Which Grocery Store Chains Have The Best (And Worst) Thanksgiving Turkey, According To Customers

For weekly groceries, regular grocery store shoppers likely stick with a go-to chain or two. But when it comes to a once-a-year purchase like a Thanksgiving turkey, going to whichever store offers the best product may well take precedence over any sort of routine.

Most chains, it's worth clarifying up front, offer a couple or a few different kinds of Thanksgiving turkeys. On one end of the spectrum are frozen, uncooked turkeys, and on the other end are precooked turkeys, usually accompanied by sides — though that latter option is still chilled and can still require extensive prep at home. Also in the mix are "fresh" turkeys, which are stored cold but can't be cooled below 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

Comparing Thanksgiving turkeys at competing grocery stores required highlighting whatever each store does that's unique. Plenty of grocery stores sell Butterball turkeys, for example, and it's entirely possible one of the "worst" chains might, nevertheless, offer the best price on a Butterball turkey. Rather, individual factors like how each store prepares its premade turkeys, or even frozen turkey brands unique to a particular store, served as the basis for this list. Based on those criteria, the following are the best and worst grocery store chains for Thanksgiving turkeys, based on feedback from customers online.

Walmart earns its spot as one of the best stores for Thanksgiving turkey based largely on a deal that pairs a whole frozen turkey with a variety of sides for somewhere between $30 and $40. Customers who prioritize savings have highlighted this offer for its sheer value. There's a chance that competing budget-oriented stores might offer something comparable, but given Walmart's large footprint, this is likely the cheapest Thanksgiving turkey dinner option for a fair number of people. One Walmart shopper who purchased the bundle found that it was enough food for two meals for a family of seven.

Another advantage at Walmart for shoppers not necessarily interested in the full meal deal, is the chain's massive size resulting in a pretty deep turkey selection. Brands available at Walmart stores — pending location, of course — range from budget-friendly options like Jennie-O, to pricier alternatives like Shady Brook Farms, which promotes turkey free of antibiotics. With that said, it's the meal deal that sets Walmart apart. "Every dollar counts," wrote one Reddit user. "Those few dollars could go [toward] a few extra pounds of turkey."

What singlehandedly makes the Thanksgiving turkey selection at Sam's Club stores stand out is its Member's Mark Hickory Smoked Whole Turkey. Outside of this particular product, shoppers have seldom expressed strong feelings one way or another about the Sam's Club turkey selection. The smoked turkey, however, is a customer favorite.

This smoked turkey costs $3.48 per pound, and each bird typically weighs between 9 and 14 pounds in total. These turkeys come fully cooked, though they still require heating up before eating. Fans of the product have described it as tender, full of flavor, and safe from the dryness that can notoriously hinder a cooked whole turkey.

Unsurprisingly, the Sam's Club smoked turkey is high in sodium. As long as that's not a dealbreaker, however, it makes for a just slightly unconventional alternative to a standard Thanksgiving turkey. Based on the prep time it saves when paired with simple sides, Sam's Club can make your Thanksgiving 10 times easier. "Sam's Club has a really good smoked turkey that I buy most years," one user wrote in a Reddit thread rounding up the very best precooked Thanksgiving turkeys on the market.

There are plenty of quality products at Costco warehouses, like 12 Costco foods that taste better than homemade favorites. Unfortunately for fans of these and other Costco staples, the chain's Thanksgiving turkey selection has largely failed to impress customers.

In the premade turkey department, Costco sells both a lavish $199.99 meal online and a turkey dinner kit in stores that tends to retail for between $35 and $45. The former has disappointed more customers than not. Its turkey component in particular let down buyers for its meager size and the fact that it's breast meat only, even at such a high price point. The in-store version, meanwhile, has been praised for its low cost and not much else. One Reddit user specifically described its turkey as "subpar."

