Jordan Myrick
Ariana Losch
The best deli turkey brand isn’t Boar’s Head. I’ll let you sit with that for a minute, and in the meantime, let’s walk through how we tried over 30 packages of sliced turkey breast for this taste test.
How we sourced the deli turkey meat
The Sporked team has been trying deli turkey for years. Seriously, this is our third time revisiting this ranking, and by now we’ve gobbled down most of the greats: Oscar Meyer, Dietz & Watson, Boar’s Head, Applegate… the list goes on. This time around, we tried some new products, wilder flavors (like buffalo deli turkey), and made sure to sample more freshly sliced turkey straight from the grocery store deli counter.
What we looked for in the best deli turkey meat
Not to hurt a turkey’s feelings, but I’ll definitely concede that deli turkey, on a base level, will never be as flavorful deli chicken…or most other cold cuts you can buy. And that’s okay! It should blend in, not stand out. Ideally, the best sliced turkey breast should have:
- A mild, lean savory flavor for plain turkey slices (without a weird odor, because that’s gross)
- A texture that resembles actual tender turkey breast meat instead of processed wet mush
- Packaging that’s easy to open and reseal (this is more of a bonus, but still)
Here’s our current list of the best deli turkey brands out there, so trot on over to the grocery store and buy ‘em!
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- Boars Head Oven Turkey No Salt Added Turkey from the Deli
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Don’t get me wrong: I wouldn’t buy this if I were looking for the best turkey at the grocery store, but if you need to cut down on salt, this is a wonderful option with only 55mg per serving. If you put this on a sandwich with mustard and mayo and fresh veggies, you won’t notice the lack of salt in the meat. The texture and quality of the meat are great, and that’s what you’re looking for in the best low sodium deli turkey. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Lunch Mate Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Lower Sodium
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This lower sodium turkey breast by Lunch Mate (Aldi’s in-house brand) has a nice, lightly roasted flavor. You can’t tell it’s lower sodium—but that’s probably because thai still has 310mg per serving (three slices). If you really want low sodium, we have a better option than this below. Regardless, what really stands out about this product is the very practical packaging. It comes in a compact tub that separates turkey slices into sealed portion sizes. You don’t have to open the whole thing at once, which means the rest of the turkey stays fresher, longer. If you, like me, have trouble finishing a package of cold cuts before it spoils, this is the best turkey deli meat to pick up! Just don’t expect anything too fancy. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi
- Good & Gather Ultra-Thin Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast Deli Slices
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Whenever I’m waiting in line at the deli counter, I hear the people ahead of me instructing the meat maestro behind the counter to slice their cold cuts “as thin as possible.” I’ve never really understood this. Why do you want such thin meat? This Good & Gather Ultra-Thin Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast Deli Slices make me understand. It’s like eating floppy turkey glass. It practically melts in your mouth. If you like your cold cuts thin but don’t like hassling the folks at the deli counter, this is the best deli turkey to seek out. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- North Country Smokehouse Organic Oven Roasted Deli Turkey
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I found this packaged deli turkey at Whole Foods and was intrigued by the short ingredients list: turkey, water, sea salt, turbinado sugar, and vinegar (all “organic,” too, whatever that really means). On the whole, the flavor is pretty mild (if a tad sweet) but really clean-tasting, with a springy, tender texture and medium thickness. I’ve never fallen for the propaganda that Whole Foods has fresher, more rigorously tested products (sorry, I call BS), but it’s items like these (and their pita bread, good lord) that tempt me to shop here more loyally. Sigh. Maybe someday, but not in this economy, man. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Whole Foods
- Trader Joe’s Organic Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast
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TJ’s offers three different varieties of turkey breast, and in my opinion, this hickory smoked one is the best. Unlike the other two, the slices here are a little thicker, with a texture that mimics real meat. The smokiness is strong enough to taste through other ingredients without serving pure liquid-smoke. All you need is some spicy mayo, provolone, and a ciabatta roll, and you’re good to go. Also, this is the only TJ’s sliced turkey package with an easy open and re-seal feature built in. That alone is enough for me to reach for it over the others, just sayin’. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Boar’s Head Spicy Salsalito Roasted Turkey Breast
