32 Ways to Turn Leftover Chicken Into Delicious New Meals

Breathe new life into an old ingredient

By
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/4/20
Buffalo Chicken Casserole

The Spruce /  Leah Maroney

Want great ideas for using up the leftovers in your fridge? These recipes can be made with any type of cooked chicken, whether it was baked, roasted, fried, grilled, or poached. Of course, you needn't have cooked the bird yourself—all of these recipes work for rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, too. If you're starting with chicken that was breaded or cooked in a sauce, just scrape off the coating or crumbs before using.

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  • 01 of 28

    Grilled Chicken Banh Mi

    Grilled Chicken Banh Mi

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    Grilled chicken banh mi is a tasty Vietnamese sandwich that typically includes some type of meat, pate, pickled veggies, and fresh herbs. This mouth-watering version calls marinated chicken breast made from scratch, but you can easily swap in leftovers as a quick replacement.

  • 02 of 28

    Crunchy Middle Eastern Chicken Salad

    Crunchy Middle Eastern Chicken Salad

    The Spruce / Anita Schecter

    Leftover chicken is the perfect starting point for this crunchy Middle Eastern chicken salad, also featuring carrots and almonds in a tangy, yogurt dressing. Serve with pita wedges for a nutritious and filling meal.

  • 03 of 28

    Thai Chicken Soup With Coconut Milk

    Thai Chicken Soup With Coconut Milk (Tom Ka Gai) in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

    Save money on takeout when you cook up this creamy Thai chicken soup with coconut milk from scratch. Traditional Southeast Asian ingredients—including lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, red chilies, and galangal or ginger—deliver huge flavor, with coconut milk making it a rich bowlful.

  • 04 of 28

    Buffalo Chicken Casserole

    Buffalo Chicken Casserole

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    This hot Buffalo chicken casserole with the popular taste of Buffalo chicken wings is always a hit at parties and potlucks. Sour cream, condensed cream of chicken soup, tater tots, and pepper jack cheese complete the crowd-friendly dish.

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  • 05 of 28

    Chicken Pot Pie

    classic chicken pot pie in pie plate with one slice cut out
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Serve up comfort when you make this luscious chicken pot pie for family dinner. Leftover cooked chicken meat, a refrigerated pie crust, and frozen mixed vegetables make this one-hour recipe easier, but it tastes like you spent all day making it.

  • 06 of 28

    Spicy Thai Chicken Salad Wrap

    Spicy Thai Chicken Salad Wrap with Sesame Peanut Dressing

    The Spruce / Grilled Cheese Social

    Dark chicken meat from juicy legs and thighs are a fabulous addition to this delicious spicy Thai chicken salad wrap flavored with Thai ingredient, including sweet chili sauce, coconut milk, soy sauce, and chunky peanut butter.

  • 07 of 28

    Chicken Pilaf

    Chicken Pilaf

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Make this weeknight chicken pilaf dish on your stove top when you need to get dinner ready in a hurry. Seasoned long grain rice is dressed up with crunchy pecans and precooked chicken cubes in a simple recipe that uses pantry staples and cooks in about 30 minutes.

  • 08 of 28

    Barbecue Chicken Pizza

    Copycat California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza

    Leah Maroney

    Barbecue chicken pizza is a terrific way to use leftover chicken because you don't need a lot of meat to make a difference. Layer it onto a ready-made pizza crust with plenty of cheese, a few veggie toppings, and your favorite barbecue sauce for a super easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

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  • 09 of 28

    Chicken Quesadillas

    Chicken Quesadillas

    The Spruce

    Chicken quesadillas make an easy weekday lunch or satisfying after-school snack. Shredded chicken is layered with cheese in flour tortillas, then quickly browned in a lightly-oiled pan to melt the cheese. Add some green onions, chopped tomatoes, or jalapenos, if you like, for extra color and flavor.

  • 10 of 28

    Chicken Skin Chips

    Chicken Skin Chips

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

    Rather than discard chicken skin, make good use of it. Chicken skin chips are easy to make and a great way to reduce waste. Once you have the crispy chips, used them instead of croutons, crumbled bacon, or crackers. They also make a great bacon alternative for a BLT sandwich.

  • 11 of 28

    Tarragon Chicken Salad

    Tarragon Chicken Salad

    The Spruce Eats / Anita Schecter 

    While the tarragon chicken salad recipe includes a simple way to roast chicken, it's a perfect use for leftovers, too. It features a creamy homemade dressing seasoned with celery, Dijon mustard, lemon, onion, and tarragon. Mix that with shredded chicken, then serve it over salad greens or in a sandwich for a quick, delicious meal.

  • 12 of 28

    Chicken Alfredo Casserole

    Chicken Alfredo Casserole

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

    Busy weeknights just got more delicious with this chicken Alfredo casserole that is easy to assemble and cooks in well under an hour. Diced breast, jarred sauce, curly pasta noodles, Parmesan cheese, and a little milk are all that's needed.

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  • 13 of 28

    Classic Chicken Salad Sandwiches

    Chicken salad sandwich

    The Spruce

    These classic chicken salad sandwiches start with cooked chicken. Mild breast meat works best for these sammies, which also call for some mayonnaise, hard boiled egg, onion, celery, relish, and your favorite bread or rolls.

