A Thanksgiving Meal Deal That Served 4 Now Serves 6 With the Same Turkey Size Limit
Target's Thanksgiving meal now lists 6 guests instead of 4, but its turkey can still weigh up to 10 pounds, as in 2025. The most turkey each guest can get drops from 2.5 pounds to about 1.7. Amazon added a $25 meal on November 2, and store prices for turkey and similar poultry rose 8.4% in the year to September.
The short answer. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Sam's Club and Cracker Barrel each offer a whole Thanksgiving meal for 2026. Prices run from $25 for a box you cook to about $190 for a feast you only heat. Turkey and similar poultry cost more in stores than a year ago, while the companies say their price per guest is lower or the same. The biggest change from their earlier offers is the number of guests: Target's meal now lists six people instead of four with the same turkey size limit, and Sam's Club's lists 16 instead of ten, with more food.
Show the data
| What the picture shows | Figure |
|---|---|
| Guests Target's 2025 meal serves | 4 |
| Guests Target's 2026 meal serves | 6 |
| Turkey in each meal | Up to 10 lb |
| Turkey per guest in 2025 | Up to 2.5 lb |
| Turkey per guest in 2026 | Up to about 1.7 lb |
| USDA food safety guide, turkey per person | Allow 1 lb |
How much turkey does each guest get? Target's box holds one turkey that weighs up to 10 pounds. "Up to" means 10 pounds is the most it can weigh. In 2025, the meal was for 4 people. Split 4 ways, a whole 10-pound turkey gives each person 2.5 pounds, bones and all. In 2026, a turkey of the same size limit is meant for 6 people. Split 6 ways, each person gets about 1.7 pounds. For a yardstick, the US Department of Agriculture's food safety guide says to allow 1 pound of turkey per person. So a full 10-pound turkey is still enough for 6 guests by that guide, with fewer leftovers.
On this page
- What is in Amazon's $25 Thanksgiving meal?
- How many people do Thanksgiving meal deals serve now?
- Why are turkey prices higher in 2026?
- How much do Thanksgiving meal deals cost per person in 2026?
- Are Thanksgiving meal deals cheaper than last year?
- What changes the cost of Thanksgiving dinner per guest?
- Frequently asked questions
What is in Amazon's $25 Thanksgiving meal?
Amazon's $25 meal is a box of groceries you cook yourself, with an 8-pound frozen Butterball turkey, the usual sides and the makings of a pumpkin pie. Amazon does not give a guest count.
The list in Amazon's release reads like a classic shopping run. It has cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy mix, potatoes, carrots, corn, macaroni and cheese, crescent rolls and the makings of a green bean casserole. Pie crusts, pumpkin puree and evaporated milk cover dessert.
The meal is on sale through November 26, while supplies last, with same-day delivery in more than 2,300 US cities and towns. Amazon also sells frozen turkeys at 79 cents a pound this month, the same promotional price as Target's own-brand frozen turkey.
That shelf price is less than half of what big buyers offered at wholesale, before the turkeys reach a store. They bid an average of $1.84 a pound for frozen whole hen turkeys in the week ending October 2, the Department of Agriculture reported. Neither company says what its turkeys cost it.
How many people do Thanksgiving meal deals serve now?
Two of the big meal deals now list more guests than in 2025. Target's meal went from four to six with the same turkey size limit, and Sam's Club's went from ten to 16 with more food.
In 2025, Target's meal was for four, under $20, with a turkey of up to 10 pounds. Its 2026 meal is $30 for six, with a Butterball turkey of up to 10 pounds. Target says this keeps "last year's $5-per-person value."
The sides changed too. The potato bag went from 5 pounds to 3, the corn was dropped, the bread became two baguettes, and green bean casserole makings were added. The turkey has the same size limit, but six people now share it instead of four, so the most turkey each plate can get is smaller.
- Target From 4 to 6 guests The turkey can still weigh up to 10 lb, as in 2025, and the price went from under $20 to $30.
- Sam's Club From 10 to 16 guests More food came with the guests: a ham, gravy and a charcuterie tray, plus twice the green beans, macaroni and pies.
- Walmart 10 guests both years Walmart says the basket has 18% more items and costs 12% less than the same items a year earlier.
Sam's Club, which Walmart owns, grew its meal in a different way. Its 2025 feast served ten for under $100. The 2026 meal serves 16 at under $10 each, after members asked for more protein and more leftovers, the club says. It adds a ham, gravy and a charcuterie tray, and doubles the green beans, macaroni and pies.
Walmart kept its own basket at 10 guests. Its price is based on a turkey of about 13.5 pounds, which works out to about 1.35 pounds for each guest. Walmart says the 2026 basket has 18% more items and costs 12% less than those same items did a year earlier.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a word for a related change in a single product. It writes that a package getting smaller at the same price "is known as downsizing or shrinkflation." The bureau tracks "a price per ounce," so a smaller box sold at the same price counts as a price rise. A meal's guest count is a different thing, and companies can change both the guest count and the amount of food.
Why are turkey prices higher in 2026?
