If you hold a Costco membership, then you've most likely left the wholesale store on more than one occasion with a rotisserie chicken in hand. But even those of you who don't have the store's card, you have probably eaten their famous chicken at some point.
If you did, then you may have noticed that there is something special about Costco's Kirkland brand seasoned rotisserie chicken that sets it apart from other grocery store varieties.
For years, fans have wondered if it is the chicken itself that's different, or perhaps it's the seasoning or the fact that it is slow roasted in a spit in the store. Some even wonder if the $5 price tag makes you think that the three-pound bird tastes better than it actually is.
Well, after years of back and forth, we finally have answers that can help us explain why the chicken is so addictive.
On a recent episode of The Dr.Oz Show, the medical expert joined forces with food journalist Mark Schatzker to uncover the truth, and they made some interesting conclusions.
During the show, Schatzker explained to viewers that contrary to popular belief, Costco's rotisserie chicken is processed just like all the other grocery stores do. This means that the bird is "pre-seasoned in factories" and then shipped to the store where " an employee can put it on the skewer and cook it."
However, the secret to its deliciousness lies in the blend of seasoning that it is marinated in.
The tender meat usually contains sodium, sugar, spice extractives, and corn starch, while the skin is flavored with MSG and sugar, which explains why you can't just stop at one bite.
Dr. Oz then went on to inform his audience that they shouldn't let these non-traditional ingredients stop them from incorporating the famous chicken into their diets because it is "one of the healthiest processed foods out there."
The chickens are also gluten-free, and in 2015 Costco announced that they were gradually eliminating the use of antibiotics in their meats. Compared to other processed foods, the Kirkland-brand chicken is not bad at all, and believe it or not, there's another way to make it even healthier: take the skin off.
So if you were worried about consuming too much of the dinner table favorite, there's no need to panic.
Do you buy Costco's rotisserie chicken?