Why Are Rotisserie Chickens Cheaper Than Raw Chicken?
Picking up a rotisserie chicken-that slow-roasted, perfectly herbed bird-is one of our favorite quick dinner tricks. You can use it in casseroles, skillet dinners, tacos, soups, pot pies, and more. But is simply picking up a pre-cooked roast also the cheapest option?
It would seem that taking home a whole bird for about $7 is a total deal, especially when the store has done all the work of seasoning, brining and/or marinating, and slow cooking it. But the real answer is a little tricky. In most supermarkets, rotisserie chickens aren’t any less expensive, they just seem it. That’s because the “per chicken” price looks better at the deli counter while the per pound price is best in the meat aisle, Priceonomics reports.
The data-driven site decided to run an experiment and test seven rotisserie birds against seven raw chickens that they dressed and cooked-all from seven different grocery stores. They then weighed the roasts against one another, and the results were staggering: After being prepared and cooked, the bird from the refrigerated case almost always weighed more than its prepared counterpart. And that includes the cost of oil and seasonings you’d be using at home.
The only exception was at Costco and Smart & Final, where it appears you can get a pre-cooked bird for less than cash per pound than doing all the work yourself. So save yourself some cash and shop smarter for poultry. Though, if you’re lazy or in a rush, the ready-to-eat version will always win, right?
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