The Best Online Meal Delivery Services for a Hassle-Free Thanksgiving Dinner, from Turkey Spreads to Vegetarian Feasts

3 weeks ago 3

No matter what or how you're celebrating the traditional fall holiday, there's still time to order up classic dinners for every gathering size and diet.

Hello Fresh Thanksgiving meal delivery box

Courtesy of Hello Fresh

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

Whether you’re looking forward to your family’s annual autumn gathering where politics are never off the table (good luck!), a Friendsgiving with your chosen family or a more modern take on the traditional holiday, one thing’s for sure: someone will be responsible for making that festive spread happen.

Maybe that someone is you, and maybe the past few years of contact-free food deliveries have opened your eyes to the conveniences of, well, avoiding the heat of the kitchen. For those seeking a stress-free celebration sans the turkey basting or air frying, we’ve rounded up some of the best online meal delivery services for Thanksgiving dinners.

There’s something for every culinary level and diet preference, from pre-prepared meals (including meat-free ones) that just need to be popped into the oven, to options for the hands-on chef that thrives on chopping and baking (but just not the shopping). Even better news? There’s plenty of time to place your order for delivery ahead of Thursday, Nov. 28. Ahead, check out some of the best Thanksgiving — and even Plantsgiving — meal delivery services to try now.

Blue Apron Thanksgiving Dinner

Blue Apron

BEST OVERAll

Blue Apron

Price: From $94.99
Servings: From 6 to 10
Order by: Nov. 15
Delivery: Week of Nov. 18

You don’t need to be a subscriber to shop Blue Apron’s gourmet food kits for Thanksgiving — just make sure you place your order by 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 15 for delivery the following week. The Classic Thanksgiving Box ($94.99 for six to eight servings) includes savory butter-roasted turkey breast, garlic and herb gravy, brown butter and white cheddar mashed potatoes with romano cheese and chives, roasted brussels sprouts with fried rosemary and pumpkin seeds, fresh cranberry sauce with ginger and spicy maple syrup and an apple crumble pie with almonds. The side dishes are also available to purchase separately.

Hello Fresh Thanksgiving Meal Delivery Service

Hello Fresh

BEST affordable

HelloFresh

Price: $9.99 to $179.99
Servings: 8-10 guests
Order by: Nov. 11 or 18 at 11:59 p.m. PT

HelloFresh subscribers can shop a la carte dishes ($9.99 to $19.99) or the complete Thanksgiving spread ($149.99) that serves 8 to 10 guests. On the menu is a roast turkey with a garlic herb rub, creamy garlic and sour cream mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce with orange and cinnamon and classic gravy with fresh herbs ($149.99); and side dishes (from $9.99) such as brioche stuffing with cranberries, ginger-roasted carrots with candied pecans and an apple ginger crips with cinnamon pecan crumble. Orders will be delivered the weeks of Nov. 17 or 24.

Goldbelly Uncle Ray's Fried Turkeys

Goldbelly

Best for foodies

Goldbelly

Price: From $21.95
Servings: Varies
Order by: Order at least 2-3 days before

Prefer to eat local — or are you craving a Thanksgiving banquet from your hometown across the country? Food e-commerce platform Goldbelly will deliver pre-made dinners and meal kits from your favorite restaurants both near and far by or before Nov. 28. A sampling of offerings includes all-in-one box feasts (from $120), Dallas-based Uncle Ray’s famous Cajun deep fried turkeys ($130), celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson x Ritz’s four-dish Friendsgiving kit ($140), the All-Madden Turducken ($200) from New Orleans’ Gourmet Butcher Block ad more.

 Top Holiday Meal Kits

BEST Plant-based MEAL DELIVERY

Purple Carrot

Price: From $11 per serving
Servings: 2-4
Order by: Nov. 14 by 11:59 p.m. ET

One of the best meal delivery services for vegetarians, Purple Carrot’s Plantsgiving offerings for the week of Nov. 25 include G.O.A.T. Thanksgiving leftovers sandwiches, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole with vegan marshmallows, ciabatti stuffing, sage butter gknocci and other veggie-powered dinners for two to four people.

