Two of the country’s biggest retailers are selling frozen turkey for 79 cents a pound this November. Amazon’s price runs through Nov. 26, Thanksgiving Day, while Target’s Good & Gather frozen turkey is back at the same price for a third straight year.
Walmart is close behind, with the Butterball turkey in its holiday meal basket priced at 97 cents a pound. With turkey prices up from last year, the sub-$1 deals give shoppers a clear way to compare before buying the main course.
Amazon: 79 Cents Frozen, 99 Cents Fresh
Amazon announced its turkey pricing on Nov. 2, 2026, along with a $25 Thanksgiving meal. According to the Amazon press release, frozen turkey sells for $0.79 a pound from Nov. 1 through Nov. 26, and fresh turkey sells for $0.99 a pound from Nov. 14 through Nov. 26.
The $25 meal itself includes an 8-pound Butterball frozen turkey plus sides such as Stove Top stuffing, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, russet potatoes, green beans, crescent rolls and the makings of a pumpkin pie. Amazon said the meal is available through Nov. 26 while supplies last.
Prime members get free same-day delivery on grocery orders over $25 in more than 2,300 cities and towns where Amazon sells fresh groceries, according to the release. Jason Buechel, vice president of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores and CEO of Whole Foods Market, said customers can get everything for the holiday “at everyday low prices,” from the turkey to the serving essentials. For guests traveling to someone else’s table instead, delivery to the host’s door pairs well with ways to skip the checked-bag fee this Thanksgiving.
Target: 79 Cents for a Third Year
Target’s frozen turkey deal is simpler. The retailer said in an Oct. 22, 2026, release, published by the trade outlet Blue Book Services, that its Good & Gather frozen turkey returns at 79 cents a pound beginning in November, wherever the turkey is sold. It is the third consecutive year Target has held that price.
The release does not give an end date for the turkey price, so shoppers planning to buy close to the holiday may want to check the shelf tag or the Target app first. Target’s separate $30 Thanksgiving meal for six, built around a Butterball turkey of up to 10 pounds, is priced Nov. 8 through Nov. 29 and is not available in Alaska or Hawaii.
A frozen bird bought early takes up real estate, so it helps to clear space ahead of time. A list of the essential items to keep in the refrigerator is a useful starting point for deciding what stays and what goes while the turkey thaws. Families who stock the freezer early should also know what not to do with a full freezer when the power goes out, since a stocked holiday freezer is a real investment.
Walmart: 97 Cents for Butterball
Walmart is not quite at 79 cents, but its price is steady. The Butterball turkey in Walmart’s 2026 Holiday Meal Basket is priced at 97 cents a pound, the same as last year, according to the company’s Oct. 28 announcement. The basket costs $35, serves 10 and is available through Dec. 24 in stores and online.
Walmart’s $35 estimate assumes a 13.5-pound turkey at that price, according to the footnote in its release, and the $35 price does not apply in Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico or Wisconsin. David Guggina, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said the Holiday Meal Basket has become one of the company’s favorite holiday traditions.
Turkey is a familiar way to feed a crowd on a budget, and it sits comfortably on lists of humble foods that even the wealthy eat. Hosts trying to keep the whole holiday affordable can also steer clear of the costly Thanksgiving hosting mistakes that push the bill up, from inviting more guests than the budget allows to cooking an unfamiliar menu.
What the Per-Pound Prices Add Up To
The gap between 79 and 97 cents looks small until it is multiplied by a whole bird. At those per-pound prices, a 16-pound frozen turkey would cost about $12.64 at Amazon or Target and about $15.52 at Walmart. A fresh 16-pound turkey from Amazon at 99 cents a pound would run about $15.84.
The deals land in a year when turkey costs more overall. Good Morning America reported that turkey prices are up 8.4% from a year ago, citing the latest Consumer Price Index, in its Nov. 2 roundup of holiday meal deals. Grocery expert Phil Lempert told the program to “compare the unit prices, not the bundle prices,” which is exactly what a per-pound turkey price allows.
Storing and Thawing a Frozen Turkey
A cheap frozen turkey can wait in the freezer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says a frozen turkey can stay frozen indefinitely but should be cooked within a year for best quality, according to its turkey roasting guide.
Thawing takes planning. FSIS says refrigerator thawing needs about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 20- to 24-pound turkey needs 5 to 6 days. Cold-water thawing takes about 30 minutes per pound, with the water changed every 30 minutes and the bird cooked right after. The turkey is done when a food thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh and wing.
To recap the dates, Amazon’s 79-cent frozen price ends Nov. 26, and its 99-cent fresh price runs only Nov. 14 through Nov. 26. Target’s 79-cent price started in November with no published end date. Walmart’s basket, priced around a 97-cent-a-pound Butterball, runs through Dec. 24. For a Thanksgiving turkey that needs days to thaw, the safest window to buy a frozen bird is the next week or so.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Mark Miller – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons
