Why Costco's Rotisserie Chicken Have Only A 2-Hour Shelf Life (2024)

FAQs

Why Costco's Rotisserie Chicken Have Only A 2-Hour Shelf Life? ›

While Costco's spit-roasted chickens are kept warm under heating lamps, temperatures can plummet over time, prompting them to enter what the USDA classifies as the "danger zone." Since harmful bacteria can flourish exponentially when foods are left to sit for longer than two hours at less than ideal temperatures, ...

Every package is labeled with a timestamp that signals when the chicken finished cooking. Once the two-hour mark is up, employees remove the chickens from the shelves and repurpose them into soups and salads – similar to how some grocery stores use maturing produce for their salad bars.

Whether they're selling ultra-briskly to a store full of customers, or disappearing after the limit of their two-hour shelf life, Costco rotisserie chickens seem to be constantly in flight.

What happens to unsold rotisserie chickens? Don't fret, though, because these birds don't go unused. According to Costco itself, the company aims to upcycle food or donate it to those in need whenever possible. Unsold rotisserie chickens, in particular, are turned into deli items to reduce food waste.

Costco's rotisserie chicken is arguably the most controversial piece of poultry in America. In the span of just one year, customers have claimed that the rotisserie chicken tastes like chemicals and causes gastrointestinal issues.

Rotisserie chicken lasts for up to four days if cooked and stored correctly. Keep the chicken in an airtight container or zip-top bag, and do not consume leftover chicken if left at room temperature for an extended period of time (more than two hours).

The answer is not a lot; in fact the chickens are almost certainly a loss-leader for Costco. But people who buy chickens (conveniently, for Costco, located in the back of the store) are likely to buy other things as well.

3. It's not the healthiest rotisserie chicken available. Costco isn't the only store selling rotisserie chicken, of course — and while their birds may be popular, they're not the healthiest you can buy. Consumer Reports called out chickens from Costco and Sam's Club for excessively high sodium.

According to the USDA, you should eat cooked chicken within 3 to 4 days. Pretty simple. What if it's been longer—say, 5 days? Then it's up to you.

USDA recommends using cooked chicken within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth.

Does Costco brine their rotisserie chickens? ›

The reason Costco's chicken is so juicy is because of a salt solution pumped inside, which is basically like super-brining. That makes the meat moist and evenly seasoned every time, delivering a consistent—though there has been some Reddit uproar about weird-tasting chicken lately in some states—tasting chicken.

Another reason why you might have to do a lap around the store before more chicken appears is that there is no limit on how many rotisserie chickens shoppers can buy.

Rotisserie chicken can be an easy way to add protein and other important nutrients to your meals with little effort. Just be mindful of the saturated fat found in both the skin and the dark meat, as well as any hidden sodium.

Now, in what the warehouse club says is an environmentally friendly move, the rotisserie chickens are sold in plastic food service bags. The packaging shift began in March 2024 and has gradually rolled out to the entire United States, reported the magazine Consumer Reports.

Information. Chemical changes occur during cooking. Oven gases in a heated gas or electric oven react chemically with hemoglobin in the meat tissues to give it a pink tinge. Often meat of younger birds shows the most pink because their thinner skins permit oven gases to reach the flesh.

USDA recommends using cooked chicken within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.