35 Shredded Chicken Recipes For Easy Weeknight Dinners
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
- Shredded chicken is a versatile and time-saving ingredient that can be used in a variety of quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes.
When turning out a warm and delicious weeknight dinner just seems like a lost cause, it's time to get creative. We all need a secret weapon in the kitchen when time is short , but the hunger is real. Keeping shredded chicken on hand—whether pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or picked up from your local barbecue joint—is a saving grace when dinner needs to be quick and easy. Plan out your no-fuss menu starring these recipes using shredded chicken.
Related: 35 Chicken Recipes That Take 30 Minutes Or Less
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
What can we say: we'll turn just about anything into a casserole, including Buffalo Chicken. That spicy taste combines with pasta and blue cheese for an unforgettable meal.
Chicken Caprese Pasta
Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
We can't get enough of this easy summer supper. Using all things fresh—fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh herb pesto, and fresh mozzarella cheese—this dish features tender linguine and no-fuss shredded chicken.
White Lightning Chicken Chili
Becky Luigart Stayner
Get this one-dish meal on the table in just 30 minutes. (They don't call it "Lightning" for nothing!) Green chiles, shredded chicken, and navy beans give Southwest flavor and dinnertime heartiness to this chili.
Chicken Bog
Greg DuPree
This old-fashioned, quick-fix recipe has been filling up Southerners on busy weeknights for decades past. Shredded rotisserie chicken makes it easy to throw together in a pinch.
Chicken Nachos
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Nachos are typically more of an appetizer, but a hearty sheet pan of these nachos makes for a satisfying and easy meal that the kids are guaranteed to love.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
We've combined all the cheesy goodness of mac and cheese with the flavor of Buffalo chicken, and not to pat ourselves on the back, but it's pretty darn tasty.
Related: Get The Recipe!
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis
Pantry staples like honey, jarred salsa, and garlic powder makes these chicken tacos a weeknight dinner dream. Especially when you can skip most of the cooking process by using pre-cooked shredded chicken. Simply saute the sauce ingredients together, add your shredded chicken, and you're ready to build tacos.
Chicken-Bacon Ranch Casserole
Alison Miksch
Chicken, bacon, and ranch are the perfect flavor trio. With a super short prep time and an easy to follow list of steps, this low-lift dinner is exactly what's called for on weeknights.
Skillet Chicken Pot Pie With Puff Pastry
Brittany Conerly; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
For a fun but easy upgrade, this recipe uses frozen puff pastry to top a classic pot pie. The buttery, flaky layers bake up crisp and brown, and can be cut into squares and layered into an impressive design with ease.
Poppy Seed Chicken
"I have been making this recipe for years. I always double this recipe to take to families as it makes great leftovers, too. It's very creamy and perfect with rice. Add something green and maybe some biscuits. Literally, everyone I make it for requests the recipe. It's a keeper!" writes Southern Living Reader Tammy B.
Chicken Tortellini Salad
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Perfect for a quick patio dinner, this salad packs fresh flavor in every bite with arugula, cherry tomatoes, and corn. Shredded rotisserie chicken and packaged tortellini add convenience. Top with toasted pecans for a satisfying crunch.
Skillet Enchiladas Suizas
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox
No need to roll or fill—this easy enchilada dish is made right in the skillet. Combine canned tomatoes, tomatillo salsa, and rotisserie chicken with corn tortillas to cook right on your stovetop, and serve straight from the skillet. Let guests choose their own toppings.
Chicken and Fontina Panini
Greg DuPree
Faster than takeout, this grilled chicken sandwich takes little effort. Pesto, tomatoes, and gooey cheese dress up a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a quick and filling meal.
Green Chile-Chicken Soup
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
In 20 minutes you can get this hearty chicken soup on the table. Green enchilada sauce and poblanos add heat, while mashed white beans thicken the broth without dairy. Busy weeknights never tasted so good.
Herbed Chicken-and-Rice Salad
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely
Rotisserie chicken and microwavable rice make this meal a no-brainer for busy weeknights. Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a lemon vinaigrette add bright, fresh flavor.
Chicken-Andouille Gumbo with Roasted Potatoes
Iain Bagwell
This recipe gives you all the Cajun flavor you could want with minimal effort—perfect for weeknight cooking! Aromatic vegetables and seasonings do most of the work, while Andouille sausage and shredded chicken cap off the filling meal. Roast some potatoes for an extra hearty touch.
