The 2022 edition of our guide to buying turkeys at Costco. Find out what's available to get your Thanksgiving meal planning going. Does Costco have great deals?
We also share some of our favorite techniques, tricks, and tools you will need to have a happy holiday.
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It's time again for our annual guide to buying a turkey at your favorite warehouse store - Costco.
The last few Thanksgivings I have been able to check on the turkey selection and prices in different parts of the country. 2018 Michigan, 2019 Ohio, 2020 California, 2021 Texas. And now in 2022, I was in South Carolina.
In each year the lowest cost turkey has been 99 cents. Does that continue in 2022 or is this the year that the cost finally goes up?
Jump to:
💲 Turkey Prices
Here are the prices for the 2022 Thanksgiving season.
| Fresh Whole Turkey (Almost always Butterball) | $.99/lb |
| Fresh Organic Turkey (Brand varies per location) | $3.49/lb |
| Whole Kirkland Smoked Turkey | $4.49/lb |
Are the prices higher? There is good news and there is bad news. The good news is that the fresh Butterball turkey is still the same 99 cents a pound it has been since I started doing these kinds many years ago.
But if you want one of the other options, expect to pay more this year. The organic turkey is now $3.49/lb up from $2.99 last year. And the smoked turkey is once again up in price from $3.29/lb last year to $4.49/lb this year. That's quite a jump. It was $2.99/lb back in 2020. This has been the biggest increase I have seen in terms of buying a turkey.
🎧 Wondering how Costco turkey prices measure up to other stores? Listen to our podcast episode on - What to Expect to Pay for a Turkey.
I have learned that selection isn't the same at every Costco exactly. There may be slight differences. Check your local store to see what they have.
What I see in every store is a fresh whole turkey, an organic whole turkey, and a smoked whole turkey. I have never seen a bone in turkey breast at Costco before.
Here are some things to note about each type.
| Fresh turkeys | Nearly all of them I have seen have been Butterball turkeys. There was one year I did find Honeysuckle White. | How Far in Advance to Buy a Fresh Turkey |
| Organic turkeys | I have seen 3 different brands - Foster Farms, Plainville Farms (see more in the east), or Norbest (more common in the west). | What is an Organic Turkey? |
| Smoked turkeys | They are hickory smoked turkeys with the Kirkland brand label. | How to Reheat a Smoked Turkey |
The organic turkey price is now more than Whole Foods Market, who offers them for $2.99/lb. If you are a prime member you can get them for $2.49/lb.
🦃 Additional Turkeys
The store I went to near Palm Springs, California in 2020 had these additional turkeys. I did not seen them in stores elsewhere.
| Just Cook Citrus Herb Spatchcock Turkey | $3.89/lb |
| Diestel Oven Roasted Cooked Whole Turkey | $5.29/lb |
For those intimidated by doing their own spatchcock turkey, the hard work is done for you. I have done them myself and they aren't easy to do. A chicken is so much easier. I think anyone can learn to do it.
If you do find this and decide to go with it. I recommend following Alton Brown's instructions for cooking which includes cooking the turkey directly on the rack over top of veggies and cubed bread.
Diestel turkeys are from California and usually not found in the Midwest and eastern stores. They sell many types of turkey but the ones I saw at Costco where already cooked. You may also find their heirloom turkeys in select locations in Northern California. Call store to check.
✋ Limit
Just as in 2020 and 2021, there is a limit on the number of turkeys you can buy. But the limit is 5. So I don't think that's going to be a problem unless you are having the whole neighborhood over or your family is that big!
💵 Price by Size
Here is a table with what you would pay by size. Whether you are having a lot of people or fewer guests you can find the turkey that is the right size for you - but don't wait till the last minute. 1.5 pounds per person is a generous serving size.
| Size | Butterball or Honeysuckle White ($.99/lb) | Organic ($3.49lb) |
| 10 | $9.90 | $34.90 |
| 11 | $10.89 | $38.39 |
| 12 | $11.88 | $41.88 |
| 13 | $12.87 | $45.37 |
| 14 | $13.86 | $48.86 |
| 15 | $14.85 | $52.35 |
| 16 | $15.84 | $55.84 |
| 17 | $16.83 | $59.33 |
| 18 | $17.82 | $62.82 |
| 19 | $18.81 | $66.31 |
| 20 | $19.80 | $69.80 |
| 21 | $20.79 | $73.29 |
| 22 | $21.78 | $76.78 |
| 23 | $22.77 | $80.27 |
Smoked turkeys are average between 9-12 pounds. Which means you will pay $40-$54 per turkey.
📅 How Early Can You Buy?
As soon as the turkeys are in the store you can buy them. The fresh ones won't go bad before the meal. I have never seen one at Costco that had a sell by date that was before Thanksgiving.
