Leftover chicken is a pretty common occurrence in many Kiwi households. Whether you’ve made yourself a roast, or simply need a way to use up the last of a rotisserie chicken from your PAK’nSAVE deli, we’ve got heaps of great suggestions for ways to use leftover chicken. If you don’t have any leftovers just use shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken or your own homemade pulled chicken.
These chicken recipes aren’t just useful in a pinch — if you plan well, you can squeeze extra meals out of a single roast chicken. Not only do you reduce food waste, but you’ll eat well and pay less. If you’re interested in following a meal plan or learning to create your own, be sure to check out our budget meal planners. For more super savey tips, head on over to our saving ideas hub.
Chicken pot pie
This delicious chicken pot pie makes for fantastic comfort food on a chilly winter’s evening. Better still, it’s already designed for using up your leftover chicken. Follow the recipe as it is, and use whatever chicken is left in your fridge. View recipe: Chicken pot pie
Chicken spinach filo
For dinner or lunch, these chicken spinach filos are a great way to finish up your leftover chicken using things you might already have in your pantry and freezer. View recipe: Chicken spinach filo
Chicken & broccoli pasta bake
Add flavour, substance and a little bit of green veg to your cooked chicken with this cosy pasta bake. To use roast chicken in this pasta bake, simply skip the second step and instead substitute the chicken for your leftovers. View recipe: Chicken & broccoli pasta bake
Chicken & corn soup
This recipe already calls for shredded chicken, so just swap that for whatever chicken leftovers you have. Using creamed corn and precooked chicken, this is a super quick chicken & corn soup for those nights where you need comfort food quickly. View recipe: Chicken & corn soup
Chicken noodle soup
Warm yourself up from the inside out with this soul-healing chicken noodle soup. While this recipe calls for whole chicken breasts, it’s just as simple to make with leftover chicken. Simply omit the whole chicken breasts and shred your cooked chicken, to add in place of the freshly cooked chicken in step 5. View recipe: Chicken noodle soup
Chicken pho
Use up your leftover chicken meat and get some more use from the frame or carcass as well. Remove any leftover meat from the frame, then use the frame in place of the whole chicken in steps 2-4. Finally, add the leftover meat to the broth in step 5 and continue the recipe as normal. View recipe: Chicken pho
Chicken and vegetable broth
To make this chicken vegetable broth using leftovers, use your leftover chicken carcass in place of the whole chicken, and remove the frame and any loose bones in step 3. Then, simply add your shredded cooked chicken meat in step 5. View recipe: Chicken and vegetable broth
Tandoori chicken pizza
If you don’t have a lot of leftover chicken, homemade pizza is a great way to use up the last little bits. We use Patak’s Tandoori paste to liven up your cold chicken for this Indian-style pizza, but you can use any spice or curry paste you like. View recipe: Tandoori chicken pizza
BBQ chicken pizza
Flavour your shredded chicken with your favourite BBQ sauce, then throw it on a pizza! Mixing cold pulled chicken from your Sunday roast with a sauce is a great way to give it new life and make it feel like you aren’t eating leftovers. View recipe: BBQ chicken pizza
Butter chicken pizza
What do you do when one person wants curry, and another wants pizza? You have both! Put your leftover chicken to good use with a few tablespoons of butter chicken sauce. If you’re having a pizza night at home, why not make this butter chicken pizza and our tandoori chicken pizza, and serve with raita as a dipping sauce. View recipe: Butter chicken pizza
Chicken cranberry pizza
This classic flavour combo is right at home on a pizza, and made so much easier by using leftover chicken. Shred your chicken and toss it onto a pizza base with cranberry sauce and brie or camembert. View recipe: Chicken cranberry pizza
Coconut curry chicken
You might already have most of the ingredients for this coconut curry chicken in the pantry. While the recipe calls for cubed chicken breast, it’s easy to swap that out for your cooked chicken. Shred or slice your cooked chicken, toss it in your spices as described in step 3, then move on to step 4 without browning the chicken. View recipe.
Chicken Caesar wrap
Save yourself some time in this chicken Caesar wrap recipe. Skip the chicken breast and go straight to using your leftovers. Go on, pile in as much or as little chicken as you like, with rashers of bacon, crunchy cos lettuce and lashings of Caesar dressing. View recipe: Chicken Caesar wrap
Sweet & sour chicken stir fry
You can add extra oomph to your cold chicken by tossing it in a stir fry. Of course, with the chicken already cooked, you only want to heat it through. Follow the recipe, but leave the chicken out until step 4, where you’ll add the chicken with the optional cashews.View recipe: Sweet & sour chicken stir fry
Chicken & vegetable stir fry
To substitute the chicken breast for your shredded chicken in this simple stir fry, simply skip cooking the chicken in step 1. Then follow the recipe as normal, adding your leftover chicken in step 3 as described. View recipe: Chicken & vegetable stir fry
Chicken tikka masala
Chicken Tikka Masala is a popular Indian curry, especially here in New Zealand. Though very similar, the key difference between Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken is that Chicken Tikka Masala has a more intense flavour and smokier, charred tikka-style chicken. View recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala
Hungry for more chicken recipes?
At PAK’nSAVE, we’re all about getting you more for your money and serving up delicious food for less. That’s why we’ve put together loads of scrumptious chicken recipes and how-to guides to get you in the kitchen, excited about cooking and saving money.
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