A Costco turkey comes in three main kinds: fresh, organic and smoked. We read two guides and a Costco shopper’s smoked-turkey review to see what each costs, when to buy and how to cook or reheat it. The sources disagree on one big thing: whether the bird is fresh or frozen.
We haven’t bought or cooked any of these, and we couldn’t open Costco’s own turkey page. Every price and time below belongs to the guide named, and your warehouse may differ, so call before you drive!
What kinds of Costco turkey are there?
The kinds differ most in price and in how much work they leave you. Eat Like No One Else (2025 edition) reports a fresh Butterball at $0.99 a pound, an organic bird at $2.99 and a Kirkland smoked turkey at $4.29. Its smoked-turkey review prices that bird at $4.99 a pound in 2023.
| Fresh whole | Organic whole | Kirkland smoked | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per pound | $0.99 (2025) | $2.99 (2025) | $4.29 (2025), $4.99 (2023) |
| Brand | Almost always Butterball | Varies by store | Kirkland, smoked by Stevison Meats |
| 12-pound bird | About $11.88 | About $35.88 | Reported at about 10 to 13 pounds, roughly $50 to $65 |
| Your job | Thaw nothing, roast it | Thaw nothing, roast it | Reheat only; already cooked |
| When it shows up | About two weeks before Thanksgiving | About two weeks before | Before Halloween, in the reviewer’s store |
The guide also says Costco’s only frozen turkey item was a boneless turkey roast, which it reports at $19.49 for 4.75 pounds, with up to 20% added solution.
Is a Costco turkey fresh or frozen?
That depends on which page you read. Eat Like No One Else says all of the whole turkeys it saw were fresh. A ShopBack piece dated September 20, 2026 says Costco’s Thanksgiving bird is the Kirkland Grade A frozen turkey, at an estimated $0.99 to $1.29 a pound.
ShopBack calls its prices projected from 2024 and 2025 pricing scans, not a 2026 shelf check. The other guide is a store visit. We’d trust the visit for what’s on the shelf and call your warehouse to settle it. If you do land a frozen bird, ShopBack says to give a 12-pound one 72 to 96 hours in the refrigerator.
When should you buy a Costco turkey?
Early is safe for a fresh bird, according to Eat Like No One Else. In 2023 it checked sell-by dates on November 10 for a November 23 Thanksgiving. The Butterball read November 24 and the organic read November 27. It adds that smaller birds tend to sell out first, and the biggest it has seen was just over 22 pounds.
ShopBack’s advice is the week of November 15 to 21 this year for the best stock. Thanksgiving is November 26. To size the bird, use our Thanksgiving turkey calculator, and once it is home see our how to brine a turkey page.
How do you reheat a Costco smoked turkey?
The review’s author says to go low and slow, because high heat dries the outside before the middle warms. It reports about 3½ hours at 300°F for a bird just over 12 pounds to reach 140°F inside, at over 5,000 feet of elevation. So go by your thermometer, not the clock.
- Before: take the turkey out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes first and leave the tied legs alone.
- Cover: wrap it in heavy-duty foil, breast up, with a probe in the deepest part of the breast.
- Finish: rest it 15 to 20 minutes, or broil 3 to 8 minutes for crisper skin, watching it closely.
Check the package for Costco’s own instructions. We didn’t read them, and 140°F is the reviewer’s target, not ours.
Costco turkey questions people ask
Does Costco put turkeys on sale?
Eat Like No One Else says the price stays the same through Thanksgiving. It adds that readers have reported $5 off a hen and $15 off a tom in past years.
Does Costco sell turkey breast or legs?
Not in that guide’s stores. It says it never saw a bone-in breast or turkey legs there.
Can you freeze the leftovers?
The smoked-turkey review says yes. The author vacuum-sealed a whole breast, labeled it and froze it.