Where to order Thanksgiving turkey: 7 best mail-order options for 2024

Whether it’s your first time hosting this year’s Thanksgiving or you’re a seasoned “hostess with the mostest” — cooking the perfect, golden brown turkey never fails to be a daunting task.

Not only do you have to cook it at the right temperature (that’s where good meat thermometers come into play) but you have to ensure it feeds all of your guests, has enough flavor and checks all the other boxes.

To help you prepare for this year’s holiday, we rounded up the best places to order a Thanksgiving turkey online. Some of these shops include both frozen and pre-made options. Think of it as your fairy godmother of sorts — simply labeled “Thanksgiving meal kit.”

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What’s more, we spoke with a culinary expert on everything you need to know about a turkey, including the perfect oven temperature for your bird, how to prepare a frozen turkey, what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers and more.

Click to jump to our in-depth FAQ section following our favorite online places to order Thanksgiving turkey from, including expertise from culinary experts on how much to order per person, notes for cleaning one and more.

As one of the most acclaimed places to buy a turkey online, Harry & David has a classic catalog of Thanksgiving turkeys to choose from. Namely, its Smoked Turkey ($130) is a crowd-pleaser, alongside the Oven-Roasted Turkey ($130) and Diestel Naturally Smoked Turkey ($130).

What’s more, the brand also has a Gourmet Turkey Feast ($270) up for grabs as well if you’d like to impress your guests with all your favorite sides, too. For dessert, Harry & David even has a Belgian Milk Chocolate Turkey Centerpiece ($120) to kick your traditional bird up a notch for a sweet treat.

Shipping Time: 4-7 business days

What’s great about Porter Road is its simplistic approach to ordering a turkey online. You don’t have to grow overwhelmed with a bounty of options — it only has a Whole Turkey online that comes in three different size ranges to best suit your Thanksgiving table.

This bird is selling out quickly, so we urge you to add the Whole Turkey to your online shopping cart to guarantee this year’s bird for your table. Plus, the offering is pasture-raised, grown without antibiotics or added hormones and will deliver quickly.

Shipping Time: 3-5 business days

If you’re on a budget and want to whip up your Thanksgiving turkey from scratch, you can’t go wrong with the Good & Gather Premium Basted Frozen Young Turkey — and yes, it’s straight from Target.

It’s the best online for a large crowd, too, weighing in between to 20 to 24 pounds. It’s a marinated turkey with 9.5% of turkey broth, salt, sodium phosphate sugar and flavoring. It also includes a gravy packet and was made without hormones or steroids.

Simply keep frozen until getting ready to serve, then cook fully to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.

Shipping Time: 3-5 business days

Best for All the Fixings: Omaha Steaks

You didn’t think Omaha Steaks offered more than prime rib and filet mignon — but think again. Not only can you order turkey but you can grab curated Thanksgiving feasts that’ll help streamline your preparation.

From its Whole Basted Turkey ($100 to $200) to its Smoked Whole Turkey ($112 to $225), it has never been easier to select by your flavor preference. You also can’t go wrong with its Thanksgiving Turkey Feast ($211) that includes a 10-pound whole basted turkey, green bean casserole, steakhouse creamed corn, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, individual baguettes with garlic butter and caramel apple tartlets.

Shipping Time: 8-9 business days

The fresh quality of farm-to-table foods is something you can simply taste. Rich in flavor and made wholesomely, shopping from local farms isn’t only healthier, but more succulent.

Heartstone Farm is one of the best destinations to order your Thanksgiving turkey from this year. Its All-Natural Vermont Turkey ($119 to $159) comes the week of Nov. 18 and is offered three different size ranges. It’s void of antibiotics and growth hormones so you can rest assured you and your guests will enjoy an all-natural turkey.

Better yet, Heartstone Farms will pack up your turkey and ship it frozen to you, encased in its compostable insulated boxes with plenty of dry ice.

Shipping Time: 1-3 business days

With a name like Perdue Farms, you know it’s going to be good. Namely, the grocery store-popular name offers its Premium Holiday Turkey ($95), the hallmark ingredient to make its signature Deep-Fried Turkey from scratch. It only takes 70 minutes to whip up the entree.

Even better, Perdue Farms wonderfully outlines everything you need to know for popping your main event into the oven on Thanksgiving Day — including cooking time and preparation notes. It doesn’t get better than that.

Shipping Time: 3-10 business days

Best Flavoring Options: Goldbelly

Think of Goldbelly as the Bloomingdale’s of Turkey — an incredible hub for several highly rated birds, all at your fingertips.

We recommend looking into Uncle Ray’s Cajun Mild Deep Fried Turkey ($130) with an overall grade of 4.9 out of 5 stars that’ll fly to your door from Dallas. Also on the table is Logan Farms’ Hickory Smoked Turkey ($110), a nine-pound bird hailing from Jackson, Mississippi. If you want to impress your guests with a unique bird, Goldbelly has them all.

Shipping Time: Varies/dependant on when you schedule

D’Artagnan is a popular name for turkeys — and for a good reason. They’re readily available to purchase online and come in a wealthy variety, from its Whole Goose ($251 to $305) and Organic Bone-In Turkey Breast ($99 to $125) to its Green Circle Free-Range Turkey Breast ($55 to $110) and premium Heritage Turkey ($176 to $310).

