25+ fabulous recipes for leftover chicken so there's no need to go to the shops
Have leftover chicken to hand? The opportunities are endless, including pies, pastas, salads and soups
Do you have leftover chicken after your Sunday roast? Whatever delicious chicken recipe you've whipped up initially, whatever cooked meat you've got left over - breast, thighs, legs or wings, there are oh so many delicious recipes you can make with your leftovers, and we've got everything from a speedy chicken laksa to a colourful Mexican chicken salad to inspire you to make more with those leftovers.
How to incorporate leftover chicken into your meal
Whilst you can use any part of your cooked chicken as leftovers, chicken breast is naturally drier than the meat from the leg. Therefore, we would recommend adding chicken breast at the end of cooking process of a leftover recipe (but make sure it is piping hot all the way through) or add cold to salads or on top of soups.
Leg meat can withstand being cooked for longer so this is better for pies or pasta bakes that require you adding the meat earlier on in the recipe.
How to store your leftovers
In order to store your leftovers safely make sure to cool any cooked meat quickly at room temperature (ideally in no longer than 1.5hrs). Then, store in an airtight container or wrap in several layers of clingfilm and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to a month.
You can only re-heat leftovers once (and make sure they are piping hot all the way through when you do), so it's best to chill or freeze your meat in portions. If frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight and consume within 24hr.
Turkey and chicken act much in the same way, so if you see any of Good Housekeeping's leftover turkey recipes you like the look of, then simply swap out the turkey for chicken.
Leftover Chicken Pasta
Ready in just 15 minutes, you can use any leftover meat you have in your fridge to make this speedy weeknight supper.
Recipe: Leftover Chicken Pasta
Easy Chicken Chowder
This comforting, veg-packed chowder is a real crowd pleaser and takes under 30 minutes to make if you use cooked, leftover chicken.
Recipe: Easy Chicken Chowder
Detox Chicken Salad
Simple to put together and crammed with good-for-you ingredients, this super salad is sure to put a spring in your step.
Recipe: Detox Chicken Salad
Summer rolls with satay dip
Add prawns or shredded cooked chicken to the roll, if you like, and whatever crunchy vegetables you have to hand. They make the perfect light lunch or picnic food.
Recipe: Summer rolls with satay dip
Four cheese chicken enchiladas
Using cooked chicken breasts makes these easy chicken enchiladas super simple to put together.
Recipe: Four cheese chicken enchiladas
Chicken and Quinoa Salad
This recipe is full of protein to keep you fuller for longer. We love the addition of fresh tomatoes, cucumber and olives here, but feel free to mix up the additions to whatever you have in your fridge.
Recipe: Chicken and Quinoa Salad
Gnocchi-Topped Chicken Pie
Chicken pies can be quite a faff to bring together (especially if you're making your own pastry), but this gnocchi-topped chicken pie is a breeze.
Recipe: Gnocchi-Topped Chicken Pie
Chicken club sandwich recipe
This classic lunchtime treat means your leftover cooked chicken will never go to waste. Trust us, the whole family will be asking for it time and time again.
Recipe: Chicken club sandwich
Healthy Chicken Passanda
This spiced chicken curry is packed full of flavour and is good for you, too. Add in the leftover chicken at the very end for a speedy supper.
Recipe: Chicken Passanda
Roast Chicken Pie
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Turn to this pie recipe when you have leftover roast chicken and vegetables.
Recipe: Roast Chicken Pie
Healing Chicken and Ginger Broth
Using cooked, leftover chicken in this broth saves you time and makes this recipe a breeze. Skip the first step completely in this recipe.
Recipe: Healing Chicken and Ginger Broth
Chicken Burger
We love chicken burgers, and this summer burger recipe is perfect for the BBQ.
Recipe: Chicken Burger
Chicken, ham and sweet potato enchiladas recipe
Combining leftover chicken, ham and sweet potatoes, these triple-tested enchiladas are a must-try.
Recipe: Chicken, ham and sweet potato enchiladas
Chicken cobbler recipe
Use up any leftover chicken from the Sunday roast in this comforting savoury cobbler recipe.
Recipe: Chicken cobbler
Speedy Chicken Laksa
Using a jar of curry paste makes this laksa super speedy and highly flavoursome, and it all comes together in only 10 minutes!
Recipe: Speedy Chicken Laksa
Cheesy chicken crisp bakes recipe
Cheesy, crispy and oh-so delicious tasty, this triple-tested chicken recipe is great for using up leftovers.
Recipe: Cheesy chicken crisp bakes
Parmesan and garlic risotto
To feed a crowd, add leftover chicken to this delicious parmesan and garlic risotto.
Recipe: Parmesan and garlic risotto
Chicken tarragon sweet potatoes recipe
Tarragon and chicken are a match made in heaven. Try this creamy filling in a roasted sweet potato or jacket potato, if you prefer.
Recipe: Chicken tarragon sweet potatoes
Creamy oven-baked chicken with garlic potatoes
Topped with crispy garlic potatoes and filled with creamy chicken, this chicken bake is exactly what we're craving this winter.
Chicken and asparagus pie recipe
Use your leftover cooked chicken and fresh spring veg for this hearty one-pot meal, sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Recipe: Chicken and asparagus pie
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
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