40 Leftover Chicken Recipes That Aren’t Totally Boring

All you need are a few pantry ingredients (plus a few fun toppings), and dinner will be ready in 30 minutes. We can’t get enough of the quick chipotle pepper blender sauce drizzled on top.

They’re ideal for packing in your kid’s lunch box, but you won’t be disappointed if you keep a few for yourself. In fact, we highly recommend it.

A little secret: After Thanksgiving, we stuff these with leftover turkey, but they’re just as delicious with chicken any other time of year.

Serve these at your next party, but don’t tell anyone how easy they were to make.

Even with the simplest ingredients, this sure beats the microwave cups of ramen we ate in college.

Bonus: You can freeze these cuties for up to a month, so if you make a double batch, you’ll be well prepared for your next craving.

Whether it’s the most comforting food of all time is still up for debate. What we do know is that they’re worth breaking out your trusty cast-iron skillet.

By swapping in leftover cooked chicken, you can skip an entire step and save at least an hour’s worth of work in the process. Just pick up a carton of chicken stock at the store and you’re good to go.

This dish takes 35 minutes, tops. Streamline it even further by skipping the boneless chicken breasts when you roast the potatoes.

Chicken salad? A classic. Gloppy chicken salad? Less so. We gave it a modern twist with just two tablespoons of mayonnaise and, of course, avocado.

With the chicken already cooked, all you have to do is prep and assemble.

Nothing against chicken noodle, but sometimes we need a change. (Besides, who could say no to gnocchi?)

You can skip the whole lighting-up-the-grill thing and make this creamy pasta in record time.

By using precooked chicken, you’ll save at least 15 minutes of cooking time and keep your leftovers from going to waste.

Admit it: We had you at buffalo. The best part? Lunch for the week is just 20 minutes away.

If you can get your hands on freshly baked bread, it will make these sammies feel even more special. Pretty fancy for repurposed chicken, huh?

The best homemade pizza is a lesson in shortcuts. Leftover chicken and store-bought dough make this pie as easy as it is impressive.

Truth: Salads are only as good as the sum of their toppings. This one will keep you full long past lunchtime.

Leftover chicken happens to be a genius ingredient for healthy lunches and dinners. Give your roasted veggies a boost of protein, why don’t you?

You hear risotto and think hours of stirring, right? Not so. This one is cooked in the oven and topped with cooked chicken for a luxurious and effortless dinner.

Behold the most adorable, tiny, comforting casserole we’ve ever laid our eyes on.

These beauties are made with zucchini instead of tortillas, so they have all the gooey, cheesy goodness you love, just a little bit lighter.

Posole can be made with chicken or pork, and since we have an entire roast bird in our fridge, you know which route we’re taking.

Honey, we shrunk the nachos, and we’re not mad about it at all.

Think of this as more of a salad with chicken in it than a mayonnaise-laden gut bomb.

You can never have too many pasta salad recipes in your back pocket. Now all we need is a picnic invite.

This is a major upgrade from plain leftover chicken, and it happens to make a mean second-day meal itself.

Shred up your leftovers and watch the magic happen. As for toppings, feel free to go wild.

No one at the game watch will suspect that you’re trying to get rid of last night’s dinner.

Just like your go-to Indian takeout, but in soup form. Add it to your weeknight dinner rotation, stat.

Fried rice is one of those miracle foods that are actually better when made with leftovers. For a heartier dinner, put an egg on it.

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Thanks to the tangy barbecue sauce, your leftovers will feel like a fresh new meal.

No more standing by the stove, flipping quesadillas one by one? Sign us up.

Remember those chopped salads with crispy chow mein noodles you ate as a kid? This is just like that, but sooo much better.

Chili usually simmers for an entire day before it’s ready. This one comes together in about 30 minutes.

Our favorite kind of one-pot meal feels fancy even when it’s not, and this will do more than just fine.

If you hadn’t already noticed, we love a souped-up chicken salad. This one is lightened up with yogurt, but it still feels fresh thanks to tahini, turmeric, cumin and cinnamon.

Pile your shredded leftover chicken high in a bowl, then top it with a dreamy green sauce and all the fixings.

It’s hard to say no to creamy, cheesy baked pasta as it is, but the color of this one seals the deal for us.

It might have autumn in the name, but feel free to swap ingredients for what’s in season and make it all year long.