What to Do with Leftover Chicken - 50 Ways to Use Your Leftovers
How to Use Leftover Chicken - 50 Ways to Use Chicken Leftovers
Hey now, did you get this far thinking there were only a couple of ways to use leftover chicken or turkey? You've likely pulled the old standards out and tried chicken soup, chicken pot pie, and white chicken chili. But, you'll be SO happy to know that there are many more ways to use up leftover poultry.
How Long Does Leftover Chicken Last?
Have leftover chicken breasts and trying to figure out what exactly to do with it? What is the easiest way (and tastiest) to make sure you use every bit of those chicken leftovers up so you don't end up wasting food? This extensive list of recipe ideas has you covered, and you'll be overjoyed with all these delicious chicken recipes.
Don't forget to save this post for future reference!
How Should I Store Leftover Chicken?
Freezing leftover cooked chicken is a great way to save some money. But, thawing and cooking it again can give you problems. Reheating chicken in the oven, for example, might make it tough and dry.
A nice way to avoid these types of issues is to use the leftover chicken in recipes that you can then freeze and reheat if needed.
Just like knowing how to cook frozen ground beef, this is another good thing to be knowledgeable about if you're new to cooking or spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
How many days is leftover chicken good?
According to the USDA, leftover chicken is good for 3-4 days when properly refrigerated.
How to Use Leftover Chicken
Whip up a tasty cheesy chicken pasta casserole.
Potato chip chicken casserole is a great way to use up leftover chicken. If you're starting with cooked chicken, reduce the baking time accordingly.
Make a tasty chicken fried rice. This is one of the best ways to use up leftover chicken or turkey. You can even sort this fried rice into lunch-size portions for a quick meal to reheat at lunch.
Healthy, delicious, and out of this world amazing! You'll love the flavor.
You'll love this chicken and shells casserole made with leftover chicken or leftover turkey.
Craving some tasty Thai food? This is a great way to use up some of your leftover chicken.
Chicken wraps for the win. This makes a quick lunch or dinner and is wonderful for putting in a lunch box for school or lunch.
Add this to your list of chicken dinners to make. It also makes a fun and easy party appetizer recipe.
Biscuit chicken pot pies are an affordable, filling and scrumptious way to use up some of your leftovers.
Healthy eating WITH leftovers. Make this salad and enjoy a healthy meal.
Not only does this soup look amazing, but it also TASTES amazing. You'll love every bite of this delicious meal.
Instant Pot Thai Chicken Wraps | An Easy Asian Inspired Lettuce Wrap
Use this recipe as a base to make some flavorful Thai lettuce wraps. This is such a delightful way to serve up something fresh while using up chicken from last night's dinner.
Toss those leftovers in your crockpot and dive into this dish for dinner.
Easy peasy sour cream enchiladas is always a HUGE winner in our house.
Try this slow cooker crustless chicken pot pie with biscuits. It's comfort food at its very best.
Appetizer idea right here! This quesadilla ring is fun and easy and goes quick!
Never tried orzo? This salad is AMAZING! Chicken, orzo pasta, and a few veggies are all you need for this fabulous dinner.
Chicken salad with curry! You won't believe how good this tastes!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole | Easy Everyday Recipes for Family Dinners
Cheesy, creamy, and delicious. This is one dinner you'll want to eat every bite of.
Can't get enough of Thai chicken salads? Here is another tasty bite you'll want to chow down on.
Umm, hello! Dinner with a bit of Mexican seasoned chicken soup is just what the doctor ordered.
You'll love this Keto Chicken Salad sandwich. Now, if you want a super low-carb chicken salad, skip the bread, or opt to serve this recipe with keto bread.
Have you ever had baked spaghetti? This is simply one of the best comfort food meals around. Try this chicken-baked spaghetti for a delicious dinner.
Mexican Chicken Doritos casserole with cheese. Think of this like a festive chicken taco salad you'll want to dig into.
Crockpot White Chicken Chili with Rotisserie Chicken {toss & go recipe}
There are so many recipes for white chicken chili. Trying a variety of them is a great way to try a variety of seasonings.
Cheesy, chicken pasta tetrazzini recipe is a heavenly recipe you'll want to keep on your meal plan rotation.
