Buzz
Like many on this vast and wonderful web, I find myself a little obsessed with the boys from The Basement Yard. Joey and Frankie are quintessential himbos. Not only do they often get things hilariously wrong, but they do so in such a captivating and fun way. Take, for example, their discussion on how to make broth.
Frankie’s married (and a bit confused about what “broth” really is), so I’m not too worried about him. But Joey? He's the kind of guy for whom the pre-cooked rotisserie chicken was made. (Also, Joey, if you’re reading this: I’d gladly teach you how to make broth or stock. Just pick a bone, and I’ll be there.)
A rotisserie chicken is the ideal protein for anyone—be it a bimbo, himbo, or thembo—looking to step into the world of cooking for themselves. It’s already cooked, so all you need to do is pull the meat off the bones and add it to other dishes to create a meal. But the fun doesn’t end there; the chicken has even more to offer, including its bones and skin.
To make the most of your rotisserie chicken, break it down into stages. The first stage is the Fresh Phase, when the chicken is hot, mouthwatering, and perfect on its own with just a few easy sides. Next comes the Fridge Phase—this is when you start pulling the meat apart and mixing it into other dishes. The final phase is often overlooked, but it’s Claire’s Favorite Phase, which includes savoring crispy chicken skin and making a delicious broth.
The Fresh Phase
This could also be referred to as the 'Honeymoon Phase.' The chicken is succulent, juicy, and begging to be devoured. Pick your favorite piece and pair it with a simple side. Personally, I love the legs and thighs. A quick salad—even from a kit—or some roasted or air-fried vegetables are great options. If fresh produce is in season, blanched asparagus or green beans are fantastic. Mashed potatoes are always a winner too, and they can be whipped up in the microwave.
For a finishing touch, you can easily make a quick gravy. Typically, when preparing poultry-based gravy, you use the pan drippings from roasting the bird. But since this rotisserie chicken was cooked elsewhere, you won’t have those drippings. No problem. As I’ve mentioned before, a simple gravy can be made with a few pantry essentials:
To make gravy, combine 2 tablespoons of fat, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 1-2 cups of flavorful stock (the range depends on your preference for gravy thickness). Cook the flour in the fat until it smells toasted, then gradually whisk in the stock and cook until it thickens. This recipe yields enough for two people, but you can adjust the quantities as needed.
Once your gravy has thickened to the perfect consistency, give it a taste test and tweak the seasoning with salt and pepper, or add any other spices you prefer. If you're feeling adventurous, why not try this four-ingredient onion gravy recipe?
A fun alternative to a classic rotisserie chicken is to get nice and relaxed, then create little wraps. I've shared my process before, but it's a simple one. Grab a chicken, choose your favorite tortilla, pita, or wrap, and pair it with your go-to condiments and extras:
Along with the chicken, grab some tortillas or soft pita, and a bag of slaw-like veggies, plus as many sauces as you can imagine. Once you're in the mood, assemble your chicken slaw wraps, and load them with sauces. It's the perfect time to raid your fridge and experiment with new, bold sauces that your sober self would never consider. Add some shredded cheese for extra flavor.
You don't need to be high to enjoy chicken this way, but it sure adds to the fun.
The Fridge Phase
There it sits, in the fridge, cold and solidified. Its shine has faded—its skin has become rubbery and the breast meat has lost some of its juiciness—but this old bird still has a couple of meals left. At this stage, you'll want to take the chicken out of the bag and strip off every bit of meat. Be sure to get the meat from the back of the chicken as well, and don't forget to save the bones, fat, and skin (we'll be using those soon).
Once you've separated the meat from the bones, it's time to put it to use. Chicken salad is an obvious choice, or you can add the shredded chicken to a fresh green salad. (Need help with vinaigrette? Learn here.) It also works wonderfully in a soup, especially if you accidentally left the rotisserie bag slightly open, and the meat has dried out a bit. You can toss the chicken into any soup or chili—even instant ramen—or use a box of broth and a frozen puck of spinach and artichoke dip to make spinach and artichoke chicken soup.
