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By Katie Workman
on Apr 30, 2021, Updated Jan 14, 2024
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What do to with those leftover chicken breasts? Those leftover chicken thighs? Shred them! Leftover cooked shredded chicken is one of the most perpetually useful things to have in your fridge, a springboard for all kinds of meals.
Whether it’s from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or just extra chicken from a dinner earlier in the week, whether the chicken has been poached, grilled, roasted, baked, made in a slow cooker or Instant Pot,or steamed, it’s a goldmine of future recipes and meals waiting to happen. Think tacos, enchiladas, chicken salads, soups, and quesadillas.
(Psst….anything on this list also works with leftover shredded turkey! Which many of us will have in our fridges right after Thanksgiving.)
Table of Contents
- Shredded Chicken From Costco
- How to Shred Chicken
- FAQs
- 32 Shredded Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Recipes That Make Good Leftovers
If you’re super smart, you’ll plan ahead and make a few extra pieces whenever you cook chicken, and then you’ll have this head start for all sorts of great chicken meals later in the week. You can plan for leftover chicken breasts or thighs or even a whole extra roast chicken.
I often buy a rotisserie chicken at the market if I’m not sure what the week’s meal plan is because there will be a dinner one way or another. There are so many easy shredded chicken recipes just waiting to happen.
Shredded Chicken From Costco
You can also buy packages of freshly shredded rotisserie chicken breasts at Costco, and then you are ready to roll with any of the following. It’s a great shortcut for those moments when you don’t even have time to shred up a rotisserie chicken. These packages are all chicken breasts, so all white meat, perfect for chicken salads and the like.
How to Shred Chicken
You can shred chicken while it’s still warm, once it’s cooled to room temperature, or when it’s cold from the fridge. I think it’s easiest to shred when it’s still slightly warm. You can use your fingers, which is the quickest way to shred chicken, or you can use two forks to pull apart the meat.
And, you can shred the chicken as roughly or as finely as you like, in pieces large or small, depending on the texture you are looking for and how you’re using it. I like smaller pieces for soups, enchiladas, and burritos and larger chunks for stews and salads.
FAQs
How long is cooked chicken good for?
Leftover cooked chicken will last in the fridge will last for 3 or 5 days, depending on how fresh the chicken was when you cooked it. Keep it tightly sealed in a container or well-sealed zipper top bag.
Can you freeze leftover chicken?
Yes! Put it in a container or zipper top bag, and seal it tightly. Label it with the date and freeze for up to 6 months.
32 Shredded Chicken Recipes
So, without further ado, here’s what can be made from shredded chicken!
5 from 6 votes
Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
This divine soup is scented with chili, cumin, and coriander and topped with all kinds of deliciousness, like avocado and tortilla crisps. This is one of my favorite soups of all time. It’s bursting with flavor, and if you have leftover shredded chicken at the ready, it comes together very quickly. Another soup that can easily hold its own as the main course.Serve withRoasted Garlic and Tomato Breadif you like.
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5 from 3 votes
Late Summer Cobb Salad
The salad to keep up with the end-of-summer influx of produce. Lay down a bed of crunchy lettuce, and then create rows of whatever ingredients you’re craving, with a row of shredded chicken going right down the middle. I like leftover chicken breasts for this one.Tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, avocados, bacon…anything you’d like to see in your salad is fair game.
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5 from 2 votes
Chicken Marsala Pasta
Pick up some mushrooms and a rotisserie chicken, and have this pasta for dinner in about 30 minutes. This is the very definition of an easy weeknight dinner, with a sauce anchored by a bit of richly flavored marsala wine and a generous amount of sautéedmushrooms. And guess what — only 5 ingredients (not including the pasta and olive oil, which I hope you’ll think is fair).
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5 from 3 votes
Shredded Chicken Tacos
This is a delicious twist on the more traditional taco fillings. The shredded chicken is tossed with a Mexican-spice seasoned tomato sauce that has piquancy and depth.
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5 from 2 votes
Herbed Chicken Salad
This herbed mayo is a summer staple in my house, and you can make it with whatever herbs you have on hand. It turns some simply shredded chicken breasts into an amazing chicken salad.
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5 from 5 votes
Chicken Taco Salad
This is one of my favorite lunches of all time, with so much color, texture, and flavor going on. The tortilla chips or fritos on top make the meal!
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5 from 2 votes
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This is the perfect combo of Caesar Salad and pasta salad. Don't think for a minute that lettuce in a pasta salad is weird; I promise you it's not! And the dressing is divine.
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5 from 1 vote
Barbecued Chicken Quesadillas
You definitely should plan to save some leftover cooked (or rotisserie!) chicken to make these easy, super kid-friendly quesadillas. If you use bottled sauce they can be ready in minutes.
