Choosing more nutritious meat that is good for one’s health may be difficult for meat-eaters, but they can choose healthy white meat. Chicken is a great source of lean protein that many people enjoy. Rotisserie chicken is an excellent choice because it’s nutritious, simple to prepare, and sufficient to feed a large group of people
You can keep chicken for an extended period even if you aren’t feeding a lot of people. So, how long does a rotisserie chicken live in the fridge? Rotisserie chicken may be kept in the refrigerator for 4 days, and it can stay 4 months in the freezer.
Here are some ideas for preparing, cooking, and storing a rotisserie chicken.
What is Rotisserie Chicken?
Rotisserie chicken is cooked using a rotisserie attached to the pellet grill or oven. It requires slow cooking using indirect heat, and you can rotate it on the spit. You might use the BBQ seasoning and incorporate garlic, paprika, pepper, and other spices you love.
Depending on your meal plan, you may serve the rotisserie chicken as a main or side dish. If you are an experienced cook or enjoy home-cooked meals, the chicken might be an option as it is easy to prepare. Still, you can enjoy store-bought Rotisserie chicken if you don’t enjoy cooking.
Rotisserie chicken is nutritious meat that yields about 4 cups of meat, and half of these will be healthy white meat. You may remove the rotisserie chicken skin if you are keen on lowering the meal’s fat content. You can opt for the leg and thigh when buying the meat from the stores, as they contain lean and nutritious meat.
Rotisserie chicken may require safe handling to avoid contamination, leading to bacterial growth. Thus, if you buy it from the heated section in the store, you may need to ensure it is at the right temperature, preventing bacterial infection growth.
If the temperature in the hit section is lower than recommended, it may lead to salmonella growth in your chicken. When picking it from the cold section, you still ensure it is at the recommended temperatures or lower to prevent food poisoning.
Moreover, when picking the chicken from these sections, you will pick with a glove as touching with the bare hand will transfer the bacteria to the food; this may be true since it is less likely to clean your hands in the store before touching the food.
When buying the chicken, you will want to avoid having it as the first item on the cart as it extends the time it sits at room temperature.
Rotisserie chicken will be safe for about 2 hours before it grows harmful bacteria. It is the last thing you should put into the grocery cart. After buying the chicken, you need to bring it home immediately, but you can place it in the refrigerator if you don’t wish to cook and consume it immediately.
Rotisserie chicken is easy to cook, and carving is easy. You can get the most meat from the bones with a clean carve. You may start by placing the chicken on the clean cutting board and cutting the twine that holds the legs together.
Then hold the meat on the cutting bird with the meat fork, pull the legs and wings, and separate the legs, thighs, and drumsticks by cutting on the joints. You may easily slice the rotisserie chicken by entirely removing the breast from either side by feeling where the meat joins the bones.
After all these basic cuts, you may shred, chop or dice it depending on what works for you. You may shred the chicken completely. You can store them for future use or cook it and enjoy your meal when you achieve the right tender meat pieces.
How Long Does Rotisserie Chicken Last?
Once done cooking your rotisserie chicken, you can keep it safe in the fridge, especially if you don’t feel like eating it immediately or have some leftovers after eating. Storing the cooked rotisserie chicken extends its life. Rotisserie chickens last for 4 two days in the fridge at 40°F (4°C) or less in an airtight container.
However, you may let it cool down after cooking for about 30 minutes before storing it in the fridge. You should not store the cooked or raw meat at room temperature for more than 2 hours since bacteria can grow rapidly between 40°F and 140°F.
These two hours increase the danger zone, which is the time it takes before the dangerous bacteria infest your food. Salmonella proliferates on the rotisserie chicken and leads to upset stomach when you consume the food.
However, the 30 minutes cooling time is essential as it allows the chicken to cool down before refrigeration. Storing hot food after removing it from the grill may increase the temperatures in the fridge and decrease the rotisserie chicken shelf life as it may lead to bacteria growth.
You can remove the rotisserie chicken meat from the bones to ease the cooling down and store them in small containers, which release the heat to the environment. If the chicken is too hot to touch with your hands, you may use a knife to strip the bones. It is crucial to let the chicken come to room temperature within a short time.
How Long Does Costco Rotisserie Chicken Last in the Fridge?
How long rotisserie chicken last in the fridge may depend on whether it is cooked or not. If you store the raw chicken in the fridge, it may be wise to cook it within one or two days, as the FDA assumes harmful bacteria can grow on the raw meat in the fridge. However, the raw rotisserie chicken may last up to four months in a freezer, and the clock starts when it is completely defrosted.
Rotisserie chicken’s safety depends on the storage condition.
First, let it cool down completely and portion it into small containers. Then ensure the container is airtight. If you use Ziploc packaging, you may insert the storage packet halfway into the water as the water pressure will displace the air from the storage Ziploc.
