Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas with Intentional Leftovers

Simplify Your Weeknight Meals:

Why You Should Keep a Smoked Chicken in Your Fridge

How many times have you come home from work and dreaded preparing a meal because it takes too much time? This is a weekly occurrence in our house if we don’t have quick and easy solutions available.

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, finding ways to streamline meal preparation without compromising on taste and nutrition is a constant challenge. One solution for easy weeknight meals is adding a smoked whole chicken to your longer weekend cooks that can be used as leftovers later in the week. Here are four compelling reasons why you should make this a weekly habit:

1. Easy Weeknight Meals

One of the most significant advantages of this basic meal planning staple is having a leftover smoked chicken ready in your fridge for easy weeknight meals.

After a long day at work or managing family activities, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. A smoked chicken can be a lifesaver, providing a quick and delicious meal with minimal effort.

Quick Meal Ideas:

• Chicken Tacos: Shred the smoked chicken, warm up some tortillas, and add your favorite toppings like lettuce, cheese, and salsa. Dinner is ready in minutes.
• Chicken Pasta: Toss chunks of smoked chicken with cooked pasta, a jar of pesto or marinara sauce, and a handful of fresh spinach. Heat and serve.
• Chicken Sandwiches: Layer slices of smoked chicken on a crusty roll with some cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a dollop of mayo or mustard.
• Chicken Stir-Fry: Stir-fry some vegetables, add pieces of smoked chicken, and drizzle with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce for a quick and healthy dinner.

Having a smoked chicken on hand means you can whip up a variety of dishes quickly, saving you time and reducing stress during the busy workweek.

2. Control Over Temperature and Juiciness

When you smoke your own chicken, you have complete control over the cooking process. This means you can ensure it is cooked to the perfect temperature, resulting in a juicier and fresher chicken compared to store-bought rotisserie chickens, which can often be overcooked and dry.

Cooking Tips:

• Internal Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to know when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155°F (74°C) in the deepest part of the breast, which is safe to eat but still retains moisture. Carryover cooking will take the internal temperature to between 160°F to 165°F. Note: Chicken pulled off the smoker at 165° F will often rise to over 170° F internally, which can result in a dry and chewy texture.
• Resting Time: Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes after smoking to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
• Flavor Preservation: Smoking the chicken at home allows you to use natural wood, which can impart a rich, smoky flavor without the preservatives and additives found in some pre-packaged chickens.

By controlling the temperature and cooking method, you can achieve a perfectly cooked chicken that is both succulent and flavorful.

3. Control Over Seasoning and Flavor

One of the joys of cooking at home is the ability to customize flavors to your liking. When you smoke your own chicken, you can experiment with different seasonings, marinades, and even wood flavors to create a flavor profile that suits your taste.

Seasoning Ideas:

• Classic BBQ: Plowboys Yardbird Rub is one of our favorites, combining sugar, paprika, chili pepper, garlic, onion, and black pepper for a sweet and savory flavor. There’s a good reason this rub is a 4-Time American Royal World Champion!
• Herb Blend: Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust is a popular spice blend that includes thyme, mustard seed, garlic, onion, and pepper. If you prefer even more herb flavor including rosemary, try the Cattleman’s Grill Ranchero seasoning. Both are great options!
• Spicy Kick: For a spicy twist, our go-to seasonings are R Butts R Smokin Butt Kick’n Chicken for a BBQ flavored rub and Cattleman’s Grill Blackening Seasoning for a Cajun flavor.

Customizing the seasoning allows you to create a smoked chicken that aligns perfectly with your own preferences.

4. Versatility in Meals: Chicken Pieces or Pulled Chicken

 A leftover smoked chicken is incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes, whether you prefer to eat it as whole pieces or pulled/shredded for different recipes.

Chicken Pieces:

• Drumsticks and Thighs: Serve these juicy pieces with your favorite sauce and barbecue side dish for a classic BBQ meal.
• Breasts: Serve whole atop a bed of vegetables or slice thinly and add to sandwiches for a healthy lunch or dinner.

Pulled Chicken:

• Salads: Add pulled chicken to a Caesar salad, Cobb salad, or a simple garden salad to boost protein and flavor. You can also make an easy Chicken Salad to serve as a main course or use it on sandwiches. Check out our Too Easy Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich recipe for a great weeknight meal idea.
• Casseroles: Mix pulled chicken into a creamy pasta bake or a hearty rice casserole for a comforting dinner.
• Soup & Chili: Use pulled chicken in a chicken noodle soup, tortilla soup, or a spicy chicken chili.
• Tacos: Add your favorite taco seasoning to pulled chicken to make an easy protein for tacos or burritos. You can also use your pulled chicken for an Easy Chicken Taco Night.

The versatility of leftover smoked chicken means you can easily adapt it to suit a wide range of meals, ensuring you never get bored with your weekly menu.

 Our Favorite Way To Prepare A Whole Chicken:

We recommend roasting chicken using the spatchcock method. This exposes the entire skin of the chicken to the heat making it crispier and provides an even cook in less time.

Spatchcocking a chicken may sound challenging, but it really isn’t so tough once you get the hang of it. It’s as simple as using a knife or a good set of poultry shears to cut the backbone out of the bird, then flipping it over and pushing down in the center of the breast to snap the breastbone until the entire bird lays as flat as possible.

For more information on how to spatchcock a chicken, check out our video on How To Spatchcock a Whole Chicken.

Cooking Temperatures: Grill setpoints anywhere between 350°F to 425°F will result in crispy skin as well as a succulent interior. We will often start at 350°F for the beginning of the cook and then raise the grill temperature to 425°F for the last 20 minutes of the cook to get the skin crispy. Just make sure to pull the chicken prior to the 165°F degree mark or you risk overcooking it. This happens fast when grilling at higher temperatures.

Conclusion:

As you can see, keeping a leftover smoked chicken in your fridge each week is a smart and practical meal planning tip for anyone looking to simplify meal preparation while enjoying delicious, home-cooked food. The convenience of easy weeknight meals, the control over cooking temperature and juiciness, the ability to customize seasoning and flavor, and the versatility in meal applications make smoked chicken a valuable addition to your weekly routine.

By dedicating a bit of time each week to preparing a chicken ahead of time while grilling other meals, you can reap the benefits of having a flavorful, ready-to-eat protein source that enhances your meals and makes dinner time a breeze. So, fire up your grill, experiment with different seasonings, and enjoy the myriad ways smoked chicken can improve your weekly meals.

Happy Grilling!