Have your Thanksgiving turkey shopping go off without a hitch with our tips on identifying the best turkey to buy for your holiday meal.
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Thanksgiving is a holiday full of family, fun and lots of food. The centerpiece to Thanksgiving dinner, and in some ways the holiday itself, is of course the turkey. But if it’s your first time buying a Thanksgiving turkey or it’s just been a while since you’ve thought about what kind of turkey you’re going to get, all of the different types and labels can get confusing. To make things a bit easier, we’ve put together this glossary of common turkey types to help you find the best turkey to buy for your Thanksgiving celebration.
A fresh turkey is one that has never been stored below 26°F, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), meaning at no time has the turkey been frozen or chilled to the point that it’s hard to the touch.
The “fresh” label alone does not indicate anything about how the bird was raised or processed. So, if you want to know if your turkey has or has not been raised with antibiotics, was minimally processed, has additives, is organic or anything else, there will have to be another label on the turkey packaging. Since “fresh” just indicates the temperature at which a turkey has been stored, always double-check the best by- or sell-by-date to ensure the turkey hasn’t been sitting at the processing plant or in the store for too long.
Like almost any food, a fresh turkey will have a slightly better flavor, texture and moisture level than frozen, but whether you’re able to detect the subtle difference during Thanksgiving dinner is up to your taste buds.
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! Give local grocers, farms and co-ops a call to check that they’re selling fresh turkeys and ask about pre-ordering. Place any online orders several weeks out. 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. Fresh turkeys are pretty much ready to be roasted or fried right away as they don’t need time to defrost. Check out these other tips for picking out the right turkey, including how many pounds you’ll need.
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Frozen turkeys are birds that have been stored at or below 0°F. These are the turkeys you’re probably the most used to seeing at the store; wrapped in an air-tight layer of plastic and rock-hard. While frozen turkeys are usually sold, well, frozen, there are some frozen turkeys that are sold defrosted. These are typically labeled as “previously frozen.”
Like a fresh turkey, the label “frozen” does not indicate anything about the way the turkey was raised or processed beyond the temperature it was stored at. So, keep an eye out for additional labels if you want an organic, free-range or antibiotic-free turkey.
Most frozen turkeys are flash-frozen, meaning they’re frozen very quickly to preserve the bird’s texture, flavor and ability to retain moisture. Most of your dinner guests won’t be able to tell the difference between a frozen and fresh turkey.
Frozen turkeys tend to run about $2 a pound, though that can fluctuate depending on the time of year, sales, the way the turkey was raised and processed and where you’re purchasing it from. You can buy a frozen turkey at just about any grocery store around Thanksgiving or online retailers, though it’s always a good idea to order ahead.
Since frozen turkeys are completely frozen through, you’ll need to know how to defrost a turkey before trying to cook it. A good rule of thumb is to let the turkey thaw in the fridge for 24 hours for every four pounds. Meaning, if your frozen turkey is 20 pounds, it’ll take around five days to defrost. If you do forget to take your turkey out of the freezer ahead of time, rest assured you can roast a frozen turkey.
Basted, self-basting and pre-basted turkeys are turkeys that have been injected with a solution while being processed. The solution is usually a mixture of fat, water, salt, sugar, seasonings and/or “other substances” that is added to increase the flavor and moisture content of the turkey. The exact ingredients of the basting solution must be disclosed on the turkey’s label, as well as the total weight percentage of the solution. For turkeys with bones, like a whole Thanksgiving turkey, the solution can be up to 3% of the turkey’s total weight. For boneless turkey, the solution can be up to 8% of the piece’s total weight.
There are several upsides to a pre-basted turkey. The solution acts as a brine which bumps up the turkey’s ability to retain moisture while roasting and seasons the bird from the inside out, for a more juicy and flavorful final product. It also allows you to skip the brining step at home, which can be messy and take up even more room in your fridge. Plus, it’s usually the more cost-effective turkey option.
Pre-basted turkeys do have some downsides, though. For many, the inability to determine what exactly is going in and on their turkey is a non-starter. If you’re someone who likes to make their own brine, doesn’t want a turkey with added ingredients or is watching their sodium levels, it’s best to pass on a pre-basted turkey. Prepare the best tasting Thanksgiving bird with these tips on how to season a turkey.
On the flip side, natural turkeys are made without any artificial colors, flavors or ingredients, chemical preservatives or synthetic ingredients and are no more than minimally processed (meaning the raw poultry is not “fundamentally alter(ed),” according to the USDA).
The term natural or all-natural doesn’t indicate anything about how the turkey was raised, however. For an organic, free-range or antibiotic-free turkey, look out for additional labeling.
