Mini Thanksgiving Dinner With Rotisserie Chicken

Why do Americans use rotisserie chicken for Thanksgiving?

When American singles, students, or small households want a Thanksgiving dinner without cooking a 14-pound turkey, the standard hack is a rotisserie chicken. Almost every American supermarket sells one for $5 to $10, already roasted, hot, and ready to eat. Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken became a cultural meme in the 2020s. The chicken stands in for the turkey, served with the same sides: mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing or dressing, and pie. American TikTok and YouTube have a whole genre of “mini Thanksgiving” videos built around this swap.

In this clip, a creator builds her mini Thanksgiving: “Our beautiful turkey, aka a rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy.”