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Similar Chicken parmigiana, Chilli chicken, Roast chicken, Chicken salad, Lemon chicken | ||
How to make rotisserie chicken
Rotisserie chicken is a chicken dish that is cooked on a rotisserie, using indirect heat in which the chicken is placed next to the heat source. Electric- or gas-powered heating elements may be used, which use adjustable infrared heat. These types of rotisseries have proven quite functional for cooking rotisserie-style chicken. Leftover rotisserie chicken may be used in a variety of dishes, such as soup, chicken salad and sandwiches.
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United States
In the United States, ready-to-eat rotisserie chickens were available in super markets and some butcher shops as far back as the 1930s, and were always a popular item with shoppers. Although they may have gained some added popularity in the 1990s with Boston Market, this quick meal option had been a well-established staple for decades. After World War II, and with the rise in popularity of fast foods, there was an increase in dinners eaten out, so consequently there were fewer trips to the grocery store. So many grocery stores used rotisserie chickens as loss leaders to bring shoppers into the store.
In 2010, 600-million rotisserie-cooked chickens were purchased by consumers "in U.S. supermarkets, club stores and similar retail outlets". In the U.S., chickens used for rotisserie cooking may be injected with brine to retain moisture. Additional ingredients may be used to add flavor and to brown the chicken, such as oleoresin, yeast extract, sodium tripolyphosphate and natural flavorings.
In 2014, Costco sold approximately 76 million rotisserie chickens in the United States.
In popular culture
Swiss Chalet, a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants, owns a cable channel that exclusively airs content related to rotisserie chicken, "twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week". It typically airs chickens rotating on a rotisserie. Occasionally, a dancing man appears wearing a costume that "look like a container of Swiss Chalet's dipping sauce".
