You're Better Off Skipping Rotisserie Chicken From Publix. Here's Why

Self-basted and uniformly browned, nothing beats the flavors of delicious rotisserie chicken. Spinning the perfect meat, though? Apparently, that's not so easy. Tasting Table reviewed the most popular grocery store rotisserie chickens and ranked them worst to best, and one major chain's was a big disappointment: Publix. In fact, our taste tester cuttingly summarized that "The most interesting thing about Publix rotisserie chicken is the packaging." Ouch. But, the biggest bone Tasting Table's taste tester had with Publix's rotisserie chicken was the flavor, or the lack thereof. 

The rotisserie chicken from Publix makes an attempt at smokiness — but, as per our taste tester's experience, it's not substantial enough to push it towards the podium. The chicken mostly trod a forgettable line; middle-of-the-road pricing, mediocre flavor and texture, and indistinguishable sizing. Technically, Publix's chicken came in second to last, and the final place was graced by the aptly-labeled "plain chicken" from Whole Foods — but at least its showed a shred of self-awareness. Ingredient lists never lie, and in this scenario, it might explain the ranking.

According to Publix, the primary flavorings are chicken, with "chicken flavor" and "chicken broth and fat" added in higher amounts than its vaguely listed "spices." Compared to the highest-performing rotisserie, that's quite the difference –- Fresh Market includes various forms of paprika and garlic in its recipe, and it had visible sprigs of rosemary in our taste tester's review. Perhaps that explains why Fresh Market's rotisserie is so good, we'd serve it at all our holiday meals. Publix should take notes and ramp up its seasoning.

Publix has many positive traits, including its infamous return policy. Unfortunately, though, its rotisserie chicken seems to be a disappointment across the board. Sharp-eyed Reddit users have long clocked that Publix transitioned from rotisserie to oven cooked for its chicken, and they were left divided about whether its flavor and texture have remained the same. Generally, rotisserie imparts a more intense finish because of its self-basting, a step now missing from Publix's process. That might be another explanation for its lackluster flavor.

The chain's chicken does have some loyal fans. Amidst this demographic, planning Publix visits around the roasting schedule is an intricate dance. That said, the overall reputation of its oven-roasted chicken is undeniably poor. One Reddit thread included a video of a fly buzzing around a chicken, somehow stuck within its packaging — and, according to a response in the thread, customers have "encountered this issue repeatedly." Meanwhile, a Publix customer in Oxford, Alabama revealed they'd unwrapped a chicken only to find it still sporting its head on Facebook. 

Rotisserie chickens are a tough one to crack; competition is saturated, with plenty of fantastic bags at different grocery stores. Publix just doesn't appear to be a major contender.