8 Best Thanksgiving Turkeys You Can Order Online for 2024
Don’t get stuck without a bird on Thanksgiving. These online retailers sell top-notch turkeys and deliver right to your door.
Our Top Thanksgiving Turkey Picks
- Best Overall: D’Artagnan Organic Turkey
- Best Value: Burgers' Smokehouse Hickory Smoked Whole Turkey
- Best Budget: Perdue Premium Holiday Turkey
- Best Organic: Grassland Beef South Carolina Pasture Raised Turkey
- Best Smoked: Omaha Steaks Smoked Whole Turkey
- Best for a Crowd: Fossil Farms Turkey Whole Bird
- Best Pre-Cooked: Harry & David Oven Roasted Turkey
- Best Free-Range: Williams Sonoma Willie Bird Fresh Free-Range Turkey
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you’re probably already preparing your big feast with everything from stuffing and mashed potatoes to biscuits and turkey. That said, you might not have time to go to the grocery store or local butcher and get a turkey. If that sounds familiar, then you may want to opt to have a turkey delivered straight to your front door. Similar to meal delivery services, you can have a Thanksgiving turkey show up at your doorstep in November, which is an easy way to ensure you have your bird well ahead of time.
Whether you’re having a solo feast or hosting for family and friends, we’ve gathered a list of the best Thanksgiving day turkeys you can buy online. Plus, we have some expert-approved tips on how to best prepare this holiday staple and what you’ll want to look for as you shop.
- USDA-certified organic
- Farm-to-table
- Raised free-range
- Can be expensive
If you prefer a turkey that’s humanely-raised free-range with access to the outdoors, look no further than D’Artagan’s 100% organic, non-GMO turkeys. They’re fed an all-vegetarian grain diet of corn and soy, and pure spring water without chlorine or fluoride. The result is a flavorful tender bird for your Thanksgiving table.
- Pre-cooked
- Large turkey can serve 19+ people
- Hand-packed in reusable packaging
- May be too salty for some
Finding a good deal on a turkey around Thanksgiving time can be hard, but this one from Burgers’ Smokehouse will give you a bang for your buck. Cooked over hickory wood chips, this turkey is smoked to perfection and will leave your guests' mouths watering.
That said, gourmet turkeys are fully cooked prior to being shipped and arrive at your doorstep in a vacuum sealed bag to maintain flavor and preserve freshness while in transit.
According to the brand, you can expect your delivery to arrive between one and four weeks prior to the holiday with standard delivery days falling between Wednesday and Friday.
- Comes with pop-up timer
- Vacuum sealed for freshness
- Budget-friendly
- Limited supply
It’s not likely you’ll find a budget-friendly turkey in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, but you can score a great deal on this premium turkey from Perdue. The turkeys are never fed animal byproducts, hormones, or steroids so you can feel good about eating it and serving it to loved ones.
This whole bird turkey comes flash frozen and vacuum sealed to maintain freshness so you’ll have a delicious-tasting meal on Thanksgiving that everyone can enjoy. Keep in mind that these holiday delicacies are limited in supply so you’ll want to get your hands on them before they’re gone.
In terms of delivery, shipments take approximately five business days to reach their destination so you’ll want to place your order accordingly so it arrives in time for Thanksgiving.
- Shipped frozen
- Non-GMO
- Delivers to entire USA
- Doesn't count toward free shipping
Grassland Beef’s 100 percent grass-fed and pasture raised turkeys are a solid choice for Thanksgiving. You’ll get a turkey that’s not only delicious, but free from GMOs, added growth hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, and herbicides.
Opt for this organic turkey alongside holiday favorites of stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese. All turkeys ship from South Carolina on Wednesday’s and are delivered within one to two days across the US to maintain freshness.
- Sweet and smoky flavor
- Easy directions
- Expensive
Smoked turkeys are in this season and you can get your hands on this one from Omaha Steaks. To give it that delicious flavor, it’s slowly smoked in hardwood logs of hickory for 14 hours by professional pitmasters. For added taste, there’s a brown sugar cure that enhances the smokiness for an explosion of flavor with every bite.
