The Broth Trick To Reheat Rotisserie Chicken Without Drying It Out

Rotisserie chickens make for a great dinner in minutes cheat code. They're ready-to-eat and can easily please a crowd. A rotisserie might be the ideal way to cook a whole chicken as the high direct heat ensures rendered skin, and the rotation's self basting means a moist bird in the end.

Best of all, rotisserie chickens are almost inflation proof. In spite of higher chicken prices, it's more valuable for retailers to lose money on rotisserie chickens but get you in their doors, than raise prices and risk losing you as a customer. In business terms, this is called a loss leader and is a classic marketing tactic that keeps most rotisserie chickens safely in the five to seven dollar range.

Rotisserie chicken is a smart meal option for many reasons, just member, there's a best time of day to find fresh rotisserie chicken at supermarkets. That's a great time to buy one, but it doesn't mean you have to eat it as soon as possible. The only thing easier than stopping for a chicken on the way home, is having one in the fridge waiting for you.

That cold rotisserie chicken doesn't have to be pulled apart and diced into chicken salad. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but reheating a rotisserie chicken is a simple process.

Food Lovin' Family suggests six ways to reheat rotisserie chicken using just about any kitchen appliance, from the microwave to the instant pot. The best method is probably the oven. Place the chicken into an oven-safe baking dish that isn't much bigger than the bird. To this, add a cup of chicken broth. Additionally, be sure to include the accumulated juices in the bottom of the rotisserie chicken bag, or container. If you don't have broth, you can just add water to those juices. After covering with foil, the broth will help steam the chicken back up to temperature in about 20 minutes. That's just enough time to prep and cook a side dish.

The benefits of using broth to steam a rotisserie chicken back to life outweigh the negatives. But, if you insist on crispy skin, this technique isn't helping. For crispy chicken skin fanatics, the best way to re-crisp flabby rotisserie chicken skin is pretty simple. Pull the skin off, and while the bird reheats, fry the skin till crispy. You can snack on that fresh chicken skin chip while no one is looking, or serve it atop the reheated bird.

Once reheated, rotisserie chicken is a blank canvas that's just begging to be gussied up. Topping slices with a compound butter is a great idea. And while traditional barbecue sauce is fine, a Chimichurri sauce's acidic, bright green flavors will really liven up the meal. Or, even a lesser known barbecue sauce, like white barbecue sauce.

There's no shortage of ideas for what to do with leftover rotisserie chicken. Pull the meat off and you're well on the way to chicken tacos, enchiladas, or white chicken chili. Chicken pot pie, or chicken and dumplings are a simple, stick-to-your-ribs way to use up a rotisserie chicken. Finally, fried rice or chicken tikka masala are good ways to get out of a plain chicken rut.

Maybe the best part of rotisserie chicken are the bones, which are perfect for making a batch of chicken stock. Suit your broth to your tastes, but it can be as simple as simmering the carcass with onion, carrot, and celery in just enough water to cover for about an hour. Strain out the bones and vegetables, then sip on your fresh batch of bone broth, or get going on a batch of Bobby Flay's tortilla soup.