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If I’m ordering sliced turkey at the deli counter, I’m always getting a flavor that I can’t get in prepackaged form. We tried a few flavored turkey breast options from the deli counter and Boar’s Head Spicy Salsalito is my favorite. The name seems like a punny homage to the coastal California town of Sausalito, but it’s salsa-lito! Because salsa! This is some of the best turkey we tried because the meat is high quality in addition to having a fun flavor. It’s zestier than salsa (don’t worry, cilantro haters). This turkey would be perfect for a wrap filled with romaine, avocado, and a little mayo. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Castle Wood Reserve Smoked Honey Turkey
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I adore Castle Wood Reserve Smoked Honey Turkey Breast. It’s not too sweet or too smoky. It’s just right. There’s nothing artificial either. It has a genuine sweet honey flavor. This turkey with brie and honey mustard on sourdough, grilled until melty? Heaven. It’s also the best deli turkey for snacking on right out of the package. If you just want a little bump of protein in the middle of your day, grab a couple of slices of this turkey and you’ll be good to go. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Sprouts Oven Roasted Turkey
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I loved Sprouts Oven Roasted Turkey so much, I don’t even care that it falls apart in the package. That’s just how thin and unbelievably tender the slices are—which, fine, maybe that’s not for everyone, but at least try it! This has the deepest, freshest oven roasted savoriness of all the turkey brands I tried. It comes straight from the Sprouts deli, so no, it’s not the best sliced turkey to buy if you want it to last in the fridge. It’s here for a good time, not a long time. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Hillshire Farm Premium Carved Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
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Hillshire Farm Premium Carved Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is like leftover Thanksgiving turkey if your Thanksgiving turkey was actually moist and flavorful (and you didn’t have to see your extended family). I’ve never wanted “thick cut” deli meat, but I’ve changed my tune. I absolutely want “carved” Hillshire Farm turkey. This is the best deli turkey to toss atop a Cobb salad along with blue cheese, hard-boiled egg, and cherry tomatoes. Add a little ranch and you have an excellent lunch. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
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You don’t get a vehicle that looks like a hot dog by being bad at making processed meat products, so it’s no surprise that Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey is one of the best sliced turkeys on the market. Speaking of packaging, these deli slices are extremely efficiently stored. They glide out of the plastic container with little to no tearing. This was the only turkey we were able to successfully remove from its package without ripping the meat to shreds. The turkey is flavorful enough to stand up to the other ingredients on a sandwich but mild enough to not pull all the focus. It’s the star of the show in the most tasteful way. Sometimes its greatness is forgotten, but it is certainly never doubted. This turkey is the Famke Janssen of deli meats. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Dietz & Watson Sliced Black Forest Smoked Turkey Breast
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Dietz & Watson’s products are frequently a hit for us, and their turkey is no different. This turkey breast is lightly smoked rather than being packed with fake smoky flavor like most other smoked deli turkeys on the market. I wouldn’t even necessarily know that this turkey was smoked if you didn’t tell me. It just tastes like delicious roasted turkey. It doesn’t taste processed and it’s not soaking wet (thank goodness). It’s also the perfect thickness. I brought this home after our taste test and snacked on it all week. It’s the best deli turkey even if you don’t normally opt for smoked turkey. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
Best Low Sodium
Best Packaging
Best Thin Cut
Best Simple Ingredients
Best at Trader Joe’s
Best Flavored
Best Honey
Best Deli-Fresh
Best Thick Cut
Best Classic
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried
Good & Gather Low Sodium, Good & Gather Honey, Hormel Oven Roasted, Applegate Honey, Boar’s Head Honey, Boar’s Head Salsalito, Boar’s Head Oven Gold, Bistro Favorites, Prima Della, Castlewood, Butterball Oven Roasted, Prima Della Honey, Prima Della Cajun, Sprouts Honey Turkey Breast, True Story Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Applegate Smoked Turkey Breast, Land O’Frost Premium Honey Smoked Turkey Breast, Jennie-O Deli Sliced Cracked Pepper Turkey Breast, Great Value Thin Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Family Pack, Aldi Deli Sliced Oven Classic Turkey, Aldi Deli Sliced Honey Turkey, Simply Nature Organic Smoked Turkey, Amazon Grocery Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Amazon Grocery Sliced Honey Smoked Turkey Breast, Trader Joe’s Organic Oven Roasted, Trader Joe’s Organic Smoked
Luke Field
Griffin Parker
Joe Rumrill
