You can find hot and fresh rotisserie chicken
in just about every grocery store in America. However, rotisserie chickens are not all created
equal. Where should you go? Here is our ranking of the best grocery store
rotisserie chickens, from worst to best. Like many items at Walmart, the only really
good thing about the big-box chain's rotisserie chickens is that they're cheap. You can usually get one for less than $5,
but if you care about anything other than the price tag, you should stay far away. First of all, the rotisserie chickens at Walmart
are always fatty, and no one enjoys taking a big bite of chicken and being forced to
swallow a mouthful of chicken fat. Secondly, you'll never know the true status
of your chicken until you get home. Sometimes, they are overcooked and the meat
is dry. At other times, and even more distressingly,
a Walmart rotisserie chicken can be undercooked. You don't want to slice into it and be met
with pink, uncooked meat. The convenience factor will be out of the
window if you're forced to pop the bird into your oven in order to finish cooking it. Finally, maybe to mask some of their shortcomings,
Walmart puts a ton of salt on their chickens. Much more than rotisserie chickens at other
grocery stores, in fact. And while they do have a lemon pepper version,
that one is almost always over seasoned, so do yourself a favor and stay away from that
one as well. You will really want to like the rotisserie
chicken you buy from Whole Foods, as their chickens are organic, free-range, and free
of hormones. However, there's one big problem: they don't
taste good. Or, more specifically, there isn't much taste
at all. Whole Foods rotisserie chickens are like biting
into an old, worn out piece of rubber. There's a slight chicken smell, but that's
about the extent of the chicken flavoring you can expect. Another problem with the rotisserie chicken
at Whole Foods is the cost. Considering some grocery stores use rotisserie
chicken as a loss leader to draw in customers, you can almost always find good deals. However, that's not the case at Whole Foods,
even after Amazon bought the company and lowered the prices of their rotisserie chicken. So, unless you really value the fact that
their chicken is organic and responsibly raised, you should go elsewhere for rotisserie chicken
that actually tastes good. The largest supermarket chain in the United
States, Kroger is basically the Walmart of grocery stores. That comparison holds true when it comes to
their rotisserie chickens, too. While their chicken is cheap, it's also not
anyone's idea of quality. Like the Walmart rotisserie chicken, Kroger's
version can sometimes be overcooked or undercooked. And while they don't seem as salty and their
chicken is less fatty, their rotisserie chicken can sometimes actually be too skinny. While chicken fat is gross, it's also frustrating
to be searching for meat inside of a bony bird. The meat you do find will taste better than
the Walmart version, but sometimes that meat can be scarce. "He wouldn't make more than a mouthful, not
when he's skinned and boned!" Another thing to watch out for is freshness
when shopping for a rotisserie chicken at Kroger. If you aren't careful, you can buy an old
chicken. Always check the date before putting it into
your cart. Stop & Shop has tasty rotisserie chicken,
for the most part. The meat is juicy, flavorful, and will usually
leave you with a smile on your face. There is a problem, though, and it's the skin
of their rotisserie chickens. At Stop & Shop, you'll either find that the
skin is too slimy, or too burnt, and either of those is enough to ruin any rotisserie
chicken. This flaw really is a shame because otherwise,
the rotisserie chickens here would be much, much better overall. If you really want a rotisserie chicken from
Stop & Shop, don't buy their original flavor. They usually have an alternate flavor depending
on the time of year, like their Applewood Smoked rotisserie chicken. Their limited edition chickens tend to have
better tasting skin, which makes all the difference. Some of the best rotisserie chicken that can
be found in the United States used to come from Fairway Market. Unfortunately, they changed things up recently
and now, it's just not the same. Their rotisserie chicken is still edible,
for sure, but all the flavors are just much more generic than they used to be only a couple
of years ago. Fairway Market's decision is especially disappointing
due to all the options they have when it comes to rotisserie chicken. You can find Latin Style, Herb, Lemon Garlic,
and other flavors. You can also opt to pay more and go with an
organic chicken. If you're in the store already, it's worth
picking up a rotisserie chicken, they're not horrible, just don't expect it to taste the
same if you haven't purchased one in a while. Of the available flavors, you can't go wrong
with a Latin Style rotisserie chicken. It's unique and some of that Latin flavor
will help drown out your sadness that Fairway Market rotisserie chicken isn't what it once
was. "I…sad." "Is that your official statement?" Safeway's rotisserie chicken may surprise
you. While they call it a Traditional Whole Roasted
Chicken, there's nothing traditional about the taste. It actually has a sweet, orangey flavor, almost
to the point that it tastes like orange chicken you'd order at a Chinese restaurant. Why would that be the case? Look at the ingredients and you'll notice
that Safeway's "traditional" rotisserie chicken has brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup solids,
and citric acid. While this is a tasty rotisserie chicken option,
don't be surprised by the sweet flavor that will hit your taste buds on your first bite. If you like a sweet, citrusy flavoring, you'll
love the birds at Safeway. But if you just want a chicken that tastes
like chicken, go somewhere else for a truly traditional taste. And if you're picking up a rotisserie chicken
for later use in casseroles and other dishes, know that the flavor of this one might not
