How Much Shredded Meat Can You Get From A Rotisserie Chicken?

If you're a fan of chicken but not as enthusiastic about spending tons of time in the kitchen, buying a rotisserie bird from the grocery store is the way to go. Whipping up tacos, fried rice, and quesadillas are some of the most delicious ways to use rotisserie chicken, and you don't have to worry about cooking any raw poultry before you do so. If you're making dinner for a crowd (or just a big family), it's ideal to know how much shredded chicken you'll get out of one of these birds before you get things going in the kitchen.

In general, you can reap about three to four cups of shredded poultry out of one rotisserie chicken. This comes out to approximately a pound and a half of bird meat before you slice it up. Of course, this depends on the size of the chicken you buy. Not only does a weightier bird generally yield more meat, a heavier package could also mean it's fresher and juicier. Rotisserie chickens tend to be about two pounds on average, although Costco's legendary $4.99 versions weigh about three pounds due to their genetically modified breeding process.

Once you've worked out how many rotisserie chickens you need to feed your group, there are a few ways you can go about shredding the poultry. We're partial to using your hands since you can easily discard the unappetizing bits and don't have to get any dishes dirty. However, you can also use forks or even a stand mixer. Whichever method you choose, the ideal time to shred your chicken is when it's warm, which means the meat will be easier to separate from the bones. When you get home from the grocery store, place the bird in a zip-top bag and massage it, which should allow the poultry to pop off the bones. Then, you can keep going to shred the chicken, or pull sections out of the bag and rip by hand.

One rotisserie 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 (a tasty Texan casserole). If you're just buying a bird for yourself, feel free to divide it into meal prep recipes by throwing it in salads, sandwiches, wraps, burrito bowls, and soups — and in that case, one might be enough to last you the whole week.