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A store-bought rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts for making quick, easy meals. With the chicken already cooked, you’re halfway to dinner before you even begin.

This collection of WW-friendly rotisserie chicken recipes includes everything from fresh chicken salads and comforting soups to easy casseroles, pot pies and simple meals for one or two.

rotisserie chicken with several dishes made from it including shredded chicken, chicken salsa soup, chicken salad and chicken pot pit

One Rotisserie Chicken, So Many Possibilities

This post was originally inspired by a reader named Kate, who shared some of the ways she gets her kitchen ready for a successful week.

One of her favorite strategies?

“Costco roasted chickens — these little babies are worth their weight in GOLD! I buy two every Sunday, and break them down into 3 ounce portions. I use the meat in chicken salads and recipes, and the rest gets turned into stock, which I de-fat and use to make soups.”

Brilliant, don’t you think?

Her comment inspired me to stop at Costco after yoga one Sunday and pick up a rotisserie chicken of my own.

That evening we enjoyed roasted chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and a mixed green salad.

The next day, I made a delicious chicken and wild rice salad and served it over greens with sliced strawberries.

And the following evening, we enjoyed an easy chicken and biscuit pot pie.

Three different dinners, with much of the work already done. That’s my kind of meal planning!

Is Rotisserie Chicken Zero Points on Weight Watchers?

Yes. Under the current WW program, skinless chicken breast is a ZeroPoint food, including the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken.

Dark meat, skin and added ingredients may affect the Points value, so it’s best to check the specific portions you’re eating.

For more information, see my latest Weight Watchers ZeroPoint Foods List.

Easy Rotisserie Chicken Salads

These are some of my favorite ways to turn leftover chicken into a satisfying lunch or light dinner.

Rotisserie chicken salad with wild rice, grapes and almonds in white serving bowl

Rotisserie Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

A longtime favorite at our house. The only thing you need to cook is the wild rice. I like using half light mayonnaise and half plain nonfat Greek yogurt for the dressing, but you can easily adjust the combination to suit your taste.

Scoop of low fat chicken salad with apples and cranberries on bed of lettuce.

Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries

A longtime favorite with my family and readers. Sweet apples and tart cranberries make this a delicious change from ordinary chicken salad.

Easy Asian Chicken Salad

A quick, colorful salad that comes together in minutes with cooked chicken and a few convenient ingredients.

Edamame Chicken Salad

A satisfying combination of chicken and edamame with a flavorful wasabi dressing.

Quick and Easy Chicken Soups

Rotisserie chicken makes homemade soup especially easy because there’s no need to cook the chicken first.

Chicken Salsa White Bean Soup

Chicken White Bean Salsa Soup

This easy soup was inspired by a conversation with a Weight Watchers friend when I was looking for a way to use leftover rotisserie chicken. It’s simple, satisfying and full of flavor.

Spicy Chicken and Quinoa Soup in a Mug

A quick, five-ingredient soup that’s perfect when you’re cooking for one. Ready in about 15 minutes.

Easy Chicken Casseroles and Comfort Food

When you’re craving something warm and comforting, leftover rotisserie chicken can save a lot of time.

Easy Chicken Wild Rice Casserole in White Ceramic Dish Close UP

Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

An easy, comforting casserole. Simply substitute shredded rotisserie chicken for the canned chicken called for in the recipe.

Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (Chicken Divan)

A lighter version of my mom’s creamy, cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole. It’s just as comforting as the one I remember from childhood.

Bisquick Impossibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie Made Lighter

An easy five-ingredient version of classic chicken pot pie. Using already-cooked chicken makes it especially convenient.

Quick Chicken Meals for One or Two

English Muffin Chicken Pesto Pizza for One

A quick, portion-friendly pizza made with an English muffin, cooked chicken and pesto. Perfect when you want something satisfying without making a whole pizza.

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of my favorite ways to use up odds and ends from the refrigerator. Just substitute chopped rotisserie chicken for the ham in this easy recipe.

