The Fastest Way To Turn Rotisserie Chicken Into A Meal
Grocery store rotisserie chickens are a dinner cheat code — convenient, affordable, and enough to feed a family. Getting a rotisserie can save you time and lighten your workload, but the fastest way to turn rotisserie chicken into a full meal? Use it in a salad, which means no cooking, minimal cleanup. It doesn't even matter if your chicken cools on the drive home. Add chicken chunks to chopped greens, along with veggies, nuts, croutons, fruits, and other toppings. Add your favorite dressing and you've got a healthful meal well worth the few minutes it takes to toss it all together.
New to the rotisserie game? Find out your grocery store's cooking schedule and arrive as close to release time as possible. This ensures maximum freshness and will likely guarantee all those golden juices will be locked in for peak tastiness. One thing you don't want is a dry chicken that's been sitting under a heat lamp for three hours. Especially if it's going in a bright and creamy grilled chicken Caesar salad made with lemon-pepper rotisserie chicken.
Try making these three salads
Once you have your chicken, you'll want to debone it to top your salad. If you're using only the breast meat, there's a genius trick to easily remove rotisserie chicken breasts from the bone. If the chicken's still piping hot, wear disposable gloves to pull the flesh off the bone without getting burned. Or skip the gloves and try this gallon bag hack from YouTube to speed things along. Next, chop or shred your chicken into bite-sized pieces and pop it in the fridge or freezer to cool while you prep your greens, other veggies, and dressing.
If you arrive a little late, missing that coveted peak chicken window at your local grocer, you may find that the only rotisseries left are plain or basic salt and pepper. While it might not sound exciting, these options actually provide the most versatility for creativity, allowing for any style of chicken salad you're craving. But remember, you'll need to bring the flavor yourself, like in Buffalo chicken kale salad with Marie's dressing or in a classic cobb salad.