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Here Are the Best Places to Buy Chicken Online

A decade ago, the idea of ordering chicken online would have seemed absurd. Today, it feels just as normal to buy chicken online as it does to order clothes or tech items. And why not? Chicken is not only one of the most consumed meats in the US, but it’s also extremely versatile. It can be grilled, roasted, sauteed, braised and deep-fried, and leftover chicken can be shredded and use to make tacos, sandwiches, salads and more.

Why Should You Buy Chicken Online?

Buying chicken online is an affordable way to get top-notch quality while beating the specialty store price tag. Online retailers may buy and sell in bulk, creating an opportunity to pass on the savings to the consumer. They’re not only able to provide competitive pricing, but they also tend to have a better selection than your local store, too. Most grocery stores don’t carry spatchcocked chicken or bone-in chicken breasts, but you can find both of those items (and more!) online.

Many of the best places to buy chicken online also provide sustainable options. They may list the farm where the chicken was raised and information about the type of feed used or the environment on the farm. You’ll also have options when it comes to labeling, too, which is great if you’re looking for a specific type of chicken (i.e. organic, humanely raised, etc).

What to Look For When Shopping for Chicken Online

Before you start searching for chicken online, it’s important to identify the product you’re interested in. Most grocery stores only give you one or two options, but online retailers have more selection. You’ll want to learn how to read the labels first. Many chicken labels contain marketing terms that aren’t backed by USDA practices. For example, all chickens raised in the U.S. are hormone-free, and “natural” just means that no additives or preservatives were introduced after processing (but sodium solutions and broths can still be added to plump-up “natural” chickens).

As far as freshness goes, you shouldn’t need to worry about it. Most online chicken retailers send the product frozen to keep it preserved, so you’ll just need to make sure you’re home when it’s delivered to pop it in the fridge or freezer. If eco-friendly packaging is important to you, dig into the retailer’s practices or FAQs to see if they ship in styrofoam or in recycled or compostable packages.

The Best Places to Buy Chicken Online

Butcher Box

Butcher Box is one of the original online butcher stores, and they pride themselves on offering 100% free-range organic chicken. You get to choose your box and delivery frequency, and in return, they’ll ship your items (frozen for freshness) in an eco-friendly box. You can create a custom box that selects only poultry cuts (whole chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts, bone-in chicken thighs or ground chicken). Alternatively, you can select a mix of beef, chicken and pork.

How it works: It starts with a recurring plan, choosing from four curated boxes or creating your own custom box. The price depends on the box size, ranging from $129 for 24 meals to $270 for 60 meals.

Order from Butcher Box

Cooks Venture

Cooks Venture was started by one of the founders of Blue Apron. They’re committed to selling chicken raised on GMO-free feed, and they prioritize farms that practice regenerative farming so the chicken is not only good for our bodies but also good for the planet. They offer several different boxed options. You can build a custom box, purchase their whole chicken box (four to six chickens) or choose the select chicken box (six pounds of cut chicken, two spatchcocked chickens and two Poussin specialty hens).

How it works: Order their boxed options as needed. Prices range from $80 for the whole chicken box or $130 for the select chicken box.

Order from Cooks Venture

Crowd Cow

Crowd Cow started as a way to connect farmers and customers. The company’s co-founder was inspired by his friends that purchase meat directly from local farms, and he wanted to create a way to “crowdfund a cow” so people don’t have to purchase the entire animal. As a result, they only source meats from farmers and ranchers they know, promoting the food transparency movement.

They sell an impressive array of meat, from wagyu beef to duck, lamb and seafood. When it comes to chicken, you have your choice of pasture-raised, organic and free-range chicken cuts. Go simple with boneless skinless chicken breasts, wings or chicken drumsticks. Or you can short-cut dinner by purchasing a spatchcocked chicken (raw or cooked), chicken sausage or premade items like chicken nuggets or bone broth.

How it works: Order items a la carte, with prices ranging from $6 to $20. Family pack sizes ranging from 4 to 20 pounds are available from $33 to $80.

Order from Crowd Cow

FarmFoods

If you’re looking for poultry options and aren’t specific to chicken, FarmFoods is the way to go. They have a staggering number poultry options, offering pasture-raised chicken, duck, ostrich, phesant, quail, turkey and guinea. In addition to the classic cuts, they also sell items you can only find at a specialty butcher, like chicken feet and chicken gizzards. This is the place to go for value, too. Their value packs are often discounted and include 10 to 40 pounds of meat.