If you’re not yet familiar with the brand, Purple Carrot offers plant-based prepared meals and dinner kits that can be customized by the number of servings and frequency per week. Dinners start at $11 per serving for meal kits and $13 per serving for prepared meals, and you’ll $100 off your first order with code FUELUP100.)

Omaha Steaks Thanksgiving turkey and brussels sprouts with bacon

Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks

Price: From $139.99
Servings: From 4 and up
Order by: At least 9 days before for standard shiping (in-store pickup also available in select markets)

Omaha Steaks has meat lovers covered for Thanksgiving, and not just for prime cuts of beef. The gourmet food delivery platform lets you customize your holiday menu for four to eight people starting at $140 per package, and you can choose from a whole basted turkey with all of the traditional fixings, a fully-cooked prime rib roast or homestyle ham with sides such as cauliflower and broccoli gratin and green beans in butter sauce, among the many, many options.

Shipping options available; check Omaha Steaks’ website for more detials on same-day, rush and standard shipping.

Harry & David Thanksgiving Feast

Harry & David

Best Variety

Harry & David

Price: From $99.99
Servings:
From 6 to 10
Order by:
At least 3 days before

Whether you simply want mouth-watering sides (like brown sugar sweet potatoes or parmesan creamed spinach) or the full shebang with a roasted turkey or spiral-sliced ham, Harry & David has your Thanksgiving table covered. The online gift basket and food delivery service offers full gourmet meals (such as a turkey feast for $270 or the Wow Holiday meal for $500), appetizers, sides and desserts, and you can add wine, that best-selling Moose Munch popcorn and more. If you want to avoid weekend deliveries, note that orders placed after 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on Wednesdays will ship on the following Monday.

 Top Holiday Meal Kits

InstaCart

Best Grocery Delivery

InstaCart

If you’re a hands-on type who prefers to cook up the entire Thanksgiving feast, but can’t bring yourself to deal with the actual grocery shopping, let InstaCart do the aisle-roaming for you. The grocery delivery service makes it a cinch to restock your pantry and fridge — from fresh meats and produce to dairy and packaged goods — from local and national grocery chains and retailers (think Target, Costco, Walmart, Ralphs, Sprouts and more) and chat with your shopper in real-time, should you need substitutions for out-of-stock ingredients or if you forgot to add something to your cart.

On top of the price of groceries, delivery fees start at $4 for same-day orders of $35 or more (additional service fees may apply), or you can opt for the annual Instacart+ membership ($99) with lower service fees and forgo the $4 delivery charge. Bonus: Instacart+ members get a free Peacock Premium subscription.

 Top Holiday Meal Kits

Best healthy meal delivery

Sun Basket

Price: $169.99-$189.99
Servings: 4-6
Order by: Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET

For the health-minded folks, you can’t go wrong with Sun Basket, which offers the Original Thanksgiving Dinner for $170 plus shipping or the Chef’s Table Thanksgiving for $190 plus shipping; both serving four to six. The Original Thanksgiving Dinner includes Rastelli’s turky breast roast; sausage, fennel and apple stuffing; roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta; roasted carrots with miso-sage butter; yukon mashed potatoes; turkey gravy and cranberry cherry compote.

The Chef’s Table package includes everything above, plus a pear-walnut salad with pomegranate vinaigrette, gruyere and black pepper biscuits and ginger pear crisp with oat-walnut topping.

 Top Holiday Meal Kits

Williams-Sonoma

Price: From $139.99
Servings: Varies
Order by: 12 p.m. PT on Nov. 22 for delivery on Nov. 27

Order everything from ready-to-cook organic free-range turkeys and side dishes to table settings and linens at Williams Sonoma’s online Thanksgiving Headquarters. The retailer’s holiday food and decor essentials include turkey, ham and beef main dishes from Willie Bird and Snake River Farms; Plymouth Turkey pumpkin cakes; Callie’s buttermilk biscuits; Jane’s Sweet Things pumpkin pie; and more alongside meals from the Williams Sonoma test kitchen.

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

Subscribe Sign Up

Read Entire Article