$169 turkey? How much is too much — or too little — to pay for the Thanksgiving dish?
We may not all put in the same commitment into selecting our prized turkey or talk to the turkey while basting it (yes, this is a Bob’s Burgers reference).
But turkey is usually the star of the show on Thanksgiving.
While Thanksgiving dinners may be cheaper than 2022, the meal price is up compared to 2019, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The average cost of dinner for 10 people is $61.17, or under $6.20 a person. That’s a 4.5% decrease from 2022’s record high of $64.05, but it’s still 25% higher than 2019, highlighting “the impact high supply costs and inflation have had on food prices since before the pandemic,” according to a news release from the AFBF.
The average price of a 16 pound turkey is $27.35, or $1.71 per pound, down 5.6% from last year. Prices fell in part because of a drop in cases of avian influenza and a recovery of the turkey population.
“While shoppers will see a slight improvement in the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, high inflation continues to hammer families across the country, including the nation’s farmers,” said bureau federation president Zippy Duvall.
FinanceBuzz, a finance informational website, estimated people can expect to pay $35.40 for a 15-pound turkey, or $2.36 per pound. Californians would pay an average of $41.85 for turkey.
WalletHub estimated Americans spend $949 million on Thanksgiving turkeys each year. If you think that’s a lot, we want to hear from you (form below).
Here’s the cost breakdown for typical food items you’ll find on Thanksgiving:
16-pound turkey: $27.35 or $1.71 per pound (down 5.6%)
14-ounces of cubed stuffing mix: $3.77 (down 2.8%)
2 frozen pie crusts: $3.50 (down 4.9%)
Half pint of whipping cream: $1.73 (down 22.8%)
1 pound of frozen peas: $1.88 (down 1.1%)
1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.84 (up 2.9%)
Miscellaneous ingredients to prepare the meal: $3.95 (down 4.4%)
30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $4.44 (up 3.7%)
1 gallon of whole milk: $3.74 (down 2.6%)
3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $3.97 (up .3%)
1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery): $.90 (up 2.3%)
12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.10 (down 18.3%)
You can buy turkeys at your local grocery store, butcher, farmers’ market or even shop online, according to Food & Wine.
If you really want to impress friends and family, you can purchase a 10-pound whole basted turkey for $99.99 (when purchased with another item, $199.99 originally) from Omaha Steaks.
While it’s too late to order for Thanksgiving, if you’re purchasing a turkey early for Christmas dinner, you can order a 10 to 12 pound free-range organic turkey for $169.95 (plus delivery) from Williams-Sonoma. D’Artagnan offers a fresh 8 pound heritage turkey for $175.99, but it’s out of stock.
Turkey is generally the most expensive item on the table, according to the AFBF.
We want to know how much you’re spending on Thanksgiving turkey. Let us know: “How much is too much?” in the form below or email cstark@mcclatchy.com.
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This story was originally published November 18, 2023 at 9:00 AM with the headline "$169 turkey? How much is too much — or too little — to pay for the Thanksgiving dish?."
