You’ve made a delicious roast chicken, but now you have heaps of leftovers and want to turn them into a quick and easy midweek meal that tastes awesome… Then you need to check out these 12 Easy Leftover Roast Chicken Recipes… From chicken curry to chicken fried rice, chicken pasta to chicken stew – there’s so many things you can do with roast chicken leftovers!
Love your roast chicken leftovers!
I am a huge fan of roast chicken – whether is be a whole roast chicken or an easy chicken traybake. There is something semi-magical that happens in that oven when chicken is roasted. The flavours become more concentrated and, if you time things right, the texture is just perfect.
In fact, it is so good it’s worth making a little extra, as that gorgeous roast chicken flavour is so much better than using chicken breast fillets – no matter how good the recipe!
Easy Peasy Roast Chicken
Why using leftover chicken is budget friendly…
Cooking a whole roast chicken is also a much more cost effective way of cooking chicken too – you pay a premium for having someone else cut up your chicken and package it. It’s so much cheaper, not to mention quicker and easier, to cook up a whole chicken at the weekend and then use the leftovers to create delicious easy midweek meals.
But that is where so many people get unstuck. Creating the leftovers is the easy part… but what to do with them?
Lemon and Garlic Chicken Traybake with Saffron Rice Pilaf
What to do with leftover chicken?
Well you are in luck because quick and easy leftovers recipes are something I love to create! I have gathered together 12 Easy Leftover Roast Chicken Recipes from my site – many of them were originally written for roast chicken leftovers, and the rest I explain clearly below how to adapt them to use leftover roast chicken instead.
I have also included timings and quantities, so you can easily choose the perfect recipe for the quantity of leftover chicken you have, as well as the amount of time you want to spend cooking.
If you have other leftovers you need to use up, please check out my full collection of leftovers recipes.
Easy Spanish Chicken Traybake
Dull but important note on food safety… please remember to get your chicken leftovers into the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of the chicken coming out of the oven. Chicken leftovers can usually be safely stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 1 month. Never freeze cooked chicken more than once. Always make sure you reheat cooked chicken until it’s piping hot! If in doubt throw it away…food waste is bad, but food poisoning is worse!!
Roast Chicken Leftovers Curry
Get the recipe => Roast Chicken Leftovers Curry
How to adapt using leftovers: This recipe was designed for leftover roast chicken. Follow the exact instructions in the recipe.
Total time using leftovers: 30 minutes
Use 400g/14oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Leftover Chicken and Egg Fried Rice
Get the recipe => Leftover Chicken and Egg Fried Rice
How to adapt using leftovers: This recipe was designed for leftover roast chicken. Follow the exact instructions in the recipe.
Total time using leftovers: 15 minutes
Use 400g/14oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Creamy Leftover Chicken Pasta
Get the recipe => Creamy Leftover Turkey Pasta
How to adapt using leftovers: For creamy leftover chicken pasta, simply use leftover chicken instead of leftover turkey. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
Total time using leftovers: 20 minutes
Use 300g/11oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Roast Chicken Leftovers Stew with Dumplings
Get the recipe => Roast Chicken Leftovers Stew with Dumplings
How to adapt using leftovers: This recipe was designed for leftover roast chicken. Follow the exact instructions in the recipe.
Total time using leftovers: 1 hour
Use 500g/18oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Get the recipe => Turkey, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
How to adapt using leftovers: For leftover chicken tacos, simply use leftover chicken instead of leftover turkey. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
Total time using leftovers: 30 minutes
Use 400g/14oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Chicken, Pea and Sprout Risotto
Get the recipe => Ham, Pea and Sprout Risotto
How to adapt using leftovers: For leftover chicken risotto, simply use leftover chicken instead of leftover ham. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written. (And if you don’t like sprouts just leave them out!)
