The Gross Reason Reddit Is Worried About Costco's Rotisserie Chicken

There are many reasons to indulge in a Costco membership apart from the one-of-a-kind return policy and cheap food court favorites. With inflation peaking in June of this year, saving money is a top priority for many Americans, and what better way to save than by grabbing a giant to-go pizza for under $10 and stocking up on an affordable rotisserie chicken for later in the week.

Spending $4.99 on a 3-pound bird seems like a great deal, but there's more to the price than meets the wallet so to speak. In 2019, Costco made the move to bring chicken production in-house by opening up its own processing plant in Nebraska which was estimated to save the company "10 to 35 cents per bird" (via Grocery Dive).

However, those extra cents saved come with the potential price of customers seeing the light regarding their favorite Costco chickens. Not only have Costco employees exposed the difficult working conditions on Reddit in Costco's "chicken room" but more social media users have been talking about the animal cruelty behind the beloved $4.99 favorite since Costco was sued this summer for inhumane animal practices (via CNN).

You may think the talk must end somewhere but unfortunately, Reddit users are also discussing if these affordable birds are actually cooked when purchased.

In early August 2022, one Reddit user posted a questionable picture of their recently purchased rotisserie chicken, stating there was "a pool of suspicious wet globs inside the chest cavity." While many commented that the chicken was probably fine to eat, some recommended returning it to Costco. One user stated it was hard judging how cooked the chicken was but overall, "when in doubt, don't eat it."

Sadly, for the big box wholesaler, this isn't the first time Reddit has been up in arms about the doneness of their $4.99 chickens. Three years ago, a thread was started in the r/Costco subreddit titled "Raw rotisserie chicken again and again." In the comments, a few Costco employees were able to share their perspectives on the required temperatures of the breast and thigh meat while also informing readers that when the meat arrives at the warehouse cold it can make "the meat look very pinkish, even if cooked beyond safe temperatures."

While there may not be many savory reasons Costco's rotisserie chickens are able to stay so cheap in 2022, being able to purchase one that is actually cooked is also of high importance. With all of the buzz around Costco's rotisserie chickens over the last few years, some social media users may be reconsidering saving money on this cost-effective favorite in the future.