Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

No reservations needed — our Prepared Foods department is where culinary expertise and high standards meet to bring you convenient and delicious meals on the daily. Try a ready-to-eat sandwich or salad for lunch, order ready-to-heat appetizers or explore a range of sides and entrées for dinner.

Whole Foods's rotisserie chicken never lets us down. It's affordable ($10 at most locations), downright delicious (the lemon-herb flavor is my favorite), and is a game changer when it comes to aiding in meal prep for a week's worth of lunch (one chicken goes a long way). But what makes it so addictive? We spoke to a Whole Foods spokesperson to get the scoop on one of the most popular and trustworthy items from Whole Foods.

1. From where does Whole Foods source its rotisserie chickens?

"Like the chicken found in our fresh meat case, all our rotisserie chickens come from farms certified by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) 5-Step animal welfare rating system. They also meet our high quality standards — no antibiotics, no added growth hormones, and no animal byproducts in feed."

Related:

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

9 Things You Never Knew About Whole Foods, Straight From an Insider Employee

2. How are they seasoned?

"They're seasoned in-store with our own marinades and spice rubs, then slowly flame-roasted until tender and juicy. In addition to our classic rotisserie chicken flavors, our stores are featuring a new, limited-edition flavor each month paired with a fun on-theme side. Right now you can find tequila lime rotisserie chicken (rubbed with roasted chiles, lime, and garlic with a splash of tequila for good measure), paired with chipotle-roasted summer squash as a side. Starting May 24, our stores will feature Kansas City BBQ rotisserie chickens and smoky collard greens."

Related:

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

5 Whole Foods Hot-Bar Hacks That Will Save You Money

3. What happens to extras past the sell-by date?

"We strictly follow all food safety guidelines when it comes to expired products. Of course, if there's remaining product on our hot bars at the end of the day, our stores are empowered to work with food banks and organizations like Food Donation Connection that can find a home for food that is still safe to eat."

That’s the line the Republican party used in 1928 to promise Americans who voted for Herbert Hoover a time of ease and prosperity. Though the Great Depression derailed this vow, the party was onto something: Egalitarian and evocative, that phrase has stood for financial comfort and nutritional well-being for generations, ever since Henry IV used it in the 17th century. So it’s no surprise that Amazon’s Whole Foods is, at least in part, banking on chicken these days.

“I’d say it’s one of our top 20 top-selling items,” says Julia Obici, global executive coordinator of culinary and hospitality for Whole Foods.

When Amazon bought Whole Foods last summer, the first thing it did was lower the price of the grocer’s organic and hormone-free rotisserie chickens (among other items). The price dropped by as much as 33 percent in some markets, to between $7.99 and $9.99 per bird. The chickens not marked with an organic certification are priced even less, at around $6.99.

Those price cuts help ensure that today, Americans have a rotisserie chicken in every pot. As a recent Wall Street Journal story reported, grocery stores are selling a record number of spit-roasted chickens: 625 million in 2017 alone. Costco, a members-only big box warehouse chain, sells enough roasted chickens annually to invest $300 million in its own chicken processing plant, which as WSJ notes, “should be cheaper than buying ready-to-cook chickens from suppliers.”

The consumer demand for rotisserie chicken isn’t exactly new. Chains like A&P “always had chickens rotating on rotisseries in large commercial ovens with big glass windows,” writes B. Baker, an Eater reader who grew up in the 1960s and remembers that “customers would come in expressly to pick up a chicken for dinner; there were no Boston Markets, Costcos, or even (in our area) KFCs to purchase a prepared bird.”

But according to the Journal, it wasn’t until the ’90s that national chains like Costco and Whole Foods started buying birds specifically to put them on a spit and sell them for less than fresh broilers, turning rotisserie chicken into a lucrative loss leader. And, as previously reported, Whole Foods and its competitors are working hard to keep that price down, even as the price of raw chicken fluctuates.

Obici has been with Whole Foods for 22 years and says, in that time, the Austin, Texas-based grocer has always offered rotisserie chicken. “For years we served it pretty plain, with salt and pepper. But now customers want more variety,” she says. Whole Foods’ research and development kitchens roll out new flavors in a monthly rotation: Later this year, it’ll introduce a chicken spiced with “Turkish” flavors, as well as “a Nordic-style” bird. “We’re calling it ‘mushroom forager,’ so it will have a lot of those earthy flavors,” Obici says. “We’re also working on a miso-tamari version as well as one with Ethiopian berbere spice.”