Other options may or may not be available depending on the location. Some Costcos, for example, will only stock turkey breasts rather than full birds. When deciding whether or not you should buy your Thanksgiving turkey from Costco, the deciding factor here should be the fact that the chain's options are lacking compared to its competitors.

H-E-B is a decidedly regional chain, with its stateside footprint limited to just Texas. Texans in need of a Thanksgiving turkey may already be planning an H-E-B trip, given the chain's cult following in the Lone Star State. Thankfully, customers who have relied on H-E-B for its Thanksgiving turkeys in the past have routinely enjoyed what the chain has to offer.

Like many of its larger competitors, H-E-B sells Thanksgiving meals revolving around a precooked turkey — though, whereas in past years meals could be purchased individually, in 2025 the chain switched to a system through which customers purchase each component à la carte. With that said, the turkey meal has impressed quite a few shoppers. "That giant 13.5-pound turkey and all the sides were DELICIOUS! Thank you to HEB," wrote one Reddit user about their precooked Thanksgiving meal. "I sincerely am thankful for all of you!" Plus, customers have characterized the frozen turkey selection at H-E-B stores as generally solid, if unremarkable.

Kroger, it's worth specifying right off the bat, is the parent company of a wide range of grocery store chains. Beyond just Kroger stores, its corporate umbrella also covers names like Ralphs, Smith's, Food 4 Less, and Fred Meyer, among plenty of others. So, Kroger's general strength as a Thanksgiving turkey supplier should extend to other stores owned by the Kroger corporation as well.

First off, Kroger delis prepare precooked turkeys that can be purchased solo or included in premade Thanksgiving meals. Customers typically do not have strong feelings about the Kroger precooked turkeys, but enough people buy them to suggest that they're worthwhile. The chain's frozen turkey selection, meanwhile, includes brands like Honeysuckle White that some customers find superior to competing options at a similar price point.

All in all, Kroger isn't a flashy Thanksgiving turkey supplier by any means, but its inventory reliably gets the job done. "I always buy Kroger brand birds," wrote a Reddit user. "They're excellent."

Functionally, most shoppers won't find too many differences between Kroger and Albertsons stores — the latter of which owns chains like Safeway, Vons, Acme, Jewel-Osco, and others. Sure, each sells its own house brands, and individual stores may well buy from unique suppliers. But on the whole, the stores offer pretty equivalent experiences. With that said, buying, say, a standard Butterball turkey shouldn't differ too much between each chain. Nevertheless, whereas customers online have characterized Kroger's turkey selection as reliable, Albertsons has garnered its fair share of criticism.

Its premade Thanksgiving meals, for example, have been described as serviceable at best, and lacking flavor at worst. Some have also criticized the precooked turkey breast from the store's hot case for being overcooked. Plus, customers have described the Albertsons frozen turkey breast as offering poor value, given that its weight is bolstered by an undesirable free gravy packet.

Shoppers don't have much to say one way or another about standard frozen turkeys from Albertsons, but the surprising preponderance of negative experiences overall suggests that some caution is warranted for anything but those standard frozen turkeys. "I bought a Thanksgiving meal through Albertsons," wrote one Reddit user, adding that it was "not good. Bland, a bit undercooked. So disappointing."

The Trader Joe's experience can be pretty hit-or-miss. Since the chain is both budget-oriented and stocked predominantly with Trader Joe's exclusives, products are typically either gems at low price points or poorly made disappointments. Keeping a few things in mind before shopping at Trader Joe's can help ensure a good shopping experience. When it comes to Thanksgiving turkey, customers have little else but high praise for Trader Joe's, making the chain an uncontroversially great option for Thanksgiving dinner.

Two qualities customers particularly appreciate about turkeys from Trader Joe's are that they lack additives — save for its brined turkey, which includes extra ingredients for flavor, of course — and that they're only ever sold fresh, not frozen. Options at Trader Joe's include an organic, free-range young turkey, an all-natural, brined turkey, an all-natural, kosher young turkey, and an herb-seasoned, brined half-turkey. Virtually all of these birds have earned high marks with shoppers, meaning it's pretty much impossible to go wrong. "My family has been using TJ's turkeys for the last few years and love them!" wrote one Reddit user. "We've had them roasted and fried and never had any complaints."

