Pre packed chicken - views

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cassieknights951
cassieknights951 Posts: 48 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What are people's views on pre packed chicken?
Is it as good as home cooked ?
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Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Are you talking about those roaster chickens that are already heated at the grocery store?

    If so, they're ok. Most should have the nutrition label attached. IMO, I'd rather cook one at home and have it fresh out of the oven. The ones at the grocer tend to sit half the day or sometimes you can tell it's been sitting for a bit because it looks wrinkled (for a lack of better terms)... nutritionally though, the only difference is seasonings and with/without skin. They're good if you're short on time. But if you have time you can cook one that's bigger, fresher and (IMO) tastes better.
  • cassieknights951
    cassieknights951 Posts: 48 Member
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    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Are you talking about those roaster chickens that are already heated at the grocery store?

    If so, they're ok. Most should have the nutrition label attached. IMO, I'd rather cook one at home and have it fresh out of the oven. The ones at the grocer tend to sit half the day or sometimes you can tell it's been sitting for a bit because it looks wrinkled (for a lack of better terms)... nutritionally though, the only difference is seasonings and with/without skin. They're good if you're short on time. But if you have time you can cook one that's bigger, fresher and (IMO) tastes better.

    I meant the pre cut packs like chicken mini fillets etc that you find in the chiller cabinets at the super market
  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
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    Most are high in sodium
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Like, frozen chicken breasts in a 2-5 lb bags? We buy them exclusively. Every single time I have ever bought fresh chicken it ends up tough and chewy.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    No, I don't think they are as good as home cooked. Rotisserie is pretty good though a little salty for my taste, but precooked and then chilled aren't very good IMO.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    For convenience, we cut and freeze rotissiere chickens and reheat to serve with fresh grilled or sauteed veggies.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,988 Member
    edited September 2016
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    RodaRose wrote: »
    For convenience, we cut and freeze rotissiere chickens and reheat to serve with fresh grilled or sauteed veggies.

    I do the same but also roast my own as well and, in both cases, use the bones/scraps to make chicken broth.
  • MsAmandaNJ
    MsAmandaNJ Posts: 1,248 Member
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    I don't like the texture that chicken has. The only thing I find it okay on is salad.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    A lot of sodium in them, but so do the frozen, boneless, skinless breasts.
    I use them sometimes for quick salads, but like MsAmandaNJ says, they have a kind of weird texture.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Most pre-cooked foods are higher in sodium, contain preservatives, are more expensive and don't taste as good as their fresh-cooked counterparts. On the flip side, they're convenient time-savers. It's a tradeoff.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I love roasted chicken cold, so roast my own and then chill it -- tastes great hot out of the oven, but also cold, IMO.

    That said, when my oven was broken I bought one of the roasted whole chickens from WF (it was on special, so not even that expensive for once) and thought it was pretty good, a good alternative until my new oven came. Nutritionally it should be the same, just look at the marinade.

    OP is talking about something else, though, and I am not sure what or whether it's pre-cooked. My recommendation, OP, is just to read the label and see what's added and how it compares to what you'd make at home. Taste-wise, try and see if the nutrition is acceptable to you.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
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    aren't those little individually wrapped chicken breast's extremely expensive ? i see them as a rip off.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    edited September 2016
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    The government now allows chicken to be shipped to China for processing and then shipped back to the US for consumption. The USDA has approved Chinese chicken to also end up on our plates. I only eat local, free range chicken.

    RE: http://www.ecowatch.com/usda-to-allow-chickens-from-u-s-to-be-shipped-to-china-for-processing--1881870191.html & http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/07/business/usda-to-allow-chicken-from-chinese-companies.html?_r=0
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    DresdenSinn wrote: »
    Most are high in sodium

    Agreed. I stay away for that reason. I struggle with keeping sodium levels under control most days of the week. I don't have high blood pressure but don't want it either. So I will either simply boil a chicken breast and use it, or I'll pre-bake/cook/smoke breasts on the weekend, then freeze individually for thawing during the week. My favorite is to bacon (low sodium bacon) wrap them, add a low sodium rub, and smoke them, then freeze for individual servings. Each night I'll toss one in the fridge to thaw overnight, and for lunch I put them on a re-heat cycle in the microwave. Instant yum and still has less sodium than the pre-packaged stuff most of the time. Even if it nears the same amount of sodium because of the bacon and rub, it tastes better.

  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,986 Member
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    For the sake of convenience, if that's what you're after, the best deal is at Costco if you have one. You can get their whole rotisserie chicken for $5.00...OR, they also sell packages of 8 leg/thigh quarters of their rotisserie chicken for $5.00. I get that and cut the meat off the bone to and throw it in stir frys, salads, pastas, etc. It's delicious and a TON of meat for the price. I get 4 meals from the one $5.00 package.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Cheap alternative to rotisserie -

    Place 2 or 3 balls of tin foil in a crockpot, this serves as a "perch" to keep chicken from sitting in grease. Rinse and season a whole chicken. McCormick even sells a rotisserie seasoning in a shaker jar. Put onion or celery in chicken cavity (if desired). Place chicken on top of foil balls. Turn crockpot on high, cover. Cook 3-4 hours (depending on your bird size).
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Expensive, not as tasty, high in sodium. Not for me.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    Cheap alternative to rotisserie -

    Place 2 or 3 balls of tin foil in a crockpot, this serves as a "perch" to keep chicken from sitting in grease. Rinse and season a whole chicken. McCormick even sells a rotisserie seasoning in a shaker jar. Put onion or celery in chicken cavity (if desired). Place chicken on top of foil balls. Turn crockpot on high, cover. Cook 3-4 hours (depending on your bird size).

    Awesome! So this is just chicken, no water or broth or anything? Just chicken, spices and onion or celery?
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    cassieknights951 wrote: »
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Are you talking about those roaster chickens that are already heated at the grocery store?

    If so, they're ok. Most should have the nutrition label attached. IMO, I'd rather cook one at home and have it fresh out of the oven. The ones at the grocer tend to sit half the day or sometimes you can tell it's been sitting for a bit because it looks wrinkled (for a lack of better terms)... nutritionally though, the only difference is seasonings and with/without skin. They're good if you're short on time. But if you have time you can cook one that's bigger, fresher and (IMO) tastes better.

    I meant the pre cut packs like chicken mini fillets etc that you find in the chiller cabinets at the super market

    I still don't know what you mean. Do you mean raw chicken? Or do you mean breaded? Something else? Can you give us a brand/picture/something?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Yeah, I'm not able to figure out what is meant either.

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