How to Stretch a Whole Chicken Into 3 Budget-Friendly Meals

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Groceries are expensive. But one whole chicken can feed your family multiple times — if you know how to use it right. You can save a ton of money and time learning to stretch a whole chicken and making it into three wonderful leftover chicken meals. It’s easier than you think. And you’ll have multiple easy dinner ideas at your fingertips.

Why Buying a Whole Chicken Saves Money

Buying whole chickens is much more economical than just getting boneless skinless chicken breast. Whole chickens have a better variety of meat and nutrition available as well. Making delicious meals from leftover chicken is super easy. And Budget Stretching Recipes are my jam!

Dark meat actually has more flavor than white meat and stays moister when cooked. People who only eat the breast are missing out on a lot of wonderful eating. I love the idea of not wasting any part of the chicken, so we are being respectful of the life of the animal. Click here to see more ways to cut down on food waste and save your money!

It’s so important to feed our families healthy meals. For help in how to transition to more real food meals, click here. 

What to do with leftover chicken

These recipes can be used for leftover chicken or the leftover turkey you froze after the holidays. Every time I used to roast a turkey for my husband’s family, my mother-in-law would sit at the kitchen table after dinner and tear all the meat off the bones and bag it up for me. It was such a blessing not to have to deal with all that later.

Since she taught me that, I have tried to continue to do it right away so I don’t have to find a place in the fridge for that big ole pan the turkey cooked in. It was a great tradition she started. I miss her.

I save vegetable scraps in a freezer bag all week — onion peels, carrot ends, celery leaves. Nothing fancy. Just what would have gone in the trash.

When I cook a whole chicken, those scraps turn into liquid gold.

I hate wasting food, so I try to use up every bit of what I buy. As soon as the meat is picked off of the bones of any whole bird I cook, I throw them in a stockpot of water and boil it up with some aromatics to make my own broth. Click here to see how to make your own broth for the freezer. I love using homemade broth in my recipes. It’s so much healthier and I know what’s in it.

I save vegetable peels and scraps in a bag in the freezer so I’m not throwing them away. Then, I dump those in with my bones to make a super flavorful and nutrient-dense broth. I love saving money on food by using up everything I buy. Click here to see more about how to save money by wasting less.

How to Cook a Whole Chicken (3 Easy Methods)

Back to our leftover chicken. You can either roast a chicken in the oven like you do turkey, cook it in the crockpot or even the instant pot. They make a great easy dinner for family.

Cooking a whole chicken in the Instant Pot

To cook your whole chicken in the instant pot:

• Place a cup of water in your instant pot.
• Place the steam rack inside the pot.
• Place your chicken on the rack.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper or other seasonings you’d like. (We like to use poultry seasoning that we make)
• Lock the lid and make sure your steam vent is closed.
• Set the instant pot to chicken and add 6 minutes for each pound of chicken.
• Allow the steam to release naturally. (15 minutes)

I love the instant pot because you just set it and walk away. That’s the same reason I love my crockpot. The instant pot can pressure cook or slow cook, so it’s a super cool tool to have. I use both all the time. Click here to see how to cook your chicken in the instant pot when it’s fully frozen. 

Cooking a whole chicken in the Crockpot

This time I cooked my chicken in the crockpot because it was already out. I just threw some cut-up carrots, potatoes, and onions in the bottom of my crockpot. Added my chicken, salt and pepper and put on the lid. Cook it for 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

Roast a whole chicken in the oven

If you want to roast a whole chicken in the oven, it’s a similar technique. Just place veggies in the pan, set the chicken on top and add seasonings. Roast chicken in the oven uncovered at 350 for about an hour and 15 minutes.

Any way you decide to cook your chicken, make sure the internal temperature of any poultry is 165. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, consider getting one. They are inexpensive and you can avoid illness from underdone meat. Just stick it in the thigh of the bird and see what’s up. Don’t touch it to the bone in there though, the bones are hotter than the meat. You can also wiggle the leg and if it’s loose in the socket, it’s probably done.

Once we cooked our whole chicken, we cut a few pieces off for dinner. We had chicken, the cooked vegetables from the bottom of the crockpot, and a side of other roasted vegetables we had on hand. It was super-duper delicious. It’s also great with this Cranberry Syrup Recipe as a topping too.

After dinner, in mother-in-law style, I pulled off the rest of the meat from the leftover chicken and put it in two freezer bags in the freezer. I like to freeze my meat so I don’t feel rushed to cook it. I hate the thought of letting anything spoil, so I freeze a lot of things.

