5 Easy Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Five ways to prepare rotisserie chicken for weeknight meals when you don’t feel like cooking.

5 Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie chicken, a weeknight meal protein staple in my house, always reminds me of college.

My sister and I both attended the University of Florida. As I was entering my freshman year, she was finishing her four years as a senior. She went on to get her Master’s at UF, so we ended up spending two years together in college. I lived in three different dorms: one during the Summer semester that I started off with, one during the Fall/Spring semester of my first full year, and another one during the Summer between freshman and sophomore year (I spent every Summer in school to make sure I graduated on time). After that, her and I lived in an apartment together. But, during my dorm days, I experienced quote the home sickness.

I was so lucky to have my sister there with me. Whenever I felt home sick, she would invite me to her apartment. I’d drive over there and she would let me sleep over. And almost every time, she’d cook me dinner (at that point, I didn’t have a meal plan, and was frequenting Lean Cuisines *vom*). But whenever she would cook for me, she’d make sauteed onions with rotisserie chicken and a splash of mojo – something that my mom would always make us on super busy weeknights growing up. This always made me feel like I was back at home.

To this day, rotisserie chicken makes a regular appearance on our menu. It’s such an easy option when you’ve got no time or any creative juices left for dinner. But, while it’s not necessarily the most flavor-bursting, shockingly innovative meal option, there are ways to switch it up and actually enjoy it! I’ve reinvented the rotisserie chicken, and these are the five ways you’ve got to try eating it. Oh, and each recipe contains five ingredients or less.

Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Each recipe is for one serving.

Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Mojo Rotisserie Chicken with Caramelized Onions

This is the most common way I enjoy rotisserie, along with the absolute easiest. If you haven’t tried using mojo marinade to add flavors to your meals yet, what are you waiting for?! It’s my favorite way to completely transform a boring meal into a citrusy, garlicky concoction.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 onion, cut lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup mojo marinade
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

What to do:

  1. In a small saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and onions. Saute for a couple of minutes.
  2. Pour marinade over onions and cook until onions are soft and translucent.
  3. Add chicken and salt. Continue sauteeing until chicken is hot.
  4. Serve with salad or rice and beans.

Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Simple Arugula Salad with Rotisserie Chicken

This is a great lunch option – you can pack the greens, chicken, beans, and whichever veggies you prefer, pack the dressing separate, and assemble at work/school/wherever. Being a remote employee, this is something I love to whip up at home for lunch. Despite the stereotype of remote workers (being that they don’t work), I am super busy and rarely have time to “cook” a meal for lunch. So, this works out perfectly for my schedule.

What you’ll need: 

  • 1/2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 2 cups arugula (or whichever greens you prefer)
  • 1 vine ripe tomato, sliced
  • 1/4 hass avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Salad dressing
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
    • Pinch of salt
    • 1 tsp dijon mustard

What to do:

  1. Pour salad dressing ingredients into a liquid measuring cup and whisk together with a fork.
  2. Add chicken, arugula, tomato, avocado, and chickpeas to a bowl.
  3. Pour dressing over top, toss, and enjoy.

*TIP: I like to pour all of my salad ingredients into a Tupperware container, pour the dressing on top, cover the container, and shake it. This ensures the salad is completely tossed and evenly coated with the delicious dressing!

Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Hummus and Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato

This has got to be the easiest. Okay, they’re all easy. But seriously. AND you’re getting veggies, proteins, fats, the gangs all there, in one package. You can get pretty creative here and use whatever you have on-hand, but I personally LOVE this flavor combination! This can be used as a snack, side, or double it and make it a meal!

What you’ll need:

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1/4 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 tbsp hummus
  • 1/4 cup greens (I used arugula)

What to do:

  1. Place sweet potato in the microwave for ~5 minutes (depending on size, if it’s bigger then you’ll need to heat it for longer) until soft (press with a fork to test).
  2. Once sweet potato is cooked and cooled down some, use a knife to slice it down the middle. Do not slice it completely, but just enough to open it up.
  3. Add hummus, then chicken, then greens into the sweet potato opening.

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Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich

Another great lunch option, this sandwich is everything you want in a compact package. Smooth, creamy avocado coats every morsel of chicken for a texture and flavor combo you’ll want everyday. If you’re looking to bring this with you to work/class/library/wherever, I recommend either waiting to add the avocado until time of meal (not the most convenient option), OR you can squeeze some lemon or lime juice over the avocado before mixing with the chicken. This helps to preserve the avocado to avoid brownness.

