How the Turkey Shortage Might Impact Thanksgiving BBQ Plans

A version of this story originally appeared in NYC BBQ Weekly.

If you want to eat turkey this Thanksgiving, buy your store-bought frozen turkeys now or pre-order soon from your local BBQ joint.

That’s the consensus of barbecue experts and restaurant owners, who have seen sky-high poultry prices amid a national turkey shortage and supply chain nightmare. Prices for restaurant turkey breasts have increased by as much as 300%, and whole turkey prices have risen 150% in some markets.

“If anybody's looking to get their turkey, get it reserved now if you’re having somebody else cook it,” said Ed Randolph, owner and pitmaster of Handsome Devil BBQ in Newburgh, NY. “If you're going to buy it yourself, find one now and make some room in your freezer. I have a good feeling that we're not going to have many turkeys come Thanksgiving time, or the price is going to be so high it's going to be out of this world.”

Pig Beach NYC will be offering Thanksgiving packages again this year. (Photo via Pig Beach NYC)

The primary culprit for the turkey shortage is an extremely rampant avian flu (bird flu) that has spread around the country during 2022. An estimated 47.6 million birds have been impacted by the bird flu, and more than 6 million birds have either died from the illness or had to be slaughtered to stop the spread.

Matt Abdoo, chef, pitmaster, and partner at Pig Beach locations in New York and Florida, said that the avian flu is just one component driving costs up for turkey. 

“You have this perfect storm of avian flu, inflation, all the costs of goods on the farm side, including fuel and feed, and higher transportation costs,” Abdoo said. “All those things add up to price increases. Everything across the board is currently high since Thanksgiving is a month away. The whole meal across the board is gonna be more expensive this year than last year.”

Wolfepack BBQ in Kansas City has a limited quantity of turkey breasts for Thanksgiving orders. (Photo via Wolfepack BBQ)

Many barbecue restaurants are now offering packages for pre-order, most of which have increased in price. Pitmaster Jared Wolfe of Wolfepack BBQ in Kansas City opened Thanksgiving pre-orders early for those who wanted to secure a spot. He has a small supply of turkey and no guarantee of an additional shipment.

“Turkey is hard to find at the moment,” said Wolfe. “We were fortunate enough to secure a very limited quantity of whole turkey breasts for Thanksgiving this year.”

We highly recommend taking some of the stress out of your Thanksgiving and getting a smoked turkey from your local BBQ joint.

Outside of Thanksgiving considerations, BBQ restaurants themselves have also been feeling the pain of turkey prices. Some BBQ joints nationally have had to remove turkey from the menus while waiting for prices to come down.

Pitmaster Lance Eaker of Eaker Barbecue in Fredericksburg, Texas was forced to temporarily remove turkey from his menu. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

Lance Eaker of Eaker Barbecue in Fredericksburg, Texas said he decided to take turkey off the menu entirely. “The brand we were using was discontinued and the replacements were not to the same quality as the previous,” Eaker said. “On top of that, it was quite a bit more expensive, so we pulled turkey from the menu until the supply returns to normal.”

Jerry Stephenson, Jr. of The Redneck BBQ Lab in North Carolina, concurs that the situation is bad.

“North Carolina is the No. 2 producer of turkey in the U.S. and the supply here is abysmal,” Stephenson said. “This is the first year we’re not offering Thanksgiving turkeys since we opened. I think it’s better to get a prime rib from Costco than a bird, yield-to-dollar-wise.”

Meanwhile, Ed Randolph said his Handsome Devil BBQ restaurant has sometimes had to resort to buying turkey breasts from wholesale stores like BJs and Sam’s Club because they offer cheaper prices than the distributors they normally rely on.

“If I need to get turkey breast from a wholesaler, you're looking at $4 or $4.50 a pound, which is rivaling the price of my brisket,” Randolph said. “Currently, we have to get it from stores like your BJs or Sam's Club or something like that.”

Turkey prices have increased for restaurants, but many, like Handsome Devil BBQ, are keeping it on the menu. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Even with the turkey costs up across the board, the prices have not soared on the menu boards at some of these restaurants.

“I think for us, it's important to keep it on the menu,” Randolph said. “Our menu is small enough, and we try to pre-order as much as we can. [But] we can't bump the prices up 50%. So it's like anything else; you take the hit for a bit.”

Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ) and Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet

Raikes Beef Co. offers 100% Nebraska-born and raised American Wagyu and Angus beef shipped directly from their farm to your door. Use the promo code BBQTOURIST20 to receive 20% off your first purchase. CLICK TO ORDER.

—Helen Turner of Helen’s Bar-B-Q in Brownsville, Tennessee, received a lifetime achievement award from the Southern Foodways Alliance.—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Helen’s Bar-B-Q pitmaster Helen Turner was recently given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Southern Foodways Alliance. Turner has owned her restaurant in Brownsville, Tennessee, for 26 years, tending the meat, making sandwiches, and welcoming customers daily. Each year the SFA presents the award “to an individual whom all thinking eaters should know, the sort of person who has made an indelible mark upon our cuisine and culture, who has set regional standards and catalyzed national dialogues.” In recognition of her lifetime of work, SFA commissioned a portrait by artist Blair Hobbs and a short film by filmmaker Zaire Love entitled Helen: The Legend. READ MORE.

Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn attended last week’s Southern Foodways Symposium held in Oxford, Mississippi. The theme of this year’s event was barbecue, as it had been when he attended his first SFA Symposium in 2012. Vaughn reflected on his career in the industry and wrote about how barbecue has changed over the last decade. READ MORE.

John Tanner wrote about his recent visit to Chef J BBQ in the historic West Bottoms area of Kansas City, an area where old brick warehouses have been given new life by restaurants, shops, and commercial haunted houses. Tanner thought that the brisket burnt ends were “sensational” while the sliced brisket was “masterful, smoky, and tender.” He also gave high praise to the potato salad made with bacon, bleu cheese, and spring onions. READ MORE.

After a two-year hiatus, the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest will take place November 5-6 in Lockhart, Texas, where nearly all of the barbecue joints from the latest Top 50 list will be in attendance. READ MORE.

ADDITIONAL READS

The kickoff party for the new location of Harp Barbecue in Kansas City will be held on Saturday, November 5, with special guests Rollin Smoke from Austin and Smoke Cellar from Livermore, CA.

Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern discusses his favorite spots for barbecue and steaks in an exclusive interview with Tasting Table.

Pitmaster Sunny Moody spoke with Access Hollywood about her weight loss transformation and living in the BBQ world.

Here’s how chefs are upgrading Texas barbecue classics, according to Austin Monthly.

Beloved Houston barbecue joint The Pit Room is expanding to Memorial City.

Tasting Table shares why you need to shape your brisket while trimming it.

Amp up your holiday meals with BBQ & grilling recipes, tips, and more from AmazingRibs.com. CLICK TO LEARN MORE.

—Tio Rozay’s BBQ is served every Sunday from a backyard in New Jersey.—

WATCH

New Jersey’s Secret Backyard BBQ — Munchies
Pitmaster Hery Acosta loves smoking meats. So much so that he serves 50 to 60 people his famous BBQ every Sunday — and it's all done on a first-come, first-served basis from his parent's backyard. During the weekdays, Acosta works as a school custodian. Instead of relaxing on his weekends off, he's pulling all-nighters cooking to share his labor of love with his community. Munchies trailed Acosta, owner of "Tio Rozay's BBQ," for a weekend in North Bergen, NJ, to see why crowds are flocking to get a taste of his pulled pork, ribs, sausage, chicken wings, and delicious sides. Watch as Acosta preps, talks about his story, and explains how he got his love for BBQ. WATCH HERE.

LISTEN

Road Trip to Ray’s Roadside Kitchen — Baseball & BBQ
In this episode, hosts Len and Jeff take off on a road trip to Ray’s Roadside Kitchen in Cream Ridge, New Jersey. They are welcomed by Ray Sheehan, the founder of BBQ Buddha, a multi-award-winning, all-natural barbecue sauce and spice blend company. They feast on burgers, fried chicken, salads, special sides, and their namesake menu item, the Baseball and BBQ Footlong. They also interview Ray’s son, Raymond, who talks to them about exciting it is to work alongside his dad. LISTEN HERE.
 

