Rotisserie chicken is consumed worldwide and is a cheap, nutritious, and instant meal. However, it almost doesn’t seem possible that it would be more affordable than a raw bird, considering all the benefits. So, why is raw chicken more expensive than rotisserie chicken?
Raw chicken is more expensive than rotisserie chicken because you buy raw meat per kg, which is higher than the individually priced rotisserie chickens. In addition, grocery stores sell pre-cooked birds cheaper to attract more customers. Read on to discover why.
Rotisserie chickens are a popular and convenient food option sold in many grocery stores, but many people don’t know why they cost less than raw chicken. This article explains the reasoning behind it.
How Can Raw Chicken Be More Expensive Than Rotisserie Chicken?
You might be forgiven for presuming that buying something raw would be cheaper than buying something that has been seasoned, prepped, and roasted. After all, cooking from scratch is a more affordable way of feeding oneself.
Convenience foods are often pricier than the cook-it-yourself version. For example, think of box mixes of cupcakes and cakes that cost more than it does to prepare them yourself with ingredients.
The same goes for the cut and tinned fruit and ready-made meals.
You pay for the convenience of having them ready to go. Ready-made meals can cost up to twice what the ingredients cost.
However, for the reasons explored below, rotisserie chickens are an exception. And as such, with so many people looking for quick, easy, nutritious meals, relatively healthy and cheap options like rotisserie chicken have increased in popularity worldwide.
There Is Less Meat On Rotisserie Chicken Than On A Whole Raw Bird
Buying a rotisserie chicken can appear to be a much better deal than buying raw chicken. However, you cannot simply compare the two based on price.
Comparing a whole raw bird and a cooked rotisserie chicken at face value is not a good idea because they will differ considerably in weight and, therefore, the amount of meat.
This is because a rotisserie chicken is often smaller than a whole raw bird. So it might look like you’re paying less for a cooked chicken, but you’re getting less meat.
There is a significant weight difference between rotisserie chickens, which average 1.2 kg, and fresh whole birds, which range between 1.6 kg and 1.8 kg. Rotisserie chickens generally offer 900 grams of cooked meat.
Rotisserie chickens are generally small because they must be a standard size for even roasting. Therefore, slightly bigger birds won’t cook in time, and slightly smaller ones will burn.
Still, the price per cooked meat of rotisserie chicken is generally less than that of cooked meat from a raw bird should you do it at home, with many people wondering why this is the case.
Grocery Stores Sell So Many Rotisserie Chickens
One reason is because of the popularity of rotisserie chicken. Costco sold 106 million rotisserie chickens globally in 2021. As a result, they have allegedly built a processing plant to keep up with demand.
So they are cheaper than raw chicken because grocery stores sell so many of them.
There is such a demand for them that grocery stores can afford to sell them at a slightly reduced rate because of the sheer volume they sell.
There Are Many Ways to Use a Rotisserie Chicken
In addition, it might not be a welcome revelation, but one of the reasons rotisserie chickens are cheaper than raw chickens is that they utilize birds that would otherwise go to waste.
Instead of losing out on the price and throwing it away, the grocery store prepares and sells them as rotisserie chickens, thereby at least recouping some of the cost.
While the grocery store doesn’t make as much money by selling the bird pre-cooked, it’s still better than letting the bird go to waste.
Grocery stores worldwide are known to repurpose ingredients instead of throwing them out. For example, fruits and vegetables on the brink of expiry are thrown into stews and fruit salads and sold as convenience foods in the deli or bakery sections.
Deli meat close to expiration is also used in soups and deli foods rather than wasted. For example, rotisserie chickens that are close to their expiration dates have been known to be chopped up and tossed into a chicken salad!
Rotisserie Chickens Attract More Customers
Rotisserie chickens are also known as loss leaders. Because they sell so many rotisserie chickens, the stores can afford to sell them at a reduced rate because they bring in so many customers, who invariably also throw in other items while picking up their chicken.
Most people are looking for ways to save time preparing food. For example, it’s easier to pop into the grocery store and pick up a roasted chicken for supper than roast your own.
Customers are likely to simultaneously pick up other items, such as ready-made salads, fries, or desserts, which are costly.
But they do this because they feel they have got a good deal on the chicken and are looking for ways to save time in feeding themselves and their families.
So, what the grocery stores lose on the chickens, they more than make up for in profits from the additional purchases.
This means that grocery stores will sell the chicken at a reduced price because they know they will more than make up this loss in revenue from sales of other grocery products bought at the same time as people collect their ready-made dinners.
Is Rotisserie Chicken Good For You?
Rotisserie chicken may be a convenient option available at most grocery stores, but is it good for you? The good news is that, unlike many fast-food options, it is lower in calories and fat than its fried equivalents because it is oven-roasted.
In contrast to other fast food, rotisserie chicken is not laden with preservatives, additives, and oil. Instead, the chicken is cooked on a rotisserie, which slowly spins it inside an oven.
Although they are usually spiced and marinated before roasting, they are not bad for you if eaten in moderation.
They are known to be nutritious meals, high in protein, and relatively low in fat. The thigh with skin is the fattiest part of this bird, while the breast without the skin is the leanest meat. Therefore, this part has fewer calories and the most protein.
Chicken is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including niacin and selenium. Chicken also has riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and zinc.
The most common seasonings and spices used to season rotisserie chickens include paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, and cilantro.
If you are concerned about your salt intake, check how much salt is used in the seasoning of the chicken first.
Rotisserie chickens are delicious on their own and can be chopped up and repurposed into other dishes like salads, stews, soups, and sandwiches. The possibilities are truly endless!
Final Word
Rotisserie chicken is an appealing product for customers who want a cheap and easy meal. It is more affordable than raw chicken because grocery stores worldwide sell enough of them to more than make up for this item’s slight price reduction.
It’s also relatively healthy since it is cooked without added fats and contains protein. So think about purchasing a rotisserie chicken the next time you need an easy and nutritious meal!
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Sources
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/dark-secret-behind-grocery-store-rotisserie-chicken/
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/rotisserie-chicken-secrets-1.6418773