What can you do with leftover chicken breasts or thighs? Shred them. Cooked shredded chicken is one of the most useful items to have in the fridge — a versatile base for quick meals and leftovers that transform into new dishes.
Whether it’s from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or extra from dinner earlier in the week — poached, grilled, roasted, baked, cooked in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, or steamed — shredded chicken becomes the building block for tacos, enchiladas, chicken salads, soups, quesadillas, and more.
(Note: everything below also works wonderfully with leftover shredded turkey, which many people have after holidays like Thanksgiving.)
What’s In This Post?
Shredded Chicken From Costco
How to Shred Chicken
FAQs
30 Shredded Chicken Recipes
Chicken Recipes That Make Good Leftovers
Herbed Chicken Salad
If you’re organized, cook a few extra pieces of chicken when you make a meal so you have shredded chicken ready for the week. Leftover chicken breasts, thighs, or a whole roast chicken can be shredded and stored for many recipes.
Many people also pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store when meal plans are uncertain; it guarantees an easy dinner and instant leftover chicken for tomorrow’s meals.
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Shredded Chicken From Costco
Costco sells packages of freshly shredded rotisserie chicken breasts, which is an excellent shortcut when you don’t have time to shred a whole bird. These packages are all white meat, making them ideal for chicken salads and other dishes that benefit from lean shredded chicken.
How to Shred Chicken
You can shred chicken warm, at room temperature, or cold from the fridge. Slightly warm chicken is usually easiest to pull apart. The quickest method is using your fingers; two forks pulled in opposite directions also work well.
Shred to the texture you prefer. Smaller shreds are great for soups, enchiladas, and burritos, while larger pieces work well in stews and salads.
Chicken Piri Piri
FAQs
How long is cooked chicken good for?
Leftover cooked chicken will last in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days, depending on how fresh it was when cooked. Store it in a tightly sealed container or a well-sealed bag.
Can you freeze leftover chicken?
Yes. Place shredded chicken in a sealable container or freezer bag, label it with the date, and freeze for up to six months for best quality.
30 Shredded Chicken Recipes
Here are many ideas for turning shredded chicken into delicious meals. Each entry highlights a different way to use leftovers — soups, salads, pastas, casseroles, tacos, quesadillas, and dips.
Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
A fragrant, spicy soup scented with chili, cumin, and coriander, topped with avocado and tortilla crisps. With leftover shredded chicken it comes together quickly and makes a satisfying main-course soup.
Late Summer Cobb Salad
A perfect use for leftover chicken breasts. Layer crunchy lettuce and rows of your favorite salad ingredients with a line of shredded chicken down the center — tomatoes, chickpeas, avocado, bacon, and more.
Chicken Marsala Pasta
An easy weeknight dinner: mushrooms, a splash of Marsala, and shredded rotisserie chicken make a quick, flavorful sauce to toss with pasta.
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Shredded chicken tossed in a Mexican-spiced tomato sauce makes a flavorful taco filling with depth and heat.
Herbed Chicken Salad
A herbed mayo transforms plain shredded chicken into a bright, summery chicken salad you can serve on bread, croissants, or greens.
Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad
A colorful, textured lunch with tortilla chips or Fritos on top — shredded chicken works perfectly here.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Combines Caesar salad and pasta salad with shredded chicken and a creamy dressing — a substantial, make-ahead dish.
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Kid-friendly and fast: mix shredded chicken with barbecue sauce, add cheese, and make quesadillas in minutes.
Smoky Chipotle Chicken Salad
Pureed chipotles in adobo add smoky heat to a creamy chicken salad — great for sandwiches or scooped onto greens.
Avocado Chicken Salad
A creamy avocado-based salad that you can adapt with veggies on hand; add pasta to turn it into a chicken pasta salad.
Pasta Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Tomato
A portable dish for lunches and picnics — add avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
Lemongrass, ginger, and fish sauce make this a fragrant, takeout-style soup. Rice noodles and shredded chicken turn it into a comforting, slurpable meal.
Easiest Baked Chicken Quesadillas
Bake a tray of quesadillas to feed a crowd; they’re cheesy, flavorful, and stuffed with shredded chicken.
Overstuffed Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas
Skip skimpy quesadillas — fill them generously with shredded chicken, veggies, and cheese for big, satisfying wedges.
Chicken Pasta Salad with Ramp Vinaigrette
A robust pasta salad with shredded chicken, green olives, and a ramp vinaigrette — a flavorful option if ramps are available in season.
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
In under 30 minutes, combine shredded chicken with a few ingredients for a creamy, spicy dip that’s perfect for game day.
Indonesian Chicken Salad
A hearty shredded chicken salad with layers of texture and flavor, similar in spirit to Chinese chicken salad.
Best Chicken Salad
A classic use for shredded chicken. Add crunchy and flavorful mix-ins to elevate a simple chicken salad.
Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti
A family-friendly casserole that uses shredded chicken for a quicker take on Chicken Parmesan in pasta form.
Chopped Salad with Chicken, Tomatoes, and Lemon Thyme Dressing
A chopped salad heavy on diced or shredded chicken — a great lunch to make in large bowls for the family.
Easy Chinese Chicken Salad
A colorful, crunchy restaurant-style salad you can make at home with shredded chicken, crisp vegetables, and a sweet-savory dressing.
Chopped Blue Cheese Chicken Salad
A chopped salad paired with blue cheese dressing for a rich, creamy contrast to shredded chicken and crisp veggies.
Easy Rotisserie Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
A fast meal with shredded chicken, shredded cheese, and tortillas — serve with a simple salad.
Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
Feta, cucumber, tomatoes, shredded chicken, and orzo tossed in Greek dressing — a refreshing, forkable salad.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps
Marinated, grilled chicken tossed in Caesar dressing with romaine and Parmesan, then rolled into a wrap for an easy handheld meal.
Hashbrown Chicken Vegetable Pot Pie Casserole
Tender chicken and vegetables bound in a savory sauce topped with a crunchy hashbrown layer — great for stretching leftovers into a hearty casserole.
Spinach, Mushroom, and Chicken Quesadillas
A satisfying chicken-and-vegetable quesadilla that’s adaptable and substantial.
Chicken Satay Salad
A peanutty chicken satay dressing turns shredded chicken into a satisfying salad that’s full of flavor.
Spicy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Enchiladas filled with shredded chicken and black beans — adjust the heat by how you prepare the poblanos and chiles.
