The Hands-Down Best Way To Use A Rotisserie Chicken For Meal Prep

Do you love rotisserie chicken from the grocery store but want a way to maximize its superior taste, affordability, and convenience? While there may be at least 13 genius ways to use leftover rotisserie chicken to make more delicious dinners, you can also use this supermarket staple to make a variety of make-ahead lunches. On your next weekend shopping spree, besides buying more of the best (and worst) rotisserie chickens from the grocery store, purchase some reliable fresh and shelf-stable ingredients you can pair with this flavorful protein for easy meal prep. This way you can head into a brand new week with a variety of rotisserie chicken-based, grab-and-go meals to enjoy for lunch Monday through Friday.

With deboned, pre-shredded rotisserie chicken, you can make all sorts of satisfying mid-day meals that stay fresh in your fridge until mealtime. Whether you're in the mood to prep creamy chicken salad, fresh tacos, or stacked sandwiches, you first need to pre-shred your rotisserie chicken and store the meat properly for easy use.

To streamline the process, debone your rotisserie chicken straight from the supermarket while it's still warm. You can even place your chicken in a resealable plastic bag and massage the meat off the bones mess-free. Then, simply chop or shred your chicken with two forks or a hand mixer before storing the meat conveniently in resealable plastic bags. Now you're ready to prepare a variety of chilled, chicken-based lunches in a snap. 

For starters, depending on what you're in the mood for, feel free to leave some of your chicken un-shredded and unprocessed for certain meals. For example, if you plan on making grain bowls, you may want larger pieces of chicken served alongside your precooked sides-of-choice. Larger pieces of chicken may also be beneficial when you're making one or two of the five absolute best rotisserie chicken sandwiches, such as chicken Caesar sandwiches or club sandwiches with bacon.

However, pre-shredded rotisserie chicken makes for all sorts of convenient meals such as creamy chicken salad with apples and walnuts, chilled soba noodle salad with leftover rotisserie chicken, and green salads dressed in all your favorite toppings. You can also simplify more homemade recipes like "BBQ in a bowl" chicken salad by pre-cooking your veggies and adding some barbecue sauce to pre-shredded rotisserie chicken instead of roasting your own. Or, make a variety of simple pasta salads with fresh veggies, cooked noodles, shredded cheese, and your favorite pre-bottled salad dressing like Italian or poppyseed.

Lastly, besides taking the time to prepare specific lunches, if you want more flexibility, add a portion of pre-shredded chicken to any snack-style lunch box to go alongside other eats. For instance, add a helping of rotisserie chicken to a separate compartment in your next lunch filled with hard-boiled eggs, crackers, cheese, and mixed fruit. Or, serve some alongside a peanut butter banana sandwich and baby carrots.