Whole chicken on sale

When whole chickens are on sale, you can save a ton of money by buying one and stretching it in different ways. There are a million and one things you can do with the rest of that chicken that are sure to be crowd-pleasers for your family. Shredded chicken is great for tacos, enchiladas, shepherd’s pie, pot pie, fried rice, stir fry, and a ton of other things.

You can make pasta salads, pasta dishes, chicken spaghetti, and chicken salad. Chicken nachos are great, chicken chili, chicken soup, the list could go on forever. Chicken is so versatile! We made chicken fried rice and chicken enchiladas out of our leftovers. Leftover chicken is super versatile. There are even a ton of things you can make with cold chicken right from the fridge!

Leftover chicken fried rice

Leftover chicken fried rice is one of our FAVORITE ways to reuse or leftover chicken. It’s fast, it’s full of flavor, and it’s full of veggies.

Leftover Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy chicken enchiladas with leftover chicken are another favorite. Click the link for the recipe. You won’t be sorry!

One of our favorites is chicken rotel spaghetti. We call it crack chicken. Without velveeta so we know the ingredients are healthy too!

I love how I can buy one meat product and stretch it to make so many great dishes. A whole chicken is fairly affordable and gives you a ton of options. I also love how much time I save when I leftover cook like this.

Once you get in the habit of doing it, a world of imagination will open up for you. You’ll think of all kinds of things you can do with less. And save a ton on your groceries. And for more ways to cook a whole chicken, turkey, or duck, and even cornish hen, check this out. And who doesn’t love a tender delicious beef roast? You can whip one up in your crock pot with very little effort, all you need is time.

For more ways to use leftover chicken, check this out:

• Kid Friendly Shredded Chicken Recipes
• How to Stretch One Chicken Breast to Feed a Family
• Mini Leftover Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken Pot Pie Stew
• Nacho recipes
• 10 Recipes to Make with Leftover Chicken Thighs

Kids love these and for more kid-friendly chicken recipes, click here.

How Much Chicken Do You Get?

A 5–6 pound whole chicken typically yields:

• 3–4 cups white meat
• 2–3 cups dark meat
• Bones for 2–3 quarts of broth

That’s easily 3–4 family meals.

More Stretch & Save Recipes

• How to Cook 1 Pork Roast to Make 5 Meals
• How to Stretch One Chicken Breast
• 10 Recipes for Leftover Chicken Thighs
• Leftover Chicken Pot Pie

FAQ

Can you freeze shredded chicken?
Yes — freeze in 2 cup portions.

How long does cooked chicken last in the fridge?
3–4 days properly stored.

How do you keep leftover chicken from drying out?
Store with a little broth or juices.

Bonus: How to Freeze Cooked Chicken

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How to Freeze Cooked Chicken (Without It Drying Out)

Freezing shredded chicken is one of the easiest ways to save time on busy nights. If you’ve already done the work of cooking a whole chicken, you might as well make it work for you later.

Here’s how to freeze cooked chicken the right way:

Step 1: Let It Cool Completely

Never freeze hot chicken. Let the shredded or chopped chicken cool fully in the refrigerator first. Freezing warm food creates excess ice crystals and can make the texture rubbery later.

Step 2: Portion It Out

Divide your chicken into meal-sized portions before freezing. I like to freeze mine in 2-cup portions because that’s about what most of my recipes call for.

If you freeze it all in one big bag, you’ll have to thaw the entire thing at once — and that defeats the purpose.

Step 3: Add Moisture

This is the trick that keeps leftover chicken from drying out.

Add 1–2 tablespoons of:

• Pan juices
• Homemade broth
• Or even a little water

Toss it gently before sealing. That little bit of moisture makes a big difference when reheating.

Step 4: Use Freezer Bags (and Remove Air)

Place the chicken in a freezer-safe zip bag. Press out as much air as possible before sealing.

Lay the bag flat in the freezer. Once frozen, you can stack them like little chicken bricks and save space.

Step 5: Label Clearly

Write the date and amount on the bag. Trust me — in three months, all freezer bags look the same.

Cooked chicken keeps well in the freezer for up to 3 months for best quality.

How to Thaw Frozen Cooked Chicken

The safest way to thaw cooked chicken is in the refrigerator overnight.

If you’re short on time:

• Place the sealed bag in a bowl of cold water.
• Change the water every 30 minutes until thawed.

You can also add frozen shredded chicken straight into soups, casseroles, or skillet meals. Just allow a few extra minutes of cooking time.

Pro Tip: Freeze Flat for Quick Meals

Flattening your chicken in freezer bags helps it:

• Freeze faster
• Thaw faster
• Reheat more evenly

It turns “What’s for dinner?” into a 10-minute decision instead of a stressful one.