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Rotisserie chicken is always the answer to the question, “What should I cook when I don’t feel like cooking?” Why? Because you don’t even have to cook–it’s well-seasoned, pre-cooked, and warm right from the container. It’s also incredibly versatile, which makes it the perfect base for multiple meals. You can eat it warm right off the bone and/or chill it and keep it for leftovers. Flavor-wise, you can customize it to any picky eater’s tastes!
Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy option for a well-rounded, protein-packed weeknight dinner or a budget-friendly shortcut for hosting, grocery store rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite go-tos. Plus, depending on the size of your party, one $10 chicken can stretch surprisingly far!
For other dinner board ideas that the whole family will love, try my BBQ Chicken Board, Chicken Lettuce Wraps Board, Mac & Cheese Toppings Board, Chili Toppings Board, Fish Taco Board, and Build Your Own Burger Board.
My Favorite No-Cook Recipe Using Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- Coleslaw, store-bought or homemade
- BBQ sauce
- Ranch dressing
- Honey mustard dressing
- Rotisserie chicken, shredded
- White pitas, halved
- Whole red butter lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- English cucumbers, sliced
- Feta cheese cubes
- Pickles (optional)
- Pepperoncini (optional)
- Fresh herbs, like basil or cilantro (optional)
Directions
- Place the coleslaw, BBQ sauce, and dressings in separate small bowls. Arrange on a large board in opposite corners; two bowls in each.
- Add the shredded chicken in a large pile around the bowls in one corner of the board. Place the pitas in the two empty corners.
- Arrange the lettuce around the bowl of coleslaw. Fill in the empty space with the tomatoes, cucumber, and feta.
- Serve the pickles, pepperoncini, and/or herbs on the side, if using.
Pro tip: Warm the pita slightly before serving so it feels softer and more restaurant-style.
How To Shred Rotisserie Chicken
I prefer to shred rotisserie chicken by hand (don’t forget gloves to save yourself some mess!) because there are a lot of bones to navigate that make forks less ideal. That said, you can always pull the meat from the bones by hand and then shred it further with forks to make the shred a little finer!
We can all thank my friend Ryan from Salt Worth Creative for this technique:
- Remove all of the skin (you can crisp it and serve it as a garnish!)
- Separate the wings and legs from the frame.
- Remove the breasts from the frame.
- Using your hands, remove the meat from the leg and wing bones. (Breaking it down this way makes it easier to keep the dark and white meat separate!)
- Apply pressure to the breasts and pull to shred the meat.
- Pull any larger pieces of meat to shred into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
Recipe Tips
- Shred the rotisserie chicken while it’s still warm–it’s so much easier when it’s fresh!
- Save the bones to make a homemade chicken stock.
Other Recipe Ideas Using Rotisserie Chicken
I opted for some summery barbecue flavors for this board, but you can tailor the ingredients to your tastes! You can also build a custom board around whatever leftover produce you have in your fridge–that’s how versatile rotisserie chicken is! Try:
- Buffalo chicken sliders: swap the pita for Hawaiian rolls, BBQ for buffalo sauce, honey mustard for blue cheese dressing, and feta for blue cheese crumbles.
- Chicken tacos: swap the pitas for tortillas, dressings for salsas and chipotle sauce, tomatoes for corn and jalapenos, and feta for shredded cheese.
- Mediterranean-style: swap the coleslaw for Israeli salad, swap the dressings for hummus, tzatziki, and labneh, and add lemon wedges!
Pro tip: Swap in lettuce wraps for any of the carbs for a lighter vibe!
What To Serve With This Rotisserie Chicken Board
I love this board because it makes dinner easy and interactive, and totally removes the issue around picky eaters not getting a full meal. That said, if you’re hosting a party or just looking to add to your spread, there are a lot of dishes and drinks that you can serve alongside! Since this board has a kind of backyard Mediterranean vibe, I went with that theme.
