A rotisserie chicken is a delicious and convenient pre-cooked chicken available at many grocery stores and restaurants. Determining how many ounces of chicken meat are on a whole rotisserie chicken can help with nutrition tracking, meal planning, and comparing values. Here are some quick answers to common questions about the weight and size of rotisserie chickens:
Quick Answers:
- A typical whole rotisserie chicken weighs 32-42 oz total.
- About 50-60% of the total weight is edible chicken meat, which is 16-25 oz.
- A rotisserie chicken yields about 2.5-3.5 servings of 6-8 oz chicken meat per serving.
- Serving sizes can vary based on the size of the chicken and if it has bones.
The total edible chicken meat on a rotisserie bird depends on multiple factors. Keep reading for more details on estimating serving sizes and ounces of chicken meat on a standard rotisserie chicken.
Typical Weight and Size of a Whole Rotisserie Chicken
Rotisserie chickens can range in total weight from 32-42 ounces for a whole chicken. The chickens are produced in standard sizes by major grocery store chains. Here are some typical rotisserie chicken weights:
- Costco rotisserie chicken – 39 oz
- Safeway rotisserie chicken – 32 oz
- Walmart rotisserie chicken – 42 oz
- Publix rotisserie chicken – 34 oz
- Albertsons rotisserie chicken – 38 oz
On average, most grocery store rotisserie chickens weigh between 3-4 pounds before cooking. After roasting, they lose around 20% of the original weight mainly due to moisture loss, resulting in an average finished weight of 32-42 oz.
The size of the raw chicken before cooking impacts the total meat yield. Large broiler chickens around 6 pounds raw weight will roast down to an extra large rotisserie chicken. Smaller 3-4 pound cornish game hens make petite rotisserie chickens under 30 oz cooked weight.
Edible Chicken Meat on a Rotisserie Chicken
Not all the weight of a rotisserie chicken is edible meat. The bones, skin, and fat cap account for a portion of the total weight.
On average, between 50-60% of the total rotisserie chicken weight is consumable chicken meat. With a typical 32-42 oz rotisserie chicken, the amount of edible chicken meat when all meat is removed from the bones is:
- Small chicken (32 oz): about 16 oz chicken meat
- Medium chicken (36 oz): about 18 oz chicken meat
- Large chicken (42 oz): about 25 oz chicken meat
So a standard rotisserie chicken yields around 1 to 1.5 pounds of edible chicken meat when all bones and skin are removed.
Serving Sizes for Rotisserie Chicken
It takes some effort to remove all the chicken meat from a rotisserie carcass. For a quicker and easier meal, most people carve and serve rotisserie chicken in portions on or off the bone.
A typical serving size of rotisserie chicken is around 6-8 oz. With 16-25 oz total meat on a whole chicken, this equals approximately 2.5 to 3.5 servings per rotisserie chicken.
If serving pieces with bones, the serving weight may be closer to 8-10 oz per piece to account for bones. White meat chicken quarters or halves with breast meat, wing sections, leg quarters, thighs, and drumsticks are popular rotisserie chicken servings.
For reference, here are some common serving sizes for rotisserie chicken:
| Rotisserie Chicken Serving | Serving Size |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, no bones | 4-6 oz |
| Chicken breast half, bone-in | 6-8 oz |
| Chicken leg quarter | 8-10 oz |
| Chicken thigh, bone-in | 4-6 oz |
| Chicken drumstick | 2-4 oz |
| Chicken wing sections | 2-3 oz |
When serving pieces on the bone, keep in mind that weight includes bones and will be higher than boneless servings. Also note that dark meat pieces with more skin like wings, legs, and thighs tend to be smaller in edible meat than white breast meat.
Tips for Maximizing Meat from a Rotisserie Chicken
To get the most chicken for your money from a rotisserie chicken:
- Choose larger sized chickens typically over 36 oz
- Remove all skin and bones and package chicken meat in servings for another meal
- Shred and use meat in chicken salads, wraps, soups
- Reserve bones and carcass to make chicken stock
Removing the bones and skin provides more edible chicken meat than typical on-the-bone portions. Be sure to safely store any chicken meat in shallow airtight containers and refrigerate for use within 3-4 days.
Buying Multiple Rotisserie Chickens
For a family or gathering, it often takes 2 or more rotisserie chickens to feed a crowd. In general, here is how many whole rotisserie chickens are needed for different groups:
- 2 people – 1/2 chicken
- 4 people – 1 chicken
- 6-8 people – 2 chickens
- 10-12 people – 3 chickens
Double check how many people you are serving and if they typically eat smaller or larger servings. For big chicken fans and athletes, you may want to bump up to an extra bird.
Rotisserie chickens also make great party finger foods or weekday meals to have leftovers when purchased in multiples. Refrigerate promptly and properly divide into portions to enjoy the pre-cooked convenience.
Price Per Pound of Rotisserie Chicken
One way to compare values between raw chicken prices and rotisserie chickens is on a price per pound basis. Take the total cost and divide by the cooked weight in pounds.
Here is the typical per pound price range for whole rotisserie chickens from major grocery chains:
- Costco – $4.99 to $5.99 per lb
- Safeway – $5.99 to $7.99 per lb
- Walmart – $4.98 to $5.98 per lb
- Publix – $6.99 to $7.99 per lb
- Albertsons – $6.49 to $7.49 per lb
The price per pound is almost always higher for purchasing a prepared rotisserie chicken compared to buying raw chicken to cook yourself. However, the rotisserie chicken saves prep time and only take minutes to heat up or eat.
Determine if the extra cost per pound is worth it for your needs. If on a tight budget, buy raw chicken on sale and cook yourself. For convenience, rotisserie chickens can’t be beat for quick roasted chicken flavor at home or on the go.
Conclusion
A whole rotisserie chicken from the grocery store typically provides 2.5 to 3.5 servings of chicken meat at 6-8 ounces each. The edible meat from a standard 32-42 ounce chicken totals 16-25 ounces when all bones and skin are removed.
Look for larger sized rotisserie chickens over 36 ounces total weight for more generous portions. Remove skin and bones yourself and divide into meal-sized containers to maximize the amount of chicken per bird.
Compare price per pound between the cost of buying pre-cooked versus raw chicken. For convenience, rotisserie chickens are hard to beat to add quick roasted chicken to meals and snacks.