How it works: Order items as needed, with prices ranging from $7 to $19. Value bundles are available for $100 to $350, with free shipping on orders over ten pounds.

Order from FarmFoods

Fresh Direct

Fresh Direct is a grocery delivery service available in select areas. Unlike other online chicken retailers, Fresh Direct delivers your food in a refrigerated truck, so it’s not always frozen. They offer both raw, prepped and fully cooked chicken options. You can choose from a variety of chicken producers, allowing you to select the labeling that fits your needs. The options are staggering: whole or cut raw chicken, several ready-to-cook marinated chicken options, chicken burgers and sausages, frozen meals and more.

How it works: Sign up for a free 60-day trial before subscribing to their DeliveryPass subscription, which allows you to reserve a delivery time slot. Prices range from $4 to to $15 per pound, depending on the item.

Order from Fresh Direct

Harry & David Fine Meats

Harry & David Gourmet has been shipping food via mail order since 1934, from cheese and snacks to their famous sweet pears. The company newly launched a premium new online butcher shop, adding a large selection of high-quality beef, poultry and seafood to their portfolio. In addition to whole organic chickens, you can also order pre-seasoned, ready-to-cook chicken packs, like teriyaki-marinated chicken breasts or bacon and cheese stuffed chicken breasts. They also sell chicken entrees like chicken enchiladas or chicken pot pie.

How it works: Order items a la carte as needed, with prices ranging from $40 to $80.

Order from Harry & David Fine Meats

Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks has been around for a while: The company has been in business since 1917, and they’ve been shipping meat via mail order since 1952! While they’re most famous for their steaks, they have a variety of chicken cuts available, including a whole spatchcocked chicken and half chickens. In addition to raw meats, you’ll find a lot of meal kit options here. Stuffed chicken parmesan, chicken fried chicken, chicken skewers with vegetables, baked lemon chicken with orzo and much more.

How it works: Order items a la carte as needed, with prices ranging from $15 to $25. Most of the prepared chicken meals are priced around $20.

Order from Omaha Steaks

Purdue Farms

This fourth-generation family farm teamed up with a network of small family farms and ranchers for their online shop. Their brands include Purdue chicken (fed a 100% USDA-certified vegetarian diet with no animal by-products), Niman Ranch beef and lamb, Coleman Natural Foods pork and chicken and several organic and no-antibiotic-ever chicken producers like Draper Valley Farms and Sonoma Red Bird. This is the place to order if you want to buy bulk, as they offer several value and variety bundles. They also have options when it comes to frozen chicken nuggets and breaded tenders.

How it works: Order a la carte as needed, with prices ranging from $13 to $30. Value bundles are available for $50 to $100.

Order from Purdue Farms

Rastellis

Rastellis is a neighborhood butcher shop, and they’ve been in the meat business since 1976. They take sourcing meat, poultry and seafood seriously, looking for partners that are as passionate about their craft as Rastellis is. All their meat is antibiotic, steroid and hormone free, and there are organic options for poultry as well. You can choose from all the classic chicken cuts, and they also have a variety of premade items like cheese-stuffed, breaded chicken breasts. Don’t miss out on their gourmet chicken sausages, either: their hot or mild Italian turkey sausage, feta & spinach chicken sausage and roasted red pepper & garlic chicken sausage all sound incredible.

How it works: Order items a la carte as needed, with prices ranging from $20 to $39. Chicken sampler packages are also available for $64.

Order from Rastellis

Thrive Market

Thrive Market is an online market that offers 25 to 50% off retail products on over 6,000 organic, non-GMO and sustainable products. You can trial a membership for 30 days before committing to the annual membership. They sell a variety of products, from food to vitamins and supplements. When it comes to chicken, they sell everything you’d need, including party wings and bone-in chicken breasts. The selection is light on prepared chicken products, but they do sell breaded chicken tenders.

How it works: Sign up for a trial membership before enrolling in the annual membership. Then order items on demand, ranging from $8 to $14. Chicken bundle packs ranging from 10 to 19 pounds are available for $90 to $120.

Order from Thrive Market

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

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