Don't Eat Another Costco Rotisserie Chicken Until You Watch This

Even if you're not a Costco member, you've no doubt heard of Costco

rotisserie

chicken

. Here you'll find everything you need to know about them, from what they actually contain, how they compare to the competition, and what to do with them once you get it home. The ingredient list for a Costco

rotisserie

chicken

is actually pretty simple: a whole chicken, water, and seasonings including salt, sodium phosphate, modified food starch, potato dextrin, carrageenan, sugar, dextrose, and spice extracts. "These are pre-seasoned in the factories. They arrive at the supermarket for an employee to put on the skewer and cook." Some of those chemical-sounding words may seem unusual, but there's nothing terribly scary here.

Sodium phosphate is an additive that helps keep meats moist and fresh. Modified food starch is an additive typically used to thicken, stabilize or emulsify. Potato dextrin is a thickener and sweetener, but can also be used to improve the crunchiness of foods. Dextrose is a simple sugar made from corn. Carrageenan, a preservative made from seaweed that, in chicken, helps retain water, is probably the most controversial ingredient here. Although it is approved by the FDA, there is some evidence to suggest that it causes negative health effects in some people. For the most part, it seems like these additives ensure maximum tenderness and provide that ever-winning combination of salty and sweet goodness.

Chances are, you eat a lot of foods with much scarier labels that don't taste as good. Costco's rotisserie chicken is missing something that is usually quite common among other grocery store rotisserie chickens: MSG, or MSG. Although MSG tends to get a bad rap, there is no doubt that it makes food taste amazing with all of its flavor-enhancing abilities. But that's neither here nor there, because Costco chicken simply doesn't need to taste amazing. Another thing you don't have to worry about with Costco rotisserie chicken? Gluten. A company representative confirmed that the chickens are gluten-free, which is not always the case with grocery store rotisserie chickens.

If there's one drawback to any brand of rotisserie chicken, it's its high sodium content. "There's a lot of salt in a roast chicken. There's probably more salt than if you were roasting a chicken at home." Costco comes packed with a good amount, but it's certainly not the worst. Nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix told Today that a 3-ounce serving of rotisserie chicken can contain up to 600 milligrams of sodium. The same serving of Costco rotisserie chicken has 460 milligrams; A rotisserie chicken from Sam's Club has about 550 milligrams per three-ounce serving. However, some chickens have less sodium. Publix, for example, has about 250 milligrams per three-ounce serving.

And let's be clear: None of these rotisserie chickens come close to the sodium level of a fast food burger. A McDonald's double quarter pounder with cheese has 1,310 milligrams of sodium. A Wendy's Baconator has 1,630 milligrams. According to the FDA, the recommended daily value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams. Then you can eat five servings of Costco rotisserie chicken or a Baconator. And while we're talking nutrition, here's what you get with that 3-ounce serving of Costco rotisserie chicken: 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 19 grams of protein. Costco's big draw is the great deals on oversized products, like that giant teddy bear they sell.

And you shouldn't expect anything less from Costco rotisserie chicken. For the bargain price of $4.99, you get a monster bird whose price and weight surpass the competition's offerings. Weighing at least 3 pounds after cooking, Costco's rotisserie chicken dwarfs those sold at other stores. According to The Wall Street Journal, what you'll typically find elsewhere is a 1-1/2- to 2-pound bird, and you could pay $7 or more for it. You don't have to be a math whiz to see that paying $5 for a 3-pound chicken is better than paying $7 for a 2-pound one. Not only is it a bargain for its size, but Costco typically ranks number one in rotisserie chicken taste tests, which isn't surprising if you've ever tried one.

Whether you're up against Sam's Club, Walmart, Kroger, or Whole Foods, Costco is the best. Even knowing the value proposition, you will still want to choose the best and freshest bird among those available. And once you know what to look for, it's easy. Bon Appétit senior food editor Rick Martinez says choosing the heaviest bird also means choosing the freshest, because a heavier chicken indicates its juices haven't yet evaporated under the heat lamps. Martínez explains: "You will feel a noticeable difference between the birds that have just come out of the oven and those that have been there all day." The skin also tells a story.

You want evenly browned, taut skin because, Martinez says, "as the juices come out of the meat, the skin of the chicken begins to wrinkle and discolor." A former Costco meat department manager shared

another

helpful tip on Reddit: "look for the ones that touch the top of the lid; they weigh the most." Also, be sure to purchase your rotisserie chicken from Costco at the end of your shopping trip. It's easy to get lost in the maze of aisles, and for safety reasons, the USDA recommends refrigerating cooked foods within two hours to prevent bacteria growth. One downside to keep in mind if you've never had a Costco rotisserie chicken before: the skin almost certainly won't be crispy.

After roasting to perfection, the rotisserie chicken is placed in its plastic container, waiting to go home with you. When it reaches the kitchen, the skin is more soggy than crispy. But do not worry. It's still absolutely delicious, and you'll definitely have to refrain from removing every last bit of brown, salty skin in one go. It's just... it's not crispy. Costco rotisserie chickens are a known loss leader. If you're not familiar with the term, Costco is willing to sell those chickens for $4.99 even if they don't make any money on them, because anyone who makes the trip to Costco to buy one is likely to buy other things. , also. "Chickens are a draw to get customers in the door.

