10 Things to Do With a Rotisserie Chicken

Buy your chicken pre-roasted, then use the meat in irresistible dishes like kimchi fried rice and chicken chilaquiles.

Erin Mosbaugh

There is nothing like a homemade roast chicken, skin crispy and crackled, pan drippings sizzling, just pulled from the oven. But, we all get busy. We don’t always have time to roast a whole chicken, or even part of one. Sometimes, in the midst of a jam-packed schedule, a pre-roasted rotisserie chicken is the only viable option. But, don’t despair—you can compromise. You can buy your chicken pre-roasted, and then dress it up however you like. Turns out you can have your chicken and enjoy it, too.

Click through the gallery above to see all of the recipes.

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Kimchi Fried Rice. If you’re not yet sure about kimchi, Korean spicy fermented cabbage, this dish could be just the right gateway drug for you. Once sautéed, kimchi loses some of its pungent harshness, but answers back with an addictive, tangy-spicy warmth that deepens with a little time spent sizzling. Get the recipe.
Lemon-Chicken and Pepe Soup. The lemon—the dish's the secret weapon—gave this soup a delightful complexity, while the beans, vegetables and pastine make it nice and filling. The addition of lettuce at the end gives the soup surprising texture and crunch. Get the recipe.
Farmhouse Chicken Salad. With chicken, blue cheese, potatoes, sunflower seeds, and a whole host of other garden vegetables, this is a salad that will not leave you hungry after it’s gone. Get the recipe.
Chicken, Black Olives, and Lemon with Spaghetti. This is a recipe that is ripe for improvisation. But, the salty olives and tender chicken bathed in a flavorful, lemony sauce is pretty much perfect. Get the recipe.
Warm Chicken Salad. This is nothing like the gloppy, mayonnaise-laden chicken salads of picnic notoriety. Chicken and potatoes get browned in a bright, acidic vinaigrette, and then tossed with delicate lettuce greens. Get the recipe.
Pastalaya. We never thought jambalaya had the potential to be much more comforting than it already is, but this dish proves us wrong. Saucy, warming, and studded with pasta, this is how we'll take ours from now on. Get the recipe.
Chilaquiles Verde. This is a delicious, easy comfort-food recipe. The tortillas thicken the bright green, spicy tomatillo sauce, allowing the flavors to meld together. Get the recipe.
Chicken and Lemon and Herb Dumplings. This hearty stew is plenty savory, but has a surprising hint of sweetness from parsnip and carrot. The lemon zest and chives in the dumpling batter add zing. Get the recipe.
Green Chile, Chicken, and Posole Soup. This is a nourishing roasted poblano soup with minimal distraction. Chewy hominy and crunchy cabbage shore up the spicy broth while lime and oregano add excitement. Get the recipe.
Gong Bao Chicken. Tender morsels of chicken eagerly soak up fragrant, velvety sauce in what is a remarkably quick and forgiving recipe. Feel free to customize at will, by adding sliced mushrooms, water chestnuts, or diced celery to the stir-fry. Get the recipe.

10 Things to Do With a Rotisserie Chicken

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