Leftover Hacks For Your Costco Rotisserie Chicken

There’s a lot you can do with a Costco rotisserie chicken. For just $4.99, you have a culinary world at your fingertips – and yet, it’s very easy to just fall back on the same old uses. Throw it in a sandwich. On top of a salad. Eat it standing over the sink, much like Harry Styles does. 

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And then, once you’ve gone through about three-quarters of it, and you’re left with a couple of scraps of meat on the bone, then it ends up in the trash. No, no, no. You can eke another meal (or two) out of what’s left, folks – and here are some ways to use up those leftovers.

Turn It Into Soup

Like any cooked chicken, the carcass of a Costco rotisserie chicken is too often underused and ignored. However, every soup aficionado knows that’s where the gold is. First, shred off all the remaining chicken with a fork, keeping it to one side. Then, put the carcass in a big pot with water, celery, garlic, onion, carrots, a bouquet garni, and some peppercorns. 

Simmer for a couple of hours, and then use the stock to make a killer chicken soup. Throw in your favorite noodles and the leftover chicken, and you’ve got comfort in a bowl. 

Make Easy Chicken Street Tacos

Those little shreds left on your Costco rotisserie chicken may not have much presence in other dishes, but they come into their own in tacos. A Reddit user shared their process for this: “Shred the remaining cooked chicken off the bone and remove skin,” they said. “Heat in a skillet with enough jarred salsa verde to moisten. Pile cooked meat into warmed corn tortillas and add chopped cilantro and onion.”

What’s nice about this one is that you don’t have to stick to an exact recipe: As the Redditor points out, how much salsa you use (and the other ingredients) depends on how much chicken you have. Follow your heart, and throw in what you want.

Simple Chicken Pot Pie

While we’re not exactly in the habit of replacing everything with processed ingredients, Sandra Lee-style, there’s a certain comfort in knowing that you can cut out a lot of work by reaching for what’s in your pantry. Such is the case with a simple chicken pot pie, which you can make with leftover rotisserie chicken, a can of condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom), some cheese, some mixed vegetables, and a dash of milk. Oh, and a pie crust.

Simply mix the ingredients, spoon them into the crust, crown with more pastry, and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for around 35 minutes. No fuss, maximum result. 

Make Your Own Costco Chicken Bake

A knockout from Allrecipes here that would work perfectly with leftovers. Forgot to get a chicken bake when you were picking your rotisserie chicken? You can just put one together at home, with some pizza dough, bacon, cheese, and some Caesar salad dressing. 

We know, we were surprised too. But it works, and the numerous positive reviews for this recipe prove it. The best part is that if you don’t have much rotisserie chicken left, you can add in some extra bacon or cheese instead. Sure, we know that takes it away from the spirit of trying to imitate the bake to the best of your abilities, but you can keep it flexible.