Total time using leftovers: 30 minutes
Use 200g/7oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Easy Chicken Jalfrezi
Get the recipe => Easy Chicken Jalfrezi
How to adapt using leftovers: For a leftover chicken jalfrezi, simply use your leftover roast chicken in place of the fresh chicken. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
Total time using leftovers: 30 minutes
Use 500g/18oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Leftover Chicken Paella
Get the recipe => Leftover Turkey Paella
How to adapt using leftovers: For leftover chicken paella, simply use leftover chicken instead of leftover turkey. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
Total time using leftovers: 30 minutes
Use 400g/14oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Leftover Chicken Chilli Con Carne
Get the recipe => Leftover Turkey Chilli Con Carne
How to adapt using leftovers: For leftover chicken chilli con carne, simply use leftover chicken instead of leftover turkey. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
Total time using leftovers: 30 minutes
Use 400g/14oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Leftover Chicken, Kale, Quinoa and Pumpkin Salad
Get the recipe => Leftover Chicken, Kale, Quinoa and Pumpkin Salad
How to adapt using leftovers: This recipe was designed for leftover roast chicken. Follow the exact instructions in the recipe. (If you can’t get hold of pumpkin, use butternut squash instead)
Total time using leftovers: 30 minutes
Use 400g/14oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Leftover Chicken Korma
Get the recipe => Leftover Lamb Korma
How to adapt using leftovers: For leftover chicken korma, simply use leftover chicken instead of leftover lamb. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
Total time using leftovers: 25 minutes
Use 500g/18oz leftover roast chicken, serves 4
Moroccan Chicken Filo Pie
Get the recipe => Moroccan Turkey Filo Pie
How to adapt using leftovers: For a Moroccan chicken filo pie, simply use leftover chicken instead of leftover turkey. Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written.
Total time using leftovers: 45 minutes
Use 650g/23oz leftover roast chicken, serves 6-8
More roast meat leftovers recipes…
Want more delicious ideas for your Sunday roast leftovers? Check out these other roast meat leftovers roundups…
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Corina Blum says
Gorgeous recipes! I tend to make curries or salads with leftover roast chicken and absolutely love to have leftovers. In fact, I’m disappointed if everyone is super hungry when we have roast dinner and there’s not quite enough to make a whole meal for us all the next day! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Corina 🙂 I am also disappointed when there’s no leftovers!! I always try to make enough so there is 😀 Eb x
Monika Dabrowski says
Such a delicious collection of dinner ideas! I love cooking with chicken (I only eat chicken and turkey these days, as far as meat, so there is always something chicken in the fridge:) you can do so much with it. #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Monika! Hope you find some extra inspiration for your leftovers 🙂 Eb x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
I have to admit (shame face) that I buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery almost on a weekly basis. They’re such a fantastic deal here, especially if you make stock with the carcass. As a result, I’m always looking for creative ways for using up the meat—you’ve given me a whole slew of fresh, new ideas to try out!
Eb Gargano says
No need to be ashamed of that! And now you have a whole bunch of new ideas to make the most of it. Love that you make stock with the carcass too. That’s such a great way of getting the full value out of the chicken, not to mention being way tastier than shop-bought stock!! Eb x
Rae says
Hi Eb,
Thanks for sharing your left over roast chicken recipes. I thought I could share my Grandma’s leftovers recipe with you.
Line base of lidded casserole dish with par steamed cauliflower and broccoli florets. Cover with left over chicken. In a jug combine a tin of cream of chicken soup, 2 tabs mayonnaise, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 teas. Curry powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. (Can also add preserved lemon for extra kick) pour over chicken, lifting at edges so sauce gets in underneath. Butter 2 to 3 slices of bread and slice into smaller pieces. Place butter side up on top of chicken. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Bake at 175C for 20 mins, remove cover and continue to bake until bread is crisp and golden. Enjoy
Rae
Eb Gargano says
Hi Rae, so pleased you like my recipes. And thanks for sharing your Grandma’s recipe! Eb 🙂
Patricia says
They all look delicious, I love the pasta idea. Even living with four people here, there are always roast chiclen leftover.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! So good to hear you like them. Let me know if you try any! Eb 🙂