5 Major Grocery Chains Selling the Cheapest Turkeys

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CORRECTION: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023 at 11 a.m.:

An earlier version of this article cited data from a Finance Buzz study that claimed the most affordable 12-pound turkey at Whole Foods cost $41.88. Following the publication of this article on Nov. 15, a Whole Foods spokesperson reached out to Eat This, Not That! saying that the Whole Foods turkey price mentioned in the study was inaccurate. The most affordable 12-pound turkey at Whole Foods actually costs $29.88 for regular shoppers or $23.88 for Amazon Prime members, the spokesperson said.

While turkey isn't required to enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, many Americans refuse to celebrate the holiday without the classic roasted bird. Cargill, a company that specializes in food, agricultural, and industrial products, recently released a report revealing that more than eight in 10 consumers plan to purchase whole turkeys for Thanksgiving this year. This means that wherever you end up dining on Thanksgiving Day this year, there's a pretty big chance that turkey will be on the menu.

"Americans hold onto the belief that a whole turkey should be the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal with family and friends," said Hans Kabat, president of Cargill's North American protein business.

In good news for any shoppers on the hunt for the absolute best turkey deals this year, a new study from financial site Finance Buzz compared how much all the major grocery chains charge for enough turkey, pumpkin pie, and sides to feed eight people. The results revealed that turkeys are much more affordable at some grocery chains than others, so we've rounded up the five retailers with the absolute cheapest turkey prices in 2023.

Just keep in mind that the actual price of your Thanksgiving turkey might differ from the prices included in this study. That's because turkeys are often priced per pound, so the cost depends on how big of a bird you opt for. Different grocery stores under the same grocery chain may also offer slightly different prices for the same item. Still, the study will give consumers the best idea of where to look if they want to pay as little as possible for their Thanksgiving turkey in 2023.

HEB

h-e-b fresh foods exterior — JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock

While H-E-B's turkey aren't quite as cheap as the other four on this list, they're still much more affordable than the turkeys from higher-end grocery chains. The study found that consumers will pay $23.76 for their Thanksgiving bird at the regional grocer, which operates in Texas and Mexico. The overall price for a full eight-person Thanksgiving dinner at H-E-B came out to $41.56.

Aldi

As one of America's most prevalent discount grocers, it's really no surprise that Aldi boasts some of the cheapest turkey prices in 2023. According to the study, Aldi shoppers can score a whole turkey for around $15.24 this year.

Turkeys, however, are far from the only Thanksgiving items that Aldi shoppers can score major savings on this holiday season. The retailer announced last month that it was lowering prices on more than 70 popular Thanksgiving items, including refrigerated pie crusts, charcuterie board fixings, and gravy mixes. The study found that an eight-person Thanksgiving meal at Aldi costs $30.27, the second-lowest grand total out of all the chains.

Kroger

Kroger fans, rejoice! With a price tag of $11.88 for a whole bird, the grocery chain has Aldi beat on turkey prices in 2023. Kroger's prices for a Thanksgiving meal that can feed eight people aren't too shabby either. The grand total for turkey and all of the other Thanksgiving essentials came out to $34.44 in the study.

Target

In an exact tie with Kroger, the study also found that Target's turkeys are going for just $11.88 this year. Out of all of the major grocery chains, Target also boasts some of the cheapest prices for a full Thanksgiving dinner. The study reported that turkey, sides, and dessert for eight people cost $40.01 at Target.

That's even more cost-effective than the Thanksgiving bundles Target is selling this year. The grocer is charging $25 for a Thanksgiving meal that can feed four people. So in order to feed eight, customers would have to purchase two bundles for around $50.

Walmart

With a price of just $11.76, Walmart boasted the cheapest turkey prices out of all the chains included in the study. The study also found that Walmart can feed eight people on Thanksgiving for the lowest cost out of all the chains. Between the turkey, gravy, sides, and pumpkin pie, the grand total for a Walmart Thanksgiving dinner came out to a mere $29.86.