Is Ground Chicken Or Ground Turkey Typically Cheaper?

We're all looking for ways to bring down our rising grocery bills and meat is a big savings target seeing as its one of the most expensive products people regularly buy at the supermarket. Enter ground turkey and ground chicken. Not only can they replace ground beef for people who are cutting back on (or avoiding) red meat for health reasons, they're also more affordable. But when deciding between the two ground poultries, which one will save you the most money?

To find the answer, we checked the online prices at several national retailers in the United States: Aldi, Walmart, Target, Trader Joe's, Kroger, and Whole Foods. The price per pound was exactly the same for both ground turkey and ground chicken at half of them (Trader Joe's, Kroger, and Whole Foods). For the other three, ground turkey was more expensive. The price difference ranged from as little as 10 cents per pound at Target to $1.76 at Walmart, with Aldi in the middle at 94 cents. 

The lowest price was $3.39 a pound for Aldi's Kirkwood store brand ground chicken. The most expensive was $6.99 for both at Whole Foods. (Some of the retailers had two different lean/fat ratios available that affected pricing. For instance, Walmart's 85/15 turkey was $5.18 per pound compared to $5.48 for 93/7 turkey, and Kroger's 92/8 ground chicken was $4.49 a pound compared to $4.99 for 98/2 chicken.)

Ground turkey and ground chicken can both substitute for ground beef, but they aren't exactly the same. Ground turkey has a stronger flavor, particularly if it includes dark meat. It's also a little leaner with a slightly coarser texture. Both products are usually made with a combination of white and dark meat and may include skin and fat. They can also be just dark or white meat. If so, they'll likely be labeled that way. A small amount (less than 1%) of vinegar and rosemary extract is sometimes added to ground poultry. The vinegar acts as a natural preservative while the rosemary extract reduces oxidation and will also lend a hint of flavor.

Ground poultry that's all or mostly white meat tends to be dry and lack flavor, particularly ground chicken. You can counter this by blending in more dark meat or even some ground beef, pork, or lamb for extra fat and flavor. Alternatively, introduce moisture with something like yogurt or soaked breadcrumbs and bump up the seasonings and spices.

Use a leaner ground poultry mix for saucy recipes like chili or Bolognese sauce and a darker meat mix for foods such as burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf (like our turkey and crispy bacon meatloaf). Try making a high protein pizza crust with ground chicken or use either poultry for homemade Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supremes. See what's in your refrigerator and pantry and experiment with other ways to use this versatile and money-saving meat.