Whenever we go to Costco I like to buy one of their nice, big Rotisserie chicken for $4.99. I can usually get 4-5 meals of this one rotisserie chicken, plus, I can use it to make a large batch of chicken broth.
What is Rotisserie Chicken?
Rotisserie chicken is made by first skewing a whole chicken on a long rod or “spit.” The chicken is hung horizontally and spun continuously on this spit while being roasted next to direct heat either in an over or over a flame.
How to cut a rotisserie chicken:
Cutting your rotisserie chicken the right way will allow you to get the most meat from your rotisserie chicken. Follow the steps below or watch this helpful video.
- Cut the twine off the legs. Remove the twine that ties the legs together and place your chicken on a cutting board.
- Remove the legs. Pull one leg slightly away from the body and carefully slice through the leg meat and skin. Then, pull the leg away from the body and when the hip bone pops up, place your sharp knife between the hip bone and the rest of the body and cut to remove it. Repeat these steps with the other leg.
- Separate the drumstick and thigh. Place your knife on the natural line that separates the drumstick and the thigh. Cut through this joint, separating the two pieces. Repeat with the other leg.
- Remove the breast meat. Carve along one side of the breast bone to remove one side of breast meat. Place your knife along the natural line that separates the two breasts of the chicken and cut from front to back while pulling the breast meat away from the bone. Remove all the breast meat from the chicken.
- Slice. Slice the breast meat into portions by laying it skin side up and cutting it into thin portions.
At this point you can discard the carcus/bones or you can use them to make delicious homemade chicken broth.
FOUR meals to make with one rotisserie chicken:
- Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Chimichangas
- Spinach Chicken Bowtie Pasta Salad
How long does rotisserie chicken last?
Rotisserie chicken will stay fresh for 4 days in the fridge. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 4 months.
I love to serve part of my rotisserie chicken for dinner and use the rest to make 3 additional meals the next few days.
When I have used up all the meat I can reasonably remove, I use the bones/carcass to make delicious homemade chicken broth (recipe below).
The trick for getting the most from your rotisserie chicken is to use the chicken in recipes that call for several other ingredients besides rotisserie chicken.
Recipes to use your leftover Rotisserie Chicken:
- Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta
- Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad
- Crispy BBQ Chicken Wraps
- Spinach Chicken Bowtie Pasta Salad
- Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Chicken Taco Casserole
- Southwest Eggrolls
- Parmesan Pasta
- Chicken Chimichangas
- Chicken Tetrazzini
Rotisserie Chicken Calories:
The calories in rotisserie chicken vary depending on the size of the chicken. I love Costco’s rotisserie chicken because they are so large. It’s estimated that Costco’s rotisserie chicken contains 140 calories for each 3 ounce serving.
After I’ve used up all of the chicken on my rotisserie chicken I’m left with the discarded bones and chicken carcass (for lack of a better word, haha). At this point, I can make a big pot full of homemade chicken broth that I’ll store in my freezer, or use to make some yummy homemade soup!
How to store bone broth after cooking:
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate overnight, for use the next day. After refrigerating, skim the fat that has raised to the surface.
- Freeze. I like to measure out my broth in batches of two cups each. I place each bath in ziplock bags and put them in the freezer. This way, when I pull it out of the freezer, I know I have exactly 2 cups of homemade chicken broth for whatever recipe I’m making!
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Homemade Chicken Broth
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken (just the leftover pieces and bones)
- 2 ribs celery , with leaves and cut into chunks
- 2 medium carrots , cut into chunks
- 2 medium onions , cut into chunks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 6-8 cups cold water
- 6 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste , or bouillon cubes
Instructions
- Place rotisserie chicken, vegetables, spices and water into a large soup pot.
- Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low heat for at least 1-2 hours.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Strain broth through a fine sieve strainer, discarding all vegetables and seasonings so you are only left with the broth. Season with chicken boullion paste to taste.
- At this point I like to pour the broth into my soup pot and refrigerate it for a few hours so that the fat from the broth will rise to the top and I can skim it off.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Kylie says
Excellent!! This is my go to broth recipe now. I have made it several times now and it turns out so tasty. I use this along with the Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, and that is also a favorite!
Joanne says
I like your bone broth recipe which I need to try one day. My knife skills aren’t the best, so I usually buy Kettle and Fire’s chicken and beef bone broths, which can be a bit pricey.
Tracey Campbell says
Your recipes are so wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing with everyone. We have absolutely loved all that we have tried. Look forward to hearing from you soon.
rachel says
Great recipe!
Alisa says
Thanks for your leftover chicken recipes! I usually eat the parts I like and throw the rest away. I always wonder if there are any not so good ingredients in those rotisserie chickens. I look forward to trying all of these ideas including the chicken broth recipe. I usually stud one of my onions with cloves and often throw in a few spices that I’m in the mood for. Be careful of using some of the bouillon and other flavor enhancers. They tend to have MSG and other undesirable ingredients. If you have a clean brand that you use, I’d love to know about it!