What can I make with leftover chicken?
Leftover Chicken is endlessly flexible - it takes on whatever seasoning you give it, which is exactly why it gets boring when cooked the same way every week. Here are recipes using leftover chicken from across our library, plus the handful of habits that keep it juicy.
12 recipes with leftover chicken
Chicken Quesadilla
Cheesy chicken tucked in a griddled flour tortilla.
Mexican-American20m4
Cobb Salad
Chopped salad with chicken, egg, avocado, bacon, and blue cheese.
American20m4Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
Glazed chicken over steamed rice with sesame and scallions.
Japanese25m4Kung Pao Chicken
Sichuan stir-fry with peanuts, chiles, and tongue-tingling peppercorns.
Chinese25m4
Chicken Tacos
Weeknight tacos with seasoned chicken and lime crema.
Mexican25m3Chicken and Onion Fried Rice
Simple and flavorful Chinese-inspired dish made with chicken, rice, and onions.
Chinese25m4
Pad See Ew
Wide rice noodles stir-fried with dark soy, egg, and Chinese broccoli.
Thai25m3Nasi Goreng
Sweet, savory, spicy fried rice topped with a fried egg.
Indonesian25m4Couscous
Steamed semolina with buttery vegetables.
North African25m4
Laksa
Spicy coconut curry noodle soup with shrimp and tofu puffs.
Malaysian30m4
Thai Green Curry
Coconut-rich green curry with chicken, bamboo shoots, and Thai basil.
Thai30m4
Cauliflower Rice Bowl
Riced cauliflower topped with protein and roasted veg.
American35m4
How to cook leftover chicken without drying it out
- 1Bring the leftover chicken close to room temperature and season it well; a 20-minute dry brine keeps the inside juicy.
- 2Sear over medium-high heat until deep golden, then lower the heat to finish. High heat the whole way tightens the outside before the middle is done.
- 3Pull it at 165F internal (breast) or 175F (thigh). Thighs forgive an extra few minutes; breast does not.
- 4Rest 5 minutes under foil, then slice against the grain and spoon the pan juices back over the top.
What goes well with leftover chicken
Leftover Chicken is at its best with lemon, garlic, butter, rice, thyme and yogurt. Any two or three of those, plus leftover chicken, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing leftover chicken
Keep raw leftover chicken on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use it within 1-2 days, or freeze it flat in a bag for up to three months. Cooked leftovers keep 3-4 days and reheat best with a splash of stock in a covered pan rather than in the microwave.
Substituting leftover chicken
If you are out of leftover chicken, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Leftover Chicken recipes: common questions
- What can I make with leftover chicken and not much else?
- Plenty. With leftover chicken plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest leftover chicken recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute leftover chicken?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover leftover chicken?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover leftover chicken without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- What temperature should leftover chicken be cooked to?
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than timing: 165F for poultry, 160F for ground meat, 145F for whole cuts and fish, all measured at the thickest point away from bone. Rest larger cuts for five minutes before cutting.