Aldi's Under-$39 Thanksgiving Dinner for 10: The List

With gas, rent, insurance, and groceries all feeling more expensive, it is nice to know that the holidays do not have to be one more burden on the budget. Aldi says you can feed 10 people a classic Thanksgiving dinner for under $39, which works out to less than $4 a person. It is not a boxed or pre-cooked meal that you order and pick up, though. It is a shopping list of individual items, so the details matter for how and when you shop. Here is what is on the list, how the price compares with the national average, and what changed since last year.

Is Aldi's Thanksgiving Meal a Box You Order?

No, Aldi's under-$39 Thanksgiving meal is a shopping list, not a package. According to Aldi's October 14, 2026 announcement, the products for the meal are marked with a turkey logo on in-store shelves from October 14 through November 25. Shoppers can add the ingredients to their cart one by one in the store, or use a new one-click option at ALDI.us/Thanksgiving to add the whole list to an online cart for curbside pickup or delivery. Aldi says no coupons, loyalty cards, minimum purchases, or memberships are required.

How Is This Different From Ready-Made Thanksgiving Meals?

Aldi's list is different from the heat-and-serve dinners that many grocery chains sell, where you pre-order a cooked meal and pick it up. Publix is the clearest example. Its Thanksgiving order page offers dinners, platters, cooked meats, sides, and desserts for pickup, advertises feasts starting at less than $10 per person, and asks shoppers to order by November 23. Whole Foods Market also takes holiday meal orders for pickup, with reheating instructions on its Holiday Meals help page. Harris Teeter has sold pre-ordered holiday dinners with turkey, ham, or prime rib in past seasons, and Kroger shoppers can check the store's site and app for current holiday meal options, so confirm menus and deadlines with your local store.

Wegmans, the New York-based chain, takes an approach closer to Aldi's. According to The Shelby Report, Wegmans' 2026 Thanksgiving meal feeds eight for less than $5 per person, and it is built from packaged and frozen ingredients, including a 13-pound frozen turkey, that you prepare at home. Aldi's list is a similar do-it-yourself approach, and it is a way to save money if that is your goal.

What Is on Aldi's Under-$39 Thanksgiving List?

Aldi's list covers a classic turkey dinner for 10 people, with a 16-pound turkey, classic sides, and pumpkin pie. The Aldi announcement lists these items, and the quantities below are as Aldi lists them.

One thing to note about the pie: the list includes the ingredients for a pumpkin pie, which are Baker's Corner pumpkin pie mix, Bake House Creations pie crusts, and milk and cream, not a ready-to-eat pie. You bake it yourself. If you would rather skip the baking, you can always spring for a ready-made pie, but Aldi's list gives you a way to save money if that is what you want.

How Does Under $39 Compare With the National Average?

Aldi's list is built to match a well-known benchmark, so the price is easy to compare. The Aldi announcement says the meal follows the core items in the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey. The most recent survey, summarized by Georgia Farm Bureau, put the national average for a classic meal for 10 at $55.18, or $5.52 a person, and priced a 16-pound frozen turkey at $21.50.

That puts Aldi's list at least $16 below the latest national average, or about 29 percent less. Two caveats apply. The Farm Bureau's next survey is not out yet, so this compares Aldi's 2026 price with the previous survey. Aldi also says its shoppers have saved an average of 26 percent compared with the Farm Bureau average over the last five years, which is the company's own claim.

What Changed From Aldi's 2025 Thanksgiving Meal?

Aldi's 2026 meal has a bigger turkey and a shorter list than its 2025 version. In its October 15, 2025 announcement, Aldi priced a Thanksgiving meal for 10 at $40, with 21 products and several extra sides. The 2026 version trims the list to match the Farm Bureau's classic menu. Yes, this year's list is shorter than last year's, but that is the name of the game in 2026. With everything costing more across the board, many families have to make decisions about what makes the table, and a shorter list is one way to keep the total down.

The tradeoff is clear. The 2026 list gives you a larger turkey and a price you can compare directly with the Farm Bureau survey, but it leaves out mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and mac and cheese.

When Can You Buy the Whole List?

You can buy the complete list from November 11, because three items arrive later than the rest. The fine print in Aldi's announcement says the cranberries are available October 26, the Farmer's Choice turkey is available November 4, and the pumpkin pie mix is available November 11. Prices run through November 25. Aldi also notes that the actual price will vary based on available products, your selections, and your location, so check the shelf tags at your own store.

How Can You Round Out the Meal?

The easiest way to round out the 2026 list is to borrow from Aldi's 2025 list. That earlier Aldi list included russet potatoes, yellow onions, chicken broth, brown gravy mix, cut green beans, cream of mushroom soup, French fried onions, and shells and cheese, so you can add a side or two when you are shopping. If you shop at Aldi often, you may also like how it dropped synthetic dyes and MSG from its store brands.

A Full Thanksgiving Dinner for Under $4 a Person

Aldi's under-$39 Thanksgiving meal is a real, classic menu that you build yourself from a shopping list. Plan to shop on or after November 11 to get every item, check the shelf prices at your store, and add a favorite side or two if you want more on the table. For a family that wants a traditional turkey dinner for 10 without a big grocery bill, it is a very good starting point.

Header photo of a Thanksgiving table by Monstera Production, roast turkey photo by cottonbro studio, and pumpkin pie photo by Karola G, all via Pexels.