What you’ll need:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1/3 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 hass avocado
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard

What to do:

  1. Place avocado in a bowl and mash with a fork.
  2. Next, add chicken atop mashed avocado, sprinkle with salt, and stir to combine. Avocado should coat chicken the way mayonnaise would in a traditional chicken salad.
  3. Toast bread to your desired texture.
  4. Spread mustard over one slice of bread.
  5. Place chicken/avocado mixture atop mustard. Place second piece of bread on top.
  6. Slice and enjoy!

Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Pesto Chicken and Arugula Tacos

I don’t normally use store bought pesto, but for the sake of quick, easy, and flavorful recipes like this for busy weeknights, I like to keep some on-hand. It really does add a pop of flavor to an otherwise boring dish, and can be used atop salads, in sandwiches, you name it! These tacos are so easy, and seriously require four ingredients. Does it get any easier??

What you’ll need:

  • 2 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 cup arugula
  • 1 tbsp jarred pesto

What to do:

  1. Heat each tortilla in the microwave or over a burner set to low heat.
  2. Layer tacos with arugula, chicken, and pesto.

That’s it. These are so simple, and I promise you, they have so much more flavor that you’d ever expect!

Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

In case you’re unsure what mojo is/looks like, Badia is my favorite brand and you can see what it looks like in the photo above.

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Join the conversation:
When you’ve ever been homesick in your life, what did you do to relieve it?
What is one food that brings back memories of home for you?

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Five Ways to Prepare Rotisserie Chicken

Comments

  1. says

    I LOVE buying rotisserie chicken because it’s such a great value! So glad you posted these recipes! The Hummus and Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato is most definitely making an appearance in my house soon….When I’m feeling homesick I like to call my mom or someone back home and catch up with them a bit. Or I’ll distract myself and watch a funny movie or bake something. The power of cooking does wonders for my mind. :)

  2. says

    It’s funny because I actually bought a rotisserie chicken last week because I wanted chicken but I didn’t feel like waiting to eat it and it was delicious! I could totally go for all these meals! Love that they are so easy and simple!

  3. says

    I LOVE rotisserie chicken because it is so versatile and the leftovers just keep getting better and better! All of these options look delicious…Thanks for sharing them! XOXO

  4. says

    Aw I love this story! So sweet and it’s great that your sister was able to make you feel better. Plus, that meal sounds delicious! This might be weird, but I’ve actually never been home sick. I feel like I’m missing that gene or something, but I always feel “in the moment” wherever I am. I guess that’s a good thing since I never feel that sad when I’m away from home? One thing that always reminds me of home is German food and beer!

  5. says

    growing up i LOVED rotisserie chicken! at my moms house, we always cooked it whole, but i ate it mostly at my dads (since he mostly ate/made indian) so we bought it quite a bit. now if i eat chicken i cook it at home, but stuffed in any potato is the bommmmb! i bet it goes great with the arugula.
    your sister is the sweetest! that seems like such a great perk of living at home.

    • says

      Moving away from home for college was hard for me but having her there made it so much better! And as one does, I eventually got used to it. I recently roasted a chicken and we had leftovers for days – the best way to do it!

  6. says

    Rotisserie chicken is an absolute lifesaver! I can’t tell you how many nights I am so dead from work, working out, blogging…etc that I just buy a bag of salad and rotisserie chicken and call it dinner. SO EASY and pretty healthy :)

  7. says

    These ideas all look amazing–I’ve never tried any of them before! Thanks for a BUNCH of great ideas! :)

    A food that brings back memories of home for me is my mom’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Since I can remember until I went to college, she’d make them every Sunday afternoon while I was doing my homework. When I make them, the smell takes me right back to my kitchen at home!

  8. says

    These all look sooooo goood!!!! Roast chicken brings back childhood Summer memories!!! Too many times I’ve counted the past year that I’ve been homesick! Usually when something fun is happening at home or all my family have a get together! Maybe I’ll go out and buy a roast chook (chicken) today!

  9. says

    Ooh I can’t wait to try all of these recipes. Especially the sweet potato one because I can’t get enough of hummus. I sneak it into everything!

  10. says

    Thanks a lot for sharing such a fantastic recipe. Looks perfect delicious. I really like to appreciate. I have never made it before, as it seems like a large and daunting task, but I am going to go ahead and get some and try it out now! I am also so much impressed by your glorious images. It’s really awesome.
    Thanks again.

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