Lately, my go-to struggle meal is brothy beans with rice and chicken, generously seasoned with garlic salt and hot sauce. Cook the beans however you normally do it (canned works perfectly fine; no judgment here), then prepare some rice. If cooking rice on the stove seems intimidating, we can guide you through it here, or you can grab some microwavable frozen rice from Trader Joe’s (or invest in a dedicated rice cooker). Next, combine the beans and rice in a saucepan, add some broth if you need to loosen it up, and stir in the chicken. Season to your liking—garlic salt and hot sauce are always a hit—and heat until the chicken is piping hot.
Avoid the mess and opt for a rice cooker instead.
For a premium rice cooker: Zojirushi NP-HCC10XH Induction Heating System Rice Cooker and Warmer
For a more affordable choice: Zojirushi NHS-06 3-Cup Rice Cooker
For a cute, simple, and pink option: Mishcdea Electric Mini Rice Cooker with Food Steamer Basket
Casseroles also make a fantastic meal option. This cheesy chicken and rice casserole is a great way to repurpose leftovers—whether it's chicken or something else—and this turkey pasta bake is just as easily made with another bird. I'm also a fan of this chicken noodle soup casserole, which embodies beige food at its finest.
Claire’s Top Pick Phase
Before we dive into boiling bones, let's chat about chicken skin—one of my personal favorites. When poultry skin is cooked and then cooled, it loses its appeal. It's a strange combination of leathery and gummy—but with some heat, you can revamp it into something irresistibly delicious.
Fried pre-cooked chicken skin actually outshines fried raw chicken skin. Much like French fries, the skin becomes even better after a second round of cooking:
Since it's already been cooked once, much of the fat has rendered, and the collagen has melted, which allows the skin to crisp up quickly and easily. It's often seasoned already, and as the skin fries, those seasonings concentrate into a perfect chicken chip. Even the once grey, limp skin from the underside of the bird turns into something golden and crunchy in just minutes.
If you own an air fryer, this process is a breeze. Peel the leftover skin from your cooked bird, making sure to grab the unattractive, saggy skin from the bottom of the carcass. Lay it flat on your air fryer basket's insert and cook at 350℉ until it's crisp and golden, which can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how much fat was rendered and the size of the skin pieces.
No air fryer? No worries. As I’ve mentioned previously, cracklins can also be made in a pan:
Remove the skin and place the pieces in a cold nonstick pan. Put the pan on the burner, set the heat to medium, and cook until golden and crispy, flipping once to cook both sides (chopsticks are perfect for this job).
Once done, transfer the cracklins to paper towels, sprinkle with salt and/or MSG, and snack on them like chips. (You can also add them to a sandwich or salad, but personally, I prefer them as chips because it’s perfectly fine for chips to be made from meat.)
Next up is stock, or “bone broth,” which is basically “soup made from bones.” Frankie wasn’t entirely wrong when he told Joey to “let the bones and the marrow soak in the water, and it becomes a broth,” although he missed the crucial detail about water temperature. Also, stock and broth are not exactly the same thing.
If you're confused about the difference between stock and broth, you can read more here, but the key is in the meat. Broth is the liquid in which meat has been cooked; stock is made by simmering bones. If you're curious about making a clear, golden chicken broth, you can find out how here, but that’s not what we’re working with when it comes to our rotisserie chicken carcass (because we can’t).
Making stock from cooked chicken bones is easy. If you have an Instant Pot, just toss in the bones, a teaspoon of salt, any vegetable scraps you’ve saved in your freezer, a bay leaf, and some ACV to help pull out the collagen. Cover it all with water and cook under high pressure for an hour, then strain out the solids—once through a colander to remove the larger bones, then again through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth to catch the finer particles. No Instant Pot? No problem. Just throw everything in a big stock pot, cover with water, and simmer for hours, then strain as mentioned above.
Hey there, kid, want an Instant Pot?
The top seller: Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 8-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Need 10 functions??: Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker
He’s a small one: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric 3-Quart Pressure Cooker
Store your stock in the fridge for two to three days, or freeze it for months (I’ve gone up to a year with no issues). The next time you grab a rotisserie chicken, you’ll already have stock ready to use for gravy (during the first phase) or chicken soup (in the second). You might find yourself stuck in an endless loop of chicken consumption and stock-making, but trust me, there are worse cycles to get trapped in.