This year, I found the organic and smoked turkeys in stock on Thursday, November 10 (14 days before Thanksgiving) and the fresh Butterball was there on the morning of Saturday, November 12 (12 days before Thanksgiving)
Try to go early as you can for best selection. The smaller bird tend to sell out faster. Then you end up having to cook a 22 pound monster!
🎧 Want to learn more about buying meat in bulk at Costco? What can you do with all those large packages so that you don't waste any or you get bored with just eating the same thing? Listen to the interview we conducted with a fellow Costco lover on How to Manage Buying Bulk Costco Meat.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Let me answer some of the most frequent questions I get about turkey at Costco.
Do They Sell Frozen Whole Turkeys?
No, all the turkeys are fresh. The only thing you can buy frozen is a boneless turkey roast. They contain up 20% of a solution of water, sea salt, and natural flavors. That is a lot of added water! They sell for $19.49 for 4.75 pounds which comes out to about $4.10 a pound. It will cost you more money than a 19 pound whole fresh Butterball turkey.
RELATED - Fresh vs. Frozen Turkeys
When Do They Start Selling Turkeys?
You should be able to find them at the latest, the Monday that is the week before the week of Thanksgiving. Peak selection being on the Friday before Thanksgiving.
Will They Go on Sale?
The price stays the same through Thanksgiving. You might be able to see them cheaper afterward but that is not guaranteed. People have reported them being $5 off for a hen size and $15 for a tom size turkey in years past.
Do They Sell Turkey Legs?
No, I haven't see any kind of turkey legs at Costco in recent years or this year.
Which is the Best Tasting?
I think this comes down to how you season it and cook it yourself the most. But if you start with an organic turkey you will probably have a better tasting bird in the end. Will you be able to really tell the difference that much? That's the real question.
What is the Largest Size?
The largest size turkey I have seen in a Costco display was just over 22 pounds. I personally don't like larger turkeys. They are more difficult to handle and take longer to cook. I say you are better off cooking two smaller turkeys at the same time if you can make it work in your oven.
If your family prefers more white-meat turkey you could pick a turkey breast up from a different store - Costco doesn't carry us the breast meat. And cook a whole turkey as well.
Do the Turkeys Contain Artificial Ingredients?
The Butterball turkeys don't contain artificial ingredients and neither do the organic ones. The smoked turkeys I am pretty confident don't have any artificial ingredients either. They are smoked for 4 to 6 hours.
Do They Contain Turkey Broth?
Broth isn't added to the turkey. However a fresh Butterball turkey does have water, salt, and spices added to it. But not actual broth itself.
Can You Order a Turkey?
Depending on the market you live in, you may be able to get same day delivery on turkey. and other Thanksgiving ingredients. You will need to check the Costco website.
You also can look into using a service like Instacart. Keep in mind all these services will probably be used to their max this year, so don't hesitate if you want to use one.
👨🍳 How Are You Going to Cook Your Turkey?
Every year I like to cook a turkey that is dry brined and butterflied or spatchcocked. I follow Alton Brown's method. This makes all the hard work of preparing the turkey done the Sunday before.
A fresh turkey from Costco makes it easier. I have tried to butterflied a turkey that was frozen a bit in the middle still and my hands can't take that kind of cold
As a Thanksgiving bonus, I wanted to share with you my favorite tools that will make your Thanksgiving easier.
- Probe thermometer - Stick the probe in your turkey and take the guess work out of when it's done. Perfectly cooked turkey every year.
- Roasting Pan with Rack - For cooking the turkey in and finishing the gravy in
- Electric Knife - For carving the turkey, also good to slice bread
- Ricer - My secret to fluffy mashed potatoes
- Heating Pad - Can be used to keep food warm, especially good to wrap rolls or bread in
- Coffee Cup warmer - To keep the gravy warm
📖 More About Turkey You'll Want to Read
- How to Dry Brine and Butterfly a Turkey
- Which is Better - Fresh or Frozen Turkey
- How to Cook a Turkey in the Instant Pot
- How to Thaw and Brine a Turkey at the Same Time
🍽️ What to Make with Your Costco Turkey
Here are some good dishes to make along side your Costco turkey.
- Fresh Cranberry Sauce | Costco sells fresh cranberries
- Pumpkin Pie | Canned pumpkin, or you actually can make one with butternut squash instead.
- Honeycrisp for Apple Pie | Yes, Honeycrisp apples will work for a pie
- Mashed Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes Swirl | Will look beautiful on your Thanksgiving table.
- Turkey Gravy | How to make an overnight stock
- Green Bean Casserole | Find the green beans all the ingredients you need to make one at Costco. If you like the thinner beans look for the French beans.
- Dinner Rolls | Sure you can pick up a pack of already made rolls, but making them homemade can't be beat.
Are you finding different turkeys in your store or different prices? Let us know what your store has by leaving a comment below. Thanks! Also feel free to ask any question you have.
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