Hello all! I like purchasing ready-made rotisserie chickens from the local grocery store (Whole Foods, Fresh Market, etc.), because they are quite healthy, low in calories, and it literally takes no time to put together a meal. I rely on different options like a mixed greens salad, kale, or a variety of other sides to change it up. While the chicken is juicy and tasty the first day it is purchased, by the next day or two, it becomes dry and flavorless. I am looking for suggestions as to a dressing/dipping sauce that I can purchase and use to make the chicken taste appetizing. I'd like something different than the staple "barbecue sauce" because I am tired of that (I'm open to an atypical barbecue sauce though, like a Vietnamese barbecue sauce, if you know of one), and I don't care for ketchup.
Does anyone have a specific sauce they rely on for situations like this, or for cooked chicken breasts that may be dry or flavorless? I have tried different supermarkets' condiments aisle and find it is hard to find sauces for chicken, though the options for beef are plentiful. I have found lemon marinades for chicken such as Lawry's Lemon Pepper marinade, but these are very salty as they are meant to be used to soak the raw chicken in them overnight to acquire flavor, not as a dipping sauce/dressing for cooked chicken. Do you have any suggestions for me? I'd love to hear them. Thanks!
Thanks for all the ideas! I also found that at Fresh Market, they sell grilled chicken breast strips, so I have started relying on these more than the rotisserie chickens for my salads. I find the rotisserie chicken tends to get a funky flavor after a day but the chicken strips don't (mom says she heard that leaving the chicken on the bone gives it that funky flavor for some reason and since many of you suggested removing the meat from the bone, maybe it's true).
The chicken strips cost more, but I end up eating them without issue so I will probably rely on those the most. On days I buy a whole chicken, I will try to pool your ideas and come up with a sauce that is low in carbs/sugar (diet restriction). I did like Lisa P's suggestion since it is low carb. Instead of using tortillas, I could use lettuce and make lettuce wraps with guacamole and chicken!
I enjoy a fresh rotisserie chicken but I do not like it leftover.
I enjoy my homemade cranberry sauce year round and will sometime have that with my chicken. Other than that, anything extra is not really needed if the chicken if good and juicy! I have made chicken salad if I have a decent amount left over.
Honey - it's great on chicken.
Blue cheese dressing
Honey mustard sauce - easy to mix up
Italian salad dressing, sesame ginger dressing, etc.
Actually almost salad dressing will do.
There's no reason you can't use cranberry sauce with chicken - turkey can be very dry too.
Or cut the dry chicken up and put it over the top of a leafy green salad.
Add it to a soup.
Put it in a taco
Add it to risotto
Add it to an omelette or scrambled eggs.
Put it in a pot pie or casserole.
Chicken is very versatile.
i agree, rotisserie chicken, while great at first, doesn't overnight well.
i find it easierto repurpose it altogether, into soup or enchiladas or something.
if you just want to dip it, why not make it easy on yourself? use your favorite salad dressings. ranch, honey mustard and green goddess are obvious choices. my latest obsession is orange poppyseed.
mmmm.
khairete
S.
After the first day, slice up the rest of the meat and remove all the meat from the bones, and lay it in a casserole dish or sturdy container. Pour a good quality chicken stock over the meat, to keep the meat from drying out. I suggest Kitchen Basics brand or a similar brand that isn't full of salt, sugar, and preservatives. Cover the dish or container securely.
Many websites indicate that leaving the chicken on the bone makes it dry out quicker, but I don't know if there's any real science behind this. But removing the meat completely does help to cool it down more quickly, and enables you to cover each piece in stock in the fridge. And many people swear that removing the chicken from the bones keeps it from drying, so it's worth trying.
Sauces will only do so much. Leftover rotisserie chicken is great in a soup, in tacos, and in casseroles. You could use chicken stock, noodles, sauteed carrots and celery, and some chicken to make a really fast soup. Shred it and serve in heated taco shells with salsa and cheese and some fresh tomatoes and lettuce. Casseroles with chopped cooked broccoli, cheese, rice and leftover chicken can be delicious and really quick to throw together.
When I buy a whole cooked chicken I make it into a meal. Enchiladas, chicken noodle or tortilla soup, chicken pot pie (I do it with biscuits on top, not a whole crust) pasta alfredo, chicken salad, burritos or quesadillas, etc. I've also done toasted chicken sandwiches in the oven with good bread, cheese and pesto, YUM and so easy!
I personally find the supermarket rotisserie chicken dry from the start, and I have bought from several different stores. If I do buy one I serve it with gravy, and if I have leftovers I mix it with mayo for chicken salad sandwiches.
When I get a rotisserie chicken or roast chicken parts, I use it in 3 ways.
Slices of meat is a part of the first meal.
For the second meal, I pull off the leftover meat to chop up and use in a rice dish or other mixed-item recipe. No dryness issues when you do that.
Third, I use the carcass - bones + remaining skin and meat bits - to make a rich broth or stock. This can be used as a base to make soup or as a liquid in place of water in a future recipe.
Instead of sauces I would use it to make soup...there are so many different soup recipes! Another idea is to make chicken enchiladas or chicken enchilada casserole.
I make leftover chicken into chicken salad for sandwiches. Just add mayo and dill. Or make it a little fancier with almond slices and grapes. But chopping and adding the mayo makes the dryness a non-issue.
my kids like to dip it in ranch.. while a good honey mustard sauce is my fav
I make chicken and dumplings. CuT off thE meat. Boil the bones with seasoning. I use cloves, pepper and allspice. When I'm feeling creative I throw in herbs. Remove carcass. Take off any meat still on bones and add that along with leftover chicken. Add chicken boullion and juices from the chicken that have settled in the package. Add frozen veggies. Make dumplings using a baking mix. I like Bisquick. Truly, their biscuits, dumplings, short bread for strawberry shortcake are as good, if not better, than homemade.
Bring the broth, chicken and veggies to a boil and drop dumplings into broth. Turn down to simmer. I leave the lid off for 10 or so minutes and then put the lid on for another 15. I'm not sure these are the correct times. Bisquick has the recipe.
Everything can be prepared ahead except the dumplings.
Ranch dressing for dipping or use it for chicken salad or hot sandwiches in a griddler press. In the griddler we use chicken, mayo or ranch mixed with chipotle or sriracha and a slice of cheese and butter the outsides of the bread. Yummy!
Added: when I reheat chicken in the micro I sprinkle it with water and cover with a damp paper towel. This really adds extra moisture!
My day 2 for rotisserie chicken is chicken tacos. I use a dollop of light sour cream and Herdez Guacamole Sauce (it is a jarred sauce that is more like a creamy green sauce than a true guacamole, very low on calories and carbs). Yum!
Google remoulade sauce. It's a Louisiana sauce used for dipping and is delish. It can be made with lots of fattening things (Mayo, etc) or with lemon juice. You should fine quite a few recipes and can alter it to your preferred spice level.
Also, I know a lot of people who buy a rotisserie chicken and make chicken salad out of them! Yum!
