Leftover chicken recipes
Not sure what to do with your leftover chicken from your Sunday roast dinner? These leftover chicken recipes are sure to inspire you. From chicken stir-fries to chicken curries, we’ve got lots of delicious leftover chicken recipes to choose from.
A big roast chicken is a lovely Sunday treat, but what are you supposed to do with all the leftover meat? Buying a whole chicken is often cheaper than buying portions separately but it can often leave you with lots of leftover chicken. We’re here to help.
Cooked chicken can be re-used in other meals you just need to make sure that it is thoroughly re-heated when warming up. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days or you could freeze it for up to two months. If you’re freezing cooked chicken, it’s a good idea to cut it into strips or chunks so you it doesn’t freeze in one big chunk and you can grab handfuls of the amount you need.
If you’re following a chicken recipe, keep in mind that the cooked chicken will not need to cook for as long stated, you just need to make sure it’s piping hot all the way through.
So what are you going to make with your leftover chicken? You can combine it with lots of different ingredients to make various dishes.
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken stir-fry
There’s nothing easier than a cheap, quick and easy stir-fry. Fry up some leftover veggies with some noodles or rice and a tasty sauce. Chuck in your cooked chicken towards the end and warm through – simple!
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Stir-fry vegetables (you can chop vegetables you have into thin strips)
- Stir-fry sauce
- Rice or noodles (you can use potatoes for a more Mediterranean feel)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken soup
Pretty much any of your leftovers can be boiled down to make a soup. You simply combine what you have in with a little stock and either leave chunky or whizz smooth with a hand blender.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Stock cubes (or you can make your own stock with leftover chicken bones)
- Leftover vegetables (optional)
- Cream or milk (optional)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken tray bake
If you’ve got leftover chicken from a roast, we’re betting there is a few stray roast potatoes and some veg too? A tray bake is an easy way to warm them all up together. All you need to do is drizzle with a little flavour and stick in the oven.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Potatoes (can be cooked)
- Onions
- Lemon/lime juice
- Sauce (like soy sauce or teriyaki)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken curry
Make up some curry sauce (you can make a homemade one or grab a jar if you’re short on time) and add your cooked chicken 5 minutes before it’s ready. A hearty curry will feel like you’re eating a completely different meal, rather than just leftovers.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Curry sauce
- Rice
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken casserole
A casserole doesn’t need to spend hours simmering. Chicken casseroles have a lighter sauce so they don’t need as long for the flavour to mature as a red meat version. You can make a delicious stock-based vegetable sauce and add your cooked chicken into the mix. A chicken flavoured stock will get the chickeny flavours in there – you could even save some of the juices from your roast chicken for an extra strong taste.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Chicken stock
- Onions
- Vegetables – your choice
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken risotto
Risotto is a seriously underrated dish. You only need rice and some stock and you can pull together your leftovers in one tasty dish. You need to stand by the hob to slowly stir in the stock but it’s worth the effort for value alone.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Rice (risotto is traditionally made with arborio rice but whatever rice you have in will work)
- Stock
- White wine (optional)
- Vegetables like peas or spinach (optional)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken pasta
Good old pasta. As long as you’ve got a bag in the cupboard, there is usually some way to use up your leftovers. Chicken and pasta is a lovely combination – you can sprinkle cold cooked chicken over your pasta to make a pasta salad or heat it up in a sauce to pour over it or bake under a cheesy topping.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Pasta (dried or fresh)
- Sauce (a homemade tomato or cheese sauce would be perfect)
- Vegetables
- Cheese (optional)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken pie
A crisp coating and a creamy sauce and voila – your leftover chicken is transformed into a brand new dish. Always keep a roll of ready made pastry in the kitchen so you can gather all your leftovers together in a quick and easy way.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Pastry
- Chicken stock
- Cream (optional)
- Vegetables (mushrooms and leek go particularly well)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken pilaf
Pilaf can be made with most leftovers and it couldn’t be easier to make. It’s just a simple combination of rice, stock, herbs and spices and some veggies. Rice is handy ingredient when it comes to using up leftovers, other good dishes to try are pepperpot and jollof rice.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Rice
- Stock
- Herbs
- Vegetables
Leftover chicken recipes: Mexican chicken
Strips of cooked chicken make cooking Mexican food nice and speedy. Season with some paprika mix, warm through (you can have it cold if you would like) and wrap up with some rice, peppers and some delicious sauces. Easy.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Rice
- Wraps
- Mexican spice mix (Or make your own with chilli, oregano, paprika and cumin)
- Sauces
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken nuggets
Add a little coating and your cooked chicken is transformed! Breadcrumbs or a light batter will turn your plain chicken into chicken nuggets, they’re much better homemade – and you know exactly what’s in them!