Turkey costs more in stores, and wholesale prices are high. In the year to September 2026, store prices for turkey and similar poultry rose 8.4%, while groceries overall rose 1.8%.
The figures come from the September consumer price report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its index called "other uncooked poultry including turkey" covers raw poultry other than chicken. Its "food at home" index tracks what the same groceries cost in stores across the country.
Wholesale prices, what big buyers pay before the turkey reaches a store, "remain elevated," the Department of Agriculture wrote in its October 16, 2026 outlook. It put the average bid at $1.84 a pound in the week ending October 2. The agency also raised its forecast for the average wholesale price over the last three months of 2026 to $1.75 a pound, as busier trading heading into the autumn buying period "signaled ongoing demand strength."
The same report says bird flu "has reappeared in several commercial turkey flocks", with 11 cases in September affecting 544,900 birds. It also raised its turkey production and export forecasts for 2026.
Show the data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Turkey and similar poultry | 8.4% |
| Meals away from home | 3.5% |
| Groceries overall | 1.8% |
Turkey prices do not rise the same way every year. Store prices for turkey and similar poultry rose 6.7% in the year to September 2023. They fell 2.2% the next year and rose 0.6% the year after. Then came the 8.4% jump.
Show the data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Sep 2023 | 6.7% |
| Sep 2024 | -2.2% |
| Sep 2025 | 0.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 8.4% |
Over two years, from September 2024 to September 2026, grocery prices rose 4.5%, and prices for turkey and similar poultry rose 9.0%. The Department of Agriculture's Food Price Outlook expects grocery prices to rise 2.3% for all of 2026. StockTitan's September inflation report article covers the wider price picture.
How much do Thanksgiving meal deals cost per person in 2026?
Using each company's own guest count, the grocery boxes you cook yourself cost $3.50 to $5 a person. Cracker Barrel's heat and serve dinners cost far more.
Walmart's basket has the lowest stated price per person, at $3.50 each. Target's is $5 a person. Sam's Club's meal, which the club says is designed to be prepared in about two hours, is under $10 a person.
Show the data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Walmart | $3.50 |
| Target | $5.00 |
| Cracker Barrel feast | $19.00 |
Cracker Barrel's family dinner and turkey feast come ready to heat in two hours or less and work out to about $19 to $30 a guest. Meals bought away from home have been rising faster than groceries, up 3.5% in the year to September 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
- Amazon $25 A box you cook, with an 8 lb frozen Butterball turkey, the usual sides and pumpkin pie makings. No guest count given.
- Walmart $35 for 10 guests A basket you cook, priced on a Butterball turkey of about 13.5 lb, with pumpkin pie and whipped topping.
- Target $30 for 6 guests A basket you cook, with a Butterball turkey of up to 10 lb. No dessert is listed.
- Sam's Club Under $10 a guest Feeds 16 with a hickory smoked turkey, a ham and two pumpkin pies, in about two hours of preparation.
- Cracker Barrel About $189.99 A heat and serve Turkey Feast for 8 to 10, with two roasted turkey breasts and pumpkin and pecan pie.
Show the data
| Amazon | Walmart | Target | Sam's Club | Cracker Barrel feast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $25 | $35 | $30 | Under $10 a guest (under $160 in total) | About $189.99 |
| Guests stated | Not stated | 10 | 6 | 16 | 8 to 10 |
| Price per guest | Not stated | $3.50 | $5.00 | Under $10 | About $19 to $23.75 |
| Turkey | 8 lb Butterball, frozen | Butterball, about 13.5 lb | Butterball, up to 10 lb | Hickory smoked turkey, plus ham | Two roasted turkey breasts |
| Dessert | Pumpkin pie makings | Pumpkin pie with whipped topping | None listed | Two pumpkin pies | Pumpkin and pecan pie |
| Who cooks | You | You | You | About two hours of preparation | Heat and serve |
| On sale | To Nov 26 | To Dec 24 | Nov 8 to 29 | From Oct 28 | Pickup Nov 21 to 29 |
Source: Amazon, Walmart, Target, Sam's Club and Cracker Barrel releases of October and November 2026 on StockTitan, prices and guest counts as each company states them.
Are Thanksgiving meal deals cheaper than last year?
Walmart's price per guest fell from under $4 in 2025 to $3.50. Target and Sam's Club describe theirs as unchanged, while each now lists more guests.
Target has priced a Thanksgiving meal every year since at least 2023. In 2023 it served four for under $25. In 2024 it cut the price by $5, to $20 for four. Since then the price per guest has stayed about $5, while the table grew to six in 2026. Target's own-brand frozen turkey has been 79 cents a pound for three years. Sam's Club's meal was under $10 a guest in both 2025 and 2026.
Walmart's price per guest fell further, from less than $7 in 2024 to under $4 in 2025, as the table grew from eight to 10. The 2025 list was shorter, with no pecan pie, sweet potatoes or marshmallows.
The 2026 basket brought sweet potatoes, marshmallows, corn muffin mix and whipped topping back, at $3.50 a guest. Amazon gives no earlier price to compare with.
