What’s the tastiest thing to do with leftover rotisserie chicken? —John C., St. Louis
I thought this question was especially relatable because most of us, at some point or other, have sampled the affordable offerings at Sam’s Club or Costco or the iterations at one of the places that specialize in them, such as Chicken Scratch Golden Chicken or St. Louis Rotisserie.
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While some cooks use rotisserie leftovers to make chicken soup, chicken chili, a pasta dish (chicken lasagna is a nice twist), green chili enchiladas, or Chinese chicken salad, my preference is a version of mayo-based chicken salad, depending on what add-in possibilities are in the fridge. The carcass is used chicken stock, frozen in flat space-saving baggies. When the number reaches critical mass, I make a simple chicken noodle soup, adding Manischewitz Fine Egg Noodles just before serving. (It can be hard to find, but it’s worth the search.)
Local chefs and other folks in the know had other ideas:
Nate Hereford (Chicken Scratch): “One of my favorites, especially this time of the year, is a panzanella salad. You can switch up ingredients and make it seasonally year-round but with all of the great spring produce. Just buy what speaks to you at the store or market: good sourdough croutons, tons of raw, roasted, and pickled veggies. Sunflower seeds and currants or raisins make for nice textural contrasts with some greens, all tossed in a simple vinaigrette. A quesadilla seems like a layup, but I have fun with it by adding the chicken to roasted mushrooms or zucchini, then finish with a ton of fresh herbs of your choice, and you end up with a certified banger meal. Soup is always a great move, too. Use the carcass to enhance a stock, add a bunch of veggies, some type of grain, lemon juice and its zest, and once again a bunch of herbs to keep it fresh.”
Amjed Abdelhabbar (Golden Chicken): “I like to make an Arabic soup called freekeh, made with shredded chicken, chicken stock, vegetables, and spices including cardamom and cinnamon. Using freekeh [roasted baby green wheat] as a base makes the soup especially hearty.”
Kevin Nashan (Sidney Street Cafe, Peacemaker Lobster & Crab, La Tertulia): “This might sound a little off the wall, but I love making a chicken adobo with pickled jalapeños and stuffing it inside a sopapilla with Spanish rice and beans.”
Holly Fann (chef, food writer, SLM contributor): “Leftover proteins, which have already been cooked through, such as rotisserie chicken, can get a little tough and indignant if cooked a second time in another recipe. Give those passed-over chicken bits the dignity of a tasty end by adding them into a bowl of instant ramen. When warmed through in the hot broth, those picked-over pieces of breast meat suddenly go from understudy to star of the show. If it’s too warm for ramen (it’s never too warm for ramen), then wrap up the leftover chicken in rice paper with cilantro and some fresh veggies for spring rolls. And don’t waste those bones. Throw ’em in the freezer to use in your next batch of stock.”
Drew Sterling (St. Louis Rotisserie): “We’ll make chicken salad at the shop, but if I were to take some home, we’d eat it as regular sliced chicken or maybe make pulled barbecued chicken sandwiches, which I realize is not very exciting.”
Dave Lowry (SLM dining critic): “We eat the dark meat while the chicken’s still warm and save the breasts for a different take on Hainan chicken rice. The real recipe calls for poaching a whole chicken, but I just slice the cold, already-cooked breast meat and serve it with rice, along with a dipping sauce made from garlic, ginger, lime juice, and a dollop of Sriracha sauce. It’s a blasphemous take on the real thing but delicious and quick. The combination of cold chicken, that powerful sauce, and warm rice is spectacular.”
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