Homemade chicken noodle soup with carrots and celery and flavorful broth is such a nutritious meal. Fragrant chicken soup is delicious and is perfect for whatever ails you.
Flatbread might not be what you first think of to use up leftover chicken, but give it another thought. It is SO delicious can be dressed up into an amazing meal.
Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake is what you need to make for dinner. Use leftover chicken to make this an affordable quick fix and pair it up with steamed broccoli for the perfect meal.
Here's another tasty take on how to make chicken noodle soup using leftover chicken. Compare all the delicious homemade chicken soup recipes to see which one has the best seasoning for your tastes.
Dumplings! Have you made them before? This is another comfort food recipe you'll need to add to your must-make list.
Cranberry Walnut Chicken salad is a fun and festive combination of ingredients like none other.
This salad is loaded with everything you need for the best clean eating chicken salad you could possibly have.
Lunch is served with this yummy dish. Prep the ingredients ahead of time and it'll take just a few minutes to whip up lunch.
This is an easy dinner recipe that doesn't take long at all to whip up. Pasta and creamy garlic parmesan along with some leftover chicken is all you need to make this delicious dinner.
Baked potatoes topped with this amazing chicken mixture is all you need for a tasty dinner recipe.
Chicken salad with a twist. This tasty version of chicken salad includes apricots, almonds and tarragon. You'll love these delicious chicken salad sandwiches.
The classic way to use up leftover chicken (or Thanksgiving turkey) is to make a pot (or slow cooker) of white chicken chili. It's a pot full of beans, chicken, white chili seasoning (think white pepper) and topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onions.
Shredded chicken sandwiches are such a winner. You can seriously flavor the chicken however you want: bbq sauce, seasonings, teriyaki, or however else you'd like.
Let's make something new for dinner! Use up some of that leftover turkey or chicken and spice up your life with this delicious Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Curry Casserole.
Leftover chicken? Why not spice things up and make barbecue chicken mac and cheese? If you've never tried loaded mac and cheese, you're missing out. Amped-up cheesy mac is all the rage.
Chicken enchiladas with homemade cheese sauce offer up a cheesy dinner option and a fabulous way to use up leftover chicken or turkey.
Care to dish up some chicken vegetable lasagna? This chicken lasagna has a homemade cheese sauce that is out of this world.
Orzo and chicken go nicely together, and this lemon chicken orzo soup has a subtle lemon flavor that is worthy of a second helping.
There is more than one way to make a chicken quesadilla, and this one takes the cake. Full of barbecue flavor and perfectly cooked, these quesadillas make a super-fast lunch or dinner.
Love chicken fajitas? Now you can enjoy the flavor of chicken fajitas in a casserole. Topped with melted cheese, this casserole is praise worthy.
These make-ahead chicken stuffed peppers are a great way to meal prep. Have leftover chicken, whip these up, and put them in the fridge to bake within a few days or the freezer to use later.
Make this tasty buffalo chicken dip for your next party. You'll be glad you did!
Here's another healthy chicken salad you'll want to try. Chicken salad with grapes and celery, for a touch of sweet and crunchy in every bite.
FAQs
Leftover chicken broth (or bone broth) can be used for many different recipes.
To make gravy with leftover chicken broth, mix the broth with flour.
Add spices to taste and continue stirring until desired consistency is reached.
Leftover mashed potatoes can be frozen but might get lumpy when reheating them, due to the potatoes' high starch content.
To prevent this, add a little more milk or broth when reheating them and stir until smooth.
Leftover white rice can be frozen but doesn't reheat very well since it tends to dry out after it's frozen.
You may want to consider freezing your rice in small batches and making fried rice with it!
To keep leftover pasta from sticking, add a teaspoon of olive oil or butter before storing.
This will prevent the spaghetti or noodles from clumping together.
Yes- cooked chicken can easily be frozen and saved for later! You can freeze raw or cooked pieces of chicken, shredded or cubed. Simply use an airtight container and place the raw, unopened package of chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you'd prefer to use more than one package, be sure to thaw them completely before cooking or baking with it.
Yes! Freeze cooked chicken in airtight containers, and remember that any resulting sauce will separate when defrosted, due to the high starch content.
