Best Turkey Deals or Sales in Michigan (2016)

Welcome to the 7th annual (wow I can't believe it has been that many years) Eat Like No One Else guide to buying turkeys here in my home state - the Great Lakes state - MICHIGAN!

All Michiganders make sure you FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM. I reguarly post what I am finding in local grocery stores incuding what's in season, what tastes good, as well as what's going for a good price.

In this guide you find the prices of turkeys across the entire state of Michigan. If your store is missing, let me know in the comments sectiom below and I will make sure to add that information. Speaking of comments, Jeff Boldt, I am awaiting your annual commment in my comment section!

Here are some stats on prices for this year.

Michigan Turkey Stats

CHEAPEST TURKEY - A tie between Meijer and Kroger. They both offer store brand frozen turkeys for 59 cents a pound
CHEAPEST FRESH TURKEY - If we are talking fresh turkeys, the winner for the cheapest option is Costco with their 99 cents a pound fresh Butterbal turkey.
MOST EXPENSIVE TURKEY - $5.99 a pouund for the Michigan Organic turkey at Arbor Farms Market in Ann Arbor.
CHEAPEST ORGANIC TURKEY - $2.99 a pound for the Foster Farms turkey at Costco
IF COULD BUY ANY TURKEY - I would love to try the Michigan pasture-raised turkey at Arbor Farms Market in Ann Arbor. I haven't had a freen range or pasture raised turkey before and would be interested in actually tasting the side by side with the cheap frozen one from Kroger or Meijer.

How Can Stores Make Turkeys So Cheap

There is a reason why you must make $30 purchases besides the turkey to get the deal. Meijer isn't making any money off the turkeys, in fact I would bet they are losing money on the deal. But the price is so good it attracts people to the store and gets them to buy more while they are there.

The Turkeys I Recommend

If you just want the cheapest turkey money can buy then fill no shame about heading to Meijer or Kroger and getting their store brand turkey. I have bought their turkeys before and have made a delicious meal with them.

If you are looking for organic, Costco is your best option or if you don't have a membership then Whole Foods Market. Same with fresh turkeys. I would avoid buying a fresh turkey from Meiijer or Kroger as I have seen them mishandled in the past. See photo below.

While I am not blaming Meijer for a mistake like that as that was probably a customer, however I want to see clear separation of the fresh and frozen turkeys and the cheaper, big chains don't do as good of job with that. If I am going to buy a fresh turkey I want to make sure it wasn't mixed up with frozen at any point and treated properly.

Make sure when you are done reading the guide to check out some of these other Thanksgiving-related posts: What is a Self-Basted Turkey?, What is an Organic Turkey?,Essential Thanksgiving Kitchen Tools, Pop-Up Timers, Pumpkin Recipes.

Whole Foods Market
Two locations in Ann Arbor, as well as stores in Troy, Rochester Hills, Midtown Detroit and West Bloomfield.
Nature’s Rancher Fresh Turkey $2.49/lb
Organic Turkey $3.99/lb
Valerie’s Family Brined Whole Turkey $2.49/lb
Fresh Kosher Turkey $3.99/lb
Bone-in Turkey Breast $4.99/lb
Boneless Turkey Breast $6.99/lb
Organic Bone-In Turkey Breast $6.99/lb

Please note the Detroit store has these price differences
Nature’s Rancher Fresh Turkey $1.99/lb
Organic Turkey $2.99/lb

The Produce Station
Ann Arbor
Michigan-Raised Tom Otto’s Farm (Middleville, Michigan) White Broad-Breasted Fresh. Otto turkeys are hormone and antibiotic-free! Call (734) 663-7010 to place your order. The cost is $3.99/pound.

Meijer
Various locations throughout the state. Prices may be slightly different in each store, check your store to be sure.
For the 3rd year in a row Meijer is offering 50& off all frozen or fresh turkeys. This year they changed them minium additional purchase to $30.

