What Does Costco Do With Its Leftover Rotisserie Chicken?

Given the fact that Costco's prepared food department is always stocked with hot rotisserie chickens, you may wonder what happens to all the inevitable leftovers. Since each brick-and-mortar location sells an average of 172,000 rotisserie chickens every single year, there are bound to be un-purchased birds that need repurposing. Sure enough, Costco uses these chickens in many of the the brand's prepared food items. This makes complete sense when you consider how often Costco's ready-made food products are prepared and replenished day-in and day-out.

More specifically, when it comes to facts about Costco's rotisserie chickens you never knew, Costco restocks its in-store stash of $5 rotisserie chickens approximately every two hours. This means that whichever birds don't get purchased within that time period are removed from the store's grab-and-go warming station and repurposed in other savory snacks and meals in Costco's prepared foods department. Believe it or not, rotisserie chickens are the one Costco food you're eating in more ways than you realize. Especially if you enjoy prepared meals like Costco's chicken noodle soup, chicken Alfredo with penne pasta, or the retailer's chicken pot pie, the meat packed into these hearty meals is more than likely fresh chicken pulled from the retailer's rotisserie overstock. Yet, to properly ensure no portion of these fully-cooked chickens go to waste, Costco is strategic about incorporating more of this versatile meat into a wide range of extensive, ready-made offerings.

Next to warm meals like chicken enchilada casserole and chicken street tacos, Costco also uses leftover rotisserie chicken in cold prepared foods as well. For example, you can find freshly pulled white meat in Costco's Southwest sandwich wrap made with corn and black beans, or the brand's chicken Caesar wrap, which includes parmesan cheese and romaine lettuce. Breast meat is also featured in Costco's creamy chicken salad made with celery and onions. 

While there is definitely no shortage of meals that include meat from Costco's rotisserie chickens, you can also buy specific parts of these birds in prepackaged containers near the deli counter. For instance, certain Costco locations package and sell the leg or thigh quarters of rotisserie chickens at affordable prices. You can also buy containers that feature just the drumsticks. 

Or, for a super handy product to have at your disposal for lunchtime, look for Costco's meal prep secret weapon: prepackaged three-pound bags of pulled breast meat. These sizable portions prove useful when you want another quick and simple protein option to snack on and use throughout the week. All in all, while the gamut of Costco's rotisserie chicken products is certainly extensive, if your ultimate goal is to get the most bang for your buck, your best bet is to buy one or two rotisserie chickens the next time you're in store and prep this handy meat to use in all sorts of homemade meals.