Also, a quick note about antibiotic- and hormone-free turkeys; per the USDA, all hormones are prohibited when raising turkeys, meaning every turkey sold in the US is hormone-free. So, if a turkey’s packaging touts that it is hormone-free, know that is just marketing trying to upcharge you. Also, any turkey that receives antibiotics in its lifetime must go through a withdrawal period before it is killed and processed, so there are no longer antibiotics in the bird.
Since these turkeys are just the turkey and nothing else, they’ll need to be properly brined and seasoned for a flavorful and moist dinner. Not to worry, we can show you how to brine a turkey the quick and easy way.
A kosher turkey is one that has been properly “prepared under Rabbinical supervision”. In order to be kosher, turkeys are slaughtered, inspected, cleaned, deveined and trimmed according to kosher processing rules. Turkeys are then soaked in cold water for half an hour, taken out and rubbed with coarse salt which is left on for an hour before being washed off and soaked again. This washing and salting process removes blood from the turkey and seasons it. (Here’s more on what kosher really means.)
Since kosher turkeys are already salted, they don’t need to be brined or prepared extensively. Just add your choice of seasoning and roast for a tender and flavorful bird. Like a pre-basted turkey, since you can’t control the amount of salt the turkey contains, it isn’t the healthiest choice for those following a low-sodium diet.
If you’re not able to find kosher turkeys at a local grocery store or deli, there are several online retailers that sell them, including Aviglatt and Amazon.
The centerpiece of many holiday meals is a juicy, flavorful turkey. But not all turkeys are created equal. With so many options at the grocery store, it can be tricky to determine what brand of turkey is truly the best. After extensive research and taste tests, we’ve identified the top turkey brands and what sets them apart.
Highest Quality: Plainville Farms Fresh Young Turkey
Hands down, the finest tasting turkeys come from Plainville Farms. Their fresh, never frozen turkeys consistently earn top marks for premium quality and flavor.
Plainville Farms raises their turkeys in small barns in New England, The birds enjoy a stress-free environment and an all-vegetarian diet with no animal by-products The turkeys are air-chilled rather than water-chilled to prevent excess moisture absorption
Expert tasters rave about Plainville Farms turkeys for their exceptionally tender and succulent meat with a wonderfully robust turkey flavor. Their fresh, never frozen status also enhances juiciness. These birds are smaller, between 10 to 18 pounds. The more compact size concentrates the turkey taste.
At $4-$5 per pound, Plainville Farms costs significantly more than basic store brands. But fans agree the premium quality and unbeatable flavor are well worth the splurge. For the absolute best fresh turkey available, Plainville Farms is unmatched.
Runner Up: Butterball Premium Fresh Turkey
After Plainville Farms, Butterball earned the second highest scores in a series of professional turkey taste tests. Their fresh turkeys are revered for consistent quality and moistness.
Butterball’s fresh turkeys contain no preservatives or additives. They are fed an all-vegetarian diet without animal by-products. The birds are raised cage-free in barns with freedom to roam.
Compared to Plainville Farms, Butterball fresh turkeys cost noticeably less at your local market. You’ll enjoy fabulous flavor and texture for less than the premium Plainville birds. Their turkeys range from 10 to 24 pounds in size.
Experts applaud the Butterball fresh turkeys for their exceptionally juicy and well-seasoned meat. When cooked properly, the meat has a pleasingly plump and substantial texture. Overall an outstanding option if you want top notch fresh turkey without the high price of Plainville Farms.
Best Organic: Willie Bird Turkey
For organic turkey, Willie Bird Turkey from Wilde Chicken & Turkey stands out as the tastiest choice. Their premium organic turkeys earn rave reviews for flavor and quality.
Willie Bird Turkeys are certified organic and USDA approved. They are raised cage-free in California on an all-vegetarian diet. The turkeys are minimally processed with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Their special mineral-rich feed and slower growth enhances the flavor. Willie Bird turkeys are brined before smoking for added moisture and taste.
Reviewers praise the tender, succulent meat and convenience of a pre-brined turkey. The smoking infuses scrumptious flavor without dominating the natural turkey essence. For those seeking an organic turkey, Willie Bird is the clear winner.
Best Kosher: Empire Kosher Fresh Turkey
For superb kosher turkey, Empire Kosher is the leading choice year after year. Their kosher turkeys consistently earn rave reviews for their mouthwatering flavor and ideal moisture content.
Empire Kosher turkeys are raised in Pennsylvania barns with unlimited access to vegetarian feed and water. Each turkey is hand-fed and hand-slaughtered per kosher law. Then the birds are hand-salted to remove all blood. It’s a labor-intensive process reflected in the cost.
