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I’m so excited about this.
Like, for real.
I make a quick Costco run this morning to see what items you really need to watch for on sale this month (watch for details shortly), and decided (because I love you so much?) to answer the deep burning question that has rattled passionate penny pinchers for decades.
I’m here for you that way.
I found out, once and for all that those lovely-plump-and-juicy-Costco rotisserie chickens might just be a deal.
You’re welcome.
Honestly? I didn’t expect it to be.
But I was wrong. Which is kind of exciting?!
Here’s how the prices stack up:
- 1 1/4 cups Tyson grilled and ready chicken from Kroger = $4 (YIKES)
- 5 cups chicken that I grilled myself, *however the chicken was on sale at Fresh Thyme for a crazy price ~ $1.59/lb which hardly ever happens = $4.09
- 5 cups Costco whole chicken = $4.99, and no work on my end other than tearing the meat off the bone (that was even without fully getting every single bit of chicken off the bone ~ not too shabby!)
So if picking up a Costco whole chicken just gives you a wee bit of joy (honestly, just doing the experiment itself made me a little happy today . . .) you now have permission. 🙂
Curious what other items are worth getting at Costco and Sam’s Club this month (updated 3/7/16?) Go HERE.
Not sure what to make with all that yummy Costco chicken? Here you go:
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooked Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas
- 6 Can Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Savory Cream Cheese Chicken Rolls
- Cheesy Chicken Rolls
- Chicken & Broccoli Braid
- Chicken & Dumpling Casserole
- Homemade Chicken & Dumplings
- Chicken and Noodles
- Almost Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Tettrazini
- White Chicken Chili
- Sweet Southern Chicken Salad
And if you love rotisserie chicken but don’t have a Costco card (or like to know what the ingredients are by making it yourself), you can make Rotisserie chicken at home too.
Curious what I wouldn’t buy at Costco? Here you go. If you have other thoughts on what you love buying at Costco I’d love to hear them ~ leave a comment to share!
Ours sells 3 lbs of rotisserie chicken meat for $11.99. I use it for chicken tacos, Chicken Alfredo, chicken tortilla soup,the possibilities are endless. We split it into 1lb sections as well and freeze. Great time saver!
Costco uses the breasts to make their chicken salad. Then they sell their chicken leg quarters from the Rotisserie chicken in a big package for $4.99 too. So if you aren’t a big fan of the white meat, you should stroll a little further down the counter.
Tried it often and tastes great.
Costco chickens are a minimum of 3 lbs. I saw a lady lifting several before putting one in her cart. I asked her why and she said some of these chickens weigh 4#, since they are a minimum of 3# guaranteed. The grocery store rotisserie chickens are less than 2 lb often. I immediately shred 1/2 of the breast in my Kitchenaid mixer, then slice up the rest. I save that 1/2 breast to use in something else. Then I fill my 6 Qt pressure cooker with the back bone and all the left over uneaten chicken. I throw in onions, carrots etc. and then freeze in 2 c amounts flat in freezer bags, and use the rest of the broth mix to throw in my noodles for wonderful homemade soup.
Plus you can make chicken broth from the carcass. Score!
Doesn’t every supermarket sell these? I just had one from Walmart tonight – no chance I’ll get to turn any of it into tasty left-overs… I’d have to pry it away from my family of five who already think that one chicken is like skimping a bit 😉
And it gets even better if you decide to make broth from the bones. So good for you & free! So if you buy the chickens and you end up with homemade broth you are even more ahead!
My thrifty daughter, who is married, works full time and mom to one daughter of her own, buys rotisserie chicken from her local grocery for server do of her dinners. One of their favorites for this busy mom is home made chicken noodle soup.
I LOVE getting the rotisserie chickens at Costco. I get one every week. Its uses always change but I feel it is a great deal and time-saver. Some of the things that I can quickly make are chicken salad, white chicken chili, carved chicken with vegetables on the side, or chicken sandwiches (my daughter’s favorite). This handy helper saves me going through a drive through and paying way more for something that will not be half as good. Thanks for the post.
I also wanted to point out that Costco roitessoire chickens are one of the only ones not injected with soy. This is a big deal!! The cost of our health is very important and to be able to save money while doing it.. Win.. Win..
Costco chickens are a great deal and we grab them on occasion when we are planning on a quick dinner that night or I’m making some dish to bring to a family. Otherwise, whatever seasonings they put in the meat gets tiring (the prefer the taste of the Kroger rotisserie chickens) and the actual meat looks different than higher quality chickens. And while I use the bones to make stock, it doesn’t taste as good and doesn’t gel as well from other chickens.
I boil all of the bones leftover from the rotisserie chicken to make broth. Yum!
We don’t have a Costco near us, but I bought a rotisserie chicken at my local grocery store the other day and commented to my husband that it was cheaper than a raw chicken! We looked at the reciept and realized that with an offer, we had gotten it FREE! LOL Definitely cheaper than raw. 🙂
A better deal home grilled chicken in the long run, because you can also boil the carcass down for stock/soup!
The carcass from the Costco chicken makes great soup too! I always save them to make soup when I buy one.
Laurie, Thank you for the list. It’s always helpful and insightful. I was just meaning to go to Costco.
So glad it helps Nelly! 🙂
We buy the rotisserie chicken at Costco that is already off the bone. It comes in 2 1/2 pound bags so we buy two and freeze them one pound at a time. It’s great for any recipe that calls for chicken and way convenient!
Wow! I never knew that! Thanks for the tip. Excited about my next costco trip.
Where in Costco do they sell those bags?
I’ve seen them in the meat cases that are open to the air – often by the semi prepared food that Costco does – like pizzas and enchiladas.
If your Costco has them then they will be near all of their prepared by the deli items like their chicken soup, cold pizzas , salads, etc. You can always ask the deli team member but there are times they won’t have those bags because of a run on chickens and / or they use them to make chicken soup and their chicken salad. Hope this helps.
Our Costco stores in Ontario have stopped making their chicken salad due to listeria concerns raised by the Health Department. I am so disappointed because it was, without a doubt, the best chicken salad that I have ever had. I have tried to reproduce it at home but it never turns out the same. So sad.