Food and Recipes Dinner 20 Easy Dinner Recipes Using Shredded Chicken That'll Make Weeknights Less Stressful By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 7, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez 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 getting dinner on the table needs to be quick and easy. Shredded chicken recipes go well beyond just slow-cooker tacos too, with tasty options including creamy pasta bakes, classic comfort dishes, hearty stews, and Tex-Mex casseroles. (Though, we've made sure to include slow-cooker recipes you can throw together and forget about on busy weeknights spent running between piano and soccer.) From Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits to Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps, there are so many ways to make use of shredded chicken. Grab that Costco rotisserie chicken, and plan out your no-fuss menu starring these recipes using shredded chicken. 01 of 20 Chicken Bog Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken Bog 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. 02 of 20 Buffalo Chicken Casserole Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Casserole What can we say: we'll turn just about anything into a casserole, including Buffalo Chicken. 03 of 20 Chicken Caprese Pasta Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Caprese Pasta We can't get enough of this easy summer supper. Using all things fresh—fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh herb pesto, and fresh mozzerella cheese—this dish features tender linguine and no-fuss shredded chicken. 04 of 20 Chicken Chili Hector Sanchez Recipe: Chicken Chili Not only does using a rotisserie chicken make this chili lighter than a traditional beef version, but it makes it even easier to prepare as well. It's packed full of delicious spices, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and seasonal vegetables. 05 of 20 White Lightning Chicken Chili Becky Luigart Stayner Recipe: White Lightning Chicken Chili 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. 06 of 20 Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Buffy Hargett Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits 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 just in your 13x9 baking dish. 07 of 20 Southwest Chicken Tortillas Greg DuPree Recipe: Southwest Chicken Tortillas Using microwaveable basmati rice, pre-shredded Mexican cheese, and rotisserie chicken makes these chicken tortillas come together quicker than greased lightning. 08 of 20 Chicken Stir-Fry Greg Dupree Recipe: Chicken Stir-Fry 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? 09 of 20 Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings Iain Bagwell Recipe: Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings 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. 10 of 20 Farmers' Market Pasta Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Farmers' Market Pasta Salad We love any recipe that lets you use all of your farmers' market finds at one fell swoop. Pasta, vinaigrette, and shredded smoked chicken (from your local barbecue joint) makes for a fresh, satisfying summer dinner. 11 of 20 Chicken-Andouille Gumbo with Roasted Potatoes Iain Bagwell Recipe: Chicken-Andouille Gumbo with Roasted Potatoes 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. 12 of 20 Chicken-and-Biscuit Cobbler Alison Miksch Recipe: Chicken-and-Biscuit Cobbler 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. 13 of 20 Chicken-and-Brisket Brunswick Stew Iain Bagwell Recipe: Chicken-and-Brisket Brunswick Stew Made with chicken and brisket, this smoky stew is hearty and comforting—perfect for filling up your family on a hectic weeknight. (It's freezer-friendly too!) Want to use rotisserie chicken? Throw it in along with the brisket, after most of the cooking is done. 14 of 20 Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut-Ginger Sauce Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut-Ginger Sauce 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. 15 of 20 Couscous Pilaf with Roasted Carrots, Chicken, and Feta Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Couscous Pilaf with Roasted Carrots, Chicken, and Feta Got a rotisserie chicken you haven't used up yet? This recipe has you covered. We love one-bowl meals when we want a quick and easy dinner, and this lemon-brown butter sauce is simply divine. 16 of 20 Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches 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. 17 of 20 Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Tropical Chicken Lettuce Wraps Easy shredded chicken gets turned into chicken salad, livened up with a touch of jalapeño, lime zest, and honey, for this recipe. Serve with tortillas as well, if your kids are lettuce-opposed! 18 of 20 Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup Skip the homemade chicken broth and opt for this speedy supper instead. 19 of 20 Baked Ziti with Chicken Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: Baked Ziti with Chicken Shredded chicken is the saving grace in this easy, family-friendly pasta dish. 20 of 20 Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti The ease of this slow-cooker weeknight supper can't be rivaled, especially considering it bursts with flavor from chunky fire-roasted tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms. Tender shredded chicken and spaghetti complete the hearty meal. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit