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
The typical serving size of rotisserie chicken is about 4-6 ounces per person This accounts for the edible chicken meat after bones and other discards are removed A standard rotisserie chicken from the grocery store weighs 3-5 pounds total,
After removing bones, you can expect around 2-3 pounds of edible chicken meat. With 4 oz servings, that puts the servings per average rotisserie chicken around 8-12. For lighter eaters and smaller portions, you may get up to 15 servings.
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
The number of servings per rotisserie chicken can stretch further when served alongside side dishes, Some good options include
- Salads
- Breads or rolls
- Fruits and vegetables
- Dips and spreads
- Casseroles or grains like rice
With generous side dishes, you may be able to feed up to 2 additional people per chicken beyond the baseline portion 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 and didn’t eat a lot of chicken, so that’s worth noting for how we can stretch one chicken for 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 grown-ups used some of the chicken to make Chicken Wraps with tortillas.
- One adult ate a pile of chicken along with raw carrots and broccoli with ranch.
- The kids all ate their bites of chicken on a plate with grapes, blackberries, and pickles.
- Keith ate his along with fruit and some pieces of cheese.
- Some of the kids had a piece of bread and butter with their chicken and fruit.
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?
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?
You can buy enough rotisserie chickens based on weight – typically, one rotisserie chicken weighs about 2 to 3 pounds and serves about 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?
Because rotisserie chickens vary in size, there are likely to be some discrepancies in how much meat an individual chicken will yield. 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.