Spoiler alert: It’s not Costco
The best rotisserie chickens are moist, flavorful, and low in additives and sodium.
By Jessica D’Argenio Waller, MS, CNS, LDN, CPST
On those days when you can hardly bear to think about what’s for dinner, a golden-brown rotisserie chicken from the supermarket is an easy solution. Pair it with a starch and a salad, and you have a balanced meal on your hands—without even turning on the oven.
But maybe you’ve wondered which stores have the best-tasting options, or you’re curious about the sodium content or the safety of the plastic packaging. CR’s food experts did, too, so they evaluated rotisserie chickens from 10 stores, including Costco, Sam’s Club, and Whole Foods Market, for nutrition and taste. We found one big surprise: Plenty of shoppers are loyal to Costco’s rotisserie chicken, but our testers found that the Sam’s Club version had the best flavor overall.
We also tested both the packages and the meat for chemicals found in plastic, such as bisphenol A and phthalates. We have mostly good news about your go-to weeknight meal. (Phew!)
Choosing a Better Bird
Most stores sell chickens in plastic bags that are open at the top or in containers with clear lids so that you can peer inside to see what you’re getting. Pick one with an overall golden color (a sign of even cooking). Check that the skin is smooth—not shriveled, which could mean it’s been sitting a little too long.
Finding a pool of cooking liquid at the bottom of the bag isn’t a problem, though. “Poultry releases moisture during cooking and while it rests,” says Amy Keating, RD, a CR nutritionist. Some stores put a time stamp on the package so that you can tell how long it’s been sitting there. If there isn’t one, ask when the most recent batch was set out.
Finally, lift the packages to compare their weight. Many of the chickens we bought for our testing weighed more than what the label claimed. Whole Foods’ chickens, for example, weighed, on average, a whole pound more—so instead of spending $5.14 per pound, we spent only $3.26. “This is often done intentionally,” says Yan Campbell, PhD, an assistant professor in the prestage department of poultry science at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. “Meat labeling laws require a net weight statement [on packaging],” she says, and to meet that requirement, it’s easier for manufacturers to ensure all chickens exceed the net weight.
The Sodium Story
Most rotisserie chickens are injected with a solution (brine) containing salt or sodium ingredients, such as sodium phosphate, before cooking. (In our tests, only the Whole Foods chickens weren’t.) This reduces water loss during cooking so that the meat stays juicier, says Sam Watson, PhD, an assistant professor of meat science at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.
But it also ups the sodium content of the meat, and too much sodium can raise the risk of hypertension. Chicken is naturally low in sodium—about 50 to 100 mg in 3 ounces. Stores don’t have to provide nutritional information for rotisserie chicken, but among the ones in our tests that did, the listed amount for sodium was 250 to 460 mg. The recommended daily limit is 2,300 mg.
When we tested the chicken for sodium in the lab, the levels were generally lower than the stores’ values. In some cases, they varied widely between the two samples tested. For example, one sample of ShopRite’s chicken tested at 30 percent less sodium, while the other had 69 percent less.
Wegmans offered an explanation for why sodium counts may be different from what’s claimed. A spokesperson said that the sodium on the label represents the maximum amount that could be in a serving, but actual sodium may be lower, depending on the amount of injection solution used.
Brines often contain other ingredients, such as sugar, natural flavors (which aren’t much different from artificial flavors), and carrageenan (to help with moisture retention). Some research has linked carrageenan to the development of inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis. Though it’s difficult to avoid brines, you may want to check labels and choose a chicken that uses one with fewer ingredients.
When shopping, choose a rotisserie chicken that is golden brown all over with smooth (not shriveled) skin.
Photo: Ben Goldstein
Who Has the Best Rotisserie Chicken?
For our blind taste test, CR evaluated rotisserie chickens from 10 stores. Our secret shoppers bought samples at up to three different locations on different days, and delivered them immediately to our lab so that our experts could taste them while they were still warm. (See our methodology sheet [PDF] for more information on our testing.)
