Turkey vs Ham – Your holiday guide to choosing the perfect meal. If you’re wondering which protein you should cook this holiday season, be sure to consider all of the cooking methods for each protein when choosing your thanksgiving menu.
There is no easy answer to this debate and honestly, there are many different ways you can cook these meals for your thanksgiving dinner. My hope with this article is to inspire you to try something new and enjoy more flavor in your holiday meal!
The holidays are approaching, which means it’s time to start planning festive meals and figuring out the all-important protein centerpiece. For many families, the choice comes down to two options – savory baked ham or roasted turkey. But when deciding between these traditional entrees, an important factor to weigh is cost. Overall, turkey tends to be the more budget-friendly pick, but there are some caveats.
Average Pricing on Ham and Turkey
On average turkey costs less per pound compared to ham. Whole frozen turkeys can run between $0.88 to $1.19 per pound. Bone-in hams range from $1.48 to $1.98 per pound. The most expensive option is boneless spiral-cut ham at around $3.50 per pound.
To estimate the total cost consider the serving size. For turkey expect approximately 2 servings per pound. Ham provides 3 to 4 servings per pound depending on whether it is bone-in or boneless. Do the math based on how many guests you plan to serve. And remember that people likely won’t eat full servings of both meats.
Factors That Impact Cost
Several factors impact the final cost of your holiday centerpiece
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Bone-in vs boneless: Boneless ham is significantly pricier. A bone-in turkey or ham saves money.
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Whole vs parts: Buying a whole turkey is cheaper than just breasts or other parts.
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Brand and quality: Premium or specialty ham and turkey cost more. Opt for basic store brands to save.
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Weight: The heavier your turkey or ham, the higher the overall cost. Buy only what you need.
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Presentation: Sliced or spiral-cut hams add expense for the extra preparation and handling.
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Sales and deals: Check for any promotions or coupon savings on turkeys and hams to lower costs.
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Add-ons: Extras like glazes, rubs, and carving tools boost the total price tag.
Is a Combo Meal Deal Worth It?
Around the holidays, stores often run deals like “buy a ham and get a free turkey.” This seems like a great value, but run the numbers to confirm. One such deal offered 7 pounds of boneless ham ($24.50 total) and gave a free 12-pound turkey. Compared to buying separately, the combo didn’t provide any savings and a bone-in ham would’ve been cheaper.
Nutrition and Health Considerations
From a health perspective, turkey is the better choice. It’s a leaner meat with less fat and sodium. Ham often contains additives like sodium and preservatives. However, both meats can be part of a balanced diet in moderation. Focus on lean, unprocessed cuts of either one.
Environmentally Friendly Options
For an eco-friendly meal, turkey has a lower environmental impact than pork. Even better, choose plant-based mains like Tofurky or Field Roast that align with green values. If serving meat, try to select local, organic, or sustainably raised options.
The Bottom Line on Cost
When planning holiday meals, turkey generally provides the best value, especially if you opt for a whole bird. But bone-in hams can also be budget-friendly. Consider factors like quality, weight, and preparation to get the best deal. Most importantly, enjoy the meaningful time with loved ones, no matter what main dish is served!
Different ways to cook your turkey dinner
Smoky, juicy and one of the best ways to add a ton of flavor into your holiday centerpiece. This is easily one of the most popular ways to enjoy turkey, especially if you love smoky flavor.
There are many different smokers you can use for smoking a turkey. Some of the most popular ones are a pellet smoker, charcoal grill and an electric smoker.
My favorite way to smoke turkey is on a pellet grill. Pellet grills are a lot like an oven and have great air flow. They’re designed to provide a well regulated cooking temperature and they honestly make some of the juiciest poultry you’ll ever eat.
Regardless of the smoker of your choice, I am a huge fan of brining the turkey prior to smoking it. Brining the turkey meat allows the seasoning to soak deep into the meat, meaning more flavor!
Different ways to cook ham
The ham you buy from the store comes pre-smoked and already has a ton of flavor in them. Some of them will come with different flavored glaze packets that you can put on top of your ham while cooking it. I personally like to use my own glaze instead of the store product.
If pre smoked ham isn’t enough for you, you can always double smoke it! This is a popular way to cook ham. It provides a deeper level of flavor to your holiday centerpiece and it’s quickly become my favorite way to make ham.
Buy a pre-smoked ham, then take it home and add your own flavors to it using different rubs and sauces such as this Cherry Bourbon Glazed Ham.
Some people like to buy a raw whole ham from the local butcher shop and brine it themselves then smoke it. This is honestly a ton of work and after considering all the time you have invested into this method, I would personally just rather buy a fully cooked ham.
This method is the most traditional way to cook a ham for a handful of reasons. It’s easy, reliable and not everyone has a smoker or wants an extra smoky taste of ham. Another great benefit of cooking a ham in the oven is you get to smell the delicious aroma throughout your house while enjoying time with your guests.
There is a major convince of cooking the ham in the oven since it’s easily accessible being right in the kitchen. This method of cooking can also take up a lot of space in the oven leaving little room for other side dishes to be cooked in the oven.
This is by far the most unconventional way to cook your ham, but it’s different and delicious!
Like most things deep fried, it really helps to either marinade or inject your protein prior to cooking. For a deep fried ham, I would recommend injecting it with flavor! Since a ham is already cooked, you do not need to soak it longer in salt.
You can inject it with whatever kind of seasoning you want, I would just highly recommend avoiding anything too high in sugar as it will burn.
The deep frying process will not take very long, but it will result in super juicy and delicious ham.
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FAQ
What is cheaper, ham or turkey?
Which is better for you, turkey or ham?
What sells more turkey or ham?
Which tastes better, turkey or ham?
Is turkey meat cheaper than Ham?
Turkey meat is cheaper compared to ham. Ham, more often than usual, is considered a delicate cold cut. However, cheap cuts are also available in the market. As the quality of pork and the smokiness increase, it becomes more expensive if the ham is boneless.
How much does a turkey ham cost?
Here are the costs I found. Whole turkey prices range from $.88 to $1.19 a pound. Boneless, spiral cut hams are about $3.50 a pound. Bone-in ham varies from $1.48 to 1.98 a pound. Both ham and turkey are priced to lure you to the store. The simple answer is turkey and the bone-in ham cost about the same with boneless ham costing significantly more.
Is turkey meat more protein than Ham?
Turkey meat is richer in protein by nearly 1.5 times compared to ham. Turkey meat contains 28g of protein, whereas ham contains 20g. When we dissect the protein profile of both turkey meat and ham, we find that they are rich in all the essential amino acids that we require daily to be consumed from the diet.
How many calories are in Turkey meat compared to Ham?
Turkey meat contains 44 calories more than ham. They are classified as medium-calorie foods . Both turkey meat and ham have a glycemic index that is equal to 0. Turkey meat, compared to ham, is richer in phosphorus, copper, calcium, selenium, and magnesium. On the other hand, ham is richer in zinc, potassium, manganese, and iron.