MyTastr

Best whole turkey, according to chefs

Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Gordon Drysdale, Scott Koranda, Ashlee Redger, Stephanie Ganz and 3 more. Recommendations come from insidehook.com, seriouseats.com, thekitchn.com and youtube.com.

Meats · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Diestel Turkey

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Two Bay Area chefs named Diestel as their 2023 Thanksgiving centerpiece in InsideHook. Koranda: “This year, I went with the Northern California-based Diestel Family Ranch… right on-par with my values as a chef and what I want to serve my loved ones.” Drysdale: “Our Thanksgiving centerpiece will be a spatchcocked Diestel turkey.” Serious Eats’ mail-order test named Diestel’s organic American Heirloom bird (Auburn, Black and American Bronze breeds) its best heritage turkey, with “particularly rich” dark meat. A family ranch in the Sierra foothills since 1949, slow-growing its birds. At Whole Foods nationwide; heritage birds ship through Snake River Farms.
    Where to buy · diestelturkey.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: insidehook.com ↗
  2. 2

    KellyBronze Turkey

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Ganz, who cooked professionally before writing about food, tried the bird from the farm near her in Crozet, Virginia: “I’m all in on KellyBronze’s easy-to-cook, uniquely flavorful birds” (The Kitchn, November 2025). A slow-growing heritage bronze breed raised about twice as long as a supermarket turkey, then hand-plucked and dry-aged. Ganz says it’s the only U.S. turkey sold that way. It ships wrapped in wax paper, not plastic, so the skin stays dry and roasts crisp without an overnight air-dry. Serious Eats’ mail-order test found it had a “deeper, more mature, and intense taste.” Ships fresh nationwide for Thanksgiving.
    Where to buy · kellybronze.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: thekitchn.com ↗
  3. 3

    Mary’s Free-Range Turkey

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    It won America’s Test Kitchen’s tasting of eight supermarket turkeys, with “old-fashioned turkey flavor” that “tastes like Thanksgiving.” Gimlewicz smokes a Mary’s Free Range turkey for his family’s Thanksgiving (InsideHook, 2023). Free-range, non-GMO birds from the Pitman family farm in California’s Central Valley, the same farm behind Mary’s chicken (see Fresh chicken). Sold at Whole Foods and natural grocers, though stock is strongest in the West, so check Mary’s store locator first.
    Where to buy · maryschickens.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: youtube.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best whole turkey, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Diestel Turkey, chosen by Scott Koranda (chef, Terrene · San Francisco); Gordon Drysdale (chef, Scoma’s · San Francisco). Two Bay Area chefs named Diestel as their 2023 Thanksgiving centerpiece in InsideHook. Koranda: “This year, I went with the Northern California-based Diestel Family Ranch… right on-par with my values as a chef and what I want to serve my loved ones.” Drysdale: “Our Thanksgiving centerpiece will be a spatchcocked Diestel turkey.” Serious Eats’ mail-order test named Diestel’s organic American Heirloom bird (Auburn, Black and American Bronze breeds) its best heritage turkey, with “particularly rich” dark meat. A family ranch in the Sierra foothills since 1949, slow-growing its birds. At Whole Foods nationwide; heritage birds ship through Snake River Farms. Source: insidehook.com ↗
What are the other top picks for whole turkey?
No. 2 is KellyBronze Turkey, chosen by Stephanie Ganz (former professional chef, The Kitchn). No. 3 is Mary’s Free-Range Turkey, chosen by Jack Bishop and Bridget Lancaster (America’s Test Kitchen); Sam Gimlewicz (chef, Rollati Ristorante · San Francisco). Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

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