Why SouthCoast Rotisserie Chicken Is So Popular and So Cheap

I bring home a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket each week when I do the family grocery shopping. The pre-cooked bird is usually consumed for dinner that night. It's convenient, full of protein, and it's cheap.

Most, if not all, supermarkets in the area carry hot rotisserie chicken, and there is a good reason for that.

Rotisserie chicken is a "win-win" for everyone involved.

For the shopper, it provides a quick, easy, and healthy meal to pick up on the way home from work that requires very little preparation. For the grocer, it turns potential waste into quick cash.

So why is rotisserie chicken so cheap? Have you seen the price of whole roasters in the meat case?

The answer is simple.

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According to WideOpenEats.com, "The secret behind your pre-cooked bird is that it is more than likely an unsold raw chicken that was slapped on the rotisserie machine before it expired."

The website said selling pre-cooked chickens to customers allows grocers to reduce their contribution to the food waste problem, which some folks believe contributes to climate change.

California educational television station KCET reported on the rotisserie chicken craze several years ago.

A rotisserie chicken is great for dinner but also for chicken soups, salads, and many other things you might make that involve chicken.

WideOpenEats.com said that "The ability to turn a product into a ready-made solution doesn't just stop at chickens."

"Consider the origin of the deli-style salad bar or soup bar at your local grocery store. The produce and products used in those recipes are certainly near the end of their shelf lives," the website stated.