The Best Times To Buy Rotisserie Chicken At 14 Of Your Favorite Grocery Stores

Picking up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store can be the best part of your day. With one quick tap of your card, you can take home a ready-cooked source of protein, bursting with flavor and ready to shred and put in your favorite meals. Sounds like an idyllic image, until you actually get to your local store, and see the state of the rotisserie chickens on display. If you time it right, the best rotisserie chickens will be plump, juicy, and bursting with freshness — but turn up late, and you'll be met with dry, desiccated carcasses that have been sitting under the heat lamp for hours. That's hardly what anyone wants.

So, how do you avoid the latter? By figuring out what time your grocery store puts their chickens out. Luckily, most major grocery store chains are aware of the continuous demand for rotisserie chickens throughout the day, and as such they stagger their cooking times and place them out every few hours. Other grocery stores are a little less stringent about this, and tend to stick to certain times in the morning and evening to get their poultry out before the lunch or dinner rushes. To know which pattern your store follows, all you need is a little insider info — which we've got right here.

Rotisserie chicken is virtually synonymous with Costco, thanks to the big-box retailer keeping its price at a deeply reasonable $4.99 since 2009, which has won it a legion of fans. We all know how much a Costco chicken costs, though: The question is, when does the store put it out on sale? Most stores do so throughout the day in two-hour windows. The first batch of chickens is generally on sale between 8 and 10 a.m., depending on your store's operating hours and individual processes. These Costco chickens have a two-hour shelf-life, and once that's up, they'll be taken off display and replaced with a fresh batch. The store then rinses and repeats for the rest of the day.

It can be tricky to know exactly when an individual store will put its chickens out, but by calling ahead or enquiring next time you're in-store, you can get a good indication of the general intervals they appear. Alternatively, if you're planning on spending a good few hours in Costco, then listen out for the bell. When its rotisserie chicken stock is rotated, the deli will ring a bell to indicate that they have fresh options on display. That's your cue to head to the deli counter as quickly as possible.

Like virtually every other supermarket out there, Whole Foods knows that people like rotisserie chicken — and it makes sure that it has a steady supply of them throughout the day. Luckily, it's also been fairly open about the best time of day to find a fresh chicken in-store. Principal culinary program manager at Whole Foods, Carolina Martinez, told The Kitchn that heading to Whole Foods between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. will give you the best odds of finding a just-cooked rotisserie chicken. Most stores begin preparing their chickens shortly after they open at either 7 or 8 a.m., and it then takes them a few hours to cook them and put them out on the shelf.

Some folks have reported that rotisserie chickens may be available slightly before 11 a.m., and if your store is on the speedier side (or opens early) they may be on sale by 9:30 a.m. If you miss the first rush, though, you'll have another chance later in the day. Whole Foods puts its chickens out in four-hour intervals, so once you've established what time your local store displays its first batch you can work forward from there.

While some grocery stores are pretty open about when they put their rotisserie chickens out, others are less forthcoming. Walmart's one of those stores. Perhaps it's because there are so many Walmarts that it's kinda hard for them to offer a concrete time — and indeed, it's definitely the case that rotisserie chicken timings can vary from location to location.

What is true, though, is that most of its stores will put out their chickens several times a day, to coincide with the mid-morning, lunch, and dinner rush. The first batch usually goes on sale anywhere between 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m., depending on location and opening time. The next chicken drop will be at around 1 or 2 p.m., and the final set will be available at around 5 p.m., although they can also go out slightly earlier. The good news, too, is that Walmart has handy timestamps on its chickens to indicate when they were put on sale.

Some stores operate on a "when it's gone, it's gone" basis, when it comes to rotisserie chickens. Others make a pledge to ensure that their chickens are constantly available, no matter what time you head into its stores. Kroger is a retailer that does the latter. Its chickens are famously available between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and unless something's gone seriously wrong in the deli there should be a steady supply of them throughout the day. As such, you can be reasonably sure that if you rock up at any point in these eight hours, you'll go home with a well-cooked chicken.

Exactly when these chickens are actually placed on sale is harder to judge, but given that they're available from 11 a.m., heading there around this time is a safe bet. From there, it's likely that they're put out in two-hour windows. If you're unable to get down to Kroger at 11 a.m. for the first batch, we'd recommend giving your local store a call to establish when they're being put out.

