Not Sure How To Use Your Leftover Chicken? Try These Five Ideas

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Chicken is arguably the healthiest meat (and it might be the best-tasting, too). It’s lower in fats and higher in protein than most other meats, making it a super popular choice at both restaurants and supermarkets. Chicken is also quite filling, so leftovers might pile up in your fridge more quickly than you’d like.

Not sure what to do with those leftovers? Try these five ideas for how to use chicken leftovers:

Make chicken, broccoli, and rice

That day-old, half-eaten chicken breast in your fridge can easily become an Asian lunch and dinner staple. Chop up your chicken into pieces as small as you’d like, then stir-fry them with broccoli and rice until everything in your skillet is warmed evenly. Soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (or soyaki, a combination of the two, for the adventurous) is sure to add extra flavor to this inherently delicious dish. Get the recipe from Amanda’s Cookin’.

Add your leftovers to a casserole

Tiny pieces of chicken, whether diced or shredded, are easy to fold into a casserole. Just find your favorite casserole recipe and change nothing about it, then add your chicken. Whether you’re putting together a quiche, a pasta dish, or some other baked delight, the chicken will enhance both the texture and the taste. For example, add chicken to this Italian pasta bake from Taste of Home or this Cajun cauliflower tater tots casserole from Food Faith Fitness.

Turn your leftovers into a lunch salad

If you’re not huge on cooking, baking, or doing anything that involves a good amount of kitchenware, you’ll probably do best making a salad. Doing so requires little more than a large bowl and something with which to mix the ingredients together. Combine any greens you have on hand with nuts, fruits, and leftover chicken for an improvised, healthy lunch you’ll want to make time and time again. Try this healthy avocado chicken salad from Family Fresh Meals.

Prep your work lunches

The benefits of meal prep just can’t be understated. When you’re in the middle of a busy day at work, leaving your office to go out for lunch can be a huge time suck. Plus, pre-making lunch using groceries you’ve already bought is way cheaper than any restaurant purchase. The meals you prep can take any form — salads, sandwiches, a chicken breast with a side of vegetables — that fits into a Tupperware or a lunch bag. Here are ten meal prep ideas from Gimme Delicious.

Try a non-traditional chicken stock

Many chicken stock recipes call for the use of uncooked chicken or chicken bones and necks, but why not try using your chicken leftovers in a stock recipe of your choosing? Simply combine your leftovers with onion, celery, and other herbs in a large pot. Then, bring the contents to a boil on your stovetop and let it all simmer for between four and six hours, depending on the consistency you’re seeking. Look to Simply Recipes for a thorough guide on making chicken stock.

What do you do with your leftover chicken? Share your ideas in the comments!