Lower turkey prices slash Thanksgiving dinner costs in 2025

Food Dive reported the development on 2025-11-20. The American Farm Bureau Federation said that grocer deals and lower commodity costs have gone a long way.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. Despite a year marked by consumer wariness around grocery inflation, the cost of cooking a Thanksgiving dinner has gone down compared to 2024 thanks to the holiday’s centerpiece: the turkey. The American Farm Bureau Federation said the average cost of preparing a “classic holiday feast” for 10 people this year is $55.18, or about $5.52 per person.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. The farm group said 2025 marks the third year in a row of decreased pricing from the record high cost in 2022 of $64.05. Lower commodity prices and grocers' efforts to discount the meal have gone a long way to bring down prices.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. The cost of a turkey decreased 16% from last year, according to AFBF, with the average price of a 16-pound frozen turkey totalling $21.50, or about $1.34 per pound. Though the spread of bird flu has raised costs for producers, prices have remained low as consumer demand continues a long-term decline.