When it comes to deli meat turkey, I am extremely picky, perhaps making me the perfect person to do this review. If I detect any sliminess, artificial taste, or rubbery texture, I won’t eat it. I’m looking for something that tastes like the Thanksgiving turkey that just came out of the oven, sliced thin for sandwiches!
There are so many options out there that range in quality, price, cut, style of roasting, seasoning, etc that it’s hard to know what to go with. People have different taste preferences when it comes to all of the options like honey roasted, plain oven roast, peppery, etc, so there is sure to be something on this list that stands out to you. That said, to me, there was a clear winner among the many choices.
Buddig Premium Deli Honey Turkey Breast
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 90
Fat: 5g
Sodium: 420mg
Carbs: 3g
Protein: 8g
This premium oven roasted turkey breast has no added steroids, no added hormones, and no artificial flavors. I also like that it comes with two separate packages, so that some of it stays fresh for longer. You don’t have to open up one big pack and burn through it in a couple days.
The Look:
Right away, it appears pretty rubbery and almost has that shiny, artificial look of bologna. It smells pretty good, but overall looks like it might just be mediocre. It’s also sliced extremely thin, so you need to pile a lot on the sandwich to make it sufficient.
The Taste:
As suspected, it’s extremely rubbery. It has a bounce to it, almost like the meat of a hotdog. It was hard for me to even judge the flavor because of the texture. It’s just not supposed to be that bouncy and rubbery. Not a fan at all.
Price Point:
- Cost per package: $7.39
- Cost per serving: About $0.82
Boar’s Head Maple Honey Turkey
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 70
Fat: .5g
Sodium: 480mg
Carbs: 2g
Protein: 14g
Jumping the gun a bit, there are going to be a few Boar’s Head options on the list that just aren’t really delivering the flavor I’d hoped for. I have high hopes for the Boar’s Head Maple Honey Turkey, so let’s see if a little added flavor gives it some pizzazz.
The Look:
All in all, it looks pretty good. It’s not wet thankfully like some of the other options. I definitely do not prefer when it’s so moist that the package is leaking, that’s just unappealing. It has a weird smell to it that doesn’t really implicate maple or honey.
The Taste:
This honestly just tastes off and weird to me. I’ve had plenty of maple syrup all through Vermont and New York and I can’t say that anything about this tastes like maple…or honey, for that matter. The odd smell matches the odd taste, and I am not a fan of this product.
Price Point:
Boar’s Head Sliced Honey Smoked Turkey
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 60
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 420mg
Carbs: 1g
Protein: 12g
The honey smoked turkey seems like it’ll be a slightly sweeter option to amp up a sandwich. Although it’s smoked, and sometimes I wonder if the smoky flavor will overpower any other saltiness or sweetness as it tends to do sometimes, let’s give it a try.
The Look:
It looks wet and the package is leaking a lot of liquid, but I guess that’ll keep the turkey moist. As I took a piece out, it looked and felt like real turkey that had been sliced a regular thickness for a sandwich.
The Taste:
I’m shocked, but I really disliked it. I guess if you like a really smoky taste, that’s fine. In my opinion, both the flavor and the texture were not appealing. I really didn’t taste much honey. It was just an overwhelming smoky taste and the texture of the turkey felt a little off to me compared to some other options. It was a bit spongy.
Price Point:
- Cost per package: $7.99
- Cost per serving: About $2
Boar’s Head Sliced Roasted Turkey
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 50
Fat: .5g
Sodium: 360mg
Carbs: 0g
Protein: 11g
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the honey smoked version or the maple honey, but perhaps the regular turkey breast will be different. Maybe the flavors are what affected the texture that I didn’t love, and a planer version will be better!
The Look:
Right away, it also has that wet look and when I opened it, a bunch of liquid came out that I’m hoping is just water. It has a weird smell to it, unlike some of the other oven roasted turkey options on the list that smelled great.
The Taste:
The flavor is much better and more natural than the honey smoked or the honey maple. It still has a little bit of that spongy texture, but much less than the honey smoked version. If you’re set on sticking with Boar’s Head products, this is a good option.
Price Point:
- Cost per package: $10.49
- Cost per serving: About $2.62
Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Oven Roasted Turkey
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 60
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 490mg
Carbs: 2g
Protein: 10g
Hillshire Farm advertises that the turkey is browned with caramel color. Although I don’t fully love how that sounds, it also says that there are no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no nitrates or nitrites added.
The Look:
From opening the package, it has that kind of fake turkey smell and it’s very slimy. I reached into the pack to pull out a bunch of pieces, it left a film on my fingers. So far, not loving the feel, texture, and look of it, but let’s still give it a try.
The Taste:
The flavor is actually pretty good, but I’m having a hard time getting past the texture. It does have that general film to it, which is quite off putting. It also has a rubbery chew, not as bad as other options, but also not as fresh and tender as other options.
Price Point:
- Cost per package: $6.99
- Cost per serving: About $0.87
Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 50
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 500mg
Carbs: 2g
Protein: 9g
Oscar Meyer has a bit of a reputation, I believe, because of their prices, for being cheap. Price tag aside, their oven roasted turkey breast has no nitrates or nitrites added, no artificial preservatives, and is made using 100% turkey breast, so it’s off to a great start. I’m excited to give this a try and see how it holds up.
The Look:
When I opened the turkey, it looked good. It’s much drier, which I prefer. I don’t like when it’s sitting in some kind of mystery liquid. Although, I smelled it and it has a very odd, kind of chemical smell to it that was not appealing at all, but I’m going to try it for you guys because maybe it’ll taste good!
The Taste:
Honestly, the flavor is pretty legit. It’s salty and delicious, which doesn’t surprise me because the sodium is a little high on this one. It does have a little bit of that slightly kind of artificial texture, but the flavor is delicious.
Price Point:
- Cost