Why is rotisserie chicken not covered by EBT?

Rotisserie chicken is generally not covered by SNAP EBT because federal SNAP rules prohibit the purchase of hot, prepared foods that are ready to eat. The program is designed to help households buy groceries to prepare at home, not restaurant or deli hot meals. A rotisserie chicken that is hot and sitting under a heat lamp in the deli is considered a prepared hot food, so it is ineligible, even though a raw chicken or a cold deli chicken is eligible. The distinction is about temperature and intent at the point of sale, not the type of food. If the same rotisserie chicken is allowed to cool and is sold cold from the refrigerated section, it can become SNAP eligible in many stores because it is no longer hot prepared food. There is an exception for states that participate in the Restaurant Meals Program, which allows elderly, disabled, or homeless SNAP recipients to use benefits at participating restaurants and for hot foods, but most SNAP shoppers do not qualify for that program. This rule also applies to other hot deli items like hot soups, hot pizza slices, and hot sandwiches.