Can I buy Costco rotisserie chicken with EBT?


Editorial team Published on

You cannot buy a hot Costco rotisserie chicken with an EBT card under standard federal rules, but you can buy one if it has been chilled and moved to the refrigerated deli section.

Rules for EBT and Rotisserie Chicken

  • Hot chickens: Federal SNAP rules ban hot, ready-to-eat prepared foods. Freshly roasted chickens under the heat lamps at Costco are not eligible.
  • Cold chickens: Once the store cools the leftover rotisserie chickens and places them in the refrigerated section, they count as standard cold grocery items. EBT covers these cold packaged chickens.
  • Legislative changes: Lawmakers have proposed the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act to allow hot rotisserie purchases, but it is not yet final federal law.