Ingredients you need:
For a batter coating
Ingredients you need:
For a batter coating
- Flour
- Eggs
- Milk
OR
- Breadcrumbs
- Eggs
- Flour
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken noodles
You’ll always find a packet of noodles lurking towards the back of your food cupboard, make good use of them by teaming them up with your leftovers. Chicken with a nice Chinese-style sauce is the perfect Monday night meal.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Noodles
- Sauce (sweet chilli or a ready made Chinese sauce would work well)
- Stir-fry veg (or whatever you have in, sliced finely)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken omelette
Eggs aren’t just for breakfast, they can the basis for a filling family meal if used right. An omelette, tortilla or frittata brings together all your ingredients into a one tasty slice. Serve with salad and cooked veg or some pasta or potatoes if you want something a little more filling.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Whatever you have in!
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken tart
It’s always handy to have a roll of ready-made pastry in your fridge or freezer. A pesto, tomato puree or cheese topping will house your chicken and any veg you have in – instant dinner.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Ready made pastry
- Pesto/cheese or tomato puree
- Egg to glaze
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken bake
A bake doesn’t need to have a pasta or potato topping, you can simply bake chicken with a cheese or tomato sauce. A breadcrumb, crumble or oaty topping will give it a nice crunch.
If you do have potatoes in, slices or mash would also make a good topping.
Ingredients you need:
If you do have potatoes in, slices or mash would also make a good topping.
Ingredients you need:
- Sauce (cheese or tomato)
- Breadcrumbs (optional)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken paella
An exotic treat and also a good way of using up your leftover chicken – win-win! Paella is pretty similar to risotto to make, you combine rice with stock and wait for it to absorb it. Unlike a risotto you can just pour it all in at once, rather than a little at a time, so it’s less time over the stove! A few Spanish ingredients like chorizo and paprika and your chicken and rice is given a new twist.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Rice (you can get paella rice but you can use whatever you have in)
- Chorizo
- Paprika
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken salad
A nice option for lunch the next day is a leftover chicken salad. You don’t need to worry about heating the chicken up and you can just throw together all your salady bits. Couscous, rice or pasta will make it nice and filling.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Salad leaves
- Tomatoes
- Salad dressing
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken sandwiches
Got bread in? Chuck your chicken in a sandwich. There are lots of different combinations you could try: chicken and bacon, chicken and sweetcorn, chicken and stuffing or just plain old chicken mayo – whatever you have in!
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Bread
- Mayonaise or butter
- Salad (optional)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken tagine
A Moroccan-style stew, tagines are a quick way to give your leftover chicken lots of flavour and all you need is chopped tomatoes and some spices. A tangy lemon couscous is a cheap and delicious side.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Chopped tomatoes
- Moroccan spices (You can make your own with cumin, coriander and turmeric)
- Couscous
- Chickpeas (optional)
Leftover chicken recipes: Chicken stock
If you’ve only got the scraps and bones of the chicken left, you can still stretch it a little bit further. Homemade chicken stock is easy to make and it taste so much better than stock cubes. Make up a big batch and freeze in portions so you can grab the amount you need easily. Soup is delicious when made with a homemade stock.
Ingredients you need:
Ingredients you need:
- Boiling water
- Carrots
- Leeks
- Herbs
