What to Serve with Roasted Chicken

If you’re like me and my family, you’re always on the lookout for new things to serve for dinner. And one thing I’ve learned in my 50-plus years is that improvisation comes easy when you start with a simple recipe or technique you can make with your eyes closed.

Roasted chicken is like that for me – whether it’s my cast iron chicken breast recipe, roasting a whole chicken, or picking one up from the store on the way home (I won’t tell). The challenge isn’t cooking the chicken, it’s figuring what to serve with roasted chicken. So here are some of my favorite ways I serve simple baked chicken from the oven.

Thanksgiving chicken dinner

Substitute chicken breasts for turkey in a Thanksgiving-inspired dinner. Serve with maple roasted Brussels sprouts, cavatappi mac and cheese, a homemade jalapeño cranberry sauce, and soft dinner rolls like my Japanese milk bread rolls. It’s a great way to enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving any time of year.

Chicken tacos

Use a taco seasoning as a rub for your cast iron skillet chicken breasts and and slice them into strips for tacos, burrito bowls, or taco salad. Top with a chunky guacamole, black beans, corn, mango pico de gallo or mango corn salsa, spicy pickled onions, and toasted sunflower seeds.

Barbecue plates

Who says barbecue needs a smoker? Serve with apple pie baked beans, a purple cabbage slaw or carrot salad, skillet cornbread, mac and cheese waffles, and my peach BBQ sauce on the side.

Chicken pasta and pasta salads

Roasted chicken is one of the easiest ways to turn a side dish into a complete meal. Add cooked chicken to pasta dishes like chicken alfredo pasta or chicken pesto pasta for a quick weeknight dinner.

Use cumin, coriander, and cardamom as your rub and add diced roasted chicken to a Mediterranean inspired pumpkin couscous salad with a creamy lemon herb tahini sauce or sumac dressing. It makes a protein-packed lunch for all week long.

Grain bowls

Grain bowls are one of the easiest things to do with roasted chicken. Start with rice, quinoa, couscous, or farro. Add sliced chicken and roasted vegetables, then finish with a flavorful sauce like , pomegranate molasses dressing, creamy pesto dressing, a lemon vinaigrette.

You can check out my grain bowl page for some ideas. The possibilities are endless, which is one reason grain bowls never get boring.

Chicken salads

Chicken salads are also one of the best ways to use leftover roast chicken. Roast chicken works equally well in chicken salad and on top of green salads.

Make a fabulous Cape Cod chicken salad with cranberry and pecans to serve over lettuce or in a sandwich or wrap. Or make my Asian crunch salad with orange slices, slivered almonds, and a sesame vinaigrette.

Roast chicken leftovers

One of the best reasons to roast a whole chicken is the leftovers. Shred your leftovers chicken into any number of soups, stews, casseroles, enchiladas, a pot pie with puff pastry, or fried rice. And then you can use the bones for homemade chicken stock.

See? You can serve your roast chicken throughout the week in an infinite number of ways. Send me an email, and tell me your favorite!

Roast chicken FAQs