At Sam's Club, they like an early start — especially when it comes to their chickens. While other stores tend to only start putting their chickens out towards midday, the employees at Sam's Club start loading the poultry into their ovens at the crack of dawn. As a result, throughout the week, its rotisserie chickens are generally put on sale at 8 a.m., or 30 minutes after the store opens.

On Sundays, things are a little more relaxed for the chain's workers. Its rotisserie chickens are usually available from around 10 a.m. (hey, we won't be angry at them for the few extra hours of sleep). Depending on the size of the store, Sam's Club generally starts the day by loading 50 chickens into its ovens, which tend to sell out fairly quickly. It will then restock the chickens throughout the day, ensuring that some are left for folks coming in at dinner time. By around 7:30 p.m., its chickens are usually fully sold out, although there may be a couple still available for those late arrivals.

In the Venn diagram of people who rise early and people who like rotisserie chickens, Wegmans would sit right in the middle. The store aims to have its rotisserie chickens out on sale shortly after it opens its doors for the day. Employees tend to begin taking them out of the oven by around 8 a.m., and they usually go on sale by about 8:30 a.m., if not slightly earlier. In some stores, this can all happen slightly later, with the chickens first reaching the deli counter by 9:30 or 10 a.m. It all depends on the size of the store and when it opens, so if you want the most accurate information, you should call and ask.

How often Wegmans restocks its rotisserie chickens throughout the day is a little less clear, so we'd recommend heading first thing in the morning if you want the freshest option. It's worth pointing out, too, that it's unclear how much Wegmans restocks its individual types of chickens. Unlike other stores, Wegmans sells a variety of rotisserie chicken flavors, with rosemary and BBQ-infused options available — but these may not be put out as regularly as the plain rotisserie flavor (which tastes pretty good), or in as much quantity.

Safeway isn't super open about how often it puts its rotisserie chickens out, or what time it sells out of them. What it is pretty clear about, though, is when it first goes on sale in the day. Safeway indicates on its website that its Traditional Whole Rotisserie Chickens are available each day after 10 a.m. The same goes for its lemon pepper flavor, its rosemary and garlic option, and several other deli favorites.

Therefore, if you want the best chance of a piping hot rotisserie chicken, you should get there just after the clock strikes 10. Do so, though, and you'll be richly rewarded. Safeway's rotisserie chicken is famously delicious, with reviewers noting that it's even better than those available at Costco and Whole Foods. Its seasoning blend is well-balanced, its meat is juicy and tender (yet still pleasingly dense), and it doesn't break the bank too much. This is a chicken worth waking up for, people.

As with several other retailers, Giant makes a promise that you'll be able to get its rotisserie chickens within an eight-hour window. From 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., walk into any Giant store and you should be able to come away with a chicken at your convenience, according to its website. Having said this, you may not come away with the best one possible, and Giant isn't super open about how often it restocks its chickens.

Luckily, some people online have figured out some of the key times they might appear on its racks. One person on Reddit stated that a batch of rotisserie chickens usually comes out between 3 and 5 p.m., which seems to be shortly before the pre-dinner rush of post-work shoppers looking for something quick and easy to eat. By that logic, we can also assume that Giant would restock its chickens every four hours, with the first drop at midday to coincide with folks popping on their lunch break (and in keeping with their promise to have them available by 12 p.m.). There's no indication that Giant replenishes its stock any more frequently than that, but it's generally worth checking with your local store.

We're always big fans of grocery stores that restock their rotisserie chickens every two hours — it shows that it's got a popular product that needs a quick turnaround, after all. Publix is one such store, and it pops its chickens out on a regular basis. The first chickens tend to go in the oven at around 8 a.m., before cooking for about an hour or so, resting, and then being displayed for sale at 10 a.m. or slightly before that. From there, the deli employees work throughout the day to get the chickens on sale every two hours, with 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. being key times for them to be displayed.

It seems like 6 p.m. is the last drop for its chickens, after which they're left to sell out for the day — and then it all begins afresh the next morning. It's worth pointing out that some stores may start slightly before this if they open their doors earlier. Crucially, too, these times are based on when individual workers restock their chickens, and some stores may have a different system.