8 More Easy Ways to Use Leftover Rotisserie Chicken

You don’t always need a recipe. Sometimes the easiest meals come from combining a few ingredients you already have on hand.

  • Chicken and Vegetable Pasta: Toss cooked chicken with pasta, roasted or steamed vegetables and a little pesto or marinara sauce.
  • Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Combine shredded chicken, carrots and cabbage with a little hoisin sauce or your favorite Asian dressing. Spoon into lettuce leaves.
  • Italian Chicken Salad Sandwiches: Mix chicken with roasted red peppers, a little pesto and plain Greek yogurt. Serve on light bread or in a wrap.
  • Cheesy Chicken Nachos: Top tortilla chips with chicken, salsa, scallions and reduced-fat shredded cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese melts.
  • Chicken Teriyaki Skillet: Heat chicken and frozen Asian vegetables with a little teriyaki sauce. Serve over brown rice or cauliflower rice.
  • BBQ Chicken Tortilla Pizza: Spread a tortilla with BBQ sauce and top with chicken, shredded cheese and chopped vegetables. Bake until crisp and bubbly.
  • Chicken Burrito Bowls: Combine chicken, black beans, rice, tomatoes, salsa and a little cheese or avocado.
  • Chicken and Zoodles Marinara: Heat chopped chicken, zucchini noodles and marinara sauce together in a skillet for a quick, easy meal.

A Few Tips for Making the Most of Rotisserie Chicken

I find it helpful to remove the meat from the bones while the chicken is still slightly warm. It’s easier to handle, and having the meat already shredded or chopped makes future meals even quicker.

Store cooked chicken in covered containers in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days, or freeze portions for later.

And don’t forget the bones! You can use them to make a flavorful homemade broth for future soups. Kate’s suggestion to make stock from the leftovers is still one of my favorite ideas.

With a little cooked chicken tucked away in the refrigerator or freezer, a quick homemade meal is never far away.

About Martha McKinnon

Weight Watchers Lifetime Member, Yoga Practitioner and Blogger who loves to share her passion for trying to create a happy, healthy, balanced life in what often feels like an overwhelming out of control world.

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141 Comments

  1. chunky chicken, chunky celery, red seedless grapes cut in half mixed with low fat mayo…my favorite chicken salad….serve on chopped lettuce or as a lettuce wrap…

  2. 5 stars
    BEST ROTISSERIE CHICKEN & RICE RECIPE EVER: Shred and add, low fat/low sodium cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup (google recipe on how to make), along with already cooked brown rice and peas (or sometimes I use asparagus or broccoli) and 1 can of skim milk, mix together, bake at 350 for 25 min..DELISH!!!

  3. Favorite use of leftover rotisserie chicken is in mason jar salads that I take to work each day. Just throw in some spices and/or different dressings, the taste can be different each day.

  4. I really like chicken salad, so I use the chicken, celery & I use reduced fat olive oil mayo (which is only 1 point per tablespoon) and a little Tony Chachere’s seasoning to give it a little zing.

  5. 5 stars
    Oh I love using rotisserie chicken in so many dishes! I think my favorite is to make a chicken salad I have been making for years and the rotisserie chicken makes it so easy. I cook up noodles, add mayo light, grapes, mandarin oranges and chicken! It is so good after chilled in the fridge! Your chicken and wild rice salad looks so yummy! I also want to try those Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps!!!

  6. Rotisserie chicken has been a real “life saver” for the past four months as I have been on my Weight Watcher mission. Especially in the early days when I would be ravenous when I got home from work, I would begin in the mid-afternoon to focus on just how deliciously satisfying that hot, tasty chicken would be, and this would help me avoid falling into something not so healthy. Favorite way to enjoy it? Hot and straight out of the container! I’d stop and pick one up on the way home from work and dive in as soon as I got in the kitchen. Saved me on many a day! Love it! Protein packs a powerful punch in weight loss success. 🙂

  7. 5 stars
    I use rotisserie chicken with Joseph’s pitas, leftover sauteed onions, cedar’s Tzatziki sauce and make home made chicken gyros. Yummo.