The holidays are a time for togetherness celebration and indulging in delicious food. But preparing the perfect holiday meal especially a whole roasted turkey with all the fixings, can be incredibly time consuming and stressful. If you want to skip the hassle of thawing, seasoning, stuffing and roasting a raw turkey this year, consider ordering a fully cooked turkey instead. There are many convenient options for purchasing a ready-to-eat holiday bird online or from your local grocery store.
Grocery Store Deli Counters
One of the easiest places to find a pre-cooked turkey is right at your neighborhood supermarket. Many major grocery store chains such as Kroger, Safeway, Costco and Albertsons sell whole roasted turkeys and boneless turkey breast roasts in their deli departments around the holidays.
The availability and order lead times vary by location, so call ahead to ensure your local store offers fully cooked turkeys. Expect to pay $2.99 to $4.99 per pound for a heated turkey from the grocery deli. These cooked birds just need to be picked up and taken home to slice and serve. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!
Restaurants and Caterers
Another convenient option is ordering a cooked turkey from a local restaurant or caterer Many family-style restaurants and national chains like Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel and Boston Market sell whole holiday turkeys and complete Thanksgiving feasts in November and December.
You can either opt for takeout or delivery depending on what’s available in your area. Restaurant turkeys are fully roasted, seasoned and ready to enjoy. Expect to spend around $50 to $100 for a 10 to 14 pound turkey.
Catering companies also offer appetizing holiday birds cooked and seasoned to perfection. Prices range from $3 to $8 per pound for a hot roasted turkey from a caterer. Order a few days ahead to secure your holiday bird.
Online Retailers
There are several online retailers that ship fully cooked turkeys and holiday meals nationwide.
Goldbelly.com has cooked turkeys ranging from $89 for a 7 pound smoked turkey to $189 for a massive 18 pound cajun turducken roll stuffed with chicken, duck and turkey.
Williams-Sonoma sells free-range Diestel turkeys that are brined in a delicious citrus herb marinade then roasted. These pre-cooked Diestel turkeys cost $130 to $180 for a 12 to 22 pound bird.
Harry & David offers fully cooked turkey breast roasts and bone-in turkeys smoked with applewood and hickory. Prices range from $60 to $140.
Hickory Farms sells convenient mail-order turkey breast roasts for $50 to $80. The birds are smoked for hours then vacuum sealed and shipped frozen.
Omaha Steaks offers fully cooked smoked whole turkeys for $90 to $140 depending on weight.
Shipping costs vary by retailer, so factor that in when comparing options. Order 1-2 weeks ahead of time to ensure delivery of your cooked turkey before the holidays.
Things to Consider When Ordering a Pre-Made Turkey
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Size: Select the right size bird for your gathering. Plan for 1-1.5 pounds per person.
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Flavor: Pick your preferences – smoked, roasted, fried, cajun seasoned, herb rubbed, etc.
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Bones or Boneless: Bone-in cooked turkeys retain moisture better. Boneless roasts are easier to carve.
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Extras: Some retailers sell full holiday meals with sides, desserts and more.
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Delivery Date: Order 1-2 weeks early to get your cooked turkey in time for the holidays.
Benefits of Ordering a Pre-Cooked Turkey
Purchasing a fully cooked turkey from a store, restaurant or online retailer offers several benefits:
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Saves cooking time – No lengthy roasting time needed. Just pick up, heat and serve!
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Consistent quality – Professional turkey roasting results in tender, juicy meat.
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More oven space – You don’t lose one oven rack to a raw turkey for hours.
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Wider selection – Choose from unique flavors and turkey options not in stores.
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Less mess – No tricky spatchcocking, trussing, basting, etc.
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Peace of mind – One less thing to worry about on a hectic holiday.
Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday with a Fully Cooked Turkey
Preparing the entire Thanksgiving or Christmas feast is hard work. Let someone else handle roasting the turkey this year by purchasing a ready-to-eat holiday bird. Grocery store deli counters, local restaurants, caterers and online mail order companies all offer convenient cooked turkey options. Focus on making delicious sides and desserts instead of slaving over a hot oven all day. Ordering a pre-cooked turkey can help make your holidays tasty, memorable and relaxing.
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Our Top PicksBest Overall:
- Farm-raised heritage birds
- Wild and organic available
- Smoked breasts available
What We Dont Like
DArtagnan has earned a reputation as one of the best places to buy mail-order turkeys and other gourmet meats, and after our Associate Editorial Director, Mary Kate Hoban, prepared one of the Green Circle birds for her familys Thanksgiving dinner, we knew the brand was deserving of our best overall spot.
“I sampled a Green Circle turkey from DArtagnan for my familys Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone agreed it was one of the best turkeys weve ever had. Plus, ordering it ahead of time and receiving it frozen in enough time to thaw in the refrigerator before the big day was so convenient,” Hoban says. Additional at-home testing resulted in a fresh, flavorful turkey with a good mix of light and dark meat that was easy to carve.
