Rotisserie chicken is one of the best deals of our current era of shrinkflation and rising grocery prices. Learn how to maximize your meal prepping with rotisserie chicken.
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These days it’s in everyone’s best interest to pack lunch and avoid restaurant meals. Things are just too expensive!
Over the years, I’ve experimented with several different meal prep routines. Even though I have a large family, I’ve always been a fan of mom food.
That means that I often prepare an array of meals just for me to enjoy at lunch. As my kids are now in college and post-college life, I watch them doing the same: prepping foods they love to eat so they can save money.
One sure-fire way to save time and money is to use rotisserie chicken for meal prepping. Trust me, it’s so awesome!
Why Use Rotisserie Chicken for Meal Prepping
It’s cheap. There’s pretty much zero chance of your finding a better deal on chicken than the chick rotis, particularly the one at Costco. Many all-natural and Whole Foods grocery stores also sell cooked chickens, if you prefer a different type. Meal prepping with rotisserie chicken is a great way to cut costs.
It’s easy. What is easier than letting someone else cook something for you cheaper than you can do it yourself? Your meal prepping work will get done in half the time with precooked chicken.
It’s delicious. Personally, I’m a huge fan of these pre-cooked chickens. I think they are always tender and flavorful. I love adding the chicken to my meal prep salads.
Tips for Using Rotisserie Chicken
It’s super easy to carve a rotisserie chicken. Check out my Instagram reel.
- Carve it while it’s still warm. I find that carving chicken is much more difficult when it’s cold than when the meat is still warm. Plus, if you do it right when you get home from the store, you’re less likely to put it off.
- Don’t forget about it in the fridge. Cooked and prepped food is good for up to 4 days in the fridge. For best taste and texture enjoy your rotisserie chicken meal preps in the first three days.
- Stash it in the freezer. If you’re not sure what to do with your chicken once it’s carved, go ahead and package it for freezing. You can decide later, but having the meat already cooked and chopped or carved is going to make any prepping easier later on.
- Do the math. Some stores will offer the rotisserie chicken already deboned. In some locations this is a deal, in others they charge more for the service. Do the math if you’re on a budget. It seriously takes just a few minutes to carve a chicken!
Recipes for Meal Prepping with Rotisserie Chicken
There are so many great meals you can prep with rotisserie chicken. Since you don’t have to cook the chicken, you can complete your meal prepping in record time.
The simplest meal prepping with rotisserie chicken is just to serve it as is, maybe with a side dish like rice or salad. You can even buy these prepared for you at the store which makes things super simple!
But if you’d like to level up your meal prepping, try one or more of these easy chicken recipes:
Ever been tempted by the contents of the frozen food aisle? It will be easy to just say NO when you’ve made your own homemade freezer burritos.
If you love buffalo chicken, then you’re going to love these easy, make-ahead quesadillas. Freeze extra filling so you can whip these up anytime.
Enjoy the classic French dish in a Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with layers of red potatoes, chicken, ham, white sauce, Swiss cheese, and panko bread crumbs.
Tender chicken, juicy raspberries, and tangy goat cheese get together to party in this simple yet flavorful Chicken & Raspberry Salad. No need for a cafe salad today when you’ve got this going on!
This Creamy Chicken Pasta dish is sauced with sherry with cream and dotted with bacon, tomatoes, and peas. It’s absolutely delicious!
Loaded with tender chicken breast, lots of veggies, taco spices, and a rich chicken stock, this simple recipe for Chicken Taco Soup is one you will love to serve both for easy weeknight suppers or fancier Cinco de Mayo celebrations. It’s ready in less than half an hour!
With tender chicken breast, celery, dried cranberries, and a tangy poppy seed dressing, this classic Cranberry Chicken Salad is a treat!
Enchiladas are a perfect meal. Don’t buy frozen and don’t go out. Make these at home and enjoy the savings and the amazing flavor.
Similar to taquitos, flautas are little flutes of tortilla rolled and filled with something delicious, in this case, seasoned chicken and cheese.
Chicken Fajita Burritos are filling, flavorful, and packed with peppers, onions, and jalapeños. They make a great lunch, snack, or dinner that you can make ahead and freeze.
These Chicken Bacon Subs disappear lickety split at my house. They are the perfect hot chicken sandwich, so easy to assemble and very freezer-friendly.
A creamy, cheesy, chicken filling accentuates this simple pasta dish. Make a double batch to freeze for another time.
This delicious one-dish version of Chicken Florentine features a creamy Mornay sauce, chopped spinach, campanelle noodles, and tender chicken. It’s a delicious pasta bake that deserves a spot in your regular rotation.
Spice up your evening with this hot and cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole. You can whip it up in a flash — and make an extra to freeze.
This easy white bean chicken chili comes together quickly but is packed with flavor.
Chicken Pot Pie is a sure-fire favorite! Flaky, buttery crust surrounds chicken, vegetables, and a delectable homemade gravy for delicious comfort food.
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole comes together quickly, freezes beautifully, and makes for a delicious and hearty main dish. Make a double batch so you can repeat the experience next week!
Ready to get up and go? Make sure to save money on your lunch bill by packing up some easy Chicken Salad Sandwiches with crisp, crunchy cucumbers.
Enjoy a simple, delicious chicken salad loaded with apples and almonds in this easy recipe for Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps.
Chicken Caesar Baguette Sandwiches are just what you expect – quick and simple deliciousness tucked into French bread. They are a fun, portable twist on a vintage classic.
This Santa Fe Salad is super easy to pull together. Signature corn and black beans get added protein from shredded chicken and other tasty toppings.
Enjoy an easy lunch with this Mediterranean Chicken Bowl. It’s packed with flavor and late summer produce. And it’s super-packable.
Got leftover cooked chicken and rice? Then you’ve got the makings of a great meal. This chicken fried rice is super easy to make and better than takeout!
Busy night? Grab a bowl of this make-ahead Italian Chicken Pasta Salad. It’s easy to make and packed with flavor.
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