How to be savvy with a Whole Chicken

As part of our #LowWasteInitiatives this month, we challenged our resident chef Jess (@the_culinary_cartel) to get savvy with a whole chicken. 

Buying a whole bird is a much more economical choice in the current cost of living situation, allowing you to purchase better quality meat and stretch the chicken further through a number of meals. 

Jess broke down the whole bird – watch the video to see how she did it – and turned it into 3 delicious recipes.

1. Fajitas to feed four,
2. Two leg portions for a cheeky Nando’s, 
3. A generous 1.5L of chicken stock to use as a soup base.

Get the recipes below:

Use the chicken breasts for Fajitas in a Flash! 

Ready in just 20 minutes, these fajitas will deliver beautifully cooked veggies and moist chicken every time. No need to wait for the oven, or baby sit a pan on the stove, the fillings all comes together in the vortex. Finish with black beans, and lift the dish with lime and you are on your way to the table  

Use the chicken legs and thighs for a ‘Cheeky Nandos!’

When the craving hits, this budget friendly recipe delivers a succulent and juicy peri peri chicken quarter, saucy perinaise basted corn portions and ultra crispy chips in under 30 minutes. That’s sure to beat Deliveroo! All you need is a bottle of Nando’s peri peri sauce and four simple ingredients.

Use the leftover carcass for a delicious chicken stock!

Traditional recipes call for simmering the bones gently in water for 6 hours. The magic of the Instant Pot is that you can cut this time down to just 2 hours, and not have to babysit a pot on the stove.