Grocery store roast chicken is a staple for easy weeknight meals. I'll show you how to jazz up rotisserie chicken with lemon, leeks and thyme!
If you need to get family dinner on the table fast but don't want to make your own roast chicken, read on. I'll show you how to add a few simple ingredients to elevate your meal with no stress.
*This recipe was originally sent to my by Alexia. This is why you can see some of the packaging in my images. Head over to my sponsored blog post about Quick Healthy Weeknight Meals to learn more about their delicious side dishes.
Why this recipe works
Roast chicken is delicious. But sometimes you don't have the hours it takes to cook it low and slow in the oven.
For busy nights where I need to get dinner on the table for my family fast, I love to serve a whole chicken that I picked up at the grocery store. But plain old chicken can be boring.
I'll show you how to jazz up rotisserie chicken with lemon, leeks and thyme.
A quick reheat to cook the leeks means that you can make this main dish fast! So whether you just brought it home from the store or picked it up a few days ahead of time, this recipe makes things super easy!
Read on to find out how to warm up rotisserie chicken plus ideas for serving the meat.
Need more easy dinner ideas? Check these out: Butternut Squash Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce, Rosa Sauce with Chicken and Farro, Pour and Stir Tortilla Soup, and Mediterranean Bowls with Bubba Burgers.
Ingredient Notes
While this recipe calls for leeks, you can substitute them with something else if you'd prefer. Leeks are related to garlic, shallots, and onions and the flavor is a mild mix of those. Feel free to use any of those ingredients if you don't have leeks or can't find them in your local grocery store.
Lemon is a classic flavor enhancer for roast chicken. Try to use fresh lemon juice if at all possible. Bottled juice won't give it the flavor you are looking for.
Fresh thyme is a natural pairing for leeks and lemons. But if you want to, you could replace it with another herb like basil, sage or rosemary. I like to use fresh herbs, but you could always sprinkle on dried if that is all you have.
My store carries a few varieties of rotisserie chicken. I always grab a plain one so I can add my own flavors. Costco has a great price on rotisserie chicken and I usually pick up a few at a time which is great for meal planning. (I think they limit you to 2 at a time).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sliced leeks can be hard to clean because dirt resides between the layers of each individual slice. This is why you should always rinse them well before cooking them. Peel off any tough outer leaves, then slice the leeks into coins.
Place sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water. Use your hands or a spoon to move around the slices. The dirt will fall to the bottom while the leeks will stay at the top. Scoop out the leeks and put them in a clean bowl until ready to use.
Discard the dirty water.
To a baking dish, add the grocery store chicken. Place the sliced leeks around it. Squeeze the juice of two whole lemon (cut into quarters) on top of the chicken then place the remaining lemon wedges in with the leeks.
Strip fresh thyme leaves from the stalk and sprinkle them on top of the chicken.
(Since my glass baking dish exploded when I took dinner out of my oven one night, for no apparent reason, I have moved to ceramic baking dishes... I'm not saying yours will do the same, but the amount of clean-up I had to do was reason enough to move to something else).
How to Warm Up Rotisserie Chicken
Place in the oven and heat until warmed through, about 20-30 minutes. Make sure to check on the chicken periodically so that it doesn't burn while cooking.
More Ways to Jazz Up Store-Bought Chicken
Look for ready-made sauces or seasonings that have lots of flavors. Citrus fruits and herbs are always a great choice. Just be careful how much salt you are introducing as most store-bought chickens will already come with salt.
- Apricot preserves
- Hot sauce
- Chili garlic sauce
- Chimichuri
- Pesto
- Paprika and chili powder
- Sprinkle with a little oregano and fresh garlic then fill the baking dish with cherry or grape tomatoes.
The possibilities are nearly endless! And aside from watching the salt and making sure, it doesn't burn, learning how to jazz up a rotisserie chicken is an almost fool-proof way to make a delicious weeknight dinner.
How to Cut a Rotisserie Chicken
Many people are intimidated by the sheer size of a rotisserie chicken, but it's actually pretty easy.
