# Supermarket Chicken Taste **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283 "2011-03-03T00:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/1 "2011-03-03T00:16:06Z")
How do you duplicate the taste of supermarket deli counter chicken—the type that’s sold as a whole chicken in the black and clear plastic snap-shut clamshell? It’s very generic; the taste is the same at Costco, VONS, Albertsons, etc. To me, it tastes savory/umami-ish, similar to bouillon. Is it just butter and poultry seasoning? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/2 "2011-03-03T01:22:20Z")
It is, IMO, injected with some salty solution. Keeps it moist, but very salty. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/3 "2011-03-03T01:31:34Z")
On reading the thread decription, my first thought was: “salt.” I love those things. They taste of chicken, salt, and a hint of black pepper. My clever wife can stretch one into three (two meals of meat, and soup from the bones). ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/4 "2011-03-03T01:51:08Z")
I’d try brining a chicken, then baking it at a relatively high heat. That should get you the salty and juicy, along with the crispy skin. [http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/how-to-brine-chicken-quick-brine-recipe.html](http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/how-to-brine-chicken-quick-brine-recipe.html) [http://www.roastingachicken.com/roast-chicken-temp/](http://www.roastingachicken.com/roast-chicken-temp/) ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/5 "2011-03-03T01:52:44Z")
Surprisingly enough, a cursory Googling shows that you all may be right—it appears to be as simple as just brining the chicken and maybe applying some lime juice and pepper. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/6 "2011-03-03T14:06:55Z")
And it should be a smallish, thin chicken, not a 6 pound chunky roaster. Which is too solid and meaty, something you have at Grandma’s for Sunday dinner. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/7 "2011-03-03T14:19:30Z")
There is a rub that is sold in Kroger that you can put on a chicken and then do a “beer can” style of cooking and you will end up with the flavor of the rotisserie chicken. The amusing thing is that I bought a jar of the rub, liked it, went back to buy another jar of the rub and when I picked it up one of the employees of Kroger said, “Oh, did you know that’s the stuff we use on the rotisserie chickens?” I can’t remember the brand, though. ETA: Okay, that was easy to find. [McCormick Grill Mates Chicken Rub](http://www.mccormick.com/Products/GrillMates/Dry-Rubs/Grill-Mates-Chicken-Rub.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/8 "2011-03-03T16:42:21Z")
God I hate the taste of grocery store rotisserie chickens. It’s salty, and mushy, and artificial tasting. It’s not just a normal salt brine, it has some other crap in it as well. Fred Meyer does it to all their pork as well. I can’t use the pork in my cooking without ruining the dish. As for spices, my store has several varieties from BBQ to Herb. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/9 "2011-03-03T17:28:58Z")
I read the label. They add chicken fat to those things. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-chicken-taste/573283/10 "2011-03-03T19:38:53Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > I read the label. They add chicken fat to those things. That’s what I was going to say - a good bit of schmaltz (sp?)