17 Healthy, Easy Meals You Can Make With a Costco Rotisserie Chicken
Nothing in life is certain, except for death, taxes, and, of course, Costco's $4.99 rotisserie chicken.
The legendary deli item—over 100 million sold annually; 117 million last year alone—has stayed at the same ridiculously low price for more than a decade. And that may never change.
Costco intentionally keeps the cost low as a way to entice you to come in and buy more things. In fact, the club reportedly loses money on the chickens in order to make money on other items.
Their loss, however, is your gain. As cheap as it is, the whole chicken is good enough to eat on its own, but it also works really well as an ingredient to make all sorts of other great dishes at home.
If you are looking for new delicious ways to make good use of your Costco chicken, you're in luck. Here are 17 healthy, satisfying meals that you can whip up using the warehouse club's ever-popular poultry.
Chicken and Avocado Salad
Let's start with something simple. This salad is rich in protein and low in calories. All you need is your Costco chicken, some good-for-you greens like arugula, and heart-healthy avocado. Combine with cranberries, goat cheese, walnuts, salt, pepper, and vinaigrette. Suddenly, you have a restaurant-worthy salad without the high cost or potentially belly-busting calorie count.
Get our recipe for Chicken and Avocado Salad.
Chicken Panini With Pesto and Peppers
How about a warm, toasty sandwich? Your Costco chicken can make a mean panini. Break out the trusty cast iron skillet. Grab some whole wheat bread, a light spread like pesto, and a low-calorie cheese like fresh mozzarella. Soon you'll have tasty, crunchy sandwich to rival the neighborhood deli's.
Get our recipe for Chicken Panini With Pesto and Peppers.
Chicken Mole Enchiladas
Make some authentic Mexican mole—the easy way. You'll need some corn tortillas, a bottle of the traditional sauce like Doña Maria (you can even order from the Costco Business Center) and, of course, your Costco chicken. Sprinkle on some queso fresco and… buen provecho!
Get our recipe for Chicken Mole Enchiladas.
Sesame Noodles With Chicken
Asian-style sesame noodles are awfully tasty. Think of this recipe as a salad, only with noodles instead of lettuce. Add some Costco chicken and as many vegetables as you like, and toss together with a light but flavorful dressing.
Get our recipe for Sesame Noodles With Chicken.
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
If you like the California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chicken Pizza, then you're going to love our version. It's cheaper to make at home and has just a third of the calories. Grab your Costco chicken and get ready to start kneading and rolling some dough.
Get our recipe for Barbecue Chicken Pizza.
Chicken Pot Pie
Never before has cooking a warm and creamy comfort meal been so easy and healthy! This chicken pot pie has just 350 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 650 milligrams of sodium per serving. Best of all? It only requires two cups of your Costco chicken, meaning plenty will be left over for a second family dinner.
Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.
Harvest Pizza with Chicken, Grapes, and Goat Cheese
Here's a recipe with both a sense of comfort and nostalgia. If you're looking to spice up your dinner routine, try dressing up a basic cheese pizza with a delicious mix of arugula, grapes, goat cheese and, of course, some pulled chicken from Costco. Now that's good eating!
Get our recipe for Harvest Pizza with Chicken, Grapes, and Goat Cheese.
Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde
This dinner requires about 3/4 of a normal Costco rotisserie chicken—unless you have an 8-pounder! Combine the chicken with salsa verde in a large mixing bowl, then divide evenly among eight corn tortillas for a dinner for four. Finally, amp up the flavor with a winning trio of toppings: cilantro, crumbled cheese, and onion. Pro-tip: To save some extra calories, don't forget to remove the skin from the chicken before you begin!
Get our recipe for Rotisserie Chicken Tacos With Salsa Verde.
Greek Salad With Chicken
Your Costco chicken is the perfect match for this simple Greek salad, which requires minimal effort in the kitchen. In fact, the hardest step might be shredding 2 cups worth of rotisserie chicken! This salad is packed with healthy fat, protein, and veggies—all of which will help you beat that afternoon slump.
Get our recipe for The Simplest Chicken Greek Salad.
Rotisserie Chicken Parm Casserole
Feeding a crowd can be a hassle, but thankfully this one-pan dish feeds six people—and fast! It's out of the oven in only 25 minutes. Just grab a rotisserie chicken from Costco along with some boxes of whole wheat pasta and cheese. Everyone will be full, but you'll still have some chicken left over to use in even more weeknight dinners.
Get our recipe for Rotisserie Chicken Parm Casserole.
Mediterranean Rice Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken
Members buy so many rotisserie chickens from Costco because they are so convenient—they're already cooked and ready to go into whatever you want, plus they are cheap! If you don't want to overcomplicate it with a long, time-consuming lunch or dinner, simply throw the chicken into a pan with some herbs, spices, and oil. Add in some rice Cook for about 5 minutes, then add in some rice and veggies.
Get our recipe for Mediterranean Rice Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
No need to stock up on canned chicken noodle soup to save for a rainy day. You can easily make your own pot with only 2 cups of shredded Costco chicken. Just add some carrots, celery, onion, and a few other simple ingredients.
Get our recipe for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Rotisserie chicken is a much healthier choice than the usual ground beef when making enchiladas. Plus, because the meat is cooked and all ready to go, you'll have plenty of time to make this delicious red chile sauce from scratch. Trust us: it's worth it!
Get our recipe for Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas.
Chicken and Black Bean Nachos
Many of these recipes call for two or more cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, so you'll probably have leftovers if use one of Costco's massive birds. Use the excess to make these low-calorie nachos, which only require one cup of chicken. Packed with protein and flavor, they stay super crispy without lots of greasy cheese.
Get our recipe for Chicken and Black Bean Nachos.
Rotisserie Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Salad
Your Costco chicken doesn't always have to be the centerpiece of every meal. To change things up, consider adding kale and white beans to your Costco shopping list. This salad is light and flavorful—and it's easy to plan ahead.
Get our recipe for Rotisserie Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Salad.
Protein-Packed Chicken Fajita Burritos
Enjoy the flavors of your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant right at home with a little help from the Costco deli's rotisserie chicken. Combine 2 cups of shredded chicken with bell peppers and onions, black beans, cheese, lime juice, and salsa to make a flavorful burrito that's under 400 calories.
Get our recipe for Protein-Packed Chicken Fajita Burritos.
Chicken Salad with Creamy Dressing
Who says that chicken salad has to be loaded down with fatty mayo? Our healthier version mixes your Costco rotisserie chicken meat with apple, celery, dried cranberries or raisins, garlic, lemon juice, spinach, and (the secret ingredient!) tahini. The end result is a creamy salad topper or sandwich filler without all of those extra calories and fat.
Get our recipe for Chicken Salad with Creamy Dressing.