Some stores make the promise that you'll be able to get their rotisserie chicken at any point throughout the day, but they don't indicate how fresh it'll be. Others, like Winn-Dixie, are a little smarter than that. Back in 2017, Winn-Dixie introduced its "freshness guarantee" for its rotisserie chicken, stating that if you went to its stores between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., you'd be able to find a just-cooked chicken on display. If you didn't, the next chicken you bought would be free.

Now, this pledge was obviously made a few years back, but there's no reason to believe that Winn-Dixie has changed its ways since. As such, if you head to Winn-Dixie at 4 p.m. or just after, you can be reasonably sure that you'll get a great rotisserie chicken. We're also kinda heartened by the fact that it's not pumping them out throughout the day, instead just focusing on releasing one quality batch at a specific time. Plus, if you pick Winn-Dixie rotisserie chicken, you can be reassured that you're getting an antibiotic-free option. Sounds pretty good to us.

You're gonna have to set your alarm if you want the best rotisserie chicken from BJ's. The wholesale retailer restocks its rotisserie chickens at various points in the day, but it all kicks off at around 8 a.m. This, according to multiple people who frequent and work at the store, is when they first put their rotisserie chickens on the shelves.

From there, it seems like BJ's aims to put its chickens out in roughly two-hour intervals: The next batch of chickens generally goes on sale at around 10 or 11 a.m., and you can reasonably assume that the subsequent drop will be at approximately midday or just after. As stores will usually shut at around 8 or 9 p.m., we'd guess that the last restock is shortly before dinner time, so that they sell out for the final few opening hours.

Look, we get why you might want a rotisserie chicken first thing in the morning. Grabbing it at the start of the day can leave you not having to worry about dinner, and you can also shred and freeze your rotisserie chicken to use weeks or months down the line. However, if you want a rotisserie chicken before the clock reaches double digits, we'd skip Meijer. The store states that its rotisserie chickens are available from 11 a.m. on its website, and you'll be lucky if you find them any earlier than this.

Despite this clear signposting, some Meijer employees have still reported that folks have asked them about whether rotisserie chickens are for sale as early as 7 a.m. Bear in mind that it takes about 90 minutes or so for a rotisserie chicken to be prepared, cooked, and displayed: This would mean that the employees would have to get to work before dawn, and we're willing to be they don't wanna do that. The good news, though, is that late risers are rewarded at Meijer. Its chickens are available until 7 p.m., and we'd hazard a guess that around 4:30 or 5 p.m. is a good sign to head in for the last fresh batch.

If you're buying a rotisserie chicken at Food Lion, it's best to wait until closer to lunchtime. Food Lion's deli employees aim to have their first batch of rotisserie chickens out by 11 a.m. In the real world, though, it may well be 5 or 10 minutes after this, depending on how busy the department is and how many chickens they have to restock.

That being said, it may well be the case that your store is slightly different. Higher-traffic stores that sell a lot of rotisserie chickens, or see a lot of footfall earlier in the day, take matters into their own hands and aim to put them out a little earlier. Therefore, you might find that your local store actually places them on sale at 9 or 10 a.m., in the interests of giving its customers what they want (and likely for the employees to get ahead of the game a little). This potential difference is pretty important, as in two hours a chicken can go from juicy to totally dry — and if you're turning up at 11 a.m. to find a few parched, stringy chickens, you probably won't be happy. The solution? Give your store a call, and they should be able to tell you when they usually go on sale.

At H-E-B, the rotisserie chickens are treated with military precision. Chickens at H-E-B go out every two hours without fail, although when they do so will depend on the store you're buying it from. Some stores will start cooking their chickens at 7 a.m., then put them on the shop floor at approximately 9 a.m., whereas other stores will place their first chickens in the oven and onto the floor an hour before that. From there, workers will cook and restock chickens in two-hour intervals until the end of the day.

What sets H-E-B apart from other stores is its final restock. Many supermarkets put their final rotisserie chickens out at about 5 p.m., but at H-E-B they aim to place the last batch on sale at 8 p.m., to give those last-minute shoppers the chance to buy them. Importantly, though, at this time of the night, the amount of chickens they restock is pretty small compared to the earlier batches.