The Ingredients In Sam's Club's Rotisserie Chicken, Explained

For many, Sam's Club rotisserie chicken is an affordable weekly staple, and some even think it's better than Costco's $4.99 chicken, which we ranked pretty low in our ranking of 7 grocery store rotisserie chickens. It's a great source of protein, low in saturated fat, and can seem like a healthier option than other prepared meals or fast food. But, what's really in Sam's Club chicken? Aside from the whole young chicken itself, there's a bit more in there than what you'd find in a homemade roasted chicken. Those added ingredients are why many find it hard to make rotisserie chicken at home. 

According to the Member's Mark Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken nutrition facts, the chicken "contains up to 18% of a solution of water, sodium phosphates, [and] seasoning." That means that some of the retail cost is for that water and sodium phosphate mix that keeps the chicken plump, juicy, and flavorful. Sodium phosphate is a food additive commonly used to cure meat and ensure it doesn't go bad as quickly. 

In addition to the salt-and-water solution, much of the flavor comes from the spice rub medley. It includes a blend of yellow corn flour, garlic powder, salt, spices, paprika, sugar, citric acid, onion powder, and "natural flavors." These naturally-derived flavors come from plants, herbs, and spices, but it's not clear what exactly this entails. Overall, these ingredients give it a rich and savory taste that many prefer over other store-bought varieties.

How does Sam's Club's offering compare against other big-name options? Pretty much all rotisserie chicken sold in stores has some sort of salt-and-water mixture injected into it to keep it moist and juicy, as well as a spice blend to give it color and flavor. The difference comes down to what exactly is in this solution and spice blend.

Getting a rotisserie chicken from the store might seem like the better-for-you option compared to picking up fast food, but that can be a common misconception. In a Consumer Reports head-to-head comparison, Sam's Club's Member's Mark Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken was found to have a whopping 550 mg of sodium per three-ounce serving, the highest of the 16 chickens evaluated by experts. What's even worse is that it's about a quarter of your daily sodium intake (2,300 mg) in just a single serving. If you regularly eat the entire thing in one sitting, you drastically overshoot the recommended limit.

Costco's chicken had 460 mg of sodium, which still isn't great but it's a bit better than Sam's Club. Comparitively, chickens from places like Publix, Stop & Shop, Walmart, and Wegmans had much lower sodium levels (170-368 mg). And then there's other controversial ingredients like carrageenan used in Costco's chicken, which is now part of a class-action lawsuit over falsely stating it's preservative-free. If you want a chicken with fewer ingredients, you're better off cooking it at home or getting it from Whole Foods or Kroger, which stick to the basics, such as water, salt, and pepper.