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There are very few things more Australian than grabbing a supermarket roast chook on your way home from work.

The humble rotisserie chicken has long been the hero of busy weeknight dinners, lazy Sunday lunches and those evenings where the thought of cooking from scratch feels genuinely offensive. 

Sure, you can serve your roast chook straight with a bread roll, cheese, lettuce and mayo (my personal favourite and an iconic meal in its own right), but a rotisserie chicken is also one of the easiest shortcuts to a surprisingly delicious dinner.

From viral TikTok recipes to comfort-food classics, here are seven easy meals you can throw together when you simply cannot be bothered cooking. 

The viral Chicken and Rice hack.

If you are a fan of Hainanese chicken rice (and, let's be honest, who isn't?), this viral TikTok recipe is about to become your new obsession.

Simply shred your roast chicken, add freshly cooked rice, spring onion and a generous spoonful of those juices from the bottom of the bag. Mix everything together, and you've got a ridiculously comforting meal with almost no effort involved. 

Bachelor's Handbag, but make it fancy. 

The Bachelor's Handbag gets turned into a pub-worthy meal. Image: Supplied.

Australia's beloved "bachelor's handbag" gets a glow-up with this easy dinner that feels far more impressive than the effort required. 

All you need is a roast chook, potatoes, cabbage, bacon and a few other pantry staples and you've got a meal that looks like it came from a fancy bistro rather than the supermarket hot food section. 

You can find the full recipe here. 

The cheat's Caesar salad.

The easiest chicken Caesar salad you'll ever make. Image: Canva.

A classic for a reason. 

Shredding your roast chicken takes all the hard work out of making a Caesar salad, leaving you with nothing more strenuous than tossing together lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese and the creamy dressing of your choice. We love this recipe if you want to make it feel just a little bit fancy. 

Want to make it even easier? Wrap everything up in a tortilla for a grab-and-go lunch the next day. 

Chicken, pea and pesto pasta bake.

Chicken, pea and pesto pasta bake. Image: Supplied.

Wondering what to do with the leftovers from your roast chook? 

This creamy chicken, pea and pesto pasta bake is the answer. 

The combination of pesto, pasta and shredded chicken creates the ultimate comfort food, while frozen peas add a little pop of colour and sweetness. It's easy, family-friendly and perfect for using up whatever chicken is left in the fridge. 

Loaded chicken fries. 

Some meals feel healthy. Some meals feed your soul. Loaded chicken fries firmly fall into the second category. Pile crispy hot chips with shredded roast chicken, cheese, sauces and whatever toppings you have lying around, then able until it's gloriously golden and melty. 

The ultimate comfort-food dinner for nights when you need a little joy. 

BBQ chicken slaw tacos. 

This is probably the easiest dinner on this list. 

Grab some shredded roast chicken, a bag of coleslaw salad mix, peri peri mayo and soft tortillas. 

Pile everything together, add some crunchy jalapeños if you're feeling spicy and dinner is served in less than five minutes. Fast. delicious and requiring almost zero brain power. 

Chicken fried rice. 

Your new weeknight go-to, trust us. Image: RecipeTinEats.

If you've already got leftover rice in the fridge, you're halfway there. (And if you don't, those 40 second microwave cups of rice work a treat!)

Toss shredded roast chicken into a hot pan with rice, frozen or fresh leftover vegetables and soy sauce, and you've got an easy fried rice that tastes far better than the effort involved. 

This recipe from RecipeTinEats is easy as; just substitute raw chicken for what's already in your fridge. 

It's the perfect clean-out fridge meal and an excellent way to make a roast chook stretch even further. 

Feature image: TikTok/marionskitchen/kelnorman.