Rotisserie Chicken: Top 5 Things You Must Know About It

Rotisserie chicken is a popular form of barbeque chicken in which the meat is attached to a spit machine and is placed over an oven for proper roasting. The direct heat on a rotisserie makes the chicken meat soft and tender.

With time, the ready-to-serve rotisserie chickens become a part of the US supermarkets and food malls. Rotisserie Chicken Calories have always attracted the attention of nutritionists and health experts worldwide. But, after a lot of studies into rotisserie chickens, most experts concluded that rotisserie chickens are fully safe to consume within a certain limit. 

The credit for popularizing rotisserie chicken goes to Boston Market, which started selling packaged rotisserie chickens in the US in the late 1990s. According to the National Chicken Council, American food joints and retail shops sold a humongous amount of over 900-million rotisserie chickens in 2018. Today, you can easily buy a packaged rotisserie chicken at a normal grocery store. It costs much lower than raw chickens.

Is Rotisserie Chicken Healthy Or Not?

Well, the answer to this question is tricky. If you consume rotisserie chicken in moderation, then it can do wonders for your health. You can make it part of your calorie-friendly diet on a day to day basis. But, its overconsumption isn’t recommended. 

Rotisserie chicken calories are lower than red meat, so it’s a good option for chicken lovers. Chicken meat has a negligible amount of saturated fat and cholesterol as compared to red meat. 

Chickens are also a rich source of phosphorus, Vitamin B Complex, Protein, Zinc, Calcium, and other substances. These minerals and compounds are essential to our healthy living.

What’s concerning about rotisserie chickens is the fact that these are processed with fat while on a spit. It contains a heavy concentration of sodium, which is bad for blood pressure and cardiovascular health. 

Make sure you buy only the fresh piece of packaged rotisserie chicken from your grocery store. You need to cook it well over 100-degree celsius to make it free from all bacteria and germs. 

Health experts feel that grilling a chicken at home, and then consuming it, is a far better option than buying a packaged ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken.

How many calories are in rotisserie chicken?

According to various health experts and nutritionists, rotisserie chickens contribute to adding around 160-calories from consuming its three ounces. Each additional ounce will add more calories. Ideally, consuming three servings of rotisserie chickens is perfect for one’s daily diet. 

Rotisserie Chicken Nutrition Facts

Rotisserie chicken is healthy. According to USDA, rotisserie chicken is a good source of proteins, Vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, etc. 

Here’s the list of nutritions that you will intake by consuming a skinless thigh of rotisserie chicken. 

Calories: 183

Fat: 10-gram

saturated Fat: 3-gram

Protein: 22.5-gram

Sodium: 319-mg

Rotisserie Chicken – Benefits and Risks At A Glance

Health Benefits of Rotisserie Chicken

1. Rotisserie chickens are a great source of protein. A three-ounce serving contributes to around 12-gram of proteins inside human bodies. Proteins are necessary to replenish dying cells inside our bodies.
2. It is full of Vitamin B complex. These vitamins are essential to the formation of RBC or Red Blood Corpuscles. Mayo Clinic stated that Vitamin B is important to keep our digestive and nervous system at an optimum level. Rotisserie chickens are a great source of niacin, which comes under Vitamin B, with plenty of goodness of health.
3. It’s a great source of potassium, which is extremely beneficial to bone health.

According to Oregon State University, rotisserie chickens have a great quantity of phosphorus too, which is another crucial nutrient to keeping our bones strong and healthy.

Health Risks of Rotisserie Chicken

1) Rotisserie chicken contains around 515-mg of sodium in its single serving. A human body requires around 1500-mg of sodium every day. Don’t consume more than three-serving rotisserie chicken in your daily diet. An overabundance of sodium in the human body can raise our blood pressure and may create heart problems too. Also, don’t add additional salt while consuming it to keep your amount of daily sodium intake under check.

2) The amount of saturated fat in rotisserie chicken is much less than red meat. On average, rotisserie chicken, up to three serving chicken, is good for your health. But consuming too much chicken means you are adding an extra amount of saturated fat, which elevates the level of LDL (bad cholesterol) in your body. 

3) If you are susceptible to various allergies or feel breathing difficulties after consuming rotisserie chicken, then you must stop eating it.

In some rare cases, people often feel breathlessness and respiratory problems after consuming chicken. So, rotisserie chickens are a strict no-no for such people. 

Why Rotisserie Chicken Is Such a Nutritious, Convenient Meal

We already know that rotisserie chicken is a rich source of nutrients, minerals, and vitamin B. But, what made it a household name is its ready-to-eat- and -serve package, easy availability, and affordable price.

If you come home late or feel extremely hungry, then don’t worry. Just take out the rotisserie chicken from its package, and prepare a delicious recipe from it within a few minutes.  

The Conclusion

Rotisserie chicken calories are well within the limit. Anybody can consume three or four servings daily. It’s calorie-friendly, and a perfect choice for health-conscious people. 

Some of the popular rotisserie chicken recipes that you can try anytime are; chicken soup, chicken and rice bowls, Chicken Tacos, Chicken Sandwich, and Chicken Pizza. The list is endless. You can prepare as many dishes as you can from a rotisserie chicken.