Supermarket Roast Chickens

Fact Checked

Costco rated best in rotisserie chicken ratings

Nothing beats the tradition of a Sunday chicken roast, cooked to golden crispy perfection with herbs and potatoes. But if you’re not feeling up to cooking, a pre-cooked supermarket roast chicken could just as well make a great centrepiece to a no-fuss meal with some salad and bread rolls. In fact, a whopping 61% of respondents to our survey said they tend to buy a supermarket roast chicken as a lazy meal. Plus, one in five shoppers (21%) typically pick up a hot chook as part of their regular grocery shop, and 43% have tried multiple supermarket rotisserie chickens.

To find out which stores offer the best combination of taste and value, we’ve asked over 1,500 Aussies to compare and rate any supermarket roast chickens they’ve purchased and eaten in the past three months on taste, freshness, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction. Supermarket chains that met the minimum required survey sample size of 30 responses are included in these results.

This year, Costco fried the competition after it not only rated best for overall satisfaction, but was also the only supermarket to achieve five stars in any category!

Best Roast Chickens

Here are the best supermarket roast chickens in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s 2021 review:

1. Costco
2. IGA
3. Coles
4. Woolworths

Costco flew to the top of our latest ratings for roast chickens, with a five-star review for overall satisfaction. Former winner IGA picked up four stars, while Coles and Woolworths trailed behind on three stars for overall satisfaction.

About the winner – Costco

Costco started stocking its shelves with Kirkland Signature products nearly 20 years ago, joining a long list of supermarket homebrands such as Woolworths Essentials and Coles Brand. The private label accounts for about 20% of products stocked in Costco and is said to offer a product quality on par with big-name brands. Costco’s Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken is one of the options on the menu and is available from the deli department in stores. Alternatively, you can place a pre-order through the supermarket’s website. However, online pre-orders require a minimum order of 20 roast chickens. A whole hot chook from Costco costs $6.99, although you’ll need to fork out an extra $60 for the annual membership fee before you can start shopping.

• Costco received five-star reviews across the board, including for taste, freshness, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction.

Which type of roast chicken should I buy?

There’s a lot to think about when shopping for a rotisserie chicken. First, you’ll need to consider all matters of size. If you’re preparing lunch for the whole family for example, then anything other than a whole cooked chicken simply won’t cut it. On the other hand, if you’re just sorting out a dinner for two, then a half chicken should be more than enough. Most supermarkets sell whole roast chickens, as well as half cuts and other parts. Curious as to which cut Aussies like best? Here’s what our survey respondents said were their favourite chicken bits:

• Breast: 37%
• Leg/drumstick: 20%
• Thigh: 14%
• Skin: 10%
• Wings: 9%

Secondly, you’ll need to think about flavours. Most deli sections in supermarkets will offer classic roast chickens as well as other flavours like garlic herb butter or sage and onion stuffing. Whatever you choose is subject to personal preference, but always pay attention to how fresh your roast chicken looks. If it looks dry or somewhat undercooked, forget it. Your roast chicken should look tender and well sauced from the outside.

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.

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Picture credits: Costco.com.au.