Figuring out where to buy your bird is vitally important when youre planning your Thanksgiving meal. After all, your turkey is the centerpiece of the table and you want a great one — but you also dont want to end up draining your checking account just for a little bit of juicy white and dark meat.
The good news is, there are plenty of options out there for where to buy a turkey that wont leave you in credit card debt. Costco is one of them — but should you shop for your turkey there or look elsewhere?
With the holidays right around the corner, many people are starting to think about where to buy their holiday turkey. For those with a Costco membership, Costco can be a great place to get an affordable, high-quality turkey. But how much do turkeys cost at Costco? In this article, we’ll break down the pricing on all the different turkey options at Costco so you can find the best deal for your holiday meal.
Butterball Whole Turkey at Costco
One of the most popular turkey choices at Costco is the Butterball whole turkey. Butterball is one of the major national brands when it comes to whole turkeys, and Costco carries them every holiday season.
For 2025, Costco has Butterball whole turkeys available in two sizes:
- 10-14 lb Butterball Hens: $0.99/lb
- 18 lb and up Butterball Toms: $0.99/lb
So if you got a 14 lb Butterball Hen turkey at Costco, it would cost $13.86 total (14 lbs x $0.99/lb). And a 20 lb Butterball Tom turkey would cost $19.80 total (20 lbs x $0.99/lb).
The great thing about Costco’s pricing on Butterball turkeys is that these prices are significantly lower than what you’ll find for Butterball at most grocery stores. For example, my local supermarket charges $1.59/lb for Butterball turkeys – 60 cents more per pound! So buying a turkey at Costco can mean big savings compared to other stores.
Kirkland Signature Smoked Turkey at Costco
In addition to fresh Butterball turkeys Costco also sells a delicious smoked turkey under their Kirkland Signature house brand. These smoked turkeys offer a quick and easy main dish because they are already fully cooked.
The Kirkland Signature Smoked Turkeys are usually around 12-15 lbs and priced at $3.79/lb. So a 15 lb smoked turkey would cost around $56.85 total.
While this is pricier than the fresh Butterball turkeys, you are paying for the convenience of having a fully cooked turkey that just needs to be reheated. The smoked flavor also adds a delicious taste.
Organic and Kosher Turkeys at Costco
For those who want an organic or kosher turkey option, Costco has you covered there as well.
The organic turkey available at Costco is the Plainville Farms Young Organic Hen Turkey. These turkeys are smaller in size, usually 14 lbs or under. The price is $2.99/lb for the organic turkeys.
For a kosher turkey, Costco sells the Empire Kosher Fresh Young Turkey for $3.39/lb. These turkeys are not pre-cooked.
So in both cases, expect to pay a small premium for the organic and kosher options versus a standard Butterball turkey. But Costco still offers very competitive pricing on these specialty turkeys.
Costco Turkey Breast Options
In addition to whole turkeys, Costco also sells turkey breast meat by itself. This can be a great option for smaller households or those who just prefer white meat.
Costco’s Kirkland Signature Oven Roasted Turkey Breast goes for $4.79/lb. These are already cooked and just need reheating. The turkey breasts are usually around 3-4 lbs each.
So a 4 lb turkey breast would cost $19.16 total. That’s much less than a whole turkey if you don’t need that much meat.
Costco does not sell raw turkey breast meat, just the pre-cooked options. But the Kirkland Signature turkey breast still provides an easy and affordable turkey option for smaller groups.
Costco vs. Grocery Stores on Turkey Prices
As these prices show, buying a turkey at Costco can mean big savings compared to many local grocery stores. Here’s a quick comparison on 14 lb turkey prices:
- Butterball Turkey at Costco: $13.86 total
- Butterball Turkey at my Grocery Store: $22.26 total
That’s a $8.40 savings (or 37% savings) on the same turkey just by purchasing it at Costco. And the savings on bigger turkeys is even more.
Even the smoked, organic, and turkey breast options at Costco are usually priced lower than buying those premium turkeys from a local supermarket.
So if you have a Costco membership and want to save money on your holiday turkey, it is definitely worth taking a look at their turkey selection and pricing. Just check the prices listed above to find the best deal for your situation.
Availability of Costco Turkeys
The only catch with Costco turkeys is that supplies are limited around the holidays. Most Costco locations get frequent shipments of turkeys from now through Christmas. But high demand turkeys like the Butterball can sell out quickly, especially closer to Thanksgiving.
So if you want the best selection, it’s a good idea to shop early. You can buy a frozen turkey now and store it in your freezer until it’s time to thaw and cook. Costco usually has their full turkey selection available by early November.
Checking availability beforehand at your local warehouse is also wise. That way you don’t make a wasted trip if certain options are sold out.
Overall Verdict on Costco Turkeys
Based on the pricing and variety of options, Costco is one of the best places to buy a delicious, high-quality holiday turkey on a budget. The prices per pound on fresh, frozen, smoked, organic and turkey breasts are extremely competitive compared to most supermarkets. Just keep availability in mind and shop early for the best selection.
So next holiday season when turkey is on your shopping list, be sure to take a look at Costco. Enjoy your Costco turkey and happy holidays!
Great turkeys can be found elsewhere, too
If you missed out on Costcos big turkey dinner kit or if you want just the bird itself and dont want to wait until the warehouse club happens to get them in, you have plenty of other options for where to shop.
As mentioned above, Walmart has good deals on turkeys — and chances are good your local grocery store will as well. In fact, many grocery stores offer special programs where you can earn points toward a free turkey. Costco does not provide anything like that, and if youre hoping to save money on your Thanksgiving meal, researching stores in your area that will comp your turkey if you meet their spending requirements could make a whole lot more sense.
If you do decide that you want to shop at Costco for this crucial item, consider calling ahead to see when exactly your warehouse club is going to be getting turkeys in and to find out what the price will be for the 2023 Thanksgiving season. That way, you can make sure you dont waste a trip and you can compare the cost to what competitors charge to get the very best deal possible for your personal finances. With the expensive holiday season fast approaching, every penny counts.
Is buying your turkey at Costco a good idea?
There are definitely some benefits to buying a turkey at Costco. For one thing, prices tend to be very competitive. In past years, Costco charged $0.99 per pound for turkeys weighing in between 12 and 20 pounds. These were good-quality name-brand turkeys, too, raised with no antibiotics and from big names in the turkey game like Butterball.
Currently, however, Costcos only turkey offering is a $49.99 Quality Ethnic Foods Halal Frozen Whole Young Turkey that weighs between 13 and 15 pounds. Thats not a bad price (at $3.33 a pound for a 15-pound bird), but its more expensive than frozen turkeys offered by other big box stores like Walmart. Remember, though, this is for a kosher turkey, so a different standard applies.
Costco usually gets its fresh, never-frozen turkeys in at the local stores around a week before Thanksgiving. And based on past years, those birds are likely to come in at a lower price point thats more on par with what other stores offer.
Costco also offers a full turkey dinner kit priced at $269.99, which serves eight to 10 people and includes the turkey. However, this is currently sold out and its too late to pre-order, so if you were hoping for that option, its off the table until next year.
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FAQ
Does Costco sell turkey for Thanksgiving?
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).
How much is cooked turkey at Costco?
The price per pound is $4.79, which is “good” for pre-cooked turkey, and “great” for deli-meat turkey.