How Long Is Rotisserie Chicken Good For in the Fridge?
Rotisserie chicken will be good in the fridge for about four days. If you have encountered food poisoning in the past, you will know how it impacts your health. Thus, if you forget your rotisserie chicken for more than four days, it would be safer to throw it out.
How Long Does Rotisserie Chicken Last in the Freezer?
The freezer ensures the food lasts longer as it eliminates the probability of bacterial growth. You may store the cooked or raw rotisserie chicken in the freezer for up to four months. Storing the food for that long may be useful for people who do monthly meal plans.
However, after removing the rotisserie chicken from the freezer, it may defrost entirely at room temperature, and you can restore it in the fridge for one or two days before you consume it.
How Long Can Rotisserie Chicken Sit Out?
The rotisserie chicken can sit out at room temperature for less than two hours, whether raw or cooked, as salmonella and other dangerous bacteria may grow in your food, causing food poisoning. Thus, if you want to restock your freezer, you may buy rotisserie chicken and store it in appropriate portions in the freezer.
If you decide to cook the chicken first, you will need to let it cool for about 30 minutes. Cooling the meat ensures the food does not raise the temperature in the freezer and refrigerator, endangering other stored food. A warm fridge might host harmful bacteria which infect the stored food.
How to Tell If Rotisserie Chicken Is Bad?
You may forget about the fridge-stored leftover rotisserie chicken; this happens to almost anyone who has a busy schedule. It is easy to order another food like pizza without thinking about eating the fridge-stored chicken; soon, the stored food will sit for longer than expected in the fridge.
Thus, it may be wise to check if the food is still fresh. Stale food may lead to food poisoning due to harmful bacteria.
These signs may show if the rotisserie chicken and other food in the fridge have gone bad:
- Funny smell
Rotisserie chicken that has gone bad may have a funny smell. If you store the chicken raw, it may have a sulfur-like smell which will knock you off your feet. The smell may linger in the fridge, and as soon as you open its door, you will smell it.
On the other hand, cooked chicken may not have the pungent smell when spoiled. When you season the chicken well, it may not have the funny smell, and you will not rely on the smell alone to determine if the chicken is spoiled or not.
- Spoiled rotisserie changes color
The raw rotisserie chicken will have a more visible color change than the cooked chicken. Unlike the fresh meat, it may be grayer looking, which has a pinkish appearance with the fatty pieces on the chicken muscles.
Sometimes the uncooked chicken may have molds on the surface with white spots. The cooked chicken may show color changes, but you may not notice the color changes if it has enough seasoning.
- The chicken may be slimy
Rotisserie chicken may feel tacky, sticky, and slimy; it does not feel right. A spoiled chicken’s fibers and connective tissues will disintegrate, changing its texture, leading to a soft overlay. Sometimes, there might be a pool of fluid under the chicken which collects due to meet decomposition. The slimy feel might be the first sign of the rotisserie chicken decomposition.
You can throw out the slimy chicken as it will cause upset stomach. If you don’t like throwing out your food, you should eat it within 4 days in the fridge.
The chicken and other costs have risen steadily over the years. When storing food in the packaging, it may be better to label the storage date and when you should consume it. Such a high level of fridge organization may reduce throwing out the spoiled rotisserie chicken.
Does Rotisserie Chicken Have to be Refrigerated?
The need to refrigerate the rotisserie chicken will depend on your time before consuming the meat. You might not need to refrigerate the chicken if you bought chicken which you can consume immediately after cooking. However, if there are leftover chicken pieces after completing your meal, you will need to store them in the fridge and consume them within four days.
If you are not planning on consuming the leftover within four days, it would be better to store it in the freezer. The rotisserie chicken might have bacterial growth leading to food poisoning if left without refrigeration. You will have only two safe hours before your chicken starts growing salmonella and other harmful microorganisms.
Can I Refrigerate a Hot Rotisserie Chicken?
You cannot store the hot rotisserie chicken in the refrigerator. Hot food increases the fridge’s temperature, reducing the fridge’s efficiency. This may lead to bacterial growth, which negatively impacts the chicken and other food stored in the fridge.
Once you remove the rotisserie chicken from the oven, let it sit at room temperature for less than two hours until it cools down completely.
Conclusion
Rotisserie chicken offers the best white meat for your family; it would be wise to choose this chicken type when hosting a party. However, chicken is a highly perishable food. It may be safe to leave it for two hours before storing it in the fridge.
When buying the rotisserie chicken from the store, you should ensure it is at the right temperatures and put it in the cart as the last item. Then drive home directly from the store to cook or store the chicken in the fridge or freezer.
You should know the signs of the spoiled rotisserie chicken, especially if you are likely to store it for more than four days in the fridge. Good luck learning how to handle your rotisserie chicken.
