TikTok has me convinced that none of us have ever had a unique experience in our lives. Apparently we all have Eldest Daughter Syndrome, a parasocial relationship with [insert retired athlete here] and cry at compilation videos of their glory day highlights, a collection saved of 30(0) restaurants that we swear we’ll go to (in towns we literally don’t live in), and once a month we all buy a rotisserie chicken and forget that by Wednesday our families refuse to eat another bite of dry chicken that tastes like…fridge.

You all ate it Monday with some sides. Tuesday you picked at it while standing at the counter. Now it's Wednesday and you're staring at it trying to remember the Harry Potter spell that will turn it into anything else.

This week we’re going over five easy rotisserie chicken recipes that are anything but boring and a bunch of condiments and pantry bits and bobs that you can keep on hand to spruce up that $10 bag o’ bird.

TLDR:

⏱️ Time: Each transformation takes 20 minutes or less

💰 Money: One $10 chicken becomes 5 different meals (that’s $2 per dinner?!)

🎯 Difficulty: If you can shred chicken and boil water, you're goooood

✨ Saves: Weeknight decisions, money on takeout, the guilt of wasting food

👨‍🍳 Pepper Tip of the Week! 👨‍🍳

Use the import feature to import any recipe from Facebook, Instagram, or any recipe blog right into Pepper!

1. Click the red + in feed

2. Click import 

3. Click paste once you’ve copied the recipe link

4. Save the recipe for later or upload your version now!

Easy as…the Thanksgiving pie recipe I saved this morning when I shouldn’t have been scrolling in bed.

Why Rotisserie Chickens Are…Everywhere

Grocery stores lose money on rotisserie chickens.

That sounds absurd, but it’s true. They sell them for less than a raw chicken costs because when you walk into a grocery store at 5pm and smell roasting chicken, your brain does two things:

1. It makes you hungry

2. And it makes you think "I could just grab that and be done with dinner."

So you grab the chicken. Then you grab rolls because the chicken needs a side. Then you grab a bagged salad. Maybe some wine. Definitely something from the bakery because Leo aced his math quiz and Elizabeth had her first day of soccer practice, so celebrations are in order…and so it goes.

That said, we can use this sneaky corporate strategy to our advantage. The chicken is already cooked, seasoned, and costs less than making it yourself when you factor in time and effort. The problem is that most of us eat it once or twice and then the carcass haunts our fridge until rubbish day.

The solution is to have a plan for days 2 through 5…

How to Break Down Your Chicken

Disclaimer: I am writing the following sentence as a self identified Hypocrite (but I’m hoping that sending this to 150k friends will actually hold me accountable for next time)

When you get home from the grocery store, take 10 minutes to deal with the chicken properly. Do it for Future You!

Here’s how:

1. Pull off all the meat. Dark meat goes in one container, white meat in another. They have different moisture levels and work better in different dishes.

2. Save the carcass. Toss it in a freezer bag with the skin and bones. When you have three carcasses saved up, make stock. Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, whole peppercorns, bay leaf, and whatever other food scraps you have lying around in a pot, cover with water, simmer covered overnight, strain in the morning. Done.

3. Store it right. The meat stays good for 3-4 days in the fridge. If you're not using it all by Thursday, freeze half on Monday.

Reminder! Dark meat reheats better than white meat because it has more fat. If you're meal prepping, use breast meat for things you're eating right away (the wraps, the salads) and save thigh meat for dishes that get reheated later.

Five Rotisserie Chicken Recipes That Don't Taste Like Leftovers

Chicken Fried Rice

Tip: You can use whatever veg you have lying around for this and it will taste great every time. (It’s also an easy way to sneak some extra veg onto your kids plates) This is a great time to use up leftover rice you get with takeout (day old rice is honestly better because fresh rice is too moist and turns mushy).

🌶️ Here’s an easy recipe on Pepper that you can use for inspo! 🌶️

Chicken Quesadillas

Tip: Use add-ins to make these feel different every time. Sautéed peppers and onions, refried beans, pickled jalapeños, corn, anything. Serve with sour cream and salsa. This is a majorrrr picky eater pleaser.

🌶️ This is my favorite crispy chicken quesadilla recipe on Pepper! 🌶️

Chicken Noodle Soup

Tip: Use your homemade broth! It actually makes a world of difference. You can also make this soup and freeze it to have on hand the next time the kiddos come home with a cold…so like, next week.

🌶️ Here’s a recipe to follow! 🌶️

Chicken Caesar Wraps

Tip: These are great for lunch boxes too! Make them the night before, wrap in foil, grab them in the morning.

🌶️ Inspo to follow here! 🌶️

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Make this on Sunday, eat it on Thursday, it’s sure to please a crowd!

🌶️ Pepper recipe here for your viewing pleasure 🌶️

Condiments & Pantry Staples To Stock Up On for a Quick Spruce

The difference between "this…again" and regretting hiding the Uber Eats app in the deep dark depths of one of your app folders comes down to what's in your pantry.

Here are a few staples that I always keep on hand:

Soy sauce turns chicken into fried rice, stir-fry, or any Asian-inspired situation.

Taco seasoning makes quesadillas, taco salad, or burrito bowls happen in minutes.

BBQ sauce mixed with shredded chicken becomes pulled chicken sandwiches.

Buffalo sauce plus ranch and celery creates buffalo chicken dip or wraps.

Pesto mixed with pasta and chicken is low effort and universally loved.

Curry paste simmered with chicken and coconut milk, served over rice, is an easy way to mimic your favorite take out.

Teriyaki sauce makes chicken stir-fry, rice bowls, or sheet pan dinners happen.

Honey mustard is great to mix with shredded chicken for sandwiches or wraps.

Salsa verde is perfect to mix with chicken and serve in tacos, over rice, or in enchiladas.

Hoisin sauce turns chicken into Asian lettuce wraps or fried rice with extra flavor.