4 min read

3 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Leftover Chicken

Whenever we have a roast dinner, we often have leftovers, especially chicken for some reason. With the leftovers, I'll usually rustle something up for dinner the next day because I can't stand to waste perfectly good food. However, many of us can't really think of what to do with leftovers other than making sandwiches.

If you are bored of the usual sandwiches then this post is definitely for you. I have created the following recipes specifically for any leftover chicken you may have. Three different ways that can make some amazing meals from your leftover roast chicken (even from the bones!). These are just a few of many ideas that can be made with your leftovers so don't go throwing them away!

To use leftover chicken, you need to make sure that it was previously stored correctly. Correct storage of leftover chicken is important to make sure there is minimal risk of food poisoning. When the chicken is reheated, it must be piping hot all the way through to kill off anything that may have gotten in there after it was cooked the first time.

All of these recipes are for leftover chicken and should not be reheated again after making.

If you want any more information about reheating food, I have included some links at the bottom of the post.

There is also a deceptive amount of chicken left on a... chicken. So, when stripping the meat off for your recipes don't forget to turn the chicken over. There is a lot of chicken on the back so don't be afraid to get in there!

Chicken Fajitas

Prep time

5 minutes

Cook time

5-10 minutes

Serves

3-4

This is a really simple and versatile recipe. For my fajitas I usually add some salad leaves, salsa, fried peppers, sour cream and guacamole but you can add whatever toppings you want.

This recipe is for 300g of chicken but you can alter it to however much chicken you have lying around.

For the Chicken

300g Leftover Chicken, cut into pieces

1 1/2 tbsp Smoky paprika

1 tbsp Ground coriander

2 tbsp Cornflour

1 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tsp Cumin Powder

2 tsp Salt

Frying the Chicken

Mix all of the spices and cornflour together and then add the chicken (If you don't like spicy food you can remove the cayenne pepper from the recipe). Stir the chicken until all of it has an even coating of spices.

Heat a small amount of oil in a non stick frying pan. Once hot add the chicken and fry on a low heat for around 5 minutes. Add around 100ml of water and boil until the chicken is covered in a thick sauce (around 1-2 minutes).

Check the chicken is piping hot in the middle and then serve on a tortilla with all your favourite fillings.

Fried Rice

Prep time

5-10 minutes

Cook time

5-10 minutes

Serves

2-3

You can swap out any of the vegetables in this recipe, it is incredibly flexible. You can also add as much chicken as you want, that is why I haven't specified an amount.

3 Spring onions

1 Garlic clove

Leftover chicken (however much you want/have)

1tbsp Honey

2 tbsp Oyster sauce

2 tbsp Soy sauce

3 Drops of fish sauce

250g Cooked rice

80g Broccoli

2 Carrots

Prepping the Ingredients

For fried rice, it's always best to prep all of your ingredients before you start frying. This is because the actual frying only takes a short amount of time so you don't want to be cutting vegetables whilst frying or else you could end up burning it. Chop your vegetables as small as you can so that they are able to cook in the short amount of time that they are in the pan. I only leave the broccoli as large pieces because that is my preference but it is up to you.

Frying the Rice

Once you have all of your ingredients ready you can start frying. Start by heating the oil in a wok or frying pan. I love to use sesame oil but if I run out, I just use sunflower oil. Fry the spring onions and garlic in the oil for around 2 minutes. Add the chicken and fry for a further minute. Add the flavours; honey, oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir and fry for around 20 seconds before adding the rice. Keep stirring for a further 2 minutes before adding the rest of the vegetables. Fry for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly and its ready!

Bone Broth

Prep time

5 minutes

Cook time

1 hour 30 minutes

Serves

-

This recipe is great when added to soups or stews. It adds so much flavour, it is also full of nutrition. Bone broth has an incredible array of health benefits from improved digestion and gut health to sleep benefits.

Now, you may be thinking that it is a little grim but its a classic method that is totally worth it.

Bones and skin of 1 whole chicken

2 Bay leaves (or sage if you prefer)

~10 Peppercorns

Making the Broth

Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan and add enough water to completely cover everything. Place on a medium heat for around an hour with the lid on. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes or until your are left with about an inch deep of liquid.

Remove the pan from the heat and then strain the liquid in to a heatproof container. Allow the strained stock to cool before placing into the fridge.

The stock can be kept for around 4-5 days in the fridge or can be kept frozen for a month. It can be used in soups, stews, sauces etc. You can also use it in the lentil soup recipe on my other post.