At Whole Foods, the cooked birds are also sold on plates with vegetable sides, in bowls, and atop rice and noodles, in what Obici says is a growth area for the grocer. “We’ve expanded all of our offerings with meal solutions, with grab and go... they’re always among our top selling items.”

Obici declined to share precise sales numbers, but she acknowledges the rotiseerie chicken price drop “has drawn more attention to the product overall.” Demand seems to be rising. “Back 20 some years ago most people sat down and ate a rotisserie chicken with some sides,” Obici says. “Now, it’s not only for that single purpose. So many people are using [rotisserie chicken] to make other dishes.” Recently, a busy midtown Manhattan location was out of rotisserie chicken at 5:30 p.m. on a cold Sunday night — prime time for grab-and-go meal solutions.

So how do Whole Foods stores keep up with demand? Obici says it’s not a perfect science. “It’s some blend of sales history and employee experience. One great thing is we have a lot of knowledgable, long-standing employees who know to check the weather, check if it’s a holiday, that sort of thing.”

She also notes that stores get hourly sales reports, so they can see how fast any given product is moving and plan accordingly. “We utilize those reports to help us manage the volume that we have, but [rotisserie chicken is] such a great seller that sometimes what we struggle with more is making sure that we have all the pieces in place: getting it on and off the spit and packaged to the customer as fast as possible, in those key times just before the dinner rush,” Obici says.

“People don’t always know what they want when they come into the store, so it’s up to us to have that option ready to go.”

Related

Whole Foods Prices Will Drop Significantly After Amazon Deal

Why Costco Will Never Raise the Price of Rotisserie Chicken

Sign up for the Sign up for Eater's newsletter

The freshest news from the food world every day

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Email (required)

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. You can opt out at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Subscribe

More From Eater

Sign up for the Sign up for Eater's newsletter

The freshest news from the food world every day

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Email (required)

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. You can opt out at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Subscribe

Most Read

  1. For SNAP Recipients, Grocery Inflation Hits Hard With grocery prices up nearly 13 percent compared to last year, many low-income Americans receiving food assistance are going hungry
  2. In 2022, Mushrooms Cured What Ailed Us Goodbye to CBD gummies, and hello to mushroom everything
  3. The 33 Essential Zurich Restaurants There’s so much melty fondue, chocolate, and pasta in Zurich, along with Turkish mantı, whole fish steamed with garlic, and ambitious tasting menus

The Latest

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

Starbucks Workers Head Into Their Biggest Strike Ever

By Jaya Saxena

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

The Best Gift for Snack Lovers Is the One That Keeps on Giving

By Claire Carusillo

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

The Hottest Trend of 2022: Worker Strikes

From major chains like Starbucks to mom-and-pop spots, 2022 was a big year for worker-led labor action

By Amy McCarthy

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

A Festive Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bar Recipe With a Story to Tell

By Jaya Saxena

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

Your Party Needs a Veggie Tray So You Can Have the Leftovers

By Missy Frederick

Does whole Foods have rotisserie Chicken

Filed under:

  • Year in Eater

This Year, Food TV Got Weird

Sure, everyone was horny for "The Bear." But from GBBO’s "Mexican Week" to "Is It Cake?" to "Easy-Bake Battle," the rest of food TV this year was far less exciting

What day are rotisserie chickens on sale at Whole Foods?

Go on Saturdays (for the rotisserie chicken). You may already been going to Whole Foods on Saturday, but you may not know that their rotisserie chickens are $2 off every Saturday for Prime members. Even if a rotisserie chicken is not usually on your grocery list, I suggest you grab one.

How much does a whole foods rotisserie chicken cost?

A one-pound rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods can cost around $9.99, but in some locations, you may find one for $7.99. This is more expensive than some of the warehouse club chickens, like Costo. Their rotisserie chickens cost around $4.99 for a three-pounder.

Is whole food rotisserie chicken healthy?

Is it healthy? Yes, rotisserie chicken is a healthy choice. Chicken is rich in protein and nutrients, and store-bought rotisserie chickens provide a convenient and inexpensive alternative to less-healthy fast-food options.

Does Trader Joe's sell rotisserie chickens?

Although Trader Joe's doesn't sell rotisserie chickens per se, many TJ devotees love its "spatchcock chicken" for roasting at home.