If your local grocery stores are anything like ours, the selection of fresh turkeys is limited to store brand or Butterball turkeys, so I prefer to shop online. I put together this list of the best places to buy a turkey for Christmas or Thanksgiving so you can find the perfect turkey for your holiday gathering.
While there’s nothing wrong with picking up free or cheap turkey from the grocery store meat department, sometimes you want the holiday season to feel a bit more special. For many of us, we’re looking for that feeling in 2022.
I did a ton of research to compile this list of websites that allow you to place turkey orders now. No matter what types of turkeys you’re interested in, there are plenty of options for you to check out. It’s almost like getting your meat from a local butcher without having to leave your house.
If you want a wild turkey, organic bird or heritage turkey to grace your holiday table, your best bet is to go with a website that offers mail order turkey. They typically arrive frozen, so you can order in advance.
And, since it looks like we may be facing a turkey shortage this year, it’s best to order early so you don’t miss out.
Tips for Ordering Turkey
Before ordering a bird online, let’s stop for a minute and talk about the size of turkey you should order. That will depend on how many guests you’re planning to serve for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.
A good rule of thumb is to cook about 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person. That’s just a general rule, so if you’re a family that likes to load up on side dishes like homemade mashed potatoes and green beans more than turkey, feel free to adjust that amount.
If you’re a big meat-eating family, though, you may want to aim for 2 pounds per person just in case. Worst comes to worst, you’ll have extra leftovers to use up. I give a little bit more information on this topic in my post, How to Cook a Turkey (I love my turkey slathered in butter and fresh herbs!).
If you’re having a smaller gathering this year and won’t be preparing a whole bird, be sure to check out my recipe for Oven Roasted Turkey Breast! While I prefer dark meat, the breast tastes amazing topped with my Cranberry Orange Relish.
Where to Buy a Turkey Online
More and more companies are offering holiday turkeys for sale online, and I’m an affiliate for many of them, so I’ll earn a small commission for orders placed through these links. Be sure to order early so you have enough time to fully defrost your turkey to room temperature before cooking it!
ButcherBox: Best Free Turkey Option
We’ve been ordering from ButcherBox for years. They always have amazingly great quality meats. While they don’t sell turkeys individually, they run free turkey promotions every year and the promotion is back for 2022.
New ButcherBox members receive a 10-14 pound, free-range, all natural turkey for free in their first ButcherBox order through November 14, 2022. They’re extending the offer to cancelled members too!
Last year, I made a delicious Herb Roasted Turkey with the heritage bird I received from them. You can read my full ButcherBox Review to learn more about why they’re one of my favorite sources for meat delivery.
Porter Road: Best Pasture Raised Turkeys
Porter Road is a quality butcher who prides themselves on providing the best meat available in Nashville. And they also do nationwide meat delivery, so it’s no surprise they have great holiday offerings too.
All of their turkeys come from Jolly Barnyard, and they’re antibiotic and hormone free as well as pasture-raised. They have two options, smaller birds that serve 10-12 people and larger turkeys that serve 15 people. If you read the customer reviews, there are so many comments about how amazing the meat tastes!
Be sure to check out their Holiday Specials, which include turkeys and hams. They have limited quantities, so make sure to pre-order your turkey so that you don’t miss out on making a classic roast turkey this year.
Perdue Farms: Best Ham & Turkey Special
Perdue Farms is a 4th generation family farm that’s been serving their customers for over 100 years. Perdue Farms often has amazing deals on chicken (which are fed a vegetarian diet and have no antibiotics or hormones ever).
So I wasn’t surprised to see they have a great special on their Farm Spiral Ham and Whole Turkey Combo. It’s an ideal mix of meat for family gatherings over Thanksgiving or Christmas and includes an 8.5-pound sweet, smoky spiral ham and a 13-pound tender, juicy whole turkey.
Perdue Farms has tons of options for special occasions like Thanksgiving. You can even pick up all of your sides and desserts when you order your holiday bird. Check out everything they have for Thanksgiving.
Crowd Cow: Best Blackwing Turkeys
Crowd Cow has is a similar service to ButcherBox, but they allow you to order Blackwing pasture-raised broad breasted white turkeys individually as well. All of their turkeys come from small family farms and are available in 3 sizes: 12 pounds, 15 pounds or 18 pounds.
Their great turkeys are on sale at a discounted pre-order price through October 31, 2022. If you order before then, you’ll also get a free oven mitt set (while supplies last). After that, the price will increase, and they’ll continue shipping birds through November 13, 2022.
D’Artagnan: Best Selection of Turkeys
I was first introduced to D’Artagnan several years ago when I got my first order from them. I made some amazing Braised Short Ribs with their meat. It was so tender and delicious!
In addition to all of their other meats I’ve sampled, D’Artagnan has one of the best selection of birds, including wild, organic and heritage turkeys. If you’re not planning on making a whole bird, they also have organic turkey breast (if you want to make your own Roasted Turkey Breast) fully cooked smoked turkey breast and ground turkey.
They’re based on the East Coast, in Union, New Jersey, but they ship across the country. Check out the selection of D’Artagnan turkeys to find the right one for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Uncle Ray’s Deep Fried Turkeys: Best Deep-Fried Turkey
Based in Dallas, Texas, Uncle Ray’s is the best option for deep-fried, pre-cooked turkeys. They ship their cajun-spiced holiday birds across the country now, so you can get the flavor of a deep-fried turkey without having to do it yourself. Since they ship frozen turkey, make sure to order early enough that it arrives in time for your dinner plans.
I hope you found the perfect place to order the best turkey from this year. Be sure to bookmark or pin this post so you can buy your whole young turkey online again next year.
