CLEVELAND — A rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest shortcuts in the grocery store.
It is already cooked. It is already seasoned. And for families trying to avoid another expensive takeout night, it can be more than dinner. It can be a budget tool.
For this week’s Price Tracker, News 5 took one rotisserie chicken to Chef Samantha Piedrahita at Stir Studio Kitchen in Chagrin Falls to see how far one bird could go.
The challenge: turn it into three meals, fast.
Piedrahita showed how one rotisserie chicken can become chicken paprikash, chicken tinga tacos and a simple chicken salad. Even the bones can be used again by simmering them with water and vegetable scraps to make chicken stock for soup, rice or another meal later in the week.
The savings can add up.
News 5 checked rotisserie chicken prices at Walmart, Meijer, Costco and Sam’s Club. The cheapest price found was Sam’s Club at $4.98, beating Costco by one penny at $4.99.
And while convenience foods are not always the cheapest option, a prepared chicken can help families avoid overspending on takeout.
The latest Consumer Price Index shows food at home is up 2.7% over the year, while food away from home is up 3.5%. That means eating out is still rising faster than groceries.
Here are three recipes from Stir Studio Kitchen to stretch one rotisserie chicken.
Stir’s chicken paprikash (serves six)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons duck fat or butter, 1 rotisserie chicken, cleaned from the bones 2 yellow onions, sliced thin, 6 cloves garlic, minced, 4 Roma tomatoes, finely diced, or 1 can diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 Hungarian wax peppers, 4 tablespoons Hungarian paprika, 3 cups chicken stock, 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 1 block cream cheese, softened.
Instructions:
- Heat the duck fat or butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onions and salt, then cook until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the garlic, peppers and tomatoes. Simmer for about five minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the paprika and tomato paste. Be careful not to scorch the paprika, or it can become bitter.
- Add the chicken stock, return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the cream cheese and stir gently until melted and smooth.
- While the mixture cooks, shred or dice the cooked chicken.
- Add the chicken to the pan and allow the paprikash to simmer.
- If the paprikash is too runny, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing two to three tablespoons of cornstarch with a small amount of water in a separate bowl. Slowly pour the slurry into the paprikash while whisking. The mixture will thicken quickly as it simmers.
- Serve with spaetzle or egg noodles.
Chicken tinga tacos (serves six)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup roughly chopped sweet onion, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, or 2 to 3 tablespoons chipotle powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 cup canned crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, 1/4 cup chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 5 to 6 cups shredded cooked chicken, or 1 whole rotisserie chicken
For serving:
10 6-inch corn tortillas, 2 ripe avocados, sliced1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1/2 cup diced white onion, or whatever onion you have on hand1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese, 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onion. Sauté for about 4 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the chipotle peppers, oregano and cumin. Toast for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes.
- Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the blended sauce to the pan over low heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- To assemble, top tortillas with the chicken mixture, avocado slices, cilantro, diced onion and cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges.
Simple chicken salad (serves four to six)
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup celery, finely diced, 1/4 cup green onions, or whatever onion you have on hand, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper until smooth.
- Add the shredded chicken, diced celery and chopped onions.
- Gently stir with a spatula until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
- For extra texture and flavor, fold in seedless red grapes, dried cranberries, toasted pecans or almonds.
Each week, we’ll visit Meijer, Giant Eagle, Aldi, Walmart, Marc's, and Dave's Market to check prices on everyday essentials.
Those include: 2% milk, a loaf of wheat bread, chicken price per pound, ground beef tray or patty per pound (80% lean 20% fat), 1 dozen white eggs and toasted oats cereal.
If you're willing to shop around, you can snag even deeper discounts on meat, dairy, and pantry goods.
We’re also giving you a chance to see how your favorite stores stack up week to week. We’ll compare how grocery prices change at each store each week.
Find a better deal? We want to hear from you! Submit your finds through the form below. If you beat our prices, we’ll feature them.
And if you’re a savvy shopper, always chasing the best deals, we may even join you on your next grocery run.
