If You Spot This Common Rotisserie Chicken Red Flag Don't Waste Your Money

Rotisserie chickens are undoubtedly convenient, tasty, and affordable choices, whether you're eating them as-is or portioning out the precooked meat for any number of recipes. Still, making the most of this supermarket standby requires more than just grabbing the first bird you see in the heated display case. One telltale sign of quality is the quality is the condition of the skin, which shouldn't be cracked or shriveled.

Shriveling skin is undoubtedly one of the biggest red flags to look out for when buying a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store because of what it tells you about the rest of the bird. Specifically, it's a natural consequence of spending extended periods underneath the warming lights of the display case. Likewise, the skin shouldn't be cracked, as this suggests the bird was cooked too long or at too high a temperature, another frequent cause of dry meat.

Ideally, the chicken's skin should be intact, taut over the meat, and colored golden brown. This last factor is just as important as the former two. Excessive lightness may suggest undercooking, while overly dark skin is another sign the meat may be dried out.

Although checking out the skin is one of the easiest ways to pick the best rotisserie chicken, there are other quick tests you can apply. Don't forget to lift a few potential candidates to check their weight. A heftier bird is best and not just because these offerings are often a flat price. It's also a sign that meat is juicier because less moisture has escaped.

Consulting the timestamp on the packaging is also critical; the longer it's been sitting out, the lower the quality typically becomes. Costco, a big name in the rotisserie world, is rumored to take timestamps seriously enough to rotate chickens out after two hours.

The quest to not waste money on rotisserie chicken doesn't end after you grab it off the shelf. There are many tricks for using up leftover rotisserie chicken that produce delicious results. These include making chicken salad, bulking up ramen and soups, and putting the meat in tacos or atop pizza. No matter what you use it, take steps to ensure you're starting with the freshest bird possible.