LAURA SANT
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Our 17 Best Leftover Chicken Recipes So You Can Make The Most Of Your Bird

Your leftover chicken doesn’t have to be plain

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on December 15, 2017

Roast chicken is great as an easy, satisfying meal. But a large chicken can leave you with days' worth of leftovers, which might seem boring to eat day after day. However, leftover chicken is an amazingly versatile dish. Once you've taken the meat off the bones and shredded it, you're left with lots of easy weeknight meal possibilities. Salads are a great route, whether it's a southern-style chicken salad or kale topped with meat. We've also got soups and has and enchiladas on deck for your bird. If a recipe calls for raw chicken, skip the step that describes cooking it and sub in your pre-cooked chicken for a simple meal. With our best leftover chicken recipes, you might not want to eat any of the chicken the night you make it.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeño Slaw

Crunchy, spicy jalapeño slaw tops this ultra-crisp fried chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty in Oakland. Get the recipe for Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeño Slaw

Shredded Chicken Salad
Vietnamese Shredded Chicken Salad

Leftover chicken layered with shredded cabbage, pungent fish sauce, spicy chiles, and fresh mint makes a bright and simple salad great for a quick lunch or weeknight meal.

Oaxacan Red Chile Enchiladas (Enchiladas de Chile Ajo)
Oaxacan Red Chile Enchiladas (Enchiladas de Chile Ajo)

Oaxacan Red Chile Enchiladas (Enchiladas de Chile Ajo)

Persian Chicken Meatball Soup (Gundi)
Persian Chicken Meatball Soup (Gundi)

At the heart of this intriguing soup is a matzo-ball-like dumpling made of ground chicken and chickpea flour.

Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie

Classic, comforting pot pie gets an elegant boost with the addition of shaved black truffles.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Neiman Marcus Chicken Salad
Neiman Marcus Chicken Salad

Neiman Marcus Chicken Salad, a classic department-store lunch item, gains richness from grapes, almonds, and a whipped cream dressing.

Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima)
Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima)

Similar to tortilla soup, this version is sour from lots of whole limes in the broth and garnish; roasted habañero chiles add smokey heat to this bright soup. Get the recipe for Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima) »

Alabama-Style Chicken Sandwiches with White Sauce
Alabama-Style Chicken Sandwiches with White Sauce

This recipe for hickory-smoked chicken sandwiches served with tangy, mayonnaise-based white sauce originated in 1925, when railway worker Big Bob Gibson dug a pit in his backyard in Decatur, Alabama, nailed a plank-oak serving table to a sycamore tree, and started smoking barbecue for friends, co-workers, and passersby.

Chicken Hash

Roasting the potatoes for this hash separately gives them a crisp texture without the addition of extra fat.

Kale and Chicken Brown Rice Salad with Cherries
Kale and Chicken Brown Rice Salad with Cherries

This summery salad, which pairs chicken with thin ribbons of raw kale and brown rice, offsets a garlicky pesto dressing with sweet red cherries. Get the recipe for Kale and Chicken Brown Rice Salad with Cherries »

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