Here are some example prices with the 50% off:
Meijer Frozen Turkey $.59/lb
Butterball Frozen Turkey $1.19/lb

Costco
Butterball Fresh Turkey $.99/lb
Foster Farms Organic Turkey $2.99/lb

Sam's Club
Prices coming Friday, November 18, 2016

Trader Joe's
Ann Arbor, Northville, Farmington Hills, Royal Oak, Rochester Hills, Grand Rapids, and Gross Pointe
Trader Joe's All Natural, Brined, Fresh Young Turkeys (12-22 pound birds) for $1.99 per pound
Glatt Kosher, All Natural, Fresh Young Turkeys (12-16 pound birds) for $2.99 per pound (up $.50 a pound from last season)

Arbor Farms
Ann Arbor
1) Michigan Fresh Turkey, Pasture-raised | $4.50/lb.
From the Circle B Turkey Farm in the northwestern Michigan community of Mancelona, where Jim Biehl and family have been raising turkeys for over 50 years. The birds are allowed to graze the pasture during daylight hours; as night falls they are chased back into the brooder barns for safety. The turkeys have ample room to run and exercise, dine on bugs and grasshoppers, and roost under beautiful shade trees as nature intended. Their forage diet is supplemented with a non-GMO, all-vegetarian feed. No growth hormones, antibiotics or animal by-products are used in the feed. Artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are never used on the farm. Our Michigan turkeys are grazing on bugs and grasses and roaming freely, giving them an unmatched texture and flavor. Order early, we will sell out!

2) Peacock Fresh Amish Country Turkey | $2.99/lb.
This is the same quality turkey that we’ve been enjoying for over 25 years:
natural (no preservatives or additives), minimally-processed without
growth hormones, and fresh from farms in the Midwest.

3) Michigan Organic Fresh Turkey | $5.99/lb.
Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO and fed a vegetarian-based diet of organic grains. Raised “free-range” by the Garrett family at GCC Organic Farm in Mt. Pleasant, MI.

Country Market
Jackson, Chelsea, Brooklyn, Adrian, and Dexter
Amish Country Frozen Turkey $.57/pound (with additional $50 purchase, limit 1, additional turkeys are $1.59/pound)
Butterball Frozen Turkey $1.59/pound
Honeysuckle White Frozen Turkey $1.49/pound
Festive Bone-In Turkey Breast $1.59/pound

Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market
Clinton Township and Shelby Township
Peacock Amish Whole Turkey $2.79/lb
Fresh Boneless Turkey Breast $4.99/lb
Bone-In Turkley Breast $1.79/lb

Plumb’s
Locations in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Norton Shores, Muskegon Heights, Newaygo, N. Muskegon, and Whitehall.
Self Basting (that means it has been soaked in a solution of water, salt, and seasonings) Young Frozen Turkey $.99/pound with $25 additional purchase

Busch’s
Ann Arbor, Saline, Clinton, Tecumseh, Dexter, Pinckney, South Lyon, Plymouth/Northville, Carleton, Livonia, Novi, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, and Rochester Hills.
Jennie-O Frozen Turkey 59¢ Per Pound (with an additional $35 Purchase. Limit 1, $1.59/pound without or additional)
Timber Valley Fresh Amish Turkeys $1.99/pound
Weekend Only Sale on Frozen Butterball or Honeysuckle turkeys for $.99/lb

Kroger
Various locations throughout the state. Prices may be slightly different in each store, check your store to be sure.
Kroger Frozen Turkey $.59/lb (Limit 2)
Honeysuckle Fresh Turkey $1.29/lb (Limit 2)
Honeysuckle Turkey Breast $1.79/lb

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market
Locations in East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Troy, Rochester Hills, Farmington, and Northville
Fresh Thyme Fresh Turkey $1.27/lb

Lucky's Market
Ann Arbor
Amish Country All-Natural Fresh Turkey $1.38/lb
Plainville Antibotic-Free Fresh Turkey $1.99/lb
Mary's Organic Free Range Turkey $3.49/lb

Tom’s Food Market, Family Fare, and Olesons
Various Locations
50% off all frozen turkeys, limit 1
Open Acres Fresh Turkeys $1.79/lb
Butterball Bonless Turkey Breast Roast $9.99 for 3 lbs

Joe's Produce
Livonia
Amish Country Turkey $1.99/lb (50 cents a pound cheapear this year!)
Bowman & Landes Free Range Turkey $3.29/lb
Bell & Evans Turkey $3.49/lb (20 cents a pound cheaper this year!)
Blehl's Michigan Turkey $4.69/lb
GCC Organic Turkey $5.29/lb

Holiday Market
Royal Oak
Free Range Grade A All Natural Fresh Turkey $2.69/lb

Holiday Market
Canton
Free Range Turkey, call to order
Frozen Bone-In Turkey Breast $1.99/lb

Village Market
Elk Rapids, Central Lake, and Rapid City
Spartan Self-Basting Frozen Turkey (12 to 17 lb) $13 off
Spartan Self-Basting Frozen Turkey (18 lb and up) $19 off