The Mistake You’re Making When You Bring Your Rotisserie Chicken Home

Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD

Key Points

• Rotisserie chicken is an easy, protein-rich base for meals. How you store it at home makes a difference.

• Experts caution against tossing it directly in the fridge, where it may be in the temperature danger zone.

• Instead, break it down so it cools faster, then transfer it to containers before refrigerating.

Over the years, whole rotisserie chicken has joined the ranks of foods like canned soup and frozen entrees as a mealtime lifesaver. Pick one up piping hot on the way home from work, add a couple of sides and you’ll have a meal on the table, stat. But if you won’t be plopping your poultry directly onto the dinner table, food-safety experts say some storage methods are better than others. In fact, transferring your hot chicken directly to the refrigerator risks putting cold foods (and the chicken itself) into the “temperature danger zone” where spoilage is more likely.

Here’s why it’s not a great idea to place a hot chicken in a cold fridge—and what to do instead.

Why We Love Rotisserie Chicken

Americans purchase around 950 million rotisserie chickens per year. That’s almost three chickens per person! Our collective love of these easy-breezy birds is no bad thing, nutritionally speaking. A 3-ounce portion of rotisserie chicken breast without skin contains 24 grams of high-quality protein, just 3 grams of fat (under 1 of which is saturated), and sizable amounts of several B vitamins.

And what’s not to love about this meat’s versatility? Whether eaten straight off the bone or incorporated into salads, soups, casseroles or other dishes, it’s among the easiest ways to add protein and flavor to meals. “Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts to a wholesome dinner,” says chef and dietitian Leah Sarris, M.B.A., RD.

The Mistake: Putting Hot Rotisserie Chicken Directly in the Refrigerator

Convenient as rotisserie chicken is, proper storage isn’t as simple as immediately rehoming it in your fridge. “A whole rotisserie chicken holds a lot of heat because of its size and density,” Sarris says. “When it goes straight into the fridge, that heat raises the air temperature and can warm the foods around it.” That’s a problem, since refrigerated foods need to stay at 40°F or below to slow bacterial growth.

Besides putting neighboring foods like milk or eggs in danger, Sarris says the chicken itself is also at risk. “A whole bird is dense, so the meat near the bone cools slowly and can stay in the ‘danger zone’ between 40-140°F much longer than you’d expect.” For safe eating, it’s important to keep your chicken out of this temperature range as much as possible, she says. Don’t forget, too, that a rotisserie chicken has probably already been at fluctuating temps on its journey from the grocery store’s warmer to your shopping basket to home. For this reason, Sarris says she likes to grab this item at the end of a shopping trip and head straight home.

How to Best Store Rotisserie Chicken

If there’s a “wrong” way to store a rotisserie chicken, what’s the right way? Start by removing the chicken from its container and letting it rest until it’s comfortable to touch—usually about 15 to 20 minutes, says Sarris. “Then break it down based on how you’ll use it: Pull the meat off the bone for salads and tacos, or cut it into pieces on the bone for a meal later.” (Bonus: When meat is warm, not cold or scalding, it’s easier to pull off the bird.) Sarris recommends storing individual sections in shallow, airtight containers and using within three to four days. “Shredded chicken also freezes well for a few months,” she adds.

Turns out, this method also sidesteps heat-related concerns around microplastics. “There have been some studies on microplastics, and heat seems to make plastic more likely to break down into food,” says Jessica Brantley-Lopez, M.B.A., RDN. “Since rotisserie chickens go into those containers really hot, it’s best to take the chicken out of the plastic once you get home.”

By removing chicken from its original packaging, you’ll be doing yourself a favor in terms of flavor, too. Rotisserie containers like plastic bags and carrier cases are designed to keep chicken hot, not to store it, Sarris points out. “Sealed up in the fridge, the chicken steams in its own heat, so the crisp skin turns soggy and rubbery and the meat can turn dense and stringy.” Stripped from the carcass and stored in individual sections, the meat is less likely to become overdone.

Ways to Use Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie chicken practically flies into all sorts of convenient meals. Try it in any of these preparations:

• Pair with a bagged salad. While you’re at the grocery store grabbing a chicken, pick up a bagged salad in the produce aisle. Sarris says this combo brings a meal together in five minutes.

• Make it a soup starter. Chicken noodle, chicken chili and chicken and rice soup are all faster and easier when the meat is precooked.

• Get your grains on. According to Brantley-Lopez, a grain bowl is the perfect vehicle for rotisserie chicken. Find inspiration with these 15 bowl options.

• Try it in tacos. Get the fiesta started on Taco Tuesday—or any time—by stuffing hard or soft shells with rotisserie chicken. Sarris recommends adding some pizzazz with a citrus slaw from pre-cut slaw mix or a simple corn salsa.

• Keep the carcass for homemade broth. Both Brantley-Lopez and Sarris say making your own chicken stock is a snap with the bones from a rotisserie chicken.

Our Expert Take

For a quick, nutritious meal, it doesn’t get much easier than a rotisserie chicken. It’s a high-protein starter to serve on its own or pulled off the bone and tossed in diverse dishes. When you get it home, just make sure you’re storing it in a way that won’t jeopardize its safety (or the safety of other foods in the fridge). “As someone who loves the convenience of rotisserie chicken and has also gotten sick from one, I think a few minutes of handling when you get home pays off for both safety and a better product,” says Sarris.

Read the original article on EatingWell