READ

Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling — Meathead Goldwyn and Greg Blonder
For succulent results every time, nothing is more crucial than understanding the science behind the interaction of food, fire, heat, and smoke. This is the definitive guide to the concepts, methods, equipment, and accessories of barbecue and grilling. The founder and editor of the world's most popular BBQ and grilling website, AmazingRibs.com, Meathead applies the latest research to backyard cooking more than 100 thoroughly tested recipes. ORDER HERE.

adley Robinson shows you how to make BBQ Lamb with a flavorful mint Chimichurri sauce.—

How to BBQ Lamb

By Chuds BBQ

This week, we share this video from Chuds BBQ with a super tasty technique for a smoked rack of lamb served with a mint Chimichurri sauce. Pitmaster Bradley Robinson first uses the Mini ChudBox and then heads over to the offset cooker to give the rack of lamb a low and slow cook with a nice smoky flavor from the post oak. The dijon mustard slather tames that gamey flavor of lamb.

Learn more about Southside Market Barbeque.

—Be sure to hit up a great BBQ event this fall.—

November 5-6, 2022: Texas Monthly BBQ Fest — Lockhart, Texas
Texas Monthly is excited to bring TM BBQ Fest to the city of Lockhart, the BBQ Capital of Texas. On November 5-6, the historical downtown and Lockhart City Park will create the backdrop for an expanded weekend festival, designed to celebrate many aspects of Texas barbecue. Expect tons of the best bites in Texas barbecue at the event. MORE INFO HERE.

November 4-6, 2022: Q BBQ Fest — Dallas, Texas
The Q BBQ Fest is coming to Texas. Join in the fun at the Miller Lite House at AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys) on November 4-6, 2022. Don’t miss this chance to grab an ice-cold brew and sample pure smoked bliss from award-winning pitmasters from across the country. MORE INFO HERE.

November 5-6, 2022: Texas Monthly BBQ Fest — Lockhart, Texas
Texas Monthly is excited to bring TM BBQ Fest to the city of Lockhart, the BBQ Capital of Texas. On November 5-6, the historical downtown and Lockhart City Park will create the backdrop for an expanded weekend festival, designed to celebrate many aspects of Texas barbecue. Expect tons of the best bites in Texas barbecue at the event. MORE INFO HERE.

November 11-12, 2022: Warriors BBQ Ribs Championship — Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii’s first ever KCBS-sanctioned BBQ competition will take place on Veterans Day Weekend with the debut event “Warrior BBQ Ribs Championship.” This contest will include 3-rounds of pork ribs at the beautiful beachside Kapiolani Regional Park on the island of Oahu. The cake is $10,000 in prize monies, and the event theme (“Honors-to-Others”) will not only seek to celebrate Hawaii’s diverse backyard barbecue scene but also bring special honors to veterans, active military, and first responders. MORE INFO HERE.

November 11-12, 2022: Bourbon & Barbeque Louisville — Louisville, Kentucky
Bourbon and barbecue aficionados will want to stop by this new festival in Louisville. The event will feature pitmasters from around the country and tons of bourbon samples. MORE INFO HERE.

November 11-13, 2022: KCBS World Invitational — Gadsden, Alabama
The Kansas City Barbeque Society’s biggest event for the rest of the year is the fourth annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition. The event will bring together top champion pitmasters to compete for the title of “KCBS World Champion.” This event will feature three full days of contests and events. There will be both an open contest and a Master Series contest. Plus, backyard teams will be eligible to compete in the open against Master Series teams without impacting their Backyard status. MORE INFO HERE.

November 18-20, 2022: Jacksonville BBQ Fest — Jacksonville, Florida
During the past few years, Florida has become an even bigger attraction for barbecue restaurants and events. The Jacksonville BBQ Fest, held at TIAA Bank Field (where the Jaguars play), is one event that brings barbecue fans together to get a taste of great local and national barbecue bites. On top of the top-notch food, there’s also live music and great drinks to enjoy. To get a taste of this event, be sure to read Ed Reilly’s recap of the Denver BBQ Festival, which is hosted by the same organizers. MORE INFO HERE.

November 19, 2022: Holy Smokes BBQ Festival — Charleston, South Carolina
Aaron Siegel and Taylor Garrigan of Home Team BBQ, Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine, and Robert Moss, the Contributing BBQ Editor for Southern Living, have invited the leaders of the barbecue community from around the country to come together in Charleston on November 19th, 2022 at Riverfront Park. With live music playing on stage against the backdrop of the Cooper River, guests will have a unique opportunity to sample a range of barbecue styles from the group of renowned pitmasters. Expect to taste slow-smoked whole hog, pork and beef ribs, Texas-style brisket, smoked sausage, BBQ tacos, and much, much more. MORE INFO HERE.

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