Now, you can pre-order select cuts or add some that are available to your online shopping cart. It’s a standout brand for its widespread offerings and unique flavor blends.

Shipping Time: Can be scheduled

An FAQ on Ordering Thanksgiving Turkey Online

What to look for in a turkey, per a culinary expert

While there are many different types of ways to prepare a turkey, there surprisingly isn’t much of a difference between your main Thanksgiving dish.

“In general, the vast majority of turkeys are commodity products and there is little variation in the way they are raised,” Shawn Matijevich, lead chef of Online Culinary Arts & Food Operations at the Institute of Culinary Education told the New York Post. Matijevich is also a former five-year Navy chef who prepared Thanksgiving dinners for more than 1,000 people.

“The farmers all have contracts with the distributers that lay out how they are raised and the standards for the birds,” he adds. “Your run of the mill turkey will have a high meat to bone ratio and tender meat.”

How much Thanksgiving turkey to order per person

Surely, this is a personal choice, but Matijevich provides an estimate as you prepare your Thanksgiving menu.

“An average person can eat one pound of food in a setting like a Thanksgiving meal,” he says. “If you want to have leftovers, then you can buy a bigger bird, but one pound of raw product per person is a good place to start.”

What is a heritage turkey?

Heritage turkeys are an interesting trend at the moment, according to Matijevich. In short, they are breeds that retain some of the original characteristics that have been bred out of modern, commercial breeds.

“Some chefs will tell you that they taste better and are better for you than commercial turkeys, but you have to remember that there was a reason that some characteristics and traits were purposely bred out,” he notes. “Those birds take a longer time to get to market which means they are a lot more expensive. They also have a lower meat to bone ratio and they are much tougher in general.”

While heritage turkeys have more flavor, Matijevich recommends passing on preparing one if you don’t have a full understanding of how to treat a “tougher” bird.

What’s the difference between free-range turkey and organic turkey?

Ahead, Matijevich outlines the difference of this much-heard-about grocery store lingo:

• Free-range: This means that 51% of the turkey’s life has been spent ‘outdoors.’ It isn’t what most people imagine as outdoors either, the birds aren’t frolicking with other animals in a pasture, it means they live in a shed that is packed to the brim with hundreds of other turkeys.
• Organic: This means that they have been fed a diet without hormones or steroids. They have also been fed only organic feed.

How long does it take to thaw a frozen turkey?

If you have an average bird (15 to 20 pounds), Matijevich recommends having it in the refrigerator for one week before you plan to cook it.

For best results, buy a frozen turkey at least a week in advance of the day you plan on cooking it and to ensure it thaws correctly.

“If you’re thawing in the refrigerator, remove the turkey from the package to let the excess water evaporate off the skin,” he adds. “It’ll give you crispier skin and an overall more flavorful bird.”

What should the oven temperature be for a turkey?

Uniquely, Matijevich uses two temperatures. “First, I preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and place the turkey in to cook until the skin begins to brown,” he begins. “Then I take it out and drop the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and return the bird once the temperature drop happens.” This makes for a very juicy roast bird.

What kitchen tools to buy for preparing your Thanksgiving turkey

You can’t cook a bird without the proper tools in your arsenal. According to Matijevich, you need a good meat thermometer.

“If you don’t want to be surprised by a super dry or raw inside when you go to carve, get a thermometer,” he recommends. “The turkey is done when the thermometer registers 161 degrees Fahrenheit when it is placed in the thickest part of the breast.”

Also, picking up a good roasting pan is key. “It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to be sturdy – but avoid non-stick roasting pans,” he notes.

What’s the best Thanksgiving turkey flavor?

Ah, the golden cheat code we’re all dying to know about. Here’s Matijevich’s secret recipe that he shared with The Post:

“I make a compound butter of rosemary, garlic, thyme, lemon zest, and orange zest to rub all over the bird and under the skin,” he lists. “I stuff the cavity with rosemary and lemons.”

The most important note, though, is to use the flavors you like. “I think the flavor of the turkey on its own is very good and the gravy will do the rest,” he adds.

How to make Thanksgiving stuffing

With Thanksgiving comes a slew of scrumptious sides, though Matijevich doesn’t recommend making stuffing inside the turkey.

“This adds an unnecessary level of complication to the process that causes the meat of the bird to overcook,” he notes. “You need to cook the bird until both the stuffing and the meat come to 165 Fahrenheit because the stuffing soaked with raw turkey juice is actually more dangerous than raw turkey on its own.”

That said, this will result in the meat being very overcooked by the time the stuffing inside is done.   

How to ensure a clean cooking space when preparing turkey

If there’s one big no-no in cooking your Thanksgiving turkey, it’s cross-contamination.

“Once the turkey is prepped and in the pan, clean your kitchen,” Matijevich says. “Use soap and water followed by a wipe down and then a little sanitizer over all your surfaces and equipment.” And, of course, wash your hands often.

What to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey

Above all else, Matijevich recommends using leftover Thanksgiving turkey and making a turkey pot pie. You can also make a turkey-leftovers grilled cheese.

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