What's The Best Time To Buy A Rotisserie Chicken At Sam's Club?

Hot rotisserie chickens from warehouse clubs and grocery stores have been the center of frequent discussions, with many vouching for the affordable roasted birds mass produced from retailers like Costco or Walmart. But according to our sources, the best rotisserie chicken actually comes from Sam's Club. For many shoppers, however, securing a fresh and juicy bird requires some skill — timing is everything at the Sam's Club rotisserie. Unlike some retailers that wait until midday to put the first batch of chickens under the heat lamps, Sam's Club employees start loading the ovens early at the beginning of every day. They generally circulate the first round of rotisserie chickens when the store opens at 8 a.m., or roughly 30 minutes after (note that on Sundays, Sam's Club stores wait to open their doors until 10 a.m.). Regardless, heading to your local Sam's Club first thing in the morning will give you the best chance to score a juicy bird; not one that has been slowly drying out under the heat lamps.

However, while shoppers aiming for peak freshness should make the most out of the early morning rounds, subsequent restocks occur throughout the afternoon. Because these birds tend to sell out fast, stores will continue replenishing their rotisserie section throughout the day and into the evening to accommodate the dinner rush, before wrapping up around 7:30 p.m. So while the strategy is to get there bright and early, Sam's Club generally ensures that those with early morning work shifts can score a fresh bird on their way home from work.

Besides going early to increase your chances at scoring a nice fresh bird, according to some, you can simply ask a Sam's Club employee about your specific store's schedule and order one for pick up. "If you really want chickens, you can call Deli/HMS and ask them to reserve some for you," one Redditor advised. This tip especially applies to those of you who are trying to score more than just one bird at once, as you can order multiple by placing an order ahead of time.

But beyond keeping time in order to score a juicy bird for dinner, savvy shoppers have shared their tips for picking out especially juicy and flavorful rotisserie chickens once they arrive at the store. According to a shrewd shopper on Reddit: "I have done rotisserie chicken for over a year, the browning comes from the seasoning. The more seasoning the browner the bird. Look at the drum sticks[;] if the skin is a little pulled off of the bone it's done, if it's baggy it's [overdone]." So the next time you are making your selection, peek at the bird a bit — these signs should help steer you in the direction of a truly great chicken. And in case you happen to have leftover meat after your roast chicken dinner, try a recipe out of these 21 dishes you can make with supermarket rotisserie chicken or these 15 shredded chicken dishes to ensure that the time and effort you spent securing a juicy chicken doesn't go to waste!