Roast chicken is a popular option for people looking for fast but healthy food options. Turn any leftovers into one of the dishes on our roster.

Rotisserie chicken is cheap, readily available, and delicious. Despite having so many other competitors, stalls known for selling roast chicken remain at the top of their game. Because of its grab-and-go business model, it is considered by many a reliable last-minute meal option.

Even when made at home, roast chicken is a simple enough recipe to follow. When marinated beforehand, an entire chicken can be roasted in an oven or turbo broiler. But as tasty as the Lechon Manok is, more often than not, we find ourselves with some bit of leftovers.

Rather than just reheating it the following day, here are some delicious leftover roast chicken recipes you can try out.

Roast Chicken Recipes to Give Life to Leftovers

Chicken Pancit Bihon

The ingredient list of Pancit recipes contains shredded chicken. Save yourself the trouble of boiling chicken parts to add to your noodle dish. Instead, make use of pre-cooked poultry in the form of a roast. Not only does roasted chicken cut down on the prep and cook time, but it also lends a unique flavor to the noodles thanks to the herbs and spices it contains

Adobo Flakes

Whether hard or soft shell, beef tacos make a hearty meal. And with the recent buzz created by birria tacos, now is a good time to play around with your fillings. In place of ground meat, use corned beef marinated in Knorr Liquid Seasoning to recreate your very own version of the birria. If you aren’t into dipping your tacos into a consommé, this classic beef taco recipe will work just as well.

Arroz Caldo

Rice Porridge is quick to make and a staple dish for rainy days and sick days. Chicken Arroz Caldo contains ingredients that can easily be found in our fridge. Further enhance the taste of your porridge by cooking it in stock made from the bones of the roasted chicken, and a single Knorr Chicken Cube. With just one cube, you get the robust flavor profile of a kilo of chicken.

Macaroni Salad

Create a light salad with a hint of smokiness when you add last night’s roast chicken to the mix. Great for picnics, as a merienda, or to accompany burgers, grilled hotdogs, or fried meats. You can even share extras with your next-door neighbors.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

By default, leftover chicken is often used to make a chicken sandwich spread. Though it tastes good, it can become repetitive, especially when trying to feed picky kids. Change it up by making pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches instead. We’ve got a Char Siu Ribs recipe you can use to make an Asian style sauce for your Pulled Chicken Sandwich. Make it more interesting by using a variety of bread. Pandesal, dinner rolls, sliced white bread, and hamburger buns are just some of the options you can try out.

Taco Cups

Suddenly excepting guests? Chicken roast pieces left from the previous day’s meal can be turned into these cute appetizers or kid-friendly snacks. Since the roast is already packed with seasonings, marination is no longer needed. This cuts down 15 minutes from your prep work. You can use mini taco shells or quickly bake tortilla pieces in a muffin pan to create Taco Cups.

Tips for Perfecting Homemade Roast Chicken

Finding a delectable roast chicken recipe online or from cookbooks is not hard to do. Perfecting the recipe and making it your own is another matter. Here are a few things to keep in mind to get you started when learning how to cook a roast chicken properly.

Tip 1: Brine the chicken first – brine the poultry a full day before roasting. Brining retains moisture in the flesh, creating juicier meat.

Tip 2: Season generously – rotisserie chicken from groceries tastes amazing because they are well seasoned. Some even go as far as infusing flavors into the flesh through a syringe.

Tip 3: Sneak some fat under the skin – butter and herbs or olive oil is a great technique for achieving crispy golden-brown skin. Don’t be afraid of butter, be like Julia Child!

Tip 4: Add some vegetables – we don’t mean just like a bed for the roast to sit on. Play around with lemon, carrots, celery, onion, a whole head of garlic, and turnips to flavor your roast from within.

Tip 5: Use a thermometer – when roasting an entire chicken, the best way to tell if it’s cooked fully is by using a thermometer. We prefer a mechanical thermometer. Aim for 165°F or 75°C internal temperature.

Making use of day-old roast chicken meat doesn’t have to be boring. There are many recipes where you can substitute proteins like beef or pork for chicken. If you were to ask elders, their first suggestion would be to store it for future use as pang sahog or pang gisa for Chop Suey, monggo, ampalaya, sayote, and other veggie dishes.

But you shouldn’t be limited to using roasts simply as a sautéing component. Local and international recipes will allow you to use parts of a roast chicken in dishes. Don’t be afraid to experiment with various cuisines until you find ones the fam and friends can’t get enough of.