When you’re short on time — and not looking to drop a lot of cash on groceries — it can be tough to snag all the fixins to make a delicious, home cooked meal. But then, it hits you: that unmistakable scent of rotisserie chicken wafting through the deli section.
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And that’s where dinner starts. In fact, according to Betty Crocker, you get three cups of meat off a single chicken: one cup of dark and two cups of white meat. And with all that lean protein, you can make a plethora of dishes that appeal to every taste bud. Plus, not only is it inexpensive (a 2014 study noted a rotisserie chicken cost about five dollars less at any given supermarket versus a pound of the raw meat), but it also cuts down your cooking time by quite a bit. Here, five inventive ways to use the bird for dinner this week.
5 Drool-Worthy Rotisserie Chicken Recipes Everyone Will Love
1. Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes
Twice-baked potatoes are delicious: ultra soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and topped with all sorts of goodness, like cheese, scallions and bacon. Now they’re even better thanks to the addition of buffalo chicken. (Why didn’t I think of that, right?) Best of all, this easy recipe is ready to eat in just 15 minutes. It’s also gluten-free and each serving is under 400 calories with 25 grams of protein. Photo and recipe: Layla Atik / Gimme Delicious Food
2. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Sandwich
With a Greek yogurt base and fresh, antioxidant-rich fruits like apples, cranberries and grapes, this chicken salad is lightened up in all the right ways. How you eat it, though, is up to you: The chicken salad is perfect on bread, a bed of lettuce or by its lonesome. Clocking in at just 212 calories with 41 grams of protein, it’s a solid post-workout recovery snack choice — not to mention it’ll only set you back 10 minutes for meal prep. Photo and recipe: Chungha / Damn Delicious
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3. Thai Chicken Pizza
Got kids? This pizza recipe is your lifesaver, especially for parents with picky eaters. The base is made from everyone’s favorite, peanut butter, and you can let the whole family make individual pies to customize, should the green onions, carrots, cilantro and/or bean sprouts aren’t everyone’s top topping choices. To save time, use store-bought pizza dough (whole wheat if you can find it!), then get ready to be quickly impressed. Photo and recipe: Gaby / What’s Gaby Cooking
4. Chicken Tamale Pie
Gooey, bubbly, cheesy and spicy…How could you possibly go wrong? The ultimate comfort food, this crazy-quick (just 15 minutes of prep work!) chicken tamale pie will leave you feeling warm and full any day of the week. Miraculously, it’s also under 300 calories per serving. We’ll have two, please. (Fine, maybe one and a half.) Photo and recipe: Lindsay / Pinch of Yum
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5. Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This simple, healthy soup is a breeze to make and will keep you cozy on cold nights. For a slew of leftovers that’ll keep you going all week long, prep all eight servings and freeze what you don’t eat. Feeling ambitious? Use the chicken bones to make homemade broth in a slow cooker first, then proceed with the recipe. Photo and recipe: Maria and Josh / Two Peas and Their Pod