Top Turkey Brands for a Delicious Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving approaches, selecting the perfect turkey becomes a top priority for home cooks looking to impress their guests. With a wide variety of brands available in the market, choosing the right turkey can significantly enhance your holiday meal. From organic options to traditional favorites, each brand offers unique qualities that can cater to different preferences and cooking styles. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a list of the best turkey brands for Thanksgiving below.

Illustration of turkey for thanksgiving

Best brands of turkey for thanksgiving in 2025

Butterball

Butterball is one of the leading producers of turkey products, particularly renowned for its high-quality turkeys ideal for Thanksgiving. In 2023, Butterball slaughtered an estimated 1.06 billion pounds of live turkeys, a significant increase from 1 billion pounds in 2022. Despite a recent decline in net sales and net income in Q1 2024, largely due to a 7% decrease in average selling price and a 3% decrease in volumes sold, Butterball remains a profitable and trusted brand. The company is known for its pre-basted turkeys, which are consistently juicy and flavorful, and it has a strict policy against the use of antibiotics in its turkeys. Butterball's products are distributed in over 45 countries and are available at major retailers like Costco. For more information, visit their official website.

Honeysuckle White

Honeysuckle White, the nation's third-largest turkey producer, is a leading brand for Thanksgiving turkeys, known for its commitment to food transparency and quality. In 2018, the brand expanded its traceable turkey program, making one-third of all its fresh turkeys traceable, a significant increase from 5% the previous year, with over 200,000 traceable turkeys available across 3,500 retail stores. Honeysuckle White turkeys are raised by independent farmers without growth-promoting antibiotics, added hormones, or steroids. The brand's use of blockchain technology allows consumers to trace their turkey back to the family farm, enhancing trust and transparency in the food supply chain. This initiative reflects the brand's dedication to connecting consumers with the farmers who raise their turkeys. For more information about their fresh whole turkey products, visit their Fresh Whole Turkey page.

Jennie-O

Jennie-O Turkey Store, a subsidiary of Hormel Foods, is one of the leading producers of turkey products, particularly renowned for its high-quality offerings for Thanksgiving. In 2020, Jennie-O saw a 54% increase in segment profit and a 12% rise in net sales, despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company processes over 1 billion pounds of turkey annually and offers over 1,500 different products across retail, deli, and foodservice channels. Jennie-O's marketing efforts, including a TikTok campaign, aim to promote turkey as a versatile and lean protein option beyond just Thanksgiving. With a strong presence in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Jennie-O employs over 6,900 team members and operates seven production facilities. For career opportunities and more information, visit their careers page.

Norbest

Norbest, headquartered in Moroni, Utah, is one of the top turkey marketing firms in the United States, offering a full line of high-quality turkey products, including whole birds, bone-in breasts, and boneless roasts, as well as ground turkey and deli products. With over 75 years of experience, Norbest ensures that its products meet the highest standards, making them a perfect choice for Thanksgiving. Their turkey products are sold in the U.S. and nearly two dozen countries worldwide. Norbest's all-natural, refrigerated ground turkey is 93% lean and gluten-free, providing a healthy alternative. The company's commitment to quality and sustainability makes it a trusted brand for both retail and food service sectors.

Shady Brook Farms

Shady Brook Farms is a leading producer of high-quality turkey products, particularly notable for their commitment to raising turkeys without growth-promoting antibiotics, a practice aligned with USDA Process Verified Program standards since May 2015. Their turkeys are raised by independent farmers trained in animal handling practices, addressing consumer preferences, as 62% of consumers prefer turkey raised without growth stimulants. This brand offers lean protein options, such as their 93% Lean Ground Turkey, which contains 22g of protein and 8g of fat per serving. Shady Brook Farms' products are designed to be affordable and nutritious, making them an excellent choice for Thanksgiving and other meals. Their commitment to safety and quality is further enhanced by additional health and safety precautions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plainville Farms

Plainville Farms is a leading producer of high-quality, antibiotic-free turkeys, making it a top choice for Thanksgiving. The company slaughtered an estimated 132 million pounds of live turkey in 2023, with 75% of its flock raised without antibiotics and 25% certified by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) welfare program. Its products are 90% fresh and 10% frozen, with 95% sold through retail channels. Founded with roots dating back to 1835, Plainville Farms was sold to Plainville Brands LLC in 2019, continuing its commitment to organic and antibiotic-free turkey production. The company's 2022 sales reached $240 million, reflecting its strong market presence.

Diestel Turkey Ranch

Diestel Turkey Ranch, one of California's oldest continually operating family turkey farms, is renowned for producing high-quality, organic, and free-range turkeys, particularly for Thanksgiving. Founded in 1949, the ranch has been run by four generations of the Diestel family, adhering to traditional farming practices that include a consistent corn and soy diet and a longer growth period of nearly six months, twice the industry standard. They produce between 100,000 to 150,000 birds for Thanksgiving, and in 2024, they became the first certified Regenified(tm) turkey brand, using over 650 tons of Certified Regenified(tm) corn. Diestel's organic turkeys are rated at GAP Step 3, with some products meeting the higher GAP Step 5 standards for outdoor access. Their commitment to health, happiness, and flavor has made them a trusted name in sustainable and artisanal turkey production.

River Watcher

The Riverwatcher is not associated with turkey production or Thanksgiving turkeys; it is a system designed for monitoring fish migration patterns in rivers worldwide, boasting over 98% accuracy in fish counting and 95% accuracy in measuring fish size, and is operational in more than 500 sites globally. For more information about their fish migration monitoring system, visit the Riverwatcher website.

Foster Farms

Foster Farms is a renowned and family-owned poultry producer, particularly noted for its high-quality turkey products, making it a top choice for Thanksgiving. Since 1939, the company has been a leader in the industry, with significant growth in the 1980s that saw sales triple between 1975 and 1988. By 1987, Foster Farms was producing around 140 million chickens annually and later expanded into turkey processing, acquiring a turkey processing plant in Fresno, California, in 1989. The company's turkey sales have shown impressive growth, with a 24.2% increase in dollar sales and a 26.9% increase in unit sales in 2019. Foster Farms also offers various products, including Simply Raised with No Antibiotics and Organic turkey options.

Mary's Free-Range Turkey

Mary's Free-Range Turkey is a renowned brand, particularly esteemed for its high-quality, humane farming practices. Since 1954, the family-owned and operated farm has been committed to raising turkeys without antibiotics, preservatives, or added hormones. Their free-range turkeys roam in areas four times larger than average commercial ranches, resulting in more flavorful and healthier birds. Heritage turkeys from Mary's account for about 5% of the total turkey market and are prized for their darker, more succulent meat and ability to fly. The demand for these turkeys has grown significantly, with prices ranging from $4 to $6 per pound for heritage turkeys, reflecting their superior quality and longer growth period of six to seven months.