and romano cheese for a light but oh so tasty pasta dish. This makes for a great main course or even pasta side dish.
More Recipes for Cooked Chicken
It’s time to rest our case, and put the rumors that leftover chicken is uninspiring and boring to bed once and for all. Because there’s no more wondering what to make with leftover chicken.
As you can see leftover chicken is an easy base for almost any meal so have some fun and experiment with different flavors and ingredients to discover your own signature leftover dishes.
For more meal inspiration using chicken, check out these recipes below —
- Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- 10 Best Summer Chicken Recipes
- The Ultimate Chicken Salad
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