  • 14 of 28

    Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Chowder

    Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Chowder

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Spring asparagus adds a wonderful fresh flavor to this creamy chicken and asparagus chowder, which includes tender potato chunks for great texture. Loads of heavy cream makes this soup velvety and rich. It's great for warming stomachs on rainy, cool days.

  • 15 of 28

    Chicken Tamale Pie

    Chicken Tamale Pie

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    Shredded leftover cooked chicken becomes the base of this delicious tamale pie when mixed with onion, taco seasonings, salsa, and beans. This combination is topped with a homemade cornbread batter (or use boxed for quicker preparation) that is flavored with corn, cheddar, and cilantro. The pie is baked until golden brown and served with sour cream and avocado.

  • 16 of 28

    Chicken Quiche

    chicken quiche

     Leah Maroney

    Rotisserie chicken turns this quiche into a hearty meal, perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner. The chicken is combined with eggs, cream, Gruyere cheese, onion, and parsley and poured into a homemade crust. The quiche is baked in a springform pan, making for a pretty presentation.

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  • 17 of 28

    Grilled Chicken Panini Sandwich With Pesto

    Grilled chicken panini sandwich recipe

    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

    Cook up an grilled chicken panini sandwich with leftover cooked chicken, pre-cooked bacon, and store-bought pesto sauce. Don't have a panini grill? Simply heat your sammie for a few minutes on each side in a non-stick pan, pressing it down with a heavier pan set on top.

  • 18 of 28

    Smoky Chipotle Chicken Salad

    Smoky Chipotle Chicken Salad

    Katie Workman / themom100

    Canned chipotle peppers give this smoky chipotle chicken salad a terrific smoky flavor, while chopped fresh vegetables add great crunch. A combination of dark and white meat works well in this recipe, which can be served over spinach or romaine greens, or sandwiched between slices of your favorite bread.

  • 19 of 28

    Takeout-Style Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken Fried Rice

    The Spruce/Zorica Lakonic

    Takeout-style chicken fried rice is so easy to make, it's sure to become a go-to recipe in your household. Leftover rice is quickly stir-fried in soy sauce with diced chicken and any fresh or frozen veggies you have on hand for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

  • 20 of 28

    Chicken Enchiladas

    baked Enchiladas Verdes (Green Enchiladas) With Chicken in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Qi Ai

    Mild, green salsa verde is the secret ingredient in these scrumptious chicken enchiladas. Buy it jarred for pouring over flour tortillas that are filled with pre-cooked chicken and cheese and baked in the oven until they are hot, melty, and ready to enjoy.

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  • 21 of 28

    Chicken Risotto

    Chicken Risotto

    The Spruce/Danielle Moore

    Arborio rice cooked slowly in a bath of white wine, butter, and chicken stock (store-bought is fine), is made even better with the addition of shredded chicken bits and Parmesan cheese at the end. Mushrooms would make a great addition, too—just add them with the shallots for this delicious chicken risotto.

  • 22 of 28

    Indian-Style 5-Minute Creamy Chicken Curry Soup

    5-Minute Creamy Chicken Curry Soup

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    If you have five minutes, you've got enough time to make this Indian-style 5-minute creamy chicken curry soup. Condensed soup and pre-cooked chicken means it's a snap to heat and serve, and the creamy texture and aromatic curry flavoring makes it heavenly to enjoy.

  • 23 of 28

    Easy Chicken Crepes

    Easy Chicken Crepes

    Gareth Morgans StockFood Creative-Getty Images

     

    The savory easy chicken crepes are special enough to impress at a dinner party, but simple to prepare. All you need is precooked chicken, canned water chestnuts, and an addictive sauce made from condensed cream of mushroom soup.

  • 24 of 28

    Thai Mango Chicken Salad

    Thai Mango Chicken Salad

    The Spruce / D Schmidt

    Tropical mango slices and coconut shreds mingle in a Thai-inspired dressing in this delightful Thai mango chicken salad with crunchy fresh vegetables, peanuts or cashews, fresh basil strips, and tender chunks of cooked chicken.

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  • 25 of 28

    Deep-Fried Chicken Croquettes

    Deep-Fried Chicken Croquettes

    Philippe Desnerck-Photolibrary-Getty Images

     

    Kids love these deep-fried chicken croquettes with a golden-brown exterior and creamy mixture on the inside. A simple white sauce is mixed with chicken, onion, and fresh parsley to create the filling.

  • 26 of 28

    Chicken Waldorf Sandwich

    Chicken Waldorf Sandwiches

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

    Raisin bread makes an unusual, but delightful base for this chicken Waldorf sandwich with a tasty mayonnaise and honey-mustard dressing. Canned or precooked chicken is mixed with diced celery, walnuts, dried cranberries, and chopped apples to make the sandwich filling.

  • 27 of 28

    Classic Cobb Salad

    Classic Cobb Salad

    The Spruce/Nyssa Tanner

    When is a salad more than a salad? When it's a fully-loaded classic Cobb salad chock full of tender chicken, creamy avocado, salty bacon, hard-boiled egg, blue cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

  • 28 of 28

    Pasta Salad With Chicken and Spinach

    Pasta Salad With Chicken and Spinach

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

    Pasta salad with chicken and spinach is always welcome at picnics and potluck lunches. Spinach, tomato, red bell pepper, and red onion are tossed with canned or chopped cooked chicken in a tangy mayonnaise-and-Dijon dressing.