FOOD & DINING

Guess which rotisserie chicken passes the test?

Karen Fernau
The Republic | azcentral.com

It's difficult to remember a time before grocery stores sold rotisserie chickens, an era when those hankering for a roasted chicken cooked one in their oven.

Rotisserie chicken from Safeway as seen in Scottsdale on June 1, 2015

Since the late 1980s, these hot-and-ready birds have gained a loyal following of cooks too busy to cook. The National Chicken Council estimates that 900 million rotisserie chickens are sold each year in the United States.

Their appeal is convenience, cost, taste and nutrition, said NCC spokesman Tom Super.

Rotisserie chickens, ranging in price from $4.98 to $13.99, most often are cheaper than buying a fresh bird.

Chef Dean Armijo (L) cuts a chicken while Bill Forest looks on during our rotisserie chicken challenge in Scottsdale on June 1, 2015.

"These chickens show that fast food can be healthy and flavorful. And you can serve a chicken, salad and broccoli for $10," Super said.

The NCC expects sales to continue increasing.

Despite its three-decade surge in popularity, there's nothing new about the technique. Cooks have been roasting birds on a spit since the Tudor times, when rotisserie roasting was a sign of opulence.

Whether ancient or modern, spit roasting turns out moist, flavorful birds. The spinning distributes moisture evenly, and the excess fat dripping away produces an appealing, crisp brown skin.

Today, grocery-store chickens are available in a range of flavors, from herb, barbecue, Italian and lemon-pepper to Cajun. Gourmet grocers also offer organic chickens.

Chef Amy Barnes cuts apart a chicken during our rotisserie chicken challenge in Scottsdale on June 1, 2015.

Although most often eaten as is, these chickens can be cut up, doctored up and turned into simple meals. Buy hot for dinner the same night, or freeze for future meals.

"The range of what can be done with these chickens is amazing," said Amy Barnes, chef and instructor at Sweet Basil Gourmetware in Scottsdale. "They can be simple. They can be ethnic. They can be comfort. They really are a blank canvas."

Retailers like Costco also turn rotisserie chickens into second-day meals, from noodle soup and cranberry-chicken salad to pasta Alfredo.

The list is long and international for meals that can be made with rotisserie chicken. Toss on pizza or, for a Mexican baked potato, mix with favorite salsa, heat and serve on hot spuds with sour cream.

The creamy southwestern chicken and avocado lettuce cups from Chef Amy Barnes of Sweet Basil as seen in Scottsdale on June 1, 2015

Here are a few other quick ideas for turning the chicken into dinner for four:

Stir fry: For sauce, mix 2 tablespoons hoisen sauce with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. For extra kick, add a teaspoon of chile sauce. For stir fry, assemble 1 cup snap peas or green beans; 1/2 medium onion, cut into slices; 1 bell pepper, cut into thin slices; 2 cups diced chicken; 1 tablespoon canola oil. Heat oil in a wok or saute pan. When hot, add all the vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 1 minute. Add hoisen mix and stir well. Serve immediately over rice or soba noodles.

Strawberry-chicken salad: 2 cups torn romaine lettuce, 2 cups quartered strawberries, 4 cups diced rotisserie chicken, 2 tablespoons unsalted slivered almonds, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese. Toss all in a large salad bowl and toss with a favorite dressing.

Barbecue chicken sandwiches: 4-6 cups shredded chicken, barbecue sauce to taste, 1 cup deli coleslaw, 4 sandwich rolls. Place shredded chicken and barbecue sauce in a saucepan and heat on medium for about 5 minutes, or until hot. Divide evenly and place on sandwich roll. Top with coleslaw and serve.

Chicken orzo soup: 32 ounces chicken broth, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup each of diced carrots, celery and onion, 2-3 cups diced chicken, 6 ounces cooked orzo. In a large saucepan, add water and broth and heat on medium low. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan. cook vegetables in olive oil over medium high heat, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes. Add cooked vegetables, chicken and orzo to broth. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve.