First, lay the chicken on its back and use a sharp knife to make an incision down the center of the breastbone through the skin. Be careful not to cut into any of the meat or bone! Then simply follow along either side of this "chicken line" until you reach where it meets at the bottom end.
Now just flip that over and repeat on other side for two neat pieces of cooked meat that are perfect for sandwiches or salads!
The key is using a sharp knife so you don't have to saw through anything - which could result in flying bits of poultry all over your kitchen!
You can always use a fork and pull off the chicken from the breast, then use your hands to pull off the meat from the thighs, wings, and drumsticks if it's cool enough.
Ideas to Use Rotisserie Chicken
Usually, we just pull the meat off the bone and serve it with some easy side dishes. But if I have leftovers, there are several ways to use the meat in other dinner ideas.
- The shredded chicken is great for quick tacos (see my recipe for shredded chicken tacos or Walking Tacos).
- Use shredded chicken on a green salad with apples and pecans or on a salad with Peaches, Basil and Arugula.
- Chop up the chicken and serve over pasta with a quick pesto sauce.
- Use the chicken in a chicken stir-fry.
- Shredded rotisserie chicken will also work in any casserole recipe, enchiladas, quesadillas and nachos.
How to Freeze Leftovers
Freezing a rotisserie chicken is an easy way to save time and money. After cooking one, just slice the cooked meat off of the bones (or pull it off with your hands). Let cool completely.
Place the meat into individual freezer bags until you want to use them later on.
I like to try to portion out chicken based on using them in a lunch or enough for a whole meal. Label the bag then put it into a second plastic storage bag and place it in the freezer.
If you have a vacuum sealer, that will help to protect the chicken from getting freezer burn.
Tips and Tricks
- If the chicken skin starts to get too brown, tent it with foil so that it doesn't burn.
- Remember, since the chicken is already cooked, you just need to heat until warmed through.
- Swap out lemons, leeks and thyme for other flavor combinations!
- If the rotisserie chicken has been refrigerated, you may need to add more time to make sure it's heated through.
Fequently Asked Questions
Once you bring home a grocery store rotisserie chicken, it will last in the fridge for about 3 days.
Once frozen in plastic storage bags, rotisserie chicken will last in the freezer for up to 4 months!
If you are just reheating for half an hour to warm it up and introduce fresh flavors, you should be fine. If you are worried that the chicken will dry out, you can add beer, chicken stock or even water to the baking dish. Tent the pan with foil to create some steam inside as it cooks.
Once you learn how to jazz up a rotisserie chicken, you'll be able to get a delicious dinner on the table fast! Your family won't even know that you didn't make the chicken from scratch!
Related Recipes
How to Jazz Up Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the grocery store rotisserie chicken from it's packaging and place in a large baking dish.
- Slice the leeks and place in a large bowl of cold water. Swish the leeks around with your hands or a spoon to clean them. Scoop them out of the water and place in a clean bowl until ready to use or place right into the baking dish around the chicken.
- Squeeze the juice of both lemons on top of the chicken and leeks then place the fruit around the chicken in the baking dish.
- Strip the fresh thyme from the stalk (about 2 tablespoons worth) and sprinkle on top of the chicken. Lay a few sprigs around the leeks and lemons in the baking dish. Save a few springs for serving.
- Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve or let cool completely and freeze for later use.
Notes
- If the chicken skin starts to get too brown, tent it with foil so that it doesn't burn.
- Remember, since the chicken is already cooked, you just need to heat until warmed through.
- Swap out lemons, leeks and thyme for other flavor combinations! More flavor options are listed in the blog post that accompanies this recipe.
- If the rotisserie chicken has been refrigerated, you may need to add more time to make sure it's heated through.
- Rotisserie chicken will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. It will keep in the freezer for about 4 months.
- Scan the post for tips on how to cut a chicken and more detailed information on how to freeze leftover chicken.
- Not sure how to use the chicken pulled off the rotisserie chicken? Find more in the post.
Darlene says
Thank you so much for the great tips and Love what you do for us busy families❣️