Chicken dinner wins! Is there an easier or better ingredient than chicken? No? Then use frozen, already cooked chicken tenders in your recipes to take them to the next level!
Just need a bunch of super easy dinner ideas to help you plan your meals every week? We made a huge binder full of the simplest, cheapest meals. These aren’t recipes, they’re just super easy but often overlooked dinner ideas to help you quickly plan out meals you’ll actually make.
These easy recipe helpers are seriously life changing. They cut cooking time way down and they work great in almost any chicken dish.
You can find healthy, easy-to-make grilled chicken from Tyson’s or any other brand in your local grocery store’s freezer. It’s often on sale. There’s also a refrigerator version, if you plan to enjoy them all right away. I’ve used these pre-cooked strips in TONS of recipes and I totally love them.
Using pre-cooked chicken saves you from touching raw chicken if you’re squeamish about such activities (or if you’re a bit of a food safety nut like me). No worries about “cross contamination” and other kitchen hazards.
Plus, they work in almost any dish. If you want to up the protein on your salad, add meat to your mac and cheese, or find a quick sandwich filling, here’s your answer!
I learned to meal plan in the Hot Mess to Home Success course, which taught me how to reduce our spending by over $23,000 a year and actually organize my house (and keep it that way!). Which is pretty crazy considering where I started (you should have seen our fast food bill!). One of the things I learned in that course was to create change with bare minimum effort that I don’t need to have willpower to stick to. (I.e. I need to stop buying ingredients for chicken picatta and just give in to the fact that I’m not cooking full dinners.) It worked!
By far my favorite bonus about using frozen pre-cooked chicken in my recipes is how easy and FAST it is to make dinner for my family! I don’t have to worry about extra cooking time or last-minute trips to the store to buy new chicken (because how many times do we let the raw chicken sit in the fridge a few too many days before we get around to actually cooking it?). Meal planning and dinner prep is so much easier with pre-cooked chicken on hand. It’s always a win-win.
My kids love them, my husband loves them, and they’re made with white meat so they’re healthy, lower in calories, cheap and convenient. It literally doesn’t get any better.
Precooked chicken can be a real game-changer in the kitchen. With so many delicious ways to use it, you’ll never get bored. Whether you’re looking for quick and easy weekday dinners or want to get creative on the weekends precooked chicken has you covered. In this article I’ll share 20 mouthwatering recipes to inspire your cooking with this versatile ingredient. Let’s get started!
Embracing the Convenience of Precooked Chicken
Rotisserie chicken, canned chicken breast, and frozen cooked chicken strips are all examples of precooked chicken products that are very convenient. Because they are ready to eat, they take a lot less time to cook than raw chicken. Aside from being quick, precooked chicken comes in consistent portions, which makes it easier to plan meals and keep track of your macros if that’s your goal. But the benefits don’t stop there. Additionally, precooked chicken is inexpensive, easy to find in most grocery stores, and keeps well for a long time. If you know how to get the most out of it, you can make a lot of easy meals.
Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners
On busy weeknights, precooked chicken is great for making quick, easy dinners with little work. Here are some of my go-to ideas:
Chicken Quesadillas
Shredded rotisserie chicken combines deliciously with melted cheese between tortillas for an easy Mexican-inspired dinner. I love to enhance the flavor with taco seasoning and fresh cilantro. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on the side.
Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap
Transform leftover chicken into a quick and portable wrap starring romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, and creamy Caesar dressing It’s a nutritious lunch or light dinner, perfectly portioned.
Chicken Alfredo
Precooked chicken shortens the cooking process for this creamy, comfort food classic. Toss cubed chicken with Alfredo sauce and fettuccine pasta garnished with a little fresh parsley.
Elevating Beyond the Basics
But precooked chicken can stretch beyond basic meals. With a little creativity in seasoning and preparation, you can transform it into restaurant-worthy dishes.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Shred rotisserie chicken and simmer it in a tomato and vegetable broth that has cumin chili powder, lime juice, and other spices added to it. Avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime should be put on top.
Chicken Pot Pie
Skip long hours simmering raw chicken. Make this American classic by combining precooked diced chicken with vegetables in a creamy sauce, topped with a flaky pastry crust.
Chicken Satay
Marinate sliced chicken breast in peanut sauce and grill until charred. Then skewer and serve with rice, fresh herbs, sliced cucumbers, and extra peanut sauce for dipping.
Global Flavors
Incorporate precooked chicken into ethnic cuisine to enjoy exotic flavors from around the world.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Diced chicken should be mixed with yogurt and Indian spices like garam masala, cumin, and coriander. Simmer in a tomato curry sauce that smells great and serve over basmati rice.
Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich
Layer shredded chicken, sliced pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, cilantro, and chili mayo on a crusty baguette for a Vietnamese-inspired treat.
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Season sliced chicken with a Middle Eastern spice blend. Roast until charred edges develop. Then toss with hummus, tomato, onion, and parsley over rice for a homemade takeout fake-out.
More Creative Ways to Use Precooked Chicken
If you think you’ve exhausted all options for precooked chicken, think again! Here are more unique recipe ideas to inspire you:
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Chicken Florentine Pasta – Combine chicken, spinach, garlic, and nutmeg in a creamy Parmesan sauce. Toss with penne pasta.