You really can’t go wrong with any of these chickens, but a few stood out as delicious enough to serve on their own, while others may be better suited for use in soups, stews, sandwiches, and salads. The retailers are listed in alphabetical order within those categories, and the nutrition information (provided by the retailer on the product package or on the website) is for 3 ounces. We also show the results of CR’s sodium tests for the two samples of each chicken tested.
Food safety note: CR found plastic compounds called phthalates in all the chickens except ShopRite’s. Costco’s and Walmart’s had levels high enough to raise a concern. (See The Plastics Issue, below.) Our experts recommend that adults have no more than 6 ounces a day of either brand’s chicken.
Best Overall
Top Pick: Sam’s Club Member’s Mark Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken
$4.98/3 lb. ($1.66 per lb.)
A paprika rub gave the bird a beautiful bronzed color. The meat was very moist and juicy, with a deep roasted flavor and hints of onion and garlic.
Calories: 130
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 6 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Sodium: 430 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 172 mg; 253 mg
Brine includes: Natural flavors, salt, sodium phosphate, sugar
Costco Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken
$4.99/3 lb. ($1.66 per lb.)
One of the plumpest birds in our test. The meat was moist and well seasoned, although the saltiness varied in the samples we tested.
Calories: 140
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 2.5 g
Sodium: 460 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 112 mg; 194 mg
Brine includes: Carrageenan, salt, sodium phosphate, sugar
Stop & Shop Whole Rotisserie Chicken
$7.99/1.75 lb. ($4.57 per lb.)
The skin was shriveled, and two samples appeared almost burnt. But the chicken tasted a lot better than it looked. The meat was very flavorful and tender.
Calories: 120
Protein: 21 g
Fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Sodium: 340 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 169 mg; 227 mg
Brine includes: Carrageenan, salt, sugar
Walmart Traditional Fully-Cooked Rotisserie Chicken
$5.97/2.25 lb. ($2.65 per lb.)
The meat was well seasoned with hints of lemon and rosemary, and the texture was moist and tender.
Calories: 250
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 19 g
Saturated fat: 6 g
Sodium: 250 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 251 mg; 273 mg
Brine includes: Carrageenan, natural flavors, salt
Wegmans Whole Roasted Chicken, Plain
$9.99/2.13 lb. ($4.69 per lb.)
A good choice for purists. The sea-salt-only seasoning let the roasted chicken flavor shine through. It was paler in appearance than the others in our test.
Calories: 180
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 9 g
Saturated fat: 2.5 g
Sodium: 440 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 188 mg; 206 mg
Brine includes: Salt
Whole Foods Market Classic Rotisserie Chicken
$8.99/1.75 lb. ($5.14 per lb.)
The only seasonings were salt and cracked black pepper, which added some heat. The meat was a bit drier than the others in this category but still tender and very flavorful.
Calories: 200
Protein: 23 g
Fat: 11 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Sodium: 310 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 127 mg; 145 mg
Not Brined
Better for Use in Recipes
BJ’s Wellsley Farms Whole Rotisserie Chicken
$4.99/3 lb. ($1.66 per lb.)
This one had a fairly mild flavor, and the meat was on the dry side and slightly chewy.
Calories: 180
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 11 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Sodium: 320 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 82 mg; 151 mg
Brine includes: Carrageenan, natural flavors, salt, sodium phosphate, sugar
Hannaford Original Rotisserie Chicken
$7.99/1.88 lb. ($4.25 per lb.)
The chickens we tested had a varied appearance, from pale golden skin to almost burnt. The meat tasted a bit salty and was on the dry side.
The retailer didn’t provide nutrition information.
Sodium in tested samples: 102 mg; 182 mg
Brine includes: Carrageenan, salt, sugar
ShopRite Bowl & Basket All-Natural Whole Rotisserie Chicken
$7.99/2.06 lb. ($3.88 per lb.)
The well-seasoned, roasted flavor stood out, but the texture varied, with two samples being slightly dry and chewy.
