Oh how we love us a Rotisserie Chicken from Costco or Sam’s! The cost just under $5. 00 and can stretch a long way. Plus they taste really good. And the best part? They are hot and fresh and ready to pick up, take home, and eat right away.
Now, we have a large family. So people often ask how many of these chickens it takes to feed us all. If our entire family is getting together plus guests, I definitely grab two. But on a regular day? We can get by with just one. How??.
Rotisserie chickens are a convenient and tasty option for feeding a crowd. But how many people can you actually feed with one rotisserie chicken? The answer depends on a few key factors. In this article, we’ll break down the serving size portion calculations, and menu planning considerations to help you determine how many people a rotisserie chicken can feed.
Serving Size per Person
A standard rotisserie chicken from the grocery store weighs between 3 and 5 pounds. A serving size of 4-6 ounces of rotisserie chicken for each person includes the meat that can be eaten after the bones and other waste are taken out.
After taking out the bones, you should have about 2 to 3 pounds of chicken meat that you can eat. Based on 4 oz servings, a typical rotisserie chicken has between 8 and 12 servings. You can get up to 15 servings if you eat less and smaller amounts.
Calculate Portions Based on Chicken Size
Larger rotisserie chickens can yield more servings. Here’s a breakdown:
- Small (3 lbs): 6-9 servings
- Medium (4 lbs): 8-12 servings
- Large (5 lbs): 10-15 servings
The chicken’s total weight before cooking provides a good baseline for portions. But the key is calculating servings based on edible meat after discards.
Menu Planning and Side Dishes
By serving rotisserie chicken with side dishes, you can get more servings out of each chicken. Some good choices are
- Salads
- Breads or rolls
- Fruits and vegetables
- Dips and spreads
- Casseroles or grains like rice
If you serve lots of sides, you might be able to feed up to two more people per chicken than the basic serving estimate.
Leftovers
Don’t forget the leftovers! Rotisserie chicken keeps well refrigerated for 3-4 days. The remaining meat is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and casseroles in the following days.
With creative recipes, you can get a couple more portions out of leftovers. This further extends your original rotisserie chicken.
Feeding a Crowd
For large gatherings, plan for 1 rotisserie chicken to feed 6-8 lighter eaters. Prepare at least 2 chickens for 10-12 hearty eaters.
Here are some chicken estimates for different group sizes:
- 12 people: 2 medium chickens
- 15 people: 2 large chickens
- 20 people: 3 large chickens
- 30 people: 4-5 large chickens
Adding more generous side dishes allows you to stretch chickens further. When in doubt, it’s better to have extra than run short.
Tips for Serving Rotisserie Chicken to a Group
Here are some useful tips when serving rotisserie chicken for a party or large gathering:
- Offer a variety of side dishes to make the chicken go farther.
- Mix in other proteins like deli meats if needed.
- Slice, shred, or cut chicken in advance for faster serving.
- Keep chicken warm in a slow cooker or warming tray.
- Repurpose leftovers into sandwiches, salads, or wraps.
- Let guests take home leftovers to reduce waste.
Get the Most from Your Rotisserie Chicken
With some savvy planning and portioning, a rotisserie chicken can feed more people than you think. On average, plan for a 3-5 pound chicken to serve 8-12 people with 4-6 ounce portions. Serving generous side dishes allows you to stretch a chicken even farther. Follow these tips when feeding a crowd to ensure you get the most value from your rotisserie chicken.
How I Fed 12 People with One Sam’s/Costco Rotisserie Chicken
Here’s how this worked most recently when we had a grocery stock up day at Sam’s and we brought home a Rotisserie Chicken for lunch….
Who we fed that day: Six adults and six kids.
Auggie still can’t eat solids well enough so I didn’t count him as one of the 12. Our three little girls aren’t big eaters yet, so they didn’t eat much chicken. This is something to keep in mind for when we need to feed this many people. Keith had a medium-sized portion. Brayden and Kiya ate as much as the adults.
How we stretched the chicken: We did what we do with almost every meal in that we ate our chicken along with lots of healthy side dish options.
- Some of the adults made Chicken Wraps with tortillas and some of the chicken.
- One adult ate a lot of chicken, broccoli, raw carrots, and ranch dressing.
- The kids all ate chicken on a plate with pickles, grapes, and blackberries.
- Keith ate his with cheese and fruit.
- Some of the kids ate their chicken and fruit with a piece of bread and butter.
Those chickens look small, but I’ve found that we can pull a lot of chicken off those bones.
Another day recently we came home from Costco and simply ate a Rotisserie Chicken with Smoothies. That’s it. We ate until we were satisfied (just 3 adults and 5 kids that day) and we had leftover chicken.
CONSUMER REPORTS: Is rotisserie chicken healthy?
FAQ
How many rotisserie chickens for 20 people?
Some cooking forums say that you should have 5–6 rotisserie chickens for a party of 20 people.
How many servings can you get out of a rotisserie chicken?
… chicken is enough to make at least two servings of shredded chicken quesadillas, four servings of chicken tacos, and six servings of King Ranch chicken …Mar 23, 2024.
How many adults does a rotisserie chicken feed?
A whole chicken breast each is really not a large amount for an adult. A leg is a portion. All the white breast meat is easily enough for 4. So one chicken is minimum 6 people.
How many whole chickens do I need for 8 people?
For a family of 8 I’d say at least 2 chickens a week. So I’d do 105.
How much does a rotisserie chicken weigh?
The average rotisserie chicken weighs just 2 – 2. 5 lbs. Compare that to the average whole raw chicken that weighs 5-6 pounds. Just buying a whole chicken raw, versus a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, means you’re getting twice as much meat. 2. YOU GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.
How many people can rotisserie chicken serve?
Rotisserie chickens can be bought in groups of the right size. One rotisserie chicken weighs about 2 to 3 pounds and serves 3 to 4 people. When using pre-cooked chicken, consider how to incorporate it into your meal. You can serve it as is, shred it for salads or tacos, or mix it into casseroles.
How much rotisserie chicken should a family eat?
A serving size of rotisserie chicken is 3 to 4 ounces. For a family meal, you’ll likely have leftovers. You can shred up the meat for whole-grain bowls with quinoa, brown rice, or farro, and chopped veggies.
How much meat does a rotisserie chicken yield?
There may be some differences in how much meat each rotisserie chicken gives you because they come in different sizes. But you should expect anywhere from a pound to two pounds of meat. At least, that’s what fellow Costco shoppers have shared.
How many rotisserie chickens are sold in a year?
According to the National Chicken Council, over 950 million rotisserie chickens will be sold this year. That’s almost three chickens per person! They’re tasty and convenient, and can cost less than a fancy coffee shop latte.
Should I buy two rotisserie chickens?
If you’re planning to feed a large family, you may want to consider buying two rotisserie chickens instead of one. Rotisserie chickens are often smaller than raw chickens that you buy in the store. A large broiler chicken can give you around five pounds of meat after it’s been cooked.