Just as H-E-B is a favorite among its Texas customer base, Publix has amassed a sort of cult following among shoppers in its area of operation across the Southern United States. For both quality food and attentive customer service, Publix ranks among 11 Southern grocery chains that should be everywhere. Fans of Publix can rest assured that the beloved grocery store chain is a solid Thanksgiving turkey purveyor.

When it comes to frozen turkeys, Publix customers have highlighted the monetary value of its standard, store-brand young turkeys. Its precooked Thanksgiving meals, meanwhile, have earned high marks from a multitude of customers. Shoppers have found that the turkey component is the star of the show, lacking any dreaded dryness, and with a tasty — albeit salt-heavy — flavor. "The precooked turkeys have been my go to for the last couple years," wrote one Reddit user. "All you really do is [warm] it up. Perfectly cooked. Great flavor. Takes little time."

Naturally, different kinds of shoppers prioritize different qualities when picking out a Thanksgiving turkey. For some, ensuring the highest quality possible is priority number one. For others, quality is secondary to value. That latter shopper should consider a trip to Aldi, which made headlines in 2025 for a killer deal on a full Thanksgiving dinner that includes a whole turkey.

The deal pairs a frozen turkey with 20 other items, totaling around $40, with the final number depending on the turkey's weight. That turkey is merely a Butterball bird, but the value of the bundle with which it's included — deliberately intended to undercut Walmart — has generated widespread discussion among frugal shoppers. Walmart may have a larger footprint and end up being the better option for some, but Aldi's deal is comparable, if not better, depending on a given shopper's priority. Plus, for solo or small Thanksgiving dinners, Aldi shoppers have nothing but good things to say about its precooked Kirkwood Turkey Breast Tenderloins. "Absolutely delicious," wrote a user on Reddit. "I think it was only like $7 too. Could easily feed a family of [four]."

Wegmans falls into the same territory as H-E-B and Publix, maintaining something of a cult following in and around its original upstate New York home. As positive as the chain's overall reputation may be, experiences with its Thanksgiving turkey are decidedly mixed. Some people, it's worth noting, have enjoyed their Wegmans turkeys, but enough customers have taken issue with the store's offerings to indicate a negative trend as opposed to a few anomalous experiences.

Complaints about the turkey in Wegmans' precooked Thanksgiving meal have ranged from a lack of flavor to an excess of salt, seeming to indicate poor quality control. One shopper even noticed a funky smell coming from a precooked Wegmans turkey. Frozen turkeys, meanwhile, are supplied by the likes of Shady Brook Farms and Jaindl. The latter is a company with a prestigious reputation, but some note that it produces subpar dark meat.

For what it's worth, there are still those who have purchased turkey from Wegmans and described it as solid. So, while it's entirely possible to procure a perfectly enjoyable turkey from a Wegmans store, bad experiences are widespread enough to indicate that disappointment is a distinct possibility.

Qualities that make Hy-Vee unique compared to most other major grocery stores include the fact that it's an employee-owned company and its commitment to customer health through dedicated gyms and nutritionists. For these and other reasons, Hy-Vee is a cult favorite in its Midwestern area of operation. Its Thanksgiving turkey options aren't necessarily as unique as the chain's way of doing business, but they're well-liked by customers all the same.

Full Thanksgiving meals are something Hy-Vee customers appreciate for the reasonable prices, ample portions, and above-average food. Some sides, like the sweet potatoes and rolls, have failed to impress, but reviews are pretty much unanimously positive for the chain's precooked turkey. Frozen turkeys at Hy-Vee, meanwhile, have something of a reputation for their size. "We've had the Hy-Vee dinner for four, so we have leftovers ... lots of leftovers, two years running now," wrote one Reddit user. "The turkey has been fantastic both years." So, Midwesterners hoping to feed a large Thanksgiving gathering might want to check Hy-Vee first.