The turkey is delivered to your doorstep frozen and comes to simple directions to thaw and prepare ahead of the big day. Packages are slated to arrive within two to three business days so keep that in mind when ordering ahead of Thanksgiving.
- Available in multiple sizes
- Antibiotic- and steroid-free
- Good value
- Must be shipped next-day air for Thanksgiving arrival
Finding a turkey large enough to feed a crowd or big family can be a challenge, however, Fossil Farms has big enough selections to feed up to 19 people with weights ranging from 8 to 10 pounds to 26 to 28 pounds. These all-natural turkeys are raised in a cage-free environment and provided with a vegetarian diet including local rye, alfalfa, oats, and soybean meal.
To receive by Thanksgiving, all turkeys must have UPS next-day air so you’ll want to keep that in mind when you place an order.
- Includes express two-day shipping
- Heat-and-eat
- Easy prep
- Not ideal for big families
For those busy individuals who don’t have time to cook and prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving, there’s no need to worry. Harry & David has a pre-cooked “heat-and-eat” turkey ready to go that’s made to serve between 10 and 12 people. Inside you’ll find dark and white meat in addition to a crispy exterior that’ll add some crunch to each bite.
For added convenience, express two-day shipping is included in the price of this turkey so only standard shipping and processing charges will be added.
- Available in multiple sizes
- Free-range
- More costly than other brands
Opt for a free-range turkey like this one from Willie Bird that’ll leave you with a delicious, juicy flavor with every bite. These turkeys are given the chance to freely roam on Northern California hills while being fed a natural diet which puts them in pristine condition for the season.
The turkey is then shipped fresh to your doorstep in a vacuum sealed bag with ice packs to maintain freshness. They are available in a variety of sizes from 10 to 12 pounds (7-9 servings) and 20 to 22 pounds (18-20 servings).
How We Picked
To find the best Thanksgiving turkeys you can buy online, we researched over 10 different brands and narrowed down the options based on user experience, preparation, and cost. We wanted to select brands that had a range of offerings from budget-friendly turkeys to larger options for big families celebrating together this holiday season.
What to Know Before Buying a Thanksgiving Turkey
How Much Turkey Do I Need Per Person?
Whether you’re having four people or 20 people at your Thanksgiving feast, you’ll want to make sure you have enough turkey for everyone to enjoy. Chef Claude Booker, CEO and founder of Soul Food Starters, recommends thinking in ounces when it comes to figuring out how many pounds each person will likely eat.
“A portion size of 8 ounces (half a pound) is perfect for one individual as that covers the first plate,” says Booker. “That said, a family of 4 would do well with a 6-8 pound bone in turkey breast as it will provide about 2.5 pounds of cooked turkey.”
Using that same math, a family of 8 would do well with a 15 pound whole turkey, a family of 12 with a 20 pound whole turkey and a family of 20 would do well with cooking two 20 pound whole turkey.
How to Thaw a Turkey
When it comes time to prepare the turkey, it is best to plan early and thaw under refrigeration. “A good rule of thumbs is to keep the turkey in its original packaging while thawing and allow one day for every 4 pounds,” says Booker. “If the turkey has to be thawed out quicker, this can be done in an ice bath in which the turkey is submerged for roughly 12 hours.”
You’ll want to check with the directions provided with each turkey to make sure the thawing instructions don’t deviate too much from this so it comes out just right.
What Makes the Best-Tasting Turkey?
Although smoky and BBQ flavors are starting to become more popular, Booker still prefers a traditional flavor profile. “I love the classic flavor profile that has flavors of herbs like rosemary, thyme and maybe a little sage if stuffed with the dressing,” he says. “I love applying dried onion and garlic powder in my turkey rub as well. The brining also helps to draw the natural juices of the turkey giving an enhanced poultry flavor.”
Is an Organic Turkey Healthier?
According to Booker, the difference between the two simply rests in the fact that the organic turkey has only been fed organic food and the facility follows strict guidelines outlined by the certifying agency. In these cases, generally no synthetic herbicides and chemicals are present in the facility.
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