I believe 5-6 cups. I use them often , but never thought to find out exactly. I don't think a bit more or less matters with meat in a recipe. One of the last good buys .

Thanks for your input, marcopolo! For all the times I've stripped the meat from the bones, I never thought to measure it!

Smiles,

Sooz

The BJs rotisserie chicken yields less than 4 cups of chicken off the bone. I guess Costco uses bigger chickens.

Thanks for your input, fawn ridge! We don't have a BJ's out here, but I do know that Costco chickens are a good size compared to other places in my neck of the woods that offer rotisserie chickens.

Smiles,

Sooz

The COSTCO chickens are huge compared with our local grocery store comparison. I have never been to our BJ's. I believe that the COSTCO ones are actually a loss leader. I heard that they increased the price a few years ago and heard so much whining about it that they dropped the price again. I always just make multiple meals out of a chicken, ending with a stock soup. Just the other day, I was pulling a half breast off and noting how very large it was. I haven't measured the amount, but I wouldn't have guessed that one could get 6 cups.

I've heard the Costco chickens are good. Still haven't tried one. Guess I'll put it on the list.

Costco's and Sam's chickens are both very good and much larger than the grocery store variety. We have HEB in Texas and they also do rotisserie turkey breast and they are to die for.

Read an article about Costco and it explained that the chickens are sold at cost or even just below cost to bring more customers into the store.

I bought on today for dinner, its just too hot to cook indoors or out. Cut it up, and made chicken salad from one breast for the two of us. The balance is dinner tomorrow. Over 4 pounds for $5. I can't make it for that price.

Sooz, the one breast was easily 3 cups, so a whole bird is over 6 cups.

I adore Costco chickens. They are an amazing bargain and so useful for so many dishes.

The hot dog deal is still $1.50 here, and that's also wonderful.

Pkramer, thanks so much for your input!

A question for you: did you use both halves of the breast (i.e. the whole, total, full-on breast because chickens only have one breast that has two "parts" when you look at it), or just one-half of the whole total full-on breast?

Just because I *think* I know, doesn't really mean I know! LOLAM? One "half" of a full breast will make chicken salad to feed both me and DH, and I'd still have one "half" leftover for something else.

Thanks also to everyone participating in this thread!

Smiles,

Sooz

Mimi, dh says the same thing about the 'dogs.

We get the hot dog and drinks and split a fry. Great lunch on the cheap!

The brisket sandwich isn't bad either. I joke to DH, "You always take me to the best places". Heck, dinner out for around $10 brings a special type of satisfaction.

Have you tried the turkey/provolone sandwich? Yummy! And are there any recommendations for the Italian sausage sandwich? It' here in the Philly area but I never saw it in CA.

Sooz, I used one half of a double, or the right (left?) breast, not both.

Jasdip, does your Costco have fries? Never seen that here.

Yeah, no fries in California, either, but the stores have them here in PA.

Thanks for the clarification, pkramer--very helpful for me! :O)

Smiles,

Soon

Here's an update from my own kitchen, as we finally purchased a rotisserie chicken from Costco today! We also picked up a turkey provolone sandwich (yum!).

After pulling the chicken off the bones and freezing the bones for later, I weighed the chicken meat. It weighed in, using my digital scale, at 1 lb plus 1 oz.

Then, I cut it up into chunks rather than shredding it, and that yielded 5 1/2 C of chicken.

Smiles,

Sooz

After hearing all the accolades, we finally purchased our first Costco chicken. We had to discard it because it was so salty that it was inedible. We tried to salvage it by taking off the skin but the interior was just as sodium-drenched.

I'm sensitive to salt but DD is a salt junkie and she demonstrated that it was spit-out-bad :(

Anyone had this experience?

The salt issue is a common complaint on food boards, nannygoat18. They're "plumped"/brined.

"Ingredients: whole chicken,water,salt,sodium phosphate, modified food starch, sugar,carrageenan,soy lecithin,flavorings and xanthan gum."

460mg of salt in a 3 oz serving.

Nanny, I'm sensitive to salt too and didn't find our Costco bird salty at all. In fact, when I used the skin and bones to make broth for chicken noodle soup I had to add salt.

No problem with salt here either. However, I will say that DW almost always adds salt to every thing I cook without even tasting first, but I don't believe she adds any when we are just eating straight COSTCO chicken.

Veda, I'm an avid label reader and don't know how I overlooked those ingredients. Carageenan PLUS all that sodium is enough to put it back on the shelf.

Thanks for providing the information.

Maybe salt levels are adjusted regionally? Even "local" Costco inventory varies so much.

Nanny, from what I've read its standardized- they're shipped to the store already brined , ready to be cooked and packaged.

Interesting how palates vary so widely:)

I don't buy any rotisserie chicken because they are heavily salted/seasoned

Gelsons carries a no salt BBQ version!

No Gelson's around me. Until I can find an unsalted rotisserie chicken, I've got no motivation to purchase.

I was very fortunate as it's the only place (in a major metropolitan city!) that sells it. Even my salt addict DD pronounced it better than the regular version.

Artemis, if you can find a Showtime rotisserie it's very easy to make them at home.

I have tried several rotissary chickens from different purveyors.....all were so salty I couldn't eat them<
I haven't posted to this thread because it seemed not so nice to say "rotissary chicken! ugh....too salty" but since someone else has raised the subject.....I will agree. Waaay too salty!

I was hesitant too, but figured I could handle the possible backlash:) After all, taste is so subjective and personal.

Linda, my experience mirrors yours. However, the Costco bird got such rave reviews that I just had to try it and saltiness was never mentioned as an issue. I was truly disappointed that it won my #1 Saltiest Award as it's such a versatile and convenient product for the majority of consumers.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who's turned off by those rotisserie chickens. I could probably handle the salt but can't deal with the rancid smell and off taste and I don't claim a sophisticated palate. Can't put my finger on what's wrong for me but like the oil discussion I know it when I taste it. But boy they sell a lot of them! So a lot of people like them.

I'm simultaneously baffled and envious.

To be honest -- I'd rather make my own marinate. In my own taste bud experience, chicken needs minimal salt, for starters. I rather know what I am eating whenever possible.

DD has a very heavy hand with salt and pepper. When I asked her not to season my portion, her cooking vastly improved and I could actually taste the FOOD.

Salt.........a neighbour insists on dropping off soups when she makes it (regularly). Between the very much over-use of salt and the smell of air freshener or whatever it is permeating the plastic containers it immediately goes in the trash. IF she asks ahead of time if I'd like some, I cut her off at the pass, otherwise it just shows up at my door.