Sprouts is a health-oriented grocery store chain, lacking big names like, say, Coca-Cola, in favor of comparatively smaller, natural, or organic brands. Sometimes, this sort of approach isn't always conducive to traditions like Thanksgiving, where familiar foods can satisfy better than artisanal alternatives — canned cranberry sauce just hits different, after all. Fortunately for Sprouts shoppers, this does not seem to be the case at Sprouts stores, based on pretty widespread positive feedback for its variety of Thanksgiving turkey products.

In the premade Thanksgiving meal department, customers have found a simple Sprouts precooked turkey plenty satisfying, based on both its flavor and lack of dryness. Also available for smaller Thanksgiving dinners are fresh turkey breasts. Full, uncooked turkeys include fresh or frozen organic. On the whole, Sprouts turkeys will likely cost a bit more than turkeys from, say, Kroger, but that price point reflects a commitment to quality. "I've bought one at Sprouts the last couple years and thought they were great," one Reddit user wrote about the chain's fresh turkey.

Whole Foods and Sprouts are effectively two sides of the same coin, as large grocery store chains stocked with health foods and related goods. There are plenty of valid reasons to prefer one over the other — Whole Foods stores are typically larger, whereas Sprouts stores tend to feature well-curated inventories. But when it comes to picking out turkey for Thanksgiving, Sprouts has the edge, based on a decidedly mixed reception toward Whole Foods' offerings.

For what it's worth, there are those who have had positive experiences with both uncooked and premade turkeys from Whole Foods. At least one customer, however, found that Whole Foods' whole turkeys went downhill after some stores apparently switched suppliers. Meanwhile, customers have routinely described precooked turkeys from Whole Foods as small, bland, and far from moist. "Last year I ordered a turkey from Whole Foods," wrote one Reddit user. "Flavorless and dry." With competing high-end chains garnering more positive feedback for quality and value-oriented stores offering better deals, Whole Foods falls into a sort of no man's land.

The things you should and shouldn't buy at The Fresh Market differ a bit compared to conventional grocery stores. That's because The Fresh Market revolves around a boutique inventory, ensuring, on one hand, a high baseline level of quality. But the byproduct of such an approach is pricey grocery store staples that fail to justify the cost. Fresh Market aficionados can rest assured that the chain's Thanksgiving turkey options fall outside of that overpriced territory, boasting a level of quality on par with some of the store's standout offerings.

Customers' characterizations of premade Thanksgiving turkey meals from The Fresh Market range from solid to exceptional, with some recommending the chain's premade turkey above all others. The Fresh Market's cooked turkey breast is likewise an item that comes highly recommended by those who have tried it. Adding to the value of The Fresh Market's Thanksgiving selection is the quality of its sides. "Biggest surprise was that [the] Fresh Market dressing was outstanding," wrote a user on Bluesky, adding, "The turkey was also terrific!"

To compile this list of the best and worst grocery store chains for Thanksgiving turkeys, customer opinions were collected from across social media — largely from Reddit, given the frequency of discussion on forums dedicated to subjects such as individual grocery store chains, shopping in geographical regions, and Thanksgiving in general. Finding relevant opinions meant searching for turkey or Thanksgiving plus the names of a grocery store, starting with the single largest chain and working backwards. Those considered the "best" racked up a string of positive reviews for the flavor, texture, and value of the stores' respective turkeys.

Notable ones that didn't end up making the final list either lacked sufficient discussion of the chains' Thanksgiving turkeys or garnered opinions that weren't strong enough in either the positive or negative direction. Each grocery store chain that did make it onto this list has inspired customers online to share a preponderance of either positive or negative opinions about its Thanksgiving turkey selection.