They are strategically placed in the back of each Costco so customers can pick up other items along the way." How often do you run in, grab a hot rotisserie chicken, and take it straight to the registers without grabbing anything else? Nine times out of 10, you walk out of Costco with a lot more than that $4.99 rotisserie chicken and a lot less money in your wallet. Costco might be willing to sell you delicious chicken for under $5, but it certainly isn't doing it for philanthropic reasons. As with many grocery store offerings, Costco rotisserie chickens come packaged in a plastic cover.

And that seems like a pretty logical and inexpensive way to get that steaming chicken from the store to your kitchen, right? But it turns out that there is

another

option that uses much less plastic. In May 2019, The Takeout reported that Whole Foods would begin selling its rotisserie chickens in bags instead of hard plastic containers, a move the company said, along with other packaging changes, "will reduce approximately 800,000 pounds of plastic." by year". Wegman's had already made the change to its rotisserie chickens and claims to use 75 percent less plastic than standard domes. With 64 million Costco rotisserie chickens sold each year, you can imagine how much plastic waste all those shells add up to, because they're not recyclable everywhere.

Something to think about the next time you buy a bird from Costco. According to deal-seeking Redditors, at some Costco locations, unsold rotisserie chickens are cooled and repurposed into packages of eight leg quarters, which include the thigh and drumstick, for $4.99, the same price than a whole chicken. Yes, you won't get the two breasts or the two little wings, but the six extra thighs and thighs will surely more than make up for that. Informed Redditors warned that certain times are better than others to close

this

deal, saying that early morning is best, particularly Tuesday through Friday. Chickens are more likely to sell out on the weekends, meaning there won't be any leftovers to sell.

Want to get the most meat out of your Costco rotisserie chicken? According to Rachael Ray Every Day, "It's all about that wishbone, baby." The wishbone serves more than just making wishes once you've carved your bird. Getting it out before you start carving is the key to success. The post describes the simple three-step process and says: "Feel the Y-shaped wishbone between the neck and breast. Make a small cut behind the bone and then use your fingers to release it from the meat. Run your fingers along it. along the backbone and under the breast meat to remove the breast in one piece." That's all.

You'll save time and the hassle of wrestling with the carcass to remove every last bit of breast meat. Winner, winner, so to speak. Broth recipes generally call for the bones and scraps left over after shredding raw chicken. But if you don't use the carcass of your Costco rotisserie chicken to make your broth, you're missing out. According to Bon Appétit, when you use the bones from an already roasted bird, you'll actually be left with a darker broth than raw chicken, which ultimately means more flavor will be added to whatever dish you add the broth to. The process for making broth with pre-cooked roast chicken is the same as using raw chicken parts: just add water, vegetables, and aromatics like garlic, then simmer for an hour or more and strain.

While spending time making broth from a convenience item like roast chicken may seem like a lot of work, think of it

this

way: You paid just $4.99 for that bird, which is a bargain to begin with, and now for a few few cents. of vegetables, you'll also get a pot of rich, dark broth. Not worth it? Let's say you want to make a meatloaf or fried rice recipe, maybe with your Costco chicken. But your recipe calls for a certain amount of meat and you have no idea how much a roast chicken will actually yield. Okay, do not worry.

Its alot. According to Betty Crocker, the average rotisserie chicken weighs about two pounds and will produce three cups of meat: two cups of white meat and one cup of dark meat. That translates to about a pound of meat and a pound of leftovers. But Costco rotisserie chickens are substantially larger than the average bird, so how much can you expect from them? Food blogger Judy Wright broke down two Costco chickens and served them more than seven and a half cups. That's a whopping five pounds total, or about two and a half pounds each. That's a lot more than standard roast chicken and should be enough for any recipe you have in mind. "Try some chicken!

Just a little! Just a taste! Chicken, chicken, chicken!" "MMM." "Delicious, right?" There's no worse sin than taking a perfectly cooked rotisserie chicken, taking it home, keeping it in the refrigerator until dinnertime, and then completely ruining it when you reheat it. All that wonderfully tender meat turns into chicken-flavored shoe leather after a couple of minutes in the microwave. But take solace: There is a way to successfully reheat your Costco rotisserie chicken without making it inedible. According to Elana Karp, head chef and culinary co-founder of Plateado, you should use the oven for best results. And the key is to add some liquid to the situation.

Take a high-sided baking dish, place the roast chicken inside, and pour about a quarter inch of chicken broth or broth into the dish. Reheat chicken to 400 degrees until broth is bubbling and chicken is heated through. Karp promises that the liquid will ensure a reheated, moist bird. It takes a little more time, but you'll be glad you had a little patience instead of trying to swallow a dried, microwaved mess. Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, there will be more Puree videos about your favorite foods coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and press the bell so you don't miss a single one.