These turkeys are treasured for their plump, juicy breast meat that stays moist during cooking. Tasters adore the pure, rich turkey flavor without any unwanted seasonings. For the best tasting kosher turkey, Empire Kosher is unrivaled.
Best Heritage Breed: Mary’s Free-Range Turkey
Mary’s Free-Range Turkey stands apart for its phenomenal rich, complex flavor. The difference comes from using heritage turkey breeds raised free-range on small family farms.
Most commercial turkeys are selectively bred for large, meaty breasts. Mary’s uses heritage breeds like Bourbon Red and Standard Bronze prized for their deeply flavored dark meat. The turkeys live outdoors with space to roam and forage naturally. Their diverse diet and slower growth intensifies the taste.
Properly cooking heritage breed turkeys requires finesse as the thigh meat finishes before the breast. Letting the bird rest after cooking allows the temperatures to equalize. The extra effort pays off in old-fashioned turkey flavor.
At $4-$5 per pound, Mary’s costs over twice as much as standard turkey. For genuine turkey flavor, it’s a worthwhile indulgence.
Best Mail Order: Holy Grail Steak Co. Premium Turkey
Seeking a premium mail order turkey? Holy Grail Steak Co. offers ultra-fresh turkeys shipped directly to your door. Their turkeys earn glowing praise for exceeding grocery store quality.
These turkeys are pre-brined to seal in moisture. They are free of antibiotics, hormones and animal by-products. Each turkey is flash-frozen at peak freshness to preserve flawless flavor and texture.
Customers repeatedly marvel at how succulent and delicious these mail order turkeys turn out compared to supermarket varieties. The built-in brining makes them nearly foolproof for a picture-perfect bird. While mail order turkeys cost more, these provide gourmet quality from the convenience of home delivery.
Best Value: Honeysuckle White Whole Turkey
For budget-friendly turkey, Honeysuckle White offers the best bang for your buck. Their turkeys deliver premium quality at a very reasonable price point.
Honeysuckle White is renowned for exceptionally high standards from breeding to processing. Their whole turkeys contain no artificial ingredients and are minimally processed. A light salt and water brine keeps the meat moist with a hint of seasoning.
Reviewers say Honeysuckle White almost equals premium brands in taste and texture for a fraction of the cost. The turkeys are noticeably more succulent and flavorful than generic store brands. For top notch quality and value, Honeysuckle White is ideal.
Honorable Mentions
Here are other excellent turkey brands that earned positive reviews:
- Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey – Well-rated for convenience and taste
- Whole Foods All Natural Turkey – Earns high marks for quality and health standards
- Trader Joe’s Brined Turkey – Praised for tasty flavor at a budget price
- Butterball Individually Frozen Turkey – Top choice for juicy meat when preferring frozen
While specialty turkeys offer premium quality, excellent results can also come from major brands like Jennie-O and Butterball. The key is simply to avoid generic no-name turkey brands.
The Takeaway on Picking the Best Turkey
When it comes to superior flavor and texture, Plainville Farms fresh turkeys stand supreme. For near-equivalent quality at a more affordable cost, Butterball fresh turkeys are runner-up. Willie Bird takes top honors for organic turkey, while Empire Kosher is number one for kosher quality. Mary’s Free-Range heritage breeds offer unparalleled rich turkey taste. Whatever factors matter most to you, selecting one of the exceptional brands highlighted here will help guarantee absolute turkey perfection.
Free-range and Cage-free Turkey
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A free-range turkey is one that has had “continuous, free access to the out-of-doors for over 51% of their lives,” per the USDA. This time includes the winter months, so farms in the northern half of the US need to accommodate that access when it’s cold out. When submitting their labels for approval by the USDA, farmers must include a description of the turkey’s quarters, which is confirmed by a third party, to ensure they qualify for the “free-range” distinction.
Like with other labels, free-range does not indicate anything else about how the turkey was raised or produced. Since free-range turkeys have outdoor space and require more space to raise, they tend to run a bit more expensive than non-free-range turkeys.
Cage-free turkey is a bit of a misnomer. The vast majority of turkeys in the United States are raised in large, barn-like structures rather than cages, making them cage-free. Cage-free is more applicable in differentiating the way that chicken eggs are collected, rather than the way the poultry for eating is raised. Here’s more info on the difference between cage-free and free-range eggs.
