15 Easy Leftover Chicken Recipes
Leftover chicken recipes are a great way to stretch your weeknight dinner lineup. If you're looking to simplify your cooking and avoid wasting food, this collection of recipes is perfect for you. Pre-cooked chicken can be turned into chicken soup, chicken hash, and chicken and rice salad. Repurpose all of your leftover chicken into easy chicken dishes with these simple and flavorful recipes.
Mexican Skillet Corn with Chicken and Cilantro
This easy, fresh, and spicy summer dish makes fantastic use of leftover chicken and crisp, sweet corn.
1 of 15
Chicken 'Levivot' with Harissa Sauce
"Levivot" means "latke" in Hebrew. When Ron Arazi was growing up, his mother created these fritters as a way to use leftover chicken. It's become a staple at the Arazis' Hanukkah table. They now simmer a whole chicken with aromatic spices, then finely shred the meat, add lots of parsley and cilantro and bind it together with mashed potatoes and eggs. The harissa sauce that accompanies the patties makes the dish even more festive.
2 of 15
Leftover Chicken Soup
This Leftover Chicken Soup from Marcus Samuelsson uses the whole bird—from bones to livers—to make a nearly no-waste dinner. First, Samuelsson makes the stock from charred aromatics and chicken bones. Then, he sears the livers and shreds the chicken for the soup. Feel free to substitute store-bought stock and upgrade it by simmering with charred vegetables.
3 of 15
Rosemary Chicken, Bacon and Potato Soup
Potatoes and bacon make this hearty chicken soup extra satisfying.
4 of 15
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Amanda Johnson uses leftover chicken or turkey, and wild rice harvested nearby, to make this lovely soup.
5 of 15
Moroccan Chicken-and-Couscous Soup
A mainstay in Morocco, steamed couscous topped with a very liquid stew is undeniably delectable, but not exactly quick. We've found, though, that combining all the ingredients in a soup yields similarly sumptuous results in a much shorter time. The dish is decidedly spicy; if you prefer less heat, just reduce the amount of cayenne.
6 of 15
Chicken-and-Rice Salad with Pesto Yogurt Dressing
Dinner doesn't get much simpler than this: Boil some rice and toss it with pesto, yogurt, and rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. Leftover cooked chicken or turkey will work just fine, too.
7 of 15
Lemon Chicken and Kale Soup
Simple chicken soup becomes extra special with healthy kale and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
8 of 15
Chicken & Golden Rice
This homey Vietnamese dish is simply shredded chicken with fresh herbs and turmeric-scented jasmine rice. Using a pre-cooked rotisserie bird makes speedy work of it.
9 of 15
Chicken Hash with Eggs
Using leftover chicken in a hash with green pepper, onion and jalapeños makes a nice, hearty breakfast. A dash of hot sauce is delicious here.
10 of 15
Thai Chicken Soup
Chef Spike Gjerde says this soup is his family staple. The flavors are bright and the dish is easy to make, especially with store-bought rotisserie chicken. Gjerde adds lemongrass, ginger and plenty of lime to create a broth that's light, tangy and deeply aromatic.
11 of 15
Pulled Chicken Tacos with Spicy Black Beans
Both the chicken and black beans for these tacos can be made ahead and pulled out for easy dinners. The black beans alone make a great vegetarian filling.
12 of 15
Spinach and Egg-Drop Pasta Soup
"In our house, stracciatella was a catch-all," Tom Valenti says about this simple, rustic soup. "We started with good homemade stock and added whatever was around: beans, leftover sausage, shredded chicken." With a few truffle shavings, this soup can even be dressed up for a holiday dinner party.
13 of 15
Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup
Any type of pasta you have on hand will work in this classic chicken noodle soup—just be sure it's cooked al dente.
14 of 15
Chicken and Broccoli Soup
Loved by the whole family, this chicken and broccoli soup recipe is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.