How To Choose The Best Costco Rotisserie Chicken
Costco shoppers know that one of the chain's best deals can be found in the prepared foods section. This is, of course, the store's famous rotisserie chicken. Busy shoppers who simply grab the first bird they see may be missing out on getting the most product for their dollar, but those who know what to look for will find it easy to pick the top rotisserie chicken available.
The first thing savvy shoppers should do is size up the birds. Typically, those looking for the best value and flavor should opt for the biggest bird available. Bigger, plumper chickens mean their juices haven't evaporated yet, so the meat hasn't had a chance to dry out and lose its distinctive taste. Bigger is also better from a value perspective, as most Costco rotisserie chickens are sold for a flat $4.99 price. Therefore, those who opt for a smaller chicken are getting less meat for their money, making it more difficult to turn the Costco staple into multiple meals, like rotisserie chicken salad and rotisserie chicken noodle soup.
It's possible to take advantage of this discrepancy because Costco isn't too concerned about maximizing its profits on its famous chickens. In fact, the company loses money on each chicken sold, with the product acting as a "loss leader" that encourages shoppers to come in and spend more elsewhere in the store.
Check for color — but not too much
Beyond size, the next best thing to look for in your rotisserie chicken is color. As is typical with most foods, more color on the chicken's exterior tends to mean more flavor from the deliciously roasted skin. Also, keep an eye out for the amount of spices and seasoning you can see on the bird — these are likely part of why store-bought rotisserie chicken tastes better than homemade.
On the other hand, it's vital to avoid choices with blackened, wrinkled, or dried-out skin, which are telltale signs of a rotisserie chicken that's been overcooked or has been sitting out for too long. Costco rotates out any unsold chickens after two hours, allowing shoppers to check the time stamp to see how long it will be until fresh ones are available.
If you've already got a whole, uncooked chicken handy, there's no need to even spend time driving to the warehouse to pick one up. Our five-ingredient copycat Costco rotisserie chicken recipe allows you to enjoy the same mouth-watering flavor without spending any extra cash — or even leaving your home kitchen.