Heritage turkeys are a strand of turkey breeds that more closely resemble wild turkeys and those that Native Americans hunted and enjoyed long before the first Thanksgiving. These modern turkeys are raised without antibiotics and in a more natural way than industrially-raised turkeys, which were specifically bred to grow the most amount of meat in the shortest amount of time. This means heritage turkeys are pasture-raised on a smaller farm, rather than an industrial turkey farm. According to The Livestock Conservancy, there is specific criteria a turkey must meet to be considered heritage: mate naturally without human intervention, be a product of natural mating for at least two generations, are able to successfully breed for longer, be able to genetically withstand a pasture-raised lifestyle and have a slow growth rate to market weight.
Because heritage turkeys are bred in a more natural way, they may be slightly uneven. Meaning one breast, leg or wing could be larger than the other, which can require a bit more attention when cooking to avoid anything from drying out.
All these differences in breed and lifestyle lead to a turkey that’s not exactly what you’re used to. Heritage turkeys are overall a bit smaller and have less breast meat and more meat around the legs and thighs resulting in a white-to-dark meat ratio closer to 50:50. Other turkeys have a white-to-dark ratio of about 65:35. Heritage turkey meat is tender and very flavorful, tasting more like a wild turkey than it’s industrially-raised counterpart. For some, this natural flavor can come off as slightly gamey.
Heritage turkeys are the most expensive type of turkey you can get. Because they’re less common, take longer to come up to weight, require more space and are generally a bit fussier to raise, they’re significantly more expensive than a typical turkey. There’s still a wide range in prices depending on where and when you buy it, the brand and other shopping factors, but you can expect a heritage to run about $8-15+ per pound. This extra price is worth it to some for a bird that is raised in a more humane and sustainable way. Not to mention it tastes great!
Those interested in purchasing a heritage turkey should first check with their local farms, co-ops and farmers markets to see if they sell these turkeys, or have advice on where to find them. If you don’t have these options near you, you can visit Heritage Foods, which is the go-to site for mail-ordered heritage turkeys, or D’Artagnan to place an online order for delivery. Still not sure? Here’s a handy guide to buying a small turkey: how much turkey to buy, where to shop and how long to cook a smaller bird.
The Best Store Bought Turkeys
FAQ
What is the best turkey brand?
Williams Sonoma Willie Bird Fresh Free-Range Turkey
We often turn to Willie Birds for our Thanksgiving needs because the turkey tastes like turkey. It’s not too gamey and has that true turkey flavor you want as the base for your gravy. You can get the fresh bird brined or unbrined.
Are butterball turkeys better than others?
Its a good brand and I prefer it over the store-brand birds as they’re just reliably better quality. I dry-brine and deep braise/roast for maximum gravy and well stewed dark meat with good white and crispy breast skin. Butterball has never let me down.
What is the best grade of turkey?
Grade A is the highest quality and the only grade you are likely to see at the retail level.
Are honeysuckle brand turkeys good?
Juicy moist bird
I love Honeysuckle White turkeys. I have used other brands but I prefer Honeysuckle White, the turkey always comes out perfectly roasted, juicy and tender.
Who makes the best whole bird turkey?
1. Fossil Farms Whole Bird Turkey Nearly every customer review is five stars, and it’s no surprise why. These high-quality Nicholas breed birds from sustainable Fossil Farms are raised in a free-roaming, cage-free environment in Pennsylvania by third- and fourth-generation farmers.
Are specialty turkeys good quality?
While specialty turkeys offer premium quality, you can also get excellent results from major brands like Jennie-O and Butterball. Going beyond the generic store brand is key. Plainville Farms premium fresh turkeys earn top honors for their unmatched flavor and texture.
Which kosher turkey is best?
If you want a kosher turkey that tastes as good as the best premium turkeys, Empire Kosher is the top choice. Wilde Chicken & Turkey offer the best tasting organic turkeys based on customer reviews and expert tests. Their Willie Bird Turkey brand is certified organic and USDA approved.
What are the best turkeys to order online for Thanksgiving?
Here are the best turkeys to order online for Thanksgiving this year, according to customer reviews. (Spoiler: My top choice is the Fossil Farms Whole Bird Turkey, which starts at $73.) Looking for some bubbly prosecco cocktail pairings? Need an alternative Thanksgiving Meal? 1. Fossil Farms Whole Bird 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!
Where can I buy a smoked turkey?
Purchase Burgers’ Smokehouse Hickory Smoked Whole Turkey from Amazon, starting at $99.99. Deep-fried turkey is a Southern staple, and Uncle Ray’s Cajun Mild Deep Fried Turkey is the best choice for this specialty. The turkey comes from a Texas-based producer that’s been perfecting its cooking technique and flavors for over three decades.