Sheet Pan Broccoli-and-Chicken Casserole
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely
Dinner just got easier thanks to this quick casserole that's cooked on a sheet pan to cut cooking time. You can adapt the recipe for whole grains by swapping quinoa, brown rice, or farro for the white rice.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Hector Sanchez
Use leftover shredded chicken or your favorite rotisserie version to create this cheesy casserole. Taco seasoning and diced green chiles add smoky spice to the creamy layers.
Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches
Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox
These delicious sandwiches can be made in just 20 minutes, thanks to the convenience of a store-bought rotisserie chicken. We're serving these hearty hoagies up all summer long.
Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut-Ginger Sauce
Greg DuPree
Getting weeknight requests for Thai peanut sauce? Make a healthy version at home with this quick recipe, and drizzle it over colorful veggies and shredded rotisserie chicken. It'll be on your dinner table in just 20 minutes.
Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits
Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Buffy Hargett
It'll be hard to get past the topping made of biscuits with sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, and chives; but the inside is just as tasty. Packed with veggies and shredded chicken, it's a well-rounded meal created in your 13x9 baking dish.
Chicken Stir-Fry
Greg Dupree
Not to be dramatic, but you can literally have this stir-fry ready quicker than you can order takeout. In just ten minutes. It's full of tangy Asian flavor, chicken, veggies, and rice. Need we say more?
Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings
Iain Bagwell
Cornbread dumplings take this vegetable-and-chicken-packed stew to the next level. Let your slow cooker take care of the aromatic base and shredded chicken for you without any worries.
Chicken-and-Biscuit Cobbler
Alison Miksch
A few of our favorite things—chicken and biscuits and cobbler—are the stars of this savory dish, and it starts with swinging by the grocery store to grab a rotisserie chicken. Freeze this casserole to have comfort food on hand when you most need it.
Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel
Skip the homemade chicken broth and opt for this speedy supper instead. Rotisserie chicken and packaged broth are shortcuts for time but not taste. Use egg noodles or whatever pasta you have handy.
Baked Ziti with Chicken
Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar
Shredded chicken is the saving grace in this easy, family-friendly pasta dish. Everyone will beg for leftovers the next day.
Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole
Greg DuPree
Reach for convenient jarred alfredo sauce and refrigerated pesto to make this satisfying weeknight casserole without sacrificing flavor—or time. This shredded chicken bake will be requested again.
Crispy Onions and Parmesan Chicken-Broccoli Casserole
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
With its crispy fried onion topping, this chicken casserole has the familiar taste of the classic green bean casserole. Healthy swaps like brown rice make it a feel-good dinner choice.
Related: Get The Recipe
Pimiento Cheese Chicken-Broccoli Casserole
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Bake up a pan of this comforting pasta, laced with creamy Southern pimiento cheese flavor. The broccoli-cheese combo makes this dreamy casserole one to put on repeat. Crushed Ritz crackers take this meal over the top.
Chicken-and-Broccoli Skillet Pasta
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This one-dish skillet dinner makes mealtime easy. Full of chicken, broccoli, and bacon, this pasta meal cooks in a creamy sauce and goes from stovetop to oven to table, making cleanup a breeze.
Quick King Ranch Chicken Skillet
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
King Ranch Chicken Casserole is the unofficial casserole of Texas, at least according to some, and for good reason. This version we developed captures all the same flavors as the classic, but makes it a little faster to prepare and more weeknight friendly.
Buttermilk Alfredo Chicken Spinach Pasta
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This recipe cleverly replaces heavy cream with whole buttermilk for a super silky pasta sauce that also has an added tang.
Chicken Tamale Pie
Antonis Achilleos
This is our take on tamales, but with a Southern twist. Made in a skillet and ready in under an hour, it also happens to be a great weeknight dinner option.
Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Beth Dreiling Hontzas
Deli-roasted chicken, cream of chicken soup, and canned biscuits make a quick-and-tasty version of classic chicken and dumplings
As the name implies, this is the easiest version of the classic we have come up with so far. Shredded chicken and a few store-bought shortcuts like canned biscuits and cream of chicken soup help make it a foolproof dinner.
Martina McBride's Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Leave it to Martina McBride to create a recipe that's out of this world. Spices and aromatics come together to flavor this hearty, creamy soup filled with chicken, beans, and corn.
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