I’ve picked up a Rotisserie Chicken very few times in my life. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them! There’s just something about that juicy, salty deliciousness. I think it’s more that I’m just used to cooking from scratch and I know I can make it cheaper at home. Follow along and learn to make your make your own Rotisserie-Style Chicken (No Rotisserie Needed.)
Rotisserie-Style Chicken (No Rotisserie Needed)
For a long time, I didn’t think I could pull off a home-cooked Rotisserie Chicken without owning a rotisserie. I’m happy to say I was wrong. And I’m happy that I didn’t have to buy a rotisserie and just as happy I don’t have to clean one or find a place to keep one!
About Rotisserie Chicken (No Rotisserie Needed):
You probably wouldn’t be here if you weren’t thinking about making the deliciousness that is rotisserie chicken at home! There are many reasons why it could be a great idea.
- Maybe you can’t get a Rotisserie chicken where you live.
- You might be concerned about food safety or recalls.
- The long list of ingredients or the amount of sodium stops you in your tracks.
- You don’t want to spill juices in your vehicle.
- Or maybe it’s just the cost.
If you’re a big number cruncher like me, you know that the pound-for-pound, a sales-priced chicken cooked at home will beat out the cost of a store-bought Rotisserie Chicken.
Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning
Making Rotisserie Chicken:
The method couldn’t be easier and I’ll walk you through it all. First of all, don’t wash your chicken before cooking; in years past, it was recommended but it’s been found that washing spreads contamination through multiple areas of your kitchen in the form of small droplets.
Smaller chickens make the best “no rotisserie” chickens. They cook up tender and juicy using this method. I’ve tried adapting the flavors to larger chickens and they’re good, but not as good – so watch the size!
As far as preparing, just mix up your spices, preferably my Homemade Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, get out a good working surface, and set your chicken on it. Take a peek in both the neck & nether cavities and remove anything stuffed in there. Sometimes you’ll find the neck and/or giblets, and sometimes there will be nothing.
Then truss the chicken. I do not recommend skipping this step! Check out my post “How to Truss a Chicken in One Minute” if you’d like, but I put the photos right below.
Then rub the chicken with the seasoning, as much or as little as you like. I like to put it on heavily. Just a quick aside: I prefer the seasoning when made with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. My son prefers it saltier with the full teaspoon.
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- The pricing of this chicken.
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- Wrap legs tightly with string, pull string back over wings and tie behind the neck cavity.
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- Tuck in tail, cross string to hold it in, bring across to thighs.
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- Tie just like a square knot with one extra loop – it holds tight so the knot can be finished
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- Bring string along bottom of thigh & back toward wings
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- String goes over wing & right across neck opening – over loose skin
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- The chicken trussed!
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- Sprinkle HEAVILY with the rub.
Cooking & Testing your Rotisserie Chicken:
Next, plop it on a rack over a pan and roast until done. Easy peasy. The chicken is done when the temperature taken in the thickest part of the thigh is 165 degrees. It’s funny, but that term is a bit vague, given that it’s so important from a food safety perspective.
What they mean is the thickest part of the inner thigh, and below is the photo from the USDA Food Safety Division. Sometimes you’ll see people put the thermometer on the outside portion of the thigh but that’s not as accurate.
You can test by checking the leg (this is harder to do when trussed) and the chicken is done when the leg is easily wiggled, others test to see if the juices are clear in the cavity and if the chicken is pierced. Those methods are not as accurate. If by chance, and I don’t see this issue with the smaller chickens, the breast meat is done and as you cut further into the chicken you are not comfortable with the way it is looking, you can always remove the breast meat and plop the chicken back in the oven, covered, for a few more minutes.
Saving Money on Rotisserie Chicken (No Rotisserie Needed):
Suppose you walk over to the uncooked chickens in the refrigerator case at just any old time and take a look at them, not paying any attention to sales or to size, and compare them to the $5.00 cost for a rotisserie chicken. In that case, you might just think rotisserie chicken is a much better deal than it is.
If you pay attention, you’ll know that a rotisserie chicken from a giant retailer is 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. In order to beat the $5.00 price of the commercial rotisserie chicken, the chicken you buy will need to be under $1.65 a pound and be pretty close to the same size.
It’s not hard to do. In my area, a good sale runs from 69 cents up to 99 cents a pound. The chicken in my photos weighed 3 1/2 pounds and was sold for 99 cents a pound for a total (allowing for seasoning and oven time) of $3.66. That beats out a rotisserie chicken in price. Even more importantly, the chicken was larger. Love it when you can make something at home and make more of it for less $$ than the store-bought option.
You might not have considered that chickens are “seasonal.” Some of the best pricing and the greatest availability is right after Easter. There are so many additional young layers needed to boost the production of eggs for the holiday and after Easter, they’re no longer needed. They’re headed “to market.” If you have a freezer, take advantage!
You’ll always pay for convenience, but it’s never a bad idea to do so with open eyes. If you’re one to ask what about the spices and oven time? Those are pennies, and most likely total less than the sales tax on your store-bought chicken.
BTW, there’s no judgment on my part – there are a lot of worse convenience products in terms of cost, taste, and health risks. Rotisserie chickens are tasty and convenient. Just know that they are not the cheapest option. See the discussion laid out another way in my post Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad.
Rotisserie-Style Chicken (No Rotisserie Needed)
Rotisserie-Style Chicken (No Rotisserie Needed)
It’s super easy to make Rotisserie-Style Chicken (No Rotisserie Needed) at home. It’s fabulous, you control the ingredients & it can cost less than store-bought.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: up to 1 1/2 hours
- Total Time: 1 hr 40 minutes or less
- Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
- Category: Poultry
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 pound chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
- spice rub, commercial or homemade, as little or as much as you want; see below for homemade seasoning
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Remove any giblets or neck from chicken. Mix up spice rub if making homemade. Sprinkle a little bit of the rub inside the chicken cavity. Truss chicken. Rub with the oil. Sprinkle additional seasoning on the chicken, as much or as little as you wish. Place on a rack over a pan to catch the drippings.
Roast 1 to 1 1/2 hours until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh is 165.) If the breast meat reaches 165 sooner or begins to brown too much, cover it lightly with foil. As a rule, this isn’t an issue with these smaller chickens.
If desired, tent lightly with foil and rest for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
Rotisserie Chicken Spice Rub:
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle on chicken.
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