Rotisserie chicken is a weeknight staple for millions of American families, but a new Consumer Reports investigation reveals that convenience comes with caveats - from surprising taste rankings to chemical concerns hiding in the packaging.
Consumer Reports conducted blind taste tests on 10 of the most popular store-bought rotisserie chickens, evaluating flavor, nutrition and plastic packaging for potentially harmful compounds. The findings are largely reassuring, with a few notable exceptions.
Sam’s Club tops the rankings - Costco fans, take note
Costco’s rotisserie chicken enjoys a near-cult following, but it didn’t claim the top spot. Sam’s Club did.
“The chickens from Sam’s Club were just so moist and tender with a really deep roasted flavor, hints of onion and garlic, and a beautiful paprika rub that gave it such a nice golden color,” said Jessica Waller, Baby & Health Writer & Editor for Consumer Reports. “It just won over our tasters.”
Costco, Whole Foods and Wegmans rounded out the top tier.
Watch the sodium - and read the label
While rotisserie chicken can be a nutritious, protein-packed meal, Waller cautioned shoppers to treat it like any other prepared food.
“Some brands use what we call brines or sodium solutions that they inject into the bird to keep the meat moist and juicy while you’re heating it up later at home,” she said. “And those brines can contain not only salt or sodium, but also sugar and other additives.”
Her advice: check the nutrition label for sodium content and scan the ingredient list. “Fewer ingredients is generally the better,” Waller said.
Chemicals in the packaging: Mostly good news
Consumer Reports also tested the plastic containers and chicken meat for PFAS, bisphenols and phthalates - chemicals that can leach into hot foods.
“When we checked for PFAS, the forever chemicals, we didn’t find any evidence of those in the packaging or the meat itself,” Waller said. Bisphenols turned up in some packaging but not in the chicken itself.
Phthalates were detected in all packaging tested and in the meat from nearly every brand, but most levels fell well below Consumer Reports’ threshold of concern. Two exceptions stood out: Costco and Walmart, which had the highest levels of DEHP, a phthalate linked to negative health effects at elevated exposure.
“For those chickens, CR experts recommend adults limit their intake to no more than 6 ounces per day,” Waller said. “We don’t want to panic about this. It’s just a good reminder to try to reduce your risk or your exposure where you can.”
Storage tips that matter
Once you get the bird home, don’t just toss it in the fridge in its plastic container. Waller recommends transferring the chicken immediately to a glass, ceramic or other non-plastic covered dish to minimize any potential chemical migration.
Two numbers to remember: 2 and 4. “You want to use or eat the chicken within 2 hours of purchasing, or use it all up or freeze it within 4 days of purchasing,” she said.
The full rankings and shopping guidance are available at consumerreports.org.