From white meat to dark meat — and don’t forget about those delicious,
reheat-ready leftovers — there's plenty to love about store-bought rotisserie chicken.
But in the quest for rotisserie supremacy, who takes home the gold? Costco? Or Sam's Club?
The skin of a rotisserie chicken should be golden, sticky, and crispy, and Costco easily
wins out here. Sam's Club's chicken had more seasonings, but it's also paler and soggy in
some areas. The Costco chicken skin didn't seem to have any spices or seasonings at all, but it
looked perfectly cooked, and it had an audible crackle when pushed at the crispiest parts.
Costco lost a point for skin that had split on the legs and thighs. Nevertheless,
Costco's skin still comes out on top as a result of its golden crunchiness,
and because it tastes like a well-cooked chicken skin despite its lack of seasonings.
This superior skin can likely be credited at least in part to modified food starch,
an ingredient used to boost that airy, crispy texture in battered foods.
Rotisserie chickens are either brined, marinaded,
or dry-rubbed with seasonings bringing flavor that should be robust and universal enough to
use in a variety of applications. But every rotisserie chicken also comes with the risk
that lurking below that golden crispy skin is chewy, dried-out white meat.
The white meat from the Sam's Club chicken was noticeably better, most significantly
in its texture. It was definitely cooked to perfection, while Costco's was drier and more
crumbly. Sam's Club's chicken appeared to be more moist and hold more shape than Costco's,
which was falling apart during cutting and struggled to stay intact. On the other hand,
though, Costco's white meat was much easier to separate from the bones, probably because it
was falling apart. The two were pretty comparable in flavor, with Costco's being a bit more salty.
Dark meat is higher in fat content, generally leading to a tastier and more
tender bite. Both brands' chickens looked pretty identical upon cutting into them:
pinkish-white and evidently moist. Costco was the clear winner in this category,
though. Not only is it more generous with the dark meat, but it also had a more robust and
interesting flavor compared to Sam's Club's, which was quite bland. Sam's dark meat is very fatty,
but that likely contributed to the pleasant texture and moisture.
"Wow! Moisture, like you've never felt before."
When it comes to the nutritional value of these chickens, it's a pretty even
draw. It really depends on which stats matter to you, although in our opinion
Sam's Club's pulls slightly ahead. It unsurprisingly contains less sodium,
coming in at 430 milligrams per serving compared to Costco's 460.
Both brands level out in calorie counts per serving at 140, though Sam's Club's
contains a bit more saturated fat to the tune of 2.5 grams versus two. Costco's chicken is
higher in cholesterol, by the count of 85 milligrams to 75. It also has more carbs,
with two grams compared to none for Sam's Club's. Sam's Club has slightly more protein,
with 19 grams versus 18, and Costco has marginally more fiber, with one gram over none.
Both Costco and Sam's Club rotisserie chickens are great deals. In fact,
both brands are pumping out these birds at a loss, according to reports like one published
in Reader's Digest. They're basically the same cost at just under five dollars,
$4.98 for Sam's and $4.99 for Costco. But you could also factor in the fact that a
yearly Sam's Club membership as a whole is cheaper than Costco's: $50 versus $60
for the basic tiers. But each store brings a slew of other perks that are worth comparing.
Overall, Costco gives you a bigger chicken with more usable meat. So
if you disregard the membership cost that you're already paying in the first place,
that puts Costco's chicken in the winner's circle when it comes to the best value buy.
"Deal, or no deal?"
"No deal!"
"Not yet. Not yet. Not yet."
One of the best parts about rotisserie chickens is the promise of leftovers.
What we discovered is that the Sam's Club chicken reheated well in the oven and also
tasted fresh when reheated in an air fryer, almost better than the day it was bought.
This is perhaps because the skin needed some help crisping back up since it was a
bit soggy in the first place, and because it was moist enough not to be dried out.
The Costco chicken crisped back up in the air fryer as well, though it was
noticeably dry. The most successful reheat of the Costco chicken was in the microwave,
as it preserved the moisture and texture. Any other method appeared to significantly dry out and
degrade the overall texture. But overall, Sam's Club is the winner when it comes to reheating.
So based on this taste test, where would we buy a rotisserie chicken again? To reiterate,
Costco has the better skin and tastier dark meat, and it's a
better value-to-price ratio. Meanwhile, Sam's Club had the better flavor overall,
was cooked closer to perfection, and had a slim lead in nutritional statistics.
The proximity of store locations can also make a difference in terms of convenience. There are
slightly more Sam's Clubs than Costcos in the United States, though the latter has
the lead in total locations worldwide. But of course it depends on where you happen to live.
Considering all of these factors, we ultimately have to declare Sam's Club the winner. It delivers
with the juicier meat, and its flavor will have you clucking with joy for the entire meal!
"Chicken… good."