The centerpiece of many holiday feasts is a perfectly roasted turkey. But with so many options to choose from how do you know which brand of turkey is best? I’ve researched some of the top turkey brands available and identified the best options based on taste price, quality, and sustainability. Here’s an overview of the best turkey brands to help you pick the right bird for your holiday table.
Best Overall: Porter Road Whole Turkey
My top pick for best overall turkey is from Porter Road, an online butcher selling high-quality, sustainably raised meats Their whole turkeys are free-range, pasture-raised, and humanely raised without antibiotics or hormones
The turkeys are fed an all-vegetarian diet and the meat has an exceptionally rich, old-fashioned turkey flavor. Porter Road turkeys are air-chilled rather than water-chilled to prevent absorbing excess water and diluting the flavor. The skin perfectly crisps and the meat stays juicy thanks to the careful handling and processing.
At around $4 per pound, Porter Road turkeys cost more than a basic grocery store turkey but deliver outstanding quality and taste that is worth the splurge for a special occasion. They receive rave reviews for their delicious flavor and they ship frozen to your doorstep nationwide.
Best Value: Farm Foods Market Grand Champion Turkey
If you want excellent quality at a more affordable price point, the Grand Champion Turkey from Farm Foods Market is a great value choice. At around $2.50 per pound, it costs less than premium heritage breed turkeys but still offers good quality.
The Grand Champion is minimally processed with no antibiotics, hormones, or preservatives. It is free-range and vegetarian fed for a better flavor. Many customers describe these turkeys as tasting comparable to higher-end heritage turkeys at a fraction of the price. They have a robust turkey flavor and cook up moist and tender.
Farm Foods Market turkeys are vacuum-packed so they can be easily stored in the freezer until you are ready to thaw and roast. For a quality turkey under $3 per pound, Farm Foods Market is hard to beat.
Best Organic: Organic Prairie Organic Whole Turkey
For an organic, high-welfare turkey, Organic Prairie offers an excellent choice with their Organic Whole Turkey. The turkeys are certified USDA Organic and are raised on organic grass pastures without antibiotics or hormones.
Organic Prairie turkeys are fed an organic grain diet and are processed in a low-stress manner to produce a better tasting meat. The turkeys are aged for tenderness and carefully air chilled after processing. At around $4 per pound, they are competitively priced for an organic, free-range turkey.
Customers praise Organic Prairie turkeys for their plump breast meat, tender and juicy texture, and robust flavor. Organic Prairie ships their frozen turkeys nationwide so you can conveniently get one delivered to your door. For the best organic turkey, Organic Prairie is a great pick.
Best Free-Range: D’Artagnan Green Circle Turkey
For a premium quality heritage breed turkey that is free-range, natural, and sustainably raised, D’Artagnan’s [Green Circle Turkey](https://www.dartagnan.com/green-circle-free-range-turkey/product/TURGC002-1.html?dwvar_TURGC002-1_freshFrozenWeight=range-8-lbs
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This holiday season, you can buy a simple frozen turkey at the store, but it’s no secret that you have a lot more options online. Tradition birds that are nothing like the ones you see in the store are one option. Another is cooked birds that you just need to heat up, slice, and serve. You can order Thanksgiving meal catering online and make the dinner exactly what you want, whether you want something different or just want a free-range and organic bird.
We bought turkeys online and sent them to the homes of our experienced editors and testers so they could rate how well it tasted and looked. Each turkey (or turducken) was rated on the delivery process, freshness, ease of preparation, taste, and value. Our list of mail-order turkeys has something for everyone, whether you want a turkey for a big family gathering, something that will save you time in the kitchen, or something just a little different. Our Top Picks Best Overall:
FAQs
The general rule when buying a whole turkey is 1 pound of turkey per person. That looks like a lot of meat for one person to eat, but a whole turkey has a lot of bones that you can’t eat. Of course, you can buy a bigger bird and eat turkey sandwiches for days if you want to make a big pot of soup or have a lot of other people over for dinner.
The Best Store Bought Turkeys
FAQ
Is a butterball turkey good?
What kind of turkeys are best to eat?
What is the highest selling brand of turkey?
Where can I buy a fresh turkey?
You can buy a fresh turkey at some large grocery chains, like Whole Foods, some local grocery stores, local co-ops or farms and even some online retailers, like D’Artagnan and Williams-Sonoma. Fresh turkeys tend to be a bit more expensive than frozen, and can range anywhere from $3-$10+ per pound. Whichever purchase option you go with, plan ahead!
Should you buy the right Turkey?
Buying the right turkey can mean the difference between a good Thanksgiving and a legendary Thanksgiving. And while you can’t go wrong with any of our birds, shopping for a specific size or certification can be tricky. Rest assured, we’re here to help simplify the process. Below, learn more about our birds, plus get expert buying and storing tips.
Is Aldi Turkey a good choice?
Several evaluators described the Aldi bird as gamey (one guessed it was a heritage bird), so this is a good choice for those who like their turkey on the gamey side and a bad choice for those who don’t. Althea Chang-Cook, an associate director of content, said it was “definitely more flavorful . . . and more tender, too.” It was her favorite.
Can you buy a Turkey online this year?
If you usually brave the grocery store to buy your holiday bird, consider ordering your turkey online this year. Thanksgiving dinner features a lot of food items you can buy pretty far in advance. Raw frozen turkeys stay good in the freezer for up to two years and cooked turkeys for about three months.
Should I buy a bigger Turkey?
Of course, if you’re looking forward to lots of leftovers and a big pot of soup, or if you like to give leftovers to guests, it’s fine to buy a larger bird and enjoy turkey sandwiches for days. What is a heritage turkey?
When is the best time to buy a fresh turkey?
If you’re going to wing it, the best day to buy a fresh turkey will be the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for peak freshness. After you get your fresh turkey home, it should be stored in the refrigerator until about an hour before you plan on preparing and cooking it, so make sure you have plenty of shelf space.