Choose Your Turkey

Selecting the turkey is an important part of the planning process. Butterball^® makes it easy with a full line of products, from frozen whole turkeys to whole breasts to fully cooked turkeys, that suit any occasion or number of guests. These useful tips from our experts will help you decide what’s right for you.

To begin, think about how many people you will be serving. Are they all adults or are there children? Are they big eaters or light eaters? And will you want leftovers? Use this simple Plan Perfect Portions Calculator to determine how much turkey buy. Then decide which kind of turkey is best for your particular feast.

The decision to purchase a fresh or frozen turkey is based on your preference, but here are some general guidelines to help make your decision easier:

1. Fresh turkeys need no thawing and are ready to cook.
2. Fresh Butterball turkeys are all natural.
3. Frozen turkeys can be purchased weeks in advance but require several days of thawing before roasting. A quick rule of thumb is to allow 1 day for every 4 pounds of turkey.
4. The breast meat of frozen Butterball turkeys has been deep basted for juiciness and additional flavor.

If you’re short on time or looking for convenience in the kitchen, you may want to give our fully cooked or pre-stuffed turkeys a try:

• Butterball Fully Cooked Whole Turkey, available fresh or frozen, is a great way to heat and serve a whole turkey in a fraction of the time. They are available in both baked or smoked varieties. For generous servings and leftovers, allow 3/4 pound per person.
• Butterball Stuffed Whole Turkey goes from the freezer to the oven with no thawing. It is stuffed with delicious traditional bread stuffing that your family and friends will love. Better yet, they’ll never know it was pre-stuffed! For hearty serving sizes and leftovers, allow 1 1/2 pounds per person.

Are you having a smaller gathering? Try one of these products for the perfect portions:

Whole Turkey Breast

• Ideal for those who prefer white meat.
• Fresh whole turkey breasts need no thawing and are ready to cook.
• Fresh, non-basted Butterball whole turkey breasts are all natural.
• Frozen whole turkey breasts can be purchased weeks in advance but require several days of thawing before roasting. A quick rule of thumb is to allow 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds.
• Frozen whole turkey breasts have been deep basted for juiciness and additional flavor.
• Allow 3/4 pound per person to provide generous servings and leftovers.

Boneless Turkey Breast Roast

• Butterball boneless turkey breast roast is great for a smaller family that wants only white meat.
• Frozen roasts can be purchased weeks in advance and require only 1 day to thaw.
• Frozen roasts have been deep basted for juiciness and additional flavor.
• Allow 1/2 pound per person to provide generous servings and leftovers.

Boneless Turkey Roast

• Ideal for a smaller gathering where you want to serve both white and dark meat.
• Frozen roasts can be purchased weeks in advance and require only 1 day to thaw.
• Frozen roasts have been deep basted for juiciness and additional flavor.
• Allow 1/2 pound per person to provide generous servings and leftovers.

Additional Tips

Check out our How to Choose video for a more advice.

Before you head out to your favorite grocery store, save yourself some time by making a Shopping List that’s just right for you.