20+ Easy Healthy Recipes That Start with a Rotisserie Chicken
Why cook chicken when you can easily pick up a rotisserie chicken? The rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest proteins you can snag at the grocery store, and it's incredibly versatile. When you buy a rotisserie chicken, just shred the meat and put it into a container for later use! Between salads and casseroles, there are a lot of rotisserie chicken recipes you can make. If you're trying to figure out which grocery store to pick up your chicken, we did a taste test of all of the popular ones!
So if you find yourself with leftover chicken and are not sure what to do with it, here are some of our favorite rotisserie chicken recipes that will help you use it all up. Plus, be sure to stock up on the 100 Healthiest Foods on the Planet.
Chicken Mole Enchiladas
These enchiladas are not only easier to make than the Americanized versions served in most restaurants, but they're also tastier and contain just 30 percent of the calories.
Get our recipe for Chicken Mole Enchiladas.
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Chicken Pot Pie
Pot pies may be one of America's favorite comfort foods, but there's nothing comforting about a dish that can swallow up an entire day's worth of calories, fat, and sodium, as many restaurant renditions do. We clear out the artery-clogging fats, cut the calories by more than half, and deliver an easy chicken pot pie recipe you're bound to love.
Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.
Chicken and Avocado Salad
This recipe is rich in protein, and it is guaranteed to cut the number of calories you'd have on a salad you order in a restaurant in half.
Get our recipe for Chicken and Avocado Salad.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Our version is light on the salt, but it's so loaded with chunky vegetables and shredded chicken that it could be dinner on its own. While you're at it, double the recipe and make some to freeze for later. That way, when you're sick in bed, all you need is a microwave to have yourself some nourishing soup.
Get our recipe for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
Sesame Noodles With Chicken
Sometimes, a box of fettuccine is just as appropriate for an Asian-inspired meal as it is for an Italian repast. Think of this meal as a salad, with the noodles standing in for lettuce. Add in some protein and as many—or as few—vegetables as you like, and toss the whole package with a light but powerful dressing, and there you have it: It's the culmination of four millennia of noodle knowledge! (Well, maybe not, but this sesame noodles recipe is awfully tasty.)
Get our recipe for Sesame Noodles With Chicken.
Chicken Fajita Burrito
We've not only made this recipe so that it will save you in calories, but it's also quick and easy to make, so it'll save you time, too.
Get our recipe for Chicken Fajita Burrito.
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
As good as California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chicken Pizza may be, we're confident our barbecue chicken pizza recipe is even better. Plus, it's cheaper to make at home and has just a third of the calories.
Get our recipe for Barbecue Chicken Pizza.
Loaded Alfredo Pasta With Chicken and Vegetables
We ditched the cream and made a basic béchamel sauce with flour, milk, butter, and Parmesan in our version of an Alfredo pasta recipe. We solved the other major shortcoming of pasta Alfredo (that is, a dearth of any true nutrition) by adding chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and, for good measure, sun-dried tomatoes.
Get our recipe for Loaded Alfredo Pasta With Chicken and Vegetables.
Chicken and Black Bean Nachos
This version of chicken nachos ensures that every chip is evenly covered with protein-packed chicken and fiber-rich beans, plus enough salsa and lime-spiked sour cream to keep your mouth watering. Don't worry, we've got plenty of shredded Monterey Jack cheese melted on top to keep you satisfied. A nacho is not a nacho without cheese, after all.
Get our recipe for Chicken and Black Bean Nachos.
Chicken Panini With Pesto and Peppers
Keep it simple with this chicken panini recipe: A light, healthy spread like pesto, a low-calorie cheese like fresh mozz, and a layer of lean white meat chicken deliver all the same flavor and a tasty crunch for a fraction of the calories.
Get our recipe for Chicken Panini With Pesto and Peppers.
Rotisserie Chicken Tacos With Salsa Verde
Tacos are one of the easiest rotisserie chicken recipes you can make! These chicken tacos with salsa verde are not only delicious, but they are also a much healthier alternative to their chain restaurant counterpart. So get cooking and indulge!
Get our recipe for Rotisserie Chicken Tacos With Salsa Verde.
Chicken Salad Sandwich With Raisins and Curry Powder
We use a modest amount of olive-oil-based mayo, then punch up the flavor with plump golden raisins and the complex savory notes of curry powder in this chicken salad sandwich recipe. Make a big batch of the salad as part of your weekly meal planning and work it into other sandwiches, stuffed in pitas, or crowning a bowl of mixed greens.
Get our recipe for Chicken Salad Sandwich With Raisins and Curry Powder.
Chinese Chicken Salad
This Asian-inspired chicken salad is exactly what you want in your salad—sweet, savory, and a bit of crunchy, all in one bite.
Get our recipe for Asian-Inspired Chicken Salad.
Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas
You can play with the filling as you see fit, but this is truly the road map for true enchilada success.
Get our recipe for Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas.
Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad
This Mason jar salad only takes around 30 minutes to prepare, and you can keep it in the fridge for up to three days. In this case, the extra time will only make the dish even more flavorful as the lime juice, cilantro, and garlic soak into the chicken and quinoa. Think meal prep, but without the dried-out, leftover meat—this Mexican quinoa meal will be just as fresh when you go to have it later.
Get our recipe for Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad.
Pumpkin Pad Thai
Enter Pumpkin Pad Thai, a light dish made even more craveable by the combination of Thai flavors and made highly nutritious from the addition of pumpkin puree. Not only does the pumpkin sweetness complement the overall flavor profile, but it's a superfood that will add fiber and vitamin A to an already healthy bowl.
Get our recipe for Pumpkin Pad Thai.
Rotisserie Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Salad
This simple salad recipe from my cookbook, The Best Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook, is ready in a pinch, tastes great, and serves up a good amount of protein.
Get our recipe for Rotisserie Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Salad.
Chicken Salad with Creamy Dressing
Prepping a big bowl of chicken salad is one of the easiest rotisserie chicken recipes you can make. This delicious dressing is as creamy as mayonnaise, but lighter and more complex-tasting with a delicious nuttiness. Serve it over spinach or any greens you like best. Or multiply the recipe and serve it as a quick and easy party appetizer.
Get our recipe for Chicken Salad with Creamy Dressing.
Cinnamon-Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Wild Rice
This sweet potato salad puts a new spin on the term, layering cinnamon-roasted sweet potato pieces with shredded chicken, carrots, and plenty of seasoning. Combined with a serving of wild rice, this is a full meal in a jar.
Get our recipe for Cinnamon-Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Wild Rice.
Rotisserie Chicken Parm Casserole
It's a simplified version of the iconic dish that'll be ready in about 30 minutes (but equally hearty as the original). This could just be your new time-saving, last-minute weeknight recipe.
Get our recipe for Rotisserie Chicken Parm Casserole.
Mediterranean Rice Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken
Combine it with perfectly cooked rice and a Greek salad and you've got a beautiful, healthy bowl without doing any real cooking.
Get our recipe for Mediterranean Rice Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken.
Chicken Greek Salad
This Greek salad recipe is both hearty and healthy without adding any heavy, high-calorie ingredients. It's great for meal planning as it will keep well in the fridge for a week, and one of the easiest rotisserie chicken recipes you can make. Just double the recipe and dole yourself out a few spoonfuls for your lunch each day and you'll be set.
Get our recipe for Chicken Greek Salad.
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