Dishes & Sides
- Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Mezze Board
- Hummus Board
- Bread Dipping Oil
- Dirty Martini Dip
Drinks
- Lemonade
- Lemon-lime soda, like Sprite
- Iced Tea
- Dry Riesling
- Rosé
- Lager or Kölsch-style beer
- Dry hard cider
FAQs
Depending on the size of the chicken and how you’re serving it, it can serve anywhere from 3 to 8 people! Shredding the chicken and serving it with a bunch of sides, like this board, will make the chicken go further. In that case, a standard 3-pound rotisserie chicken could serve 6 to 8 people. If the chicken is the main thing everyone will be eating, it will serve about half that many people. Sides are your friend (and delicious!).
According to the USDA, cooked chicken will keep for up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge.
It usually costs around $5 and weighs 3 pounds. That’s a lot of bang for your buck! It is also typically sold in a plastic bag rather than the plastic container you normally find at the grocery store, which spurred a whole movement of rotisserie chicken recipes on social media!
The best way to keep it moist in the fridge is to store it in the sauce you cooked it in; however, if you are just storing the chicken on its own, store it in a zip-top bag so you can press as much air out of it as possible and make sure it’s tightly sealed.
Once the chicken has been removed from the frame and shredded, the best way to reheat your shredded chicken is by adding it to whatever you’re cooking and letting it warm up in the dish or sauce itself.
If you are just planning to heat and eat the chicken on its own, the best method is stove-top. Add the chicken to a small pot or skillet, then add a little moisture to prevent it from drying out (water, broth, or sauce). Cover and heat on medium-low until warmed through.
I don’t like to microwave it because it tends to get rubbery, but in a pinch, you can add the chicken to a bowl with a little moisture and heat on high in 10-second increments until just warmed through.
Yes! Use freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags, removing as much air as possible. Be sure to label and date the chicken as it can last for up to 4 months!
Yes! Pre-cooked chicken typically costs less per pound than a whole raw chicken and all the seasonings required to roast it. Plus, it saves you a ton of time.
Shredded chicken is so versatile! You can use it to add protein to almost anything, and you can swap it in for other proteins to save time and money. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
– Tacos: Instead of making taco meat, just season shredded rotisserie chicken before you reheat it. Or cook it in a sauce!
– Sandwiches: I love to make homemade chicken salad with leftover shredded chicken, but you can also use it as-is as the main protein. Move over, turkey club!
– Pasta: If you want a quick way to get protein into your carb-heavy pasta dinner, toss shredded chicken into the sauce to warm it up!
– Salad: Whatever salad you were planning to make will be made even better (and easier) by adding shredded chicken. Who has time to cook chicken just for a salad?
– Soup: Pre-shredded chicken just made your chicken tortilla soup way easier, but it’s also a great addition to your pot pie or shepherd’s pie base!
Show Me Your Shredded Chicken
I hope this post inspires you to make an easy, weeknight rotisserie chicken dinner. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the meals you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, if you liked these recipe ideas, please rate and review.
No-Cook Rotisserie Chicken Dinner Board
Ingredients
- Coleslaw store-bought or homemade
- BBQ sauce
- Ranch dressing
- Honey mustard dressing
- Rotisserie chicken shredded
- White pitas halved
- Whole red butter lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes halved
- English cucumbers sliced
- Feta cheese cubes
- Pickles (optional)
- Pepperoncini (optional)
- Fresh herbs (optional)
Instructions
- Place the coleslaw, BBQ sauce, and dressings in separate small bowls. Arrange on a large board in opposite corners; two bowls in each.
- Add the shredded chicken in a large pile around the bowls in one corner of the board. Place the pitas in the two empty corners.
- Arrange the lettuce around the bowl of coleslaw. Fill in the empty space with the tomatoes, cucumber, and feta.
- Serve the pickles, pepperoncini, and/or herbs on the side, if using.