Show the data
| Year | Target meal | Target guests | Walmart meal | Walmart guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Under $25 | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| 2024 | $20 | 4 | Under $7 a person, 29 items | 8 |
| 2025 | Under $20 | 4 | Under $40, under $4 a person | 10 |
| 2026 | $30 | 6 | $35, $3.50 a person, 26 items | 10 |
Source: Target and Walmart releases of 2023 to 2026 on StockTitan, prices as each company states them.
What changes the cost of Thanksgiving dinner per guest?
The price per guest on a label depends on the guest count the seller picks. At home it depends on the people at your own table and what the box leaves out.
A heavier turkey feeds more people, at the food safety guide's 1 pound a person. The same box price also works out very differently at a small table and a big one.
A $30 meal works out to $7.50 a guest at a table of four and $5 a guest at a table of six.
A basket you cook also needs butter, milk, eggs and oven time that are not in the box. Delivery fees, membership fees and sale dates change the total too, and ready-made meals cost several times more per guest.
What to watch
- Whether turkey prices rose again in October: the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the October consumer price report on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET (BLS schedule).
- Wholesale turkey prices and bird flu in turkey flocks: the Department of Agriculture's next livestock and poultry outlook is due November 17, 2026.
- The cost of a classic Thanksgiving dinner in 2026: the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual survey, whose 2025 edition came out on November 19, 2025, with no 2026 date announced yet.
Our numbers
These figures are our calculations from the sources linked in this article. Each meal is a company's own holiday bundle with its own list and guest count.
- Up to 2.5 pounds, then up to about 1.7 pounds, of turkey per guest at Target: a turkey of up to 10 pounds split among 4 guests in 2025 and 6 in 2026.
- About 1.35 pounds of turkey per guest at Walmart: the 13.5-pound turkey its price is based on, over 10 guests.
- Under $160 in total for Sam's Club's 2026 meal: 16 guests at under $10 each, against under $100 for ten in 2025.
- Groceries up 4.5% and the turkey index up 9.0%, September 2024 to September 2026: the change in each Bureau of Labor Statistics index between those months.
- Turkey and similar poultry up 6.7%, down 2.2%, up 0.6% and up 8.4% in the years to September 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026: the change in the Bureau of Labor Statistics index from one September to the next.
- About $19 a guest for Cracker Barrel's feast in the chart: $189.99 divided by 10 guests.
- About $19 to $30 a guest at Cracker Barrel: each dinner's typical price, around $119.99 for four to six and around $189.99 for eight to ten, divided by the top and bottom of its guest range.
- Less than half the wholesale bid: 79 cents a pound against $1.84, or about 43%.
- $7.50 and $5 a guest in the example: $30 divided by four and by six.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Thanksgiving meal cost in 2026?
The big sellers' bundles run from $25 at Amazon to $35 for 10 at Walmart, $30 for six at Target and under $10 a person for 16 at Sam's Club. Cracker Barrel's heat and serve dinners are around $119.99 and $189.99. Taxes and delivery fees can add to them.
Why are turkey prices higher this year?
Store prices for turkey and similar poultry rose 8.4% in the year to September 2026. Likely reasons sit in what the Department of Agriculture reports: wholesale prices that "remain elevated" with strong demand heading into the autumn buying period, and bird flu back in some commercial turkey flocks.
How many people does Amazon's $25 Thanksgiving meal serve?
Amazon's release does not say. The meal includes an 8-pound turkey, and the Department of Agriculture's food safety guide says to allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
What is shrinkflation?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the word for a product that gets smaller while its price stays the same. Its price index follows the price per ounce, so that kind of change counts as a price rise.
Which Thanksgiving meal deals include dessert?
Amazon's basket includes pie crusts and pumpkin puree, Walmart's lists pumpkin pie with whipped topping, and Sam's Club's meal has two pumpkin pies. Cracker Barrel's Turkey Feast comes with pumpkin and pecan pie. Target's listed meal has no dessert.
Sources
- Amazon, Thanksgiving meal release, November 2, 2026
- Walmart, Holiday Meal Basket release, October 28, 2026
- Target, Thanksgiving meal release, October 22, 2026
- Sam's Club, Thanksgiving meal release, October 15, 2026
- Cracker Barrel, holiday release, October 20, 2026
- Target, Thanksgiving meal release, November 5, 2025
- Target, Thanksgiving meal release, October 28, 2024
- Target, Thanksgiving meal release, November 1, 2023
- Walmart, Thanksgiving meal release, October 21, 2025
- Walmart, Thanksgiving meal release, October 17, 2024
- Sam's Club, Thanksgiving feast release, October 20, 2025
- StockTitan, September 2026 inflation report
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, September 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, food at home index
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, other uncooked poultry including turkey index
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Measuring shrinkflation and its impact on inflation
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, release schedule, November 2026
- USDA Economic Research Service, Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, October 2026
- USDA Economic Research Service, Food Price Outlook
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let's Talk Turkey
- American Farm Bureau Federation, Thanksgiving dinner cost survey, 2025
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