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Getting a healthy family dinner on the table doesn’t need to take hours of kitchen time. A few smart shortcuts (like purchasing a precooked rotisserie chicken on the way home) can take the legwork out of prepping the evening meal.
Here are 10 Brilliant & healthy meals to make using a humble rotisserie chicken.
Are Rotisserie Chickens Healthy to Eat?
Rotisserie chickens are an incredibly convenient fast food option for a busy family. They are generally budget friendly and an incredibly versatile ingredient you can use in a variety of ways.
But let’s face it, when something is convenient and budget friendly at the same time, it starts to look a little suspicious. We have to ask ourselves whether Rotisserie chickens are actually healthy for us or should we just make our own at home.
Obviously, the DIY homemade option is going to beat a store bought version every time. You are in control of what you use in the cooking process and that’s a big deal these days.
When it comes to store bought Rotisserie Chicken, there are a few things you will need to look out before:
- The Quality and Freshness– If the chicken looks or smells a little funky, leave it be.
- Choose Free Range – I know this is often a little more expensive (a couple dollars at most), but animal welfare is a huge part of why we eat Clean. Choosing a healthy, free to roam chook also means that it had less additives in its diet which results in a healthier end product meat.
- The Added Ingredients – Many supermarkets will inject flavours and fat into the chicken to improve on taste so have a little chat with the deli staff and see what’s been added to the chicken before you take it home. Read the ingredients list and if you’re not happy, don’t stress. Making your own Rotisserie chicken at home isn’t too hard.
Cooking your Own Rotisserie Chicken at Home
1. Benchtop Rotisserie Chicken
These little babies are brilliant! Make your own Rotisserie Chickens on a Sunday Evening for a whole week of chicken meals.
2. Oven Baked Rotisserie Chicken
This Rotisserie Chicken Stand means you can cook a rotisserie style chicken in your own oven at home. The stand allows the heat and air to move around and crisp the entire roast chicken. Fat drips into the tray which you can then use to make a delicious chicken gravy.
3. No Fuss Old School Roast Chicken
Oven roast a chicken the way Grandma did. This is how you do it.
10 Healthy Dinners to Make with a Rotisserie Chicken
1. Enchiladas – This is a dinner that takes a few minutes to prep but guaranteed to please the entire family. Try these OMG delicious Chicken Enchiladas using shredded chicken pieces.
2. Quesadillas – Heat up the fry pan with a little olive oil, add a quesadilla and choose your fillings, Try some of these fillings:
- Chicken and Avocado Quesadilla
- Chicken; cheese and spinach
- Chicken, hummus and Coleslaw
- Chicken, tomato and cheese
3. Soup – Give this Cream of Chicken Soup or Nacho Soups Recipe a go.
4. Homemade Pizza – For a Quick pizza, use wholewheat pita pockets or make a batch of this super easy TWO ingredient Pizza dough. Top with Shredded Chicken, Pizza Sauce, Your Choice of Veggies and cheese. BBQ Chicken Pizza
5. Loaded Potatoes – Oven Bake or boil potatoes and load with chicken, enchilada sauce, veggies and cheese or try this stuffed sweet potato recipe here from Delish.
6. Fried Rice – My kids love this meal and I get to use up my leftovers all in one dish. Heat up a large pan, add chicken, veggies and cooked rice. Once heated through, make a little hole in the centre and add two beaten eggs. Allow to cook for a bit (you want it to look a little like an omelette in the middle) then break up and stir through your rice mix. Serve with a side of Tamari or Soy sauce. Try my Chicken and Veggie Fried Rice recipe here.
7. Noodles – Prep noodles according to instructions. Heat a pan and add chicken, veggies and sauce. Stir through noodles and serve. Related Recipe: Chicken Thai Noodles
8. Salad – Raid your fridge for ingredients to make a deluxe Chicken Salad. Ingredient ideas: lettuce, hard boiled egg, boiled potato, bacon bits, tomato, celery, carrots, black olives, feta, cucumber, red onion.
9. Chicken Stir fry – Heat up a large pan, add olive oil and chicken pieces, veggies & mushrooms. Once cooked stir through a quick Teriyaki Sauce.
Quick Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Mix all ingredients together. Pour over stirfry and fry for around a minute.
10. Pasta – Cook your pasta according to instructions. In a separate pot, heat up some olive oil, chopped onion. Once softened add shredded cooked chicken pieces, bottle of Organic pasta sauce, black olives, sliced red peppers and salt and pepper. Cook for a 8 – 10 minutes for flavours to combine and stir through your cooked pasta.
More Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
Get my 20 Minute Dinner Cheatsheet here . This free printable is chock full of tasty, health and FAST dinner ideas for busy weeknights.
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