Calories: 170
Protein: 18 g
Fat: 10 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Sodium: 460 mg
Sodium in tested samples: 142 mg; 322 mg
Brine includes: Natural flavors, salt, sugar
The Fresh Market Roasted Natural Chicken
$8.99/1.63 lb. ($5.53 per lb.)
The very mild flavor didn’t wow our tasters, and the texture was slightly dry.
The retailer didn’t provide nutrition information.
Sodium in tested samples: 191 mg; 289 mg
Brine includes: Salt, sugar
The Plastics Issue
It’s well established that compounds found in plastic containers can leach into food (especially hot foods), which is what prompted CR’s scientists to test both the packaging and the chicken for common contaminants: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), bisphenols (such as BPA), and phthalates.
Exposure to those has been linked to a growing list of health problems, including hormone disruption, inflammation, impaired immune response, thyroid disease, and some cancers.
We’re happy to report that we didn’t detect PFAS in any chicken packaging or chicken meat. We did find bisphenols in packaging from five retailers, but not in any samples of the meat.
But four of those retailers sold their chickens in packaging labeled as free of BPA: Hannaford, Stop & Shop, The Fresh Market, and Whole Foods. (Wegmans’ packaging contained BPA but didn’t make a claim.) We also found a BPA alternative, bisphenol S, in Stop & Shop and The Fresh Market packaging.
We contacted the retailers that made BPA-free claims. Hannaford and Stop & Shop (owned by the same company) said that their suppliers confirmed the packaging contained no intentionally added BPA and that they’re conducting independent testing. The Fresh Market said its packaging was certified through third-party testing, and that any substances detected were within regulatory limits. Whole Foods said that its bags were manufactured from materials where BPA wasn’t a part of the product composition, and that it was reviewing its packaging.
Phthalates were a different story; we found them in all of the packaging and in the meat from all of the chickens except ShopRite’s. But the levels in the meat were well below CR’s level of concern in all but two cases. The samples we tested from Costco and Walmart had the highest amounts of DEHP, one of the few phthalates for which health-based limits have been set.
The levels we found weren’t high enough to pose a health risk for adults unless someone ate a lot of those chickens—more than 45 ounces per week. But with 978 nanograms in 3 ounces, the levels were above the 600 nanograms per day limit our experts consider safe for young children. Kids should have no more than 12½ ounces of those chickens per week.
It’s worth noting, though, that the Costco and Walmart chickens had much lower DEHP levels than many other foods CR has tested. For example, in 2023 we found 6,502 nanograms in 3 ounces of raw ground chicken. “Still, because phthalates are ubiquitous in our food supply, it makes sense to limit exposure when possible,” says Sana Mujahid, PhD, CR’s manager of food safety research and testing.
We asked Costco and Walmart for comment on our findings. Walmart (which also owns Sam’s Club) said: “We are committed to providing safe, high-quality products, and work continuously with our suppliers to review and ensure standards are met.” Costco didn’t respond to our outreach.
Store and reheat leftover rotisserie chicken in glass containers.
Photo: Ben Goldstein
How to Eat and Store Rotisserie Chicken Safely
Once you get your chicken home, here’s how to prep it for the best results, whether you’re serving it now or later.
To serve right away. Be sure to eat the chicken within 2 hours after you purchase it to prevent bacterial growth.
To serve it later. Transfer the chicken from its plastic packaging to a covered container and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Don’t reheat the chicken in its original packaging (even if the package says it’s okay) to limit the risk of plastic compounds leaching into the meat.
When reheating. Place the chicken in a Dutch oven with ½ cup of water. Cover and cook in a 350° F oven until the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the lid for an additional 5 minutes to crisp the skin. Or you can use an air fryer (cooking times depend on the wattage). Skip the microwave: Its quick cooking can cause leftover chicken to take on a pungent smell and become rubbery and dry.
For leftovers. Debone the chicken while it’s still warm. Refrigerate it in a covered container for up to four days; after that, throw it out. Or freeze the chicken within four days of purchase; use within four months for the best flavor and texture.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the July/August 2026 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2026, Consumer Reports, Inc.