DArtagnans turkeys are all farm-raised. In fact, each farmer DArtagnan works with signs an agreement saying they will never use antibiotics or added hormones. The Green Circle label means the turkeys are certified by Humane Farm Animal Care. These turkeys are fed a diet of vegetables (surplus from markets) and whole grains. The turkey that was sent as a sample arrived on the specified day, packaged frozen in a box with insulated foam. The flavor of the cooked bird impressed everyone, and the whole process was incredibly easy. The Green Circle turkeys are currently sold out, however.
“You really cant go wrong when you order from DArtagnan,” says Julia Warren, VP. “Any of the meats you can choose from are high quality and the shipping process is pretty seamless. Ive ordered a few things and have yet to be disappointed.”
Size: 4-12 pounds | Serves: 4-12 people | Shipping: Delivery available up to Tuesday, November 26 for Thanksgiving
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We Observed
- The turkeys freshness. One of the most important aspects of a mail-order turkey is the fact that you dont get it at your local grocery store—its delivered to you. This is both a good and bad thing. Good because you dont have to pick and choose from whats offered at the store, but can be bad if the process goes wrong or the turkey isnt packaged correctly. Once the turkeys arrived at the houses of our testers, they took at a look at the birds and noticed any thawing, blemishes, slimy or sticky gray skin, and foul smells. They also noted if the turkey arrived with giblets or not, with the wing tips intact or not, if the legs were tied or not, etc.
- The ease of preparation. Cooking a turkey is no easy feat, and our testers were tasked with marking down each detail. Many arrived without instructions, but we were still able to thaw and cook them all. We asked them to mark how long it took for the bird to thaw, and subsequently how long it took to cook. After cooking our testers also noticed how easy it was to cut and serve the meat.
- Who the turkey is best for. Turkeys come in all kinds of sizes and types, and are quite different from each other. Some are stuffed, others are smoked, and some are fresh and un-brined. Some are under $50 while others are over $300. After storing, thawing, cooking, and eating the mail-order turkeys, our testers were asked what type of family or home their turkey would be a good fit for.
Where to Order a Thanksgiving Meal if You Don’t Feel Like Cooking
FAQ
Can you get turkey already cooked?
Butterball oven-baked turkey breasts are a fully cooked, hassle-free turkey option that offers easy preparation, less mess, rich flavor and a shorter cooking time.
Can you buy ready cooked turkey?
You can buy a whole, fully cooked smoked turkey frozen from butterball. Just heat it up, or thaw and carve if you want to eat it cold.
Does Costco sell cooked Thanksgiving turkeys?
The Costco Turkey
Costco sells both frozen and fully cooked turkeys ahead of the big day, along with a variety of other meats (who doesn’t love options).
Does Popeyes sell fully cooked turkeys?
You can get fully cooked Cajun turkeys from Popeyes I ended up purchasing this online- it comes with directions on how to cook it and a Popeyes apron!
Where can I get a cooked turkey?
Goldbelly delivers fully cooked turkeys overnight from renowned local restaurants. Harry & David and other food gift retailers offer cooked turkey packages. Meal delivery kits like Home Chef provide quick turkey meal options. Amazon ships Whole Foods and other pre-cooked turkeys through Prime. Make sure to account for delivery days and costs.
Where can I buy pre cooked Thanksgiving turkey?
Order in person in store while supplies last and pick up pre-ordered turkeys in store at the scheduled date/time set at time of order. Supermarkets are actually great sources for pre-seasoned, pre-cooked, chilled and sometimes even hot Thanksgiving turkeys and Thanksgiving meal packages.
Where can I buy a roasted turkey?
Check the deli section of your local supermarket or specialty grocer. Many have holiday meal packages that include a roasted turkey along with side dishes and desserts. You can also find precooked whole turkeys turkey breasts and other cuts that just require reheating.
How much does a pre cooked turkey cost in Boston?
Order online for pickup or delivery. With over 450 locations across the country, there’s likely a Boston Market near you to supply a convenient pre-cooked turkey. Despite the name, Honeybaked Ham sells delicious fully-cooked whole turkeys too. Prices range from $56-$150 depending on size. Choose roasted, smoked, or Cajun turkey.
How much does a 13 pound turkey cost?
Find the restaurant nearest you using their store locator, and call ahead to place your order. Prices start at $59.99 for a 13-16 pound turkey. Order the whole menu from Boston Market, or go a la carte and pick up a fully cooked turkey and take care of the sides yourself. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Where can I buy the best turkeys for 2024?
Choose from 3 sizes (7-10 pounds up to 13-16 pounds, depending on how many people you’re serving). From mail-order options to local stores like Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Publix and Popeyes, we found the best turkeys for 2024. Save time with this shortcut.