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5 from 2 votes
Smoky Chipotle Chicken Salad
Pureed chipotles in adobo give the chicken salad a lovely smoky heat.
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5 from 1 vote
Chicken and Avocado Salad
You can keep changing this salad up, depending on what veggies you have on hand. Add some pasta to turn it into a chicken pasta salad!
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5 from 1 vote
Pasta Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Tomato
If you are making this ahead of time, make sure to add the avocado just before serving so it doesn't brown. This a great portable dish — perfect for an office lunch, a buffet, a picnic, you name it.
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4.67 from 3 votes
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
This soup is so easy but will make you feel like you've gotten some amazing takeout from a Thai restaurant. Lemongrass, ginger, and fish sauce give it an amazing aroma, and the rice noodles are imminently slurpable.
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5 from 2 votes
Easiest Baked Chicken Quesadillas
These are super cheesy and flavorful, and stuffed full. If you are making quesadillas for a crowd, baking them is so much more efficient than making them in a pan.
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5 from 1 vote
Overstuffed Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas
Skimpy quesadillas? No. Boo. I would much rather have a few wedges of a generously filled quesadilla than multiple wedges of a skimpy quesadilla.
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5 from 29 votes
Chicken Pasta Salad with Ramp Vinaigrette
If you are lucky enough to get your hands on some ramps in the spring, then make this salad! This robustly flavored hearty pasta salad with shredded chicken is beautiful and delicious.
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5 from 4 votes
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
With a couple of cups of shredded chicken and a handful of additional ingredients, in less than half an hour you can have a creamy, mildly spicy, and eye-rollingly good hot dip. Perfect for game day.
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5 from 5 votes
Indonesian Chicken Salad
If you love hearty shredded chicken salads, like Chinese Chicken Salad, give this one a try! Loads of texture and color and flavor.
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5 from 2 votes
Best Chicken Salad
One of the most classic uses for shredded chicken! A few flavorful and crunchy add-ins turn this chicken salad into something really special.
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4.60 from 5 votes
Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti
When I don't have the time to make full on Chicken Parmesan, I make this comfort food casserole, and my family is very, very happy.
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5 from 1 vote
Chopped Salad with Chicken, Tomatoes and Lemon Thyme Dressing
A chopped salad made with diced or shredded chicken is one of our favorite lunches. Heavy on the chicken! I made huge bowls of this when the whole family is around.
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5 from 5 votes
Chinese Chicken Salad
The first time I had this salad was at The Cheesecake Factory, and I've never looked back. But this colorful, classic restaurant salad is yours to make at home — savory and sweet, with lots of crunch.
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5 from 2 votes
Chopped Salad with Chicken and Blue Cheese Dressing
Another chopped salad, but this one featured blue cheese dressing, which is one of our favorite creamy dressings. Use your favorite blue cheese, or just use bottled blue cheese dressing (I like Marie's).
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5 from 6 votes
Easy Rotisserie Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
With some shredded chicken, a bag of shredded cheese, and some tortillas on hand, a quesadilla lunch or dinner is but minutes away. Just add a salad.
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5 from 4 votes
Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
Feta, cucumber, and tomatoes plus shredded chicken and orzo, all tossed with a Greek dressing equal the perfect forkable Greek chicken salad.
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5 from 24 votes
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps
Instead of buying this at Le Something Or Other, it's a very easy wrap to make at home!
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5 from 2 votes
Hashbrown Chicken Vegetable Pot Pie Casserole
Chunks of tender chicken, copious amounts of vegetables, all bound together with an savory sauce.
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5 from 6 votes
Chicken, Barley, and Mushroom Soup
A hearty cold-weather soup featuring dried mushrooms, chicken, and barley. Substantial, comforting, and perfect for a cold weekday night.
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5 from 8 votes
Spinach, Mushroom, and Chicken Quesadillas
This chicken and vegetable quesadilla is satisfying, substantial, and ready for adaptation!
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5 from 2 votes
Chicken Satay Salad
The salad for anyone who can't get enough of that great peanutty chicken satay dressing. A serious salad meal.
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5 from 3 votes
Spicy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Some kick, how much depends a bit on your poblanos.
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5 from 2 votes
Pasta Salad with Chicken and Chipotle Dressing
Leftovers join forces to become this better-than-I-expected salad.
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5 from 8 votes
Spinach, Mushroom, and Chicken Quesadillas
This chicken and vegetable quesadilla is satisfying, substantial, and ready for adaptation!
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Chicken Recipes That Make Good Leftovers
- Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lime, Roasted Garlic, and Fresh Herb Marinade
- Baked Chicken Legs with Herbs and Lemon
- Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Greek Roasted Chicken Breasts
- Garlicky Roast Chicken with Shallots and Potatoes
Also see: How to Safely Thaw Frozen Chicken.