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Buffalo Chicken Calzones – Fill pizza dough with chicken tossed in Buffalo hot sauce, blue cheese, and shredded mozzarella.
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Chicken Enchilada Casserole – Layer tortillas, shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, beans, and cheese for a hearty baked dish.
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Chicken Banh Mi Burgers – Top chicken patties with Vietnamese pickled vegetables, cilantro, and Sriracha mayo.
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Chicken Club Lettuce Wraps – Ditch the bread and wrap diced chicken, bacon, tomato, and avocado in lettuce leaves.
Key Takeaways
The possibilities are truly endless when cooking with precooked chicken. Follow these tips to make the most of this versatile staple:
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Experiment with global spices and sauces to take it beyond boring.
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Use it as a flavorful protein boost for salads, sandwiches, pastas, and more.
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Take short prep recipes over the top by swapping in flavorful precooked chicken.
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Stash some in the freezer so you always have easy protein ready when needed.
With 20 recipes and endless inspiration, you’ll never run out of ideas for precooked chicken. Now grab a rotisserie chicken or can of cooked chicken and get cooking! What will you create?
Creamy Garlic Shells from For the Love of Dessert
She changes creamy cheese sauce in her own way by adding butter, garlic, cream, and a few other things. The entire recipe comes together fast (about fifteen minutes) but if the sauce intimidates you, you could always use your favorite boxed shells and white cheddar, adding garlic. This is pretty much just macaroni and cheese dressed up with grilled chicken and a little extra flavor. It’s simple, easy, and comforting!
Tyson Honey Barbecue Chicken Strip Pizza from Cooking in Bliss
For this recipe, she uses the Tyson Honey Barbecue Chicken Strips (oh yes, they come in flavors too!). if you love barbecue chicken pizza, this is an easy-peasy create-at-home version with hardly any prep. It’s out of the oven and on the table in less than half an hour. Serve with a salad as suggested for a healthy, satisfying meal to totally knock out your pizza craving!
MUST TRY ROTISSERIE CHICKEN CASSEROLES | BEST CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPES | EASY COOKING DINNER IDEAS
FAQ
How do you cook pre cooked chicken?
Coat your boneless, skinless chicken breasts in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan. Cook for 10 minutes on 500 degrees. Turn the chicken over. Cook for another 10 minutes. Let cool and store in a container in your refrigerator until you need for the next meal. Seasoning pre-cooked chicken is the easiest thing you’ll do!.
Can pre cooked chicken be used for meal planning?
Meal planning doesn’t have to be painful or inflexible. These 10 Easy to Cook Dinners use pre-cooked chicken to simplify meal preparation during the week. Are you going to grill this weekend? If so, cook extra chicken and save it for one of these recipes during the week.
Do I need to season pre cooked chicken before baking?
Seasoning pre-cooked chicken is the easiest thing you’ll do! You really just need salt and pepper sprinkled on the chicken before baking. You can use different seasonings to make the dish you’re making taste better when you season it after it’s cooked. I don’t generally add anything except salt and pepper.
What to eat with canned chicken?
For example, add cranberries and pecans to your next chicken salad for a textural boost. Put drained canned chicken, dried cranberries, pecans, and a small amount of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Set it aside. You can also add chopped celery for a snappy bite.
Can I use canned chicken for chicken pot pie?
Chicken pot pie is a homestyle staple during the cold winter months, and canned chicken is just one way to make it a bit easier on yourself. The benefit of using canned chicken for this recipe over fresh chicken is that you won’t have to pre-cook it in advance.
What can I do with canned chicken?
You can also use your canned chicken for Asian-inspired chicken lettuce wraps. Cook the chicken with crisp water chestnuts, ginger, onion, and crunchy veggies until aromatic and flavorful then spoon the mix into your lettuce boats.
What can I make with already cooked chicken?
- Chicken soup. A star rating of 4.5 out of 5. …
- One pot chicken and mushroom risotto. A star rating of 4.8 out of 5. …
- Easy coronation chicken. …
- Chicken & bacon pasta. …
- Chicken, leek & mushroom pies. …
- Chicken fried rice. …
- Honey-mustard chicken pasta. …
- Creamy spinach, basil & chicken pasta.
What to do with premade chicken?
- Rotisserie Chicken Salad With Greens and Herbs. …
- Chicken Tortilla Soup. …
- Rotisserie Chicken and Greens Pasta. …
- Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad. …
- White Chicken Chili. …
- Green Goddess Chicken Salad Sandwiches. …
- Chicken and Red Lentil Soup With Lemony Yogurt.
How to eat leftover cooked chicken?
- Make chicken enchiladas, nachos, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, etc.
- Mix with BBQ sauce for BBQ chicken sandwiches, sliders, wraps or salads
- Use for a quick chicken skillet with veggies and seasonings (such as a southwest chicken skillet or chicken hash)
How to use ready made chicken?
- BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad in a Jar. 292 calories.
- Chop-tastic Chicken BLT Sandwich. 287 calories.
- Scoopable Chinese Chicken Salad. 195 calories.
- Greek Salad in a Jar. 286 calories.