meld too well with some of those recipes. But, the good news? You don't have to worry about getting an old
rotisserie chicken at Safeway, because they clearly label the time when the chicken was
prepared. There is a lot to like about the rotisserie
chickens at Publix. They have a wide variety of options, the price
is reasonable, and their birds are always hot and fresh. However, two things hold Publix from rising
higher in the rankings. First of all, they are often sold out unless
you happen to be there at the right moment. Not having access to them regularly definitely
takes them down a notch. Secondly, they offer a BBQ flavor rotisserie
chicken that is, frankly lacking. The barbecue sauce they use is overbearingly
sweet and has an artificial smoke aftertaste that ruins it. But on the positive side, the other types
of rotisserie chicken available here are all tasty. In addition to the original, Publix has Lemon
Pepper, Maple Bourbon, and Mojo. If you don't know which one to select, go
with the Mojo version, which is highlighted by a delightful combination of lime and garlic
flavors. If you like your rotisserie chickens big and
chunky, Smart & Final is where you should shop. Flavor-wise, these birds are in the middle
of the pack. The meat isn't extraordinarily juicy, but
it also isn't detrimentally dry, either. It's also good to know that their rotisserie
chicken is always fully cooked, so you won't have the unfortunate surprise of cutting into
pink chicken meat. The bottom line when it comes to Smart & Final
chicken is you'll get a lot of really good, but not great, meat with a quality that you
can depend on. If you're looking for a healthy option when
shopping for rotisserie chicken, head to ShopRite. Their chicken is hormone-free, cage-free,
and fed a vegetarian diet. On top of all that, the chicken actually tastes
really good. While their Original is flavorful enough to
recommend, ShopRite really shines when it comes to their Barbecue version. It's not too sweet and not too smoky, with
just enough barbecue goodness to have you licking your fingers. You won't even need to dip it in barbecue
sauce, as it's perfect as-is. ShopRite partners with Perdue Farms, one of
the most well-known names in poultry and a company with revenue topping $6 billion, so
you can be confident in their birds. The partnership has created one of the best
rotisserie chicken options on the market. While Sam's Club is owned by Walmart, don't
be confused and think that their rotisserie chickens are of the same quality. The rotisserie chicken you find at Sam's Club
blows Walmart's abomination out of the water. The chicken here is really tasty, the flavors
pop, and the consistency is something you can always rely on. Sam's Club first marinates their chicken and
then seasons it with Lawry's Seasoning, and if your favorite part of rotisserie chicken
is eating off the skin, Sam's Club is where you should go to get yourself a plate of delectable
chicken skin. And everyone else you live with won't be upset,
as the meat retains a lot of the flavor. To make matters better, Sam's Club actually
uses poultry that is hormone-free, steroid-free, MSG-free, gluten-free, and has no artificial
colors or flavors. Plus, the cost of their rotisserie chicken
is always very competitive, usually about the same price as Walmart's, but it's around
twice the size. If all you care about when it comes to rotisserie
chicken is the juiciness of the meat, WinCo is going to be your paradise. In WinCo's often-overlooked deli section,
you can find rotisserie chicken of various flavors. Not only are all the flavors worth your money,
they are all extra, extra juicy. If you don't know which flavor to go with,
try the Garlic Pepper. Don't worry, neither the garlic nor the pepper
takes away from the flavor of the chicken, they simply combine to add just the right
amount of kick to your meal. While WinCo is definitely a no-frills store,
in fact, they don't even accept credit cards, don't assume that the blandness of their stores
will mean their rotisserie chicken is equally as bland. It's actually quite the opposite. "Mmm! Delicioso!" "Can you say delicioso?" Sprouts Farmers Market's rotisserie chickens
have a freshness that can't be beat. Maybe it's their humanely raised chicken that
is antibiotic-free and hormone-free. Maybe they just know how to lock in the freshness
during the cooking process. Regardless of the cause, the result can be
tasted in every bite of their chicken. While Sprouts Farmers Market has a handful
of flavors, the two that are head and shoulders above the rest are the Herb Seasoned Roasted
Chicken and the Unseasoned Roasted Chicken. The herb flavoring is immaculate in the former,
while the latter is the perfect chicken to buy if you simply want your chicken to taste
like chicken, or if you are using the meat in another recipe and you don't want any added
flavoring. When it comes to rotisserie chicken, Costco
is king. They've become a favorite of people all across
the nation, and the numbers do the talking for them: Costco sold 91 million rotisserie
chickens in 2018 alone. Costco's three-pound birds are big enough
to feed a whole family, and tasty enough to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Bonus? When other competitors have raised prices
on their rotisserie chickens in recent years, they have stayed committed to their $4.99
price tag. You just can't beat their value. In fact, Costco loses money on their rotisserie
chickens, but that doesn't bother them one bit because they know those chickens are tasty
enough, and cheap enough, to get you in the door to load up on other things. Heading into the future, Costco isn't slowing
down when it comes to chicken. They are, instead, ramping things up. A $450 million chicken complex in the state
of Nebraska is making sure that their quality stays high and their prices stay right at
$4.99, and not a penny more. Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite
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