Burrito bowls: 2 cups diced chicken; 2 cups cooked brown rice; two cups canned black beans, drained; 1 avocado, diced; 1 cup shredded cabbage; 1/2cup diced red onion; 1/2 cup diced green chiles or pickled jalpenos; 1 cup shredded cotija cheese. Heat chicken, brown rice and black beans. When hot, pour into a large serving bowl. Place avocado, cabbage, red onions and chiles on a platter to allow diners to add what they want to their rice and beans.

When I purchased a rotisserie chicken at AJ's Fine Foods, the checkout clerk enthusiastically told me that theirs was the best in town.

I laughed and told her I was buying the chicken for a taste test, not dinner. I would find out within an hour if AJ's was the best.

Rotisserie chicken from AJ's as seen in Scottsdale on June 1, 2015

Turns out, the clerk was right. AJ's chicken received the highest score in a recent blind taste test, beating out second place Costco. AJ's also was the largest of all chickens.

For the taste test, the chickens were ranked from 1-to-5, with 5 being the best for taste, appearance and moistness. All were plain or herb-seasoned. The only organic chicken was from Whole Foods Market.

They were all tested within an hour of purchase and were still hot.

Overall Rankings

• AJ's Fine Foods: 4 pounds, 1 ounce for $9.99. Total Score: 36

• Costco: 3 pounds, 7 ounces for $4.99. Total Score: 33

• Fry's Food Stores: 2 pounds, 7 ounces for $6.99. Total Score: 31

• Whole Food Market: 1 pound, 2 ounces ounces organic chicken for $13.99. Total Score: 31

• Walmart: 2 pounds, 3 ounces for $4.98. Total Score: 23

• Safeway: 2 pounds, 1 ounce for $5.99. Total Score: 23

• Sprouts Farmers Market: 2 pounds, 1 ounce for $6.99. Total Score: 21

Amy Barnes of Sweet Basil Gourmetware in Scottsdale

What she expects in a chicken: A crisp skin is worth the calories. And she prefers one without "jacked up flavors."

• Sprouts Farmers Market — Appearance 1: Taste 3: Moist Factor 3

• AJ's Fine Foods — Appearance 5: Taste 4: Moist factor 4

• Costco — Appearance 5: Taste 5: Moist factor 3

• Walmart — Appearance 2: Taste 3: Moist factor 3

• Safeway — Appearance 3: Taste 2: Moist factor 4

• Fry's Food Stores — Appearance 2: Taste 3: Moist factor 5

• Whole Food Market — Appearance 5: Taste 3: Moist factor 2

Bill Forrest of Il Bosco in Scottsdale

What he expects in a chicken: A chicken must be moist. "I'd rather have the meat be tender and moist than covered in onion powder."

• Sprouts Farmers Market — Appearance 2: Taste 3: Moist factor 3

• AJ's Fine Foods — Appearance 4: Taste 4: Moist factor 5

• Costco — Appearance 4: Taste 3: Moist factor 3

• Walmart — Appearance 3: Taste 3: Moist factor 4

• Safeway — Appearance 2: Taste 3: Moist factor 3

• Fry's Food Stores — Appearance 3: Taste 3: Moist factor 4

• Whole Food Market — Appearance 5: Taste 4: Moist factor 3

Dean Armijo of Phoenix Public Market

What he expects in a chicken: A chicken should look as good as it tastes. And it should never taste too salty.

• Sprouts Farmers Market — Appearance 2: Taste 2: Moist factor 2

• AJ's Fine Foods — Appearance 4: Taste 3: Moist factor 3

• Costco — Appearance 4: Taste 3: Moist factor 3

• Walmart — Appearance 1: Taste 2: Moist factor 2

• Safeway — Appearance 1: Taste 3: Moist factor 3

• Fry's Food Stores — Appearance 3: Taste 4: Moist factor 4

• Whole Food Market — Appearance 4: Taste 3: Moist factor 2