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Cooking Tips

How to Use Up Every Part of Your Rotisserie Chicken

Featuring two ways to recrisp that flabby skin.
By Published Jan. 12, 2023

Store-bought rotisserie chicken is as delicious as it is convenient. The tender meat can easily be added to sandwiches, soups, and salads.

But if you're only using the meat, you're missing out on two other tasty components. Read on for ways to get the most out of your rotisserie chicken and use up every part.

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How to Use the Meat

For starters, shred the meat as soon as you get home. It’s easier to separate the meat from the cartilage bones while the chicken is still warm. Then, store it in a container in your fridge until you’re ready for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, here are a few of our favorite rotisserie chicken recipes:

How to Use the Bones

Make stock! Here’s how to do it in just 30 minutes:

  1. Throw everything left behind (bones, skin, and all) into large saucepan.
  2. Add 5 cups of water, half onion, and bay leaf. Simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Use immediately, refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.
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How to Use the Chicken Skin

You can certainly eat the skin with the meat, but it’s often flabby and unappealing.

Good news: You can actually render and recrisp it! Use the crispy skin as a garnish, combine it with butter for a schmaltzy compound butter, or make a Crispy Chicken Skin BLT.

How to Recrisp Chicken Skin on the Stovetop:

  1. Using kitchen shears, remove chicken skin from rotisserie chicken.
  2. Transfer skin, bottom side down, to cold nonstick skillet. Heat skillet over medium-low heat and cook until bottom of skin has rendered and edges are golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.
  3. Flip skin and cook until top of skin is bubbling and crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate and let cool 5 minutes. Serve.

How to Recrisp Chicken Skin Under the Broiler:

  1. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler.
  2. Using kitchen shears, remove chicken skin from rotisserie chicken.
  3. Transfer skin, bottom side up, to foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until bottom of skin is golden brown, bubbling, and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes.
  4. Flip skin and broil until top of skin is crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate and let cool 5 minutes. Serve.