30 Creative Recipes for Leftover Shredded Chicken

Leftover cooked chicken—whether breasts, thighs or a few pieces from a roast—turns into shredded chicken that can transform weeknight meals. Shredded chicken from a rotisserie bird or from poached, grilled, roasted, slow-cooked, Instant Pot–made, baked, or steamed chicken is a convenient ingredient that speeds dinners and adds protein to many dishes. Think tacos, enchiladas, chicken salads, soups and quesadillas.

If you have leftover turkey, these ideas work equally well with shredded turkey, which is often plentiful after holidays.

What’s In This Post?

Shredded Chicken From Costco
How to Shred Chicken
FAQs
30 Shredded Chicken Recipes
Chicken Recipes That Make Good Leftovers

Spreading Herbed Chicken Salad onto toasted bruschetta with fork. — Herbed Chicken Salad

When you cook chicken, consider making a little extra intentionally. Extra breasts, thighs or a whole roast chicken give you ready-to-use shredded meat for meals later in the week. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is a useful fallback when plans are uncertain and you want dinner to come together fast.

Spoon scooping avocado onto a Shredded Chicken Taco. — Shredded Chicken Tacos

Shredded Chicken From Costco

Some grocery stores, including Costco, sell packages of pre-shredded rotisserie chicken breast. Those containers are a great shortcut: all white meat, ready for salads, sandwiches and many of the recipes below when you don’t have time to shred a whole bird.

How to Shred Chicken

You can shred chicken warm, at room temperature, or straight from the fridge. Slightly warm chicken is often easiest to pull apart. Use your fingers for the fastest, most tactile method, or two forks to tug the meat into pieces. Adjust the size of the shreds to the recipe—smaller for soups, enchiladas and burritos, larger chunks for stews and salads.

Two forks shredding chicken on a wooden surface. — Chicken Piri Piri

FAQs

How long is cooked chicken good for?

Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days, depending on how fresh it was when cooked.

Can you freeze leftover chicken?

Yes. Place shredded chicken in a well-sealed container or freezer bag, label with the date, and freeze for up to six months for best quality.

30 Shredded Chicken Recipes

Here are many ways to use shredded chicken — quick, family-friendly, and versatile recipes to inspire dinners, lunches, and snacks.

Mexican Tortilla Chicken Soup in white bowl on table.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

A flavorful soup scented with chili, cumin and coriander, topped with avocado and tortilla crisps. With leftover shredded chicken it comes together quickly and makes a satisfying main course.

Late Summer Cobb Salad

A crunchy lettuce base topped with rows of tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, avocado, bacon and a central row of shredded chicken. Leftover chicken breasts work especially well here.

Simple chicken and pasta dish with Marsala wine sauce in brown bowl on table.

Chicken Marsala Pasta

An easy weeknight pasta with mushrooms and a Marsala-flavored sauce. Use shredded rotisserie chicken to cut prep time dramatically.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Shredded chicken tossed in a Mexican-spiced tomato sauce makes a quick, flavorful taco filling.

Herbed Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken mixed with herbed mayonnaise and fresh herbs becomes a bright, creamy chicken salad perfect for sandwiches or to serve on greens.

Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad

A colorful salad topped with shredded chicken and crunchy tortilla chips or Fritos for texture.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

A hybrid of Caesar salad and pasta salad: shredded chicken, romaine, pasta and a tangy dressing make a great make-ahead dish.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Mix shredded chicken with barbecue sauce and cheese, then toast in tortillas — a fast, kid-friendly dinner.

Smoky Chipotle Chicken Salad

Pureed chipotles in adobo give this chicken salad a smoky heat and bold flavor.

Chicken and Avocado Salad in white bowl next to spoon.

Avocado Chicken Salad

A flexible salad that can include different vegetables or even pasta to become a chicken pasta salad.

Table setting with a bowl of Pasta Salad with Chicken and a cloth napkin.

Pasta Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Tomato

Make ahead but add avocado just before serving to avoid browning. Great for lunches, picnics or potlucks.

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Lemongrass, ginger and fish sauce create a fragrant broth; rice noodles and shredded chicken finish the bowl.

The list above is just a sampling; this article includes many more shredded-chicken recipes such as baked quesadillas, chicken pasta salads, casseroles, salads with various dressings, enchiladas, dips like buffalo chicken dip, and more. Shredded chicken is an all-purpose ingredient that extends meals, reduces prep time, and helps prevent food waste.

Chicken Recipes That Make Good Leftovers

Grilled Chicken Breasts
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.