Amp Up The Flavor And Cut Down On Time For BBQ Chicken Sandwiches With One Grocery Store Must-Have

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Once the warm weather hits, it's officially picnic season, which means enjoying summertime classics like potato salad (it always tastes better from the deli thanks to one very important ingredient), corn on the cob, and the star of the show: BBQ chicken sandwiches. While there is no doubt that these sandwiches are tasty, not everyone has the time or energy at the end of the day to make the titular chicken. If you're still stuck at work all day despite the nice weather, and you need a shortcut, you're in luck. Head into your grocery store on your way home and pick up a hot and ready rotisserie chicken, to make those sandwiches an absolute breeze.

Rotisserie chickens come seasoned and bursting with flavor; while you do have to break down the chicken by hand and shred it, it sure beats starting with raw chicken and having to wait for it to cook. Plus, you can use the rotisserie chicken's carcass when you're done to make a delicious homemade chicken stock. After your rotisserie chicken is properly disassembled and shredded, just toss the protein with your favorite barbecue sauce (homemade or store-bought, we don't judge) and portion it out onto the best burger bread: Potato buns. Also, if you want to save yourself even more time and effort, some stores sell pre-shredded rotisserie chicken in the refrigerated section. All you have to do then is heat it up when you get home and mix with your sauce of choice.

As mentioned, rotisserie chickens can be quite a helpful short-cut in the kitchen — and when it comes to BBQ chicken sandwiches, they really earn their reputation. You would have to tend to a whole chicken for hours to get the same thing you can pick up in five minutes from your grocery store. Not to mention the extra heat emulating from your kitchen while you hover over the oven or stove (and on hot summer nights, we absolutely want to avoid this). The rotisserie chicken is also a decent value; Famously, Costco members can snag a rotisserie chicken for just $4.99, and those who opt for Sam's Club pay one penny less — although the argument for which retailer has the best tasting rotisserie chicken is a whole different story. 

Now if, in the course of making this speedy dinner, you happen to have a few extra minutes to spare, you could elevate your BBQ chicken sandwiches with some equally quick — but extra tasty — toppings, like a two-ingredient coleslaw. It's as easy as picking up a bagged coleslaw mix and a dressing of your choice (Kraft actually sells a bottled coleslaw dressing). A crispy, quick-pickled vegetable would also be outstanding on BBQ chicken sandwiches, from red onions to carrots and even radishes. The briny sweetness cuts through the rich barbecue sauce, while the crunch adds interesting texture to what is initially a soft bite.