15 Ways to Turn Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken Into a Great Dinner

Last night, a hot bird saved my life.

If you’re reading this, it may already be too late: The day’s done, you’re zapped. Why not put a bird on it — that is, a char-kissed, ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken? Put your trust in this staple and you can have spring salads, sandwiches, soups and suppers that are easy and delicious.

1. Rotisserie Chicken Salad With Greens and Herbs

A lime-garlic dressing electrifies Sam Sifton’s endlessly riffable no-recipe recipe for a simple salad of rotisserie chicken, arugula, cilantro and scallions. But if arugula isn’t on hand, most greens will work — and an avocado takes them over the top.

Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Salad With Greens and Herbs

2. Avgolemono Chicken Soup With Gnocchi

Carolina Gelen’s one-pot recipe is inspired by the traditional Greek avgolemono soup, but replaces rice with store-bought gnocchi for a heartier dish. The 20-minute recipe couldn’t be simpler: Simmer rotisserie chicken with stock, lemon zest and gnocchi, then thicken the broth with egg yolks and lemon juice.

Recipe: Avgolemono Chicken Soup With Gnocchi

3. Chicken Enchiladas

Rick Martínez’s recipe is a weeknight wonder: Rotisserie chicken, premade (or canned) enchilada sauce and store-bought shredded cheese all help get this meal on the table faster. For extra flavor, add some fresh cilantro, raw onion or jalapeño to the filling before you roll up the American Southwest-inspired enchiladas.

Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

4. Citrus-Soy Chicken Ramen

Christian Reynoso’s streamlined take on ramen is bright and zippy thanks to fresh citrus juice. The 35-minute recipe uses the bones and skin from a rotisserie chicken to enrich a quick, garlicky-soy broth, which the noodles are cooked in. Add shredded rotisserie chicken, lemon and lime juice, sesame, cilantro, a little more soy, and enjoy.

5. Chicken Tortilla Soup

Sarah DiGregorio’s quick recipe gets its deep roasted flavor from one ingenious sleight-of-pan: broiling jalapeños, tomatoes, garlic and onions to a crisp. Slip in the chicken after the broth boils, along with frozen corn or hominy, that lightly chewy kernel typically found in pozole. Finally, skip Coco Chanel’s advice, and add an extra accessory. Crushed chips, sliced jalapeños and a dollop of Greek yogurt are all delicious adornments.

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

6. Rotisserie Chicken and Greens Pasta

This elemental pasta brings together rotisserie chicken, chopped greens and pasta (make it whole-grain if you like) with a silky sauce that invites tailoring: The cream is optional, and you can use olive oil in place of butter. Christian Reynoso reminds us of one cardinal rotisserie rule: Season the meat as you would anything else (here, with salt and pepper).

Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken and Greens Pasta

7. Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad

Eric Kim’s paean to the very ’90s Chinese chicken salad is tangier, crunchier and more adaptable than the version you remember. Dial up different flavors by adding extra herbs, sliced almonds, julienne carrots or mandarin slices.

Recipe: Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad

8. White Chicken Chili

Yes, chili can be light and healthy — and prepared quickly, when aided by a handy rotisserie chicken. Lidey Heuck’s recipe unites a creamy white bean base with canned green chiles, pops of corn and morsels of chicken for an everyday, easy-listening kind of chili. Make a moment of it with a toppings bar of cilantro, tortilla chips and fresh chiles.

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

9. Sheet-Pan Chicken Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles are usually made in a skillet, but Kay Chun’s 35-minute version is cooked on a sheet-pan, making it a breeze to feed a group (and clean up). Tortilla chips and shredded rotisserie chicken are tossed in a quick salsa roja before going in the oven for a few minutes. Garnish with finely chopped white onion, sliced radishes, chopped avocado, crumbled queso fresco, sour cream, chopped cilantro and pickled jalapeños.

Recipe:Sheet-Pan Chicken Chilaquiles

10. Green Goddess Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Can a sandwich dare to be dinner? It can if it’s Lidey Heuck’s chicken salad sandwich, glammed up with avocado and green goddess dressing. Spike it with crushed chips and serve with a simple salad for a springtime vibe.

Recipe: Green Goddess Chicken Salad Sandwiches

11. Chicken and Red Lentil Soup With Lemony Yogurt

Rotisserie chicken effectively halves the cooking time for this soothing lentil soup from Andy Baraghani — but you’ll want to add a rich chicken broth to compensate. Don’t skip the lemony yogurt, and do pile on chopped herbs, sky-high.

Recipe: Chicken and Red Lentil Soup With Lemony Yogurt

12. Sesame Snap Pea-Chicken Salad

Blanched snap peas, shredded chicken and an addictive sesame dressing come together in this light salad by Hana Asbrink. Commit to using Kewpie for the dressing, then commit the dressing to memory.

Recipe: Sesame Snap Pea Chicken Salad

13. Garlic-Scallion Chicken Sandwiches

Here’s how to make the ultimate lunch: Shred some rotisserie chicken. Toss it with sautéed scallions and garlic, vinegar-soaked currants, pine nuts, grated Parmesan and a couple of handfuls of arugula. Spread mayonnaise on the inside of the baguette and fill with the chicken salad. The end. (Thank you, Christian Reynoso.)

Recipe: Garlic-Scallion Chicken Sandwiches

14. Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile

Crisp cucumbers meet crunchy peanuts, and nutty sweetness meets numbing spice in Sue Li’s irresistible salad. It’s wonderful as is, but it’s also a welcome home for that tender rotisserie chicken. (Don’t fret about the sauce — there’s plenty.) This salad tastes great with age, though, on Day 2 or 3, it never hurts to add a fresh cuke to liven things up.

Recipe: Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile

15. Chicken Noodle Soup

The soul wants what it wants, and when it wants chicken noodle soup, it can have it any night of the week. Such is the promise of Ali Slagle’s comforting classic, all egg noodles, carrots and herbs. Use the best stock you can find. And on the day after, turn your fallen bird into Jacques Pépin’s chicken stock, completing the circle.

Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

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