Use it up · Meats and poultry

Chicken

Have extra chicken? Here’s how to choose, store and prep chicken, plus 28 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Look for pink, plump meat with no off smell, in a cold package without tears. Thighs and drumsticks stay juicier; breasts cook fastest.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: 1 to 2 days raw (pieces or whole)
Freezer: 9 months for pieces, 1 year whole

Keep raw chicken on the bottom shelf in a dish so juices can't drip onto other food.

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from FoodSafety.gov.

🔪 Prepping it

Don't rinse raw chicken; it spreads germs around the sink. Pat dry, season and cook to 165°F in the thickest part.

🥣 Make it from scratch

Homemade staples that use chicken:

Chicken stock

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Chicken breasts, boneless skinless. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	120 kcal	6%
Protein	22 g	45%
Total fat	2.6 g	3%
Saturated fat	0.6 g	3%
Total carbohydrate	0.0 g	0%
Dietary fiber	0.0 g	0%
Total sugars	0.0 g
Sodium	45 mg	2%
Calcium	5.0 mg	0%
Iron	0.4 mg	2%
Potassium	334 mg	7%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 171077 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

28 recipes, the ones that use the most chicken first.

With a smaller amount

Broccoli Alfredo Penne25 min · serves 6 · dinner ⚡ quick🧒 kid-friendly🥕 vegetarian

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More meats and poultry

Ground beef Beef steak Beef roast and stew meat Ground turkey and chicken Turkey breast Pork chops and tenderloin Pork roast and ribs Ground pork Sausage Bacon Ham Lamb All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.