We all love a rotisserie chicken. They’re easy to grab and take home, they’re delicious, they’re versatile, and they’re usually incredibly cheap. If you want to know where you can pick one up, then you will be wondering: does Trader Joe’s have rotisserie chicken?
Trader Joe’s does not sell rotisserie chicken, but they sell many chicken options, some of which are pre-cooked and/or pre-seasoned. They also have a wide range of different prepared foods and entrées that are very popular.
Read ahead to find out why rotisserie chickens aren’t available at Trader Joe’s and what they do have on the shelves that could make a pretty great alternative.
What Kind of Chicken Can You Get at Trader Joe’s?
Although you won’t find any rotisserie chickens rotating temptingly or in a warm bag at Trader Joe’s, they do have some pretty great chicken products that might be able to fill that void.
They have a few different options when it comes to pre-cooked and ready-to-eat chicken. Perhaps the easiest to pick up and go with is their Just Chicken packages, which are perfect for making all kinds of different meals in no time at all. They come with a decent amount of seasoning too, so they are actually quite tasty on their own.
If you’re willing to do some of the cooking yourself, then the Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken is a very big seller, and it makes a delicious meal. You get every part of the bird, just like you would with a rotisserie, and all of the marinating and seasoning is done for you. All you need to do is put it in the oven and wait.
Of course, they also sell a huge variety of different cuts of chicken meat that you can prepare however you want – from thighs to breasts to ground meat and sausages – but it’s definitely a long way away from the convenience of a good old-fashioned rotisserie.
What Prepared Foods and Entrées Does Trader Joe’s Have?
Of course, pre-cooked chicken is not the only option you have for quick and tasty food from Trader Joe’s.
You can also buy a lot of different prepared food (including appetizers, entrées, and sides) that are either ready to eat as they are, or just need to be quickly heated up in the oven or microwave.
When it comes to stuff that you can eat straight out of the packet, you are mostly looking at salads and things from the bakery. Some of the most popular prepared foods that you will find on the shelves include:
- Peanut Udon Noodle Salad
- Focaccia Bread with Roasted Tomato ; Parmesan
- Lemon Chicken ; Arugula Salad
- Cheese, Spinach ; Kale Egg Bites
- Mexicali Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Quinoa, And Wheatberry Salad
- Chicken Sausage Breakfast Burrito
As for refrigerated or frozen treats that can be ready in a matter of minutes, there are literally hundreds of things to choose from. Some of their best-sellers include:
- Pulled Pork Tamales
- Vegan Pasta Bolognese Bowl
- Layered Beef Tostada
- 4 Cheese Ravioli
- White Bean Chicken Chili Soup
- Seasoned Corn Ribs
- Mandarin Orange Chicken
- Mini Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Gyoza Potstickers
If you want to get your hands on some of these, then you are unfortunately going to have to make your way to a Trader Joe’s store yourself. They do not offer online orders or delivery, and you can’t even pre-order for a curbside pickup.
Why Doesn’t Trader Joe’s Sell Rotisserie Chicken?
So, why can’t you find a rotisserie chicken at Trader Joe’s? Well, it’s partly because they don’t do any cooking on-site and partly because of the overall ethos the company has around selecting the products that they sell.
Rotisserie chickens are usually cooked in the store, and they are usually sold incredibly cheaply – to the point where the store actually loses money on every sale. They are also generally pretty unhealthy, filled with additives, and hard to produce from organic birds at such a scale.
Trader Joe’s only likes to stock products with no artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, MSG, added trans fats, dairy ingredients from rBST sources, or genetically modified ingredients.
They want their food to be straightforward, high-quality, and purchased directly from manufacturers or growers. In that way, rotisserie chicken kind of goes against the message that the company is trying to give out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Trader Joe’s Have Cooked Chicken?
Trader Joe’s sells several types of cooked chicken, although they do not sell whole rotisserie chickens as you would find at other grocery stores.
Who Has the Most Healthy Rotisserie Chicken?
Based on testing done by Consumer Reports, the rotisserie chicken at Kroger (from their Simple Truth brand) has the lowest sodium per serving out of the stores that they tested.
Why Are Rotisserie Chickens So Cheap?
Rotisserie chickens are usually cheap for a couple of reasons. First, they are bought and cooked in bulk, which makes them cheaper to produce than they would be to cook at home. Secondly, they are often what is known as a “loss leader”.
Loss leaders are products that are very popular but the store actually loses money when they sell them. They are designed to bring in customers with an enticingly low price, and then the store makes money when those customers go on to buy other things as well.
Final Thoughts
So, does Trader Joe’s sell rotisserie chicken? They don’t. In fact, they don’t really sell hot food of any kind. They do have a decent selection of pre-cooked chicken that has been prepared and seasoned for you, and they sell a lot of different chicken meat products for you to cook yourself.
If you want a whole bird at Trader Joe’s without having to do all the work yourself, then their Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken is probably your best bet. Otherwise, you might need to venture to a different store to satisfy that rotisserie craving.
With that being said, Trader Joe’s does have an amazing selection of prepared foods, and loads of great refrigerated and frozen options for appetizers, entrées, and sides that can be ready to go in a matter of minutes.
