The Best Places to Order Turkey for Thanksgiving
Updated: Feb. 15, 2024
Skip the lines and limited selection at your grocery store this November. You can order turkey for Thanksgiving and get a fresh, tasty bird without leaving home.
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Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. And ahead of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, shopping for Black Friday sales and gathering with loved ones, there’s an important detail on the to-do list: Order turkey for Thanksgiving.
If you’d prefer to skip the grocery store lines and inevitable turkey shortages, try ordering one of these delicious birds directly to your door. We found juicy, flavorful options for every feast.
While you’re waiting for your turkey to arrive, brush up on our best-kept turkey tips. Learn how to brine, season and spatchcock your bird for extra flavor. Or, discover why it’s not the best idea to cook your turkey with stuffing. At a bare minimum, consult our chart on how long to cook a turkey.
When to Order Your Turkey
Plan to order a turkey for Thanksgiving well before the feast to ensure enough time for delivery. Fortunately, turkeys are fairly easy birds to ship, store and prep. Many brands even ship frozen turkeys that can survive in your freezer for months until Thanksgiving.
Just make sure to thaw your turkey in advance. The rule of thumb is to allow one day of thawing for every four pounds, so a larger turkey can take five or six days.
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Willie Bird
From procuring to seasoning, Willie Bird Turkeys available at Williams Sonoma, pays attention to every detail. This results in an incredibly tasty bird—and an easy way to order turkey for Thanksgiving. Whether you prefer your turkey smoked, flavored or plain, or with the bone in or out, Willie Bird offers plenty of options. Put your cooking chops to the test by stuffing the turkey with more than, well, stuffing.
Editor’s Pick: Free-Range Pre-Brined Turkey
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D’Artagnan
There’s a reason why highly rated D’Artagnan Turkeys taste so good: They’re raised free-range on American farms, without any antibiotics or hormones. The focus is on treating birds well, and the Taste of Home staff considers D’Artagnan turkeys a Thanksgiving essential. The company sells whole, unseasoned turkeys, as well as ground turkey and breast-only options for a small-scale Thanksgiving dinner.
Editor’s Pick: Organic Turkey
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Uncle Ray’s Fried Turkeys
Deep-frying a turkey is no small feat. Leave it to the pros, then have it delivered straight to your door with Uncle Ray’s Fried Turkeys. In partnership with Goldbelly, the Dallas-based business specializes in the elusive Thanksgiving treat and offers both spicy and mild varieties, as well as turkey legs. All whole-bird options ship frozen and feed up to a dozen people. The crew won’t soon forget this Cajun-style offering with a crispy kick.
Editor’s Pick: Cajun Mild Deep-Fried Turkey
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Rastelli’s
Preparing for Thanksgiving dinner is hard enough without having to worry about a less-than-tasty turkey. We like that Rastelli’s makes cooking the entree easy with its organic and whole-bird options, as well as its oven-ready turkey breast option. The last of that list (and our favorite!) is smothered with a Tuscan seasoning blend and weighs 5.5 pounds—perfect for a small group. After all, Rastelli’s is one of our favorite meat delivery services.
Editor’s Pick: Oven-Ready Turkey Breast
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Harry & David
Harry & David offers plenty of gourmet entrees for either a typical turkey dinner or a nontraditional feast. You can order turkey for Thanksgiving or change things up with a tasty glazed carving ham. You could even choose beef Wellington or prime rib for some extra elegance! Not only does Harry & David have lots of entree options but it can also deliver your entire feast, including stuffing, brown sugar sweet potatoes and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Speaking of dessert, you might be interested in this turkey-shaped pan for a show-stopping display.
Editor’s Pick: Smoked Turkey
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Alewel’s Country Meats
Alewel’s Country Meats has been smoking meats (and its competitors!) for more than 90 years. Although the company, of course, cooks up amazing hams, sausages and bacon, they also churn out some mean turkey legs, as well as a 10-pound whole turkey. We’re big fans of the former. Order turkey for Thanksgiving and your guests will eat like kings for a night.
Editor’s Pick: King’s Turkey Legs
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Perdue Farms
Wrangling the main course for Thanksgiving has never been easier, thanks to Perdue Farms. The company offers turkey breasts, whole turkeys and bundles that include both turkey and ham. This is ideal for those families looking to hold on to tradition and try their hand at a new one all at once. Here’s exactly how much turkey to make per person.
Editor’s Pick: Premium Holiday Turkey
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Omaha Steaks
We consider a box from Omaha Steaks as one of the best gifts for grillers. One of the company’s turkeys, on the other hand—well, that’s one of the best gifts for a host. With standard selections, such as whole-basted and smoked turkeys, as well as signature specials, such as turkey roulade, there’s a pick to make any entertainer’s holiday a whole lot simpler.
Editor’s Pick: Whole Basted Turkey
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Herbert’s Specialty Meats
What’s better than nibbling on one type of bird for Thanksgiving? Nibbling on three! The original Turducken, available from Herbert’s Specialty Meats on Goldbelly, features turkey, duck and chicken, all stuffed inside one another, alongside Cajun cornbread stuffing. The large version feeds a whopping 25 people, so the whole family will leave feeling as full as the turkey did at the start of the meal.
Editor’s Pick: Large Turducken
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Good Chop
Good Chop is a meat delivery service—and it certainly does have the chops! The singular turkey selection hails from a fourth-generation farm based in Pennsylvania that guarantees humane conditions for its birds. If you’re feeling adventurous, don’t scroll past Good Chop’s incredible filet mignon, crab cakes or baby back ribs. For more, read our Good Chop review to learn about everything we tried.
Editor’s Pick: Whole Turkey
Additional research contributed by Annamarie Higley, Taste of Home Shopping Editor
Originally Published: November 21, 2022
