Whole Foods' Rotisserie Chicken Isn't Worth Your Money — Even With A Prime Discount

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, rotisserie chicken was one of the hottest commodities at grocery stores across the country. They were selling out everywhere and the demand continues. With a Prime discount, a plain rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods cost only $5.99. With whole, raw chickens at Whole Foods costing about $3 per pound this might sound like a good deal. But these bland, unseasoned birds are probably not what you want

Whole Foods sells more than one kind of rotisserie chicken. It offers a classic rotisserie chicken that is fully seasoned. However, its plain rotisserie chicken is exactly what it claims to be: plain. It's not seasoned at all. The sodium listed on the label comes entirely from the chicken itself, with nothing added. You can see how this would be a problem for most people who would expect at least some salt on their chicken.

Unseasoned food, especially rotisserie chicken, can be incredibly bland. This seems to be intentional, however. Many people on sodium-reduced diets praise Whole Foods' plain rotisserie chicken in online forums. Since their dietary restrictions mean they can't eat added salt, a ready-to-eat chicken with none included is a rare convenience. So while this chicken won't appeal to everyone, and no one's denying that it lacks flavor, it does have a purpose.

Research from the Brisan Group shows that people buy rotisserie chickens because they see them as both healthy and convenient. It's a filling, wholesome meal that takes time to prepare at home, but is inexpensive and ready to eat from most stores. You're not wrong to think that buying a rotisserie chicken is a better value than buying an uncooked chicken. Stores really do sell them for less money.

Rotisserie chickens are kept to a standard size in order to fit in the rotisserie oven properly. For that reason, rotisserie chickens may be a bit smaller than chickens you would buy normally from the store. Still, they're often a better deal than raw chicken. Stores sell so many of them in such high volume that they can lower prices, even at a loss. It's a strategic trade-off because cheap chickens get customers in the store where they spend more money in the long run, and it works. Costco sold 106 million of them in 2021.

If you're looking for a good quality rotisserie chicken, we have plenty of other recommendations in our rotisserie chicken ranking. But if you do find yourself at Whole Foods, and the urge strikes, make sure you look for one of its fully seasoned chickens. Unless you're looking to reduce your sodium intake or you want some very plain chicken as a basis for something like a chicken salad.