How economical is the Sam's Club rotisserie chicken for $5?

[Aggie1999]

Any opinions on how economical the rotisserie chicken is that you get at Sam's Club for $5? It seems like it's decently cheap for the amount you get.

[swick]

Rotisserie chickens where I am (Canada) start at about 10.00 each for about a 1 kg bird (2.2 lbs)

The even sadder thing is it is often still cheaper than getting an uncooked bird of the same size.

I think if you are using the bones for stock and making sure you strip the carcass clean it's a good deal, especially at 5.00

[geekette]

Excellent deal, and I like them better than Costco's version. 

[terran]

Here you go: https://priceonomics.com/are-rotisserie-chickens-a-bargain/

[swick]

Here you go: https://priceonomics.com/are-rotisserie-chickens-a-bargain/

Really interesting! Yeah, we only buy them if the alternative would be going out for dinner. Faster, easier and healthier to grab a chicken and some veggies and call it on those busy night or times of feeling especially lazy :)

[Tuskalusa]

I can usually get 2 meals and 6-8 cups of chicken stock out of a rotisserie chicken. Given that chic stick alone is about 3 bucks, the rotisserie chicken works well for our family. 😀

[Mrtreasuretoupee]

Not sure this matters but they use chickens that are at or almost past their "sale by" dates. Basically it will be a chicken that they were about to throw away.

[Cranky]

Well, they must have an awful lot of old chickens, because they make and sell and awful lot of rotisserie chicken. ;-)

We go to Sams about once a month/6 weeks, and I always buy a couple of chickens. There's also a specific bag of salad there that my dh likes, so we have chicken and salad for dinner. Super easy on an errand running day!

I cut the rest of the meat up for the freezer.

[swick]

Not sure this matters but they use chickens that are at or almost past their "sale by" dates. Basically it will be a chicken that they were about to throw away.

That's what I'd always been told too, the article Terran posted debunks that and a couple other rotisserie chicken myths :)

I still will  NEVER buy pre-rubbed or store marinated raw meat though, besides the cost, Value added? Uh-huh... it IS meat that is on it's last legs. My friend use to work behind a meat counter :)

[Aggie1999]

Here you go: https://priceonomics.com/are-rotisserie-chickens-a-bargain/

Looks like based on that article the rotisserie chickens at Costco and I'm assuming Sam's, since they are both $5, are about the same as a raw chicken with spices. Maybe slightly more or less depending on sale prices. Grocery stores not so much. My HEB sells them for $7 I believe. They always seem noticeably smaller than the ones at Sam's.

Maybe I'll start picking up one from Sam's every now and then. Seems like they fit the Mustachian lifestyle.

[MandalayVA]

Costco rotisserie chickens are delicious, but they have a lot of stuff in them that I'd rather not eat.  You can't beat the convenience, though.

I assume Sam's chickens are the same, but I boycott anything having to do with the Evil Empire Walmart.  :D

[Nate R]

Many Walmarts, if they don't sell the chicken in a certain amount of time, refrigerate it, and mark it down for 1/2 off in a case. I always check, because a rotisserie chicken for $2.48 IS a bargain.

[boarder42]

Many Walmarts, if they don't sell the chicken in a certain amount of time, refrigerate it, and mark it down for 1/2 off in a case. I always check, because a rotisserie chicken for $2.48 IS a bargain.

wow really thats awesome.  We have a walmart opening in a month right by us.  While i'm there scamming them for all the aldi veggie adds and racking up and extra 10% off where would one locate these rotisserie chickens.

[Pigeon]

I always scratch my head when people talk about getting two meals and a ton of chicken stock out of rotisserie chickens.  I don't have Costco, but have bought them at a few local grocery stores and BJs Warehouse Club.  I get one meal for 4 people out of one, and the carcass doesn't look worth the bother to make soup.  We aren't huge eaters.  The chickens just seem very small.

[swick]

and the carcass doesn't look worth the bother to make soup.  We aren't huge eaters.  The chickens just seem very small.

Some are small, but it's a matter of perspective. If it doesn't seem like enough bones to bother, stick them in a bone bag in the freezer until you have enough to make a batch. But making stock is one of the simplest things to do. Take chicken bones and scraps, stick them in the crockpot with water to cover and a tiny splash of vinegar, leave on low for 24 hours, strain and your done. You don't have to faff around with veggies or aromatics or anything if you don't want to. There is no reason to buy prepared broth, ever.

[pbkmaine]

I always make broth out of rotisserie chicken in my Instant Pot. I put in the bones, cover with water, add a couple of chicken bouillon cubes instead of salt, and then I look in the freezer for celery, carrot, and onion trimmings, which I save in freezer bags. I cook for an hour on high pressure. This makes a very rich chicken broth.

[NextTime]

I always scratch my head when people talk about getting two meals and a ton of chicken stock out of rotisserie chickens.  I don't have Costco, but have bought them at a few local grocery stores and BJs Warehouse Club.  I get one meal for 4 people out of one, and the carcass doesn't look worth the bother to make soup.  We aren't huge eaters.  The chickens just seem very small.

You can make 2 meals for a family of 2, or 2 and a small child. For a family of four you probably will get only 1 meal.

We usually have one meal of chicken and mashed potatoes or salad. Then the leftover is used in a dish like alfredo, or an indian curry within the next couple of days. Haven't made chicken stock before, but maybe I should start.

Is it okay to freeze chicken stock in a mason jar?  And how long does it keep in the refrigerator?

[swick]

Is it okay to freeze chicken stock in a mason jar?  And how long does it keep in the refrigerator?

You can, but you have to be careful about not overflowing them or that they thaw only in the fridge to avoid cracking. Glass jars in the freezer are also pretty bulky. I usually use recycled yogurt containers or ziplock bags if I want to store them flat. You can also reduce the broth to make a more concentrated stock that can be stored in smaller bags or you can freeze the reduced stock in ice cube trays if you want a bit of flavoring to throw into rice and whatnot.

[NextTime]

We have a large upright freezer so space wouldn't be too much of an issue (right now anyway). We probably eat 2-3 rotisserie chickens a month and we don't use broth that much so I'd only need to keep a few jars in there at a time.

I'd like to use mason jars because my wife bought 24 of the quart size jars to use as table displays for our anniversary party last month.

I'm brainstorming to make good use out of them. Maybe I should start a new thread.

[Catbert]

Is it okay to freeze chicken stock in a mason jar?  And how long does it keep in the refrigerator?

You can, but you have to be careful about not overflowing them or that they thaw only in the fridge to avoid cracking. Glass jars in the freezer are also pretty bulky. I usually use recycled yogurt containers or ziplock bags if I want to store them flat. You can also reduce the broth to make a more concentrated stock that can be stored in smaller bags or you can freeze the reduced stock in ice cube trays if you want a bit of flavoring to throw into rice and whatnot.

I freeze my chicken stock in mason jars with no problem.  You do need to take into account that liquids will expand when frozen.  Start out by filling the jar about 3/4s of the way.  Then either come back the next day and top off or just learn over time more exactly how full you can make them initially.  (If you fill too full it can expand and break the jar.)

I defrost either in the frig or on defrost cycle in microwave.

I wouldn't leave in frig unfrozen for more than 3-4 days.  I usually don't worry too much about how long things stay in the frig (if it doesn't smell bad or have something visibly growing it's okay with me).  For some reason to me homemade chicken stock just seems like the perfect medium to grow nasty things.  Plus it's so easy to freeze.

[geekette]

Freezing liquids in straight jars is less problematic than freezing in ones with "shoulders".  I've had them pop the bottom right off if the liquid freezes and pushes up on those shoulders.

I use the reusable plastics (Glad, Ziplock) in cup and 2 cup sizes.  They do quite well.

[Cranky]

I always scratch my head when people talk about getting two meals and a ton of chicken stock out of rotisserie chickens.  I don't have Costco, but have bought them at a few local grocery stores and BJs Warehouse Club.  I get one meal for 4 people out of one, and the carcass doesn't look worth the bother to make soup.  We aren't huge eaters.  The chickens just seem very small.

YMMV!

For 2 adults and 3 kids (skinny girls), we got a dinner, a lunch for dh to take to work, and a pot of soup.

For 2 adults, we get dinner, a lunch for both of us, and a casserole or soup.

If my son-in-law is in the house, I get 2 chickens and i figure on one dinner and a pot of soup. ;-)

Nonetheless, in a pinch, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than getting a pizza or going out.

[FIRE me]

Any opinions on how economical the rotisserie chicken is that you get at Sam's Club for $5? It seems like it's decently cheap for the amount you get.

How big are the Sam's club chickens? Costco's are labeled 3 pounds, but a lot of them barely fit in the container so I think they are larger. They are a loss leader for Costco that Sam's has obviously chosen to match.

Anyway, it probably is a little cheaper to cook your own, but a $5, unlike most fast food, you are paying very little for the convenience. And since the meat isn't ground, like nuggets, I think it is a lot higher quality than typical fast food.

I love the Costco chickens, and I get one about half the time I go to Costco (weekly).

[swick]

Freezing liquids in straight jars is less problematic than freezing in ones with "shoulders".  I've had them pop the bottom right off if the liquid freezes and pushes up on those shoulders.

I use the reusable plastics (Glad, Ziplock) in cup and 2 cup sizes.  They do quite well.

Huh, I bet that is my issue! As far as using the jars, we have slowly switched all our bulk food storage to glass mason jars. Coming home after a month away and discovering your pantry has been invaded beyond salvage is an expensive lesson.

[crazy jane]

I just made 10 burritos and 8 burrito bowls in contains with one Costco chicken. That's about 12-14 meals.

[Blindsquirrel]

 I never thought of burrito bowls from a Costco chicken! That said they are cheap and very tasty, good for 4 meals plus soup.

[Eric]

I can get an actual whole chicken that's at least twice the size for the same price.  I just have to cook it, which while super easy*, does take some time.  Of course you get the additional bonus of not having to detox afterwards from all the sodium of the rotisserie.

*Thaw if frozen, clean out cavity of parts, rinse inside and out, pat dry with paper towels, pepper the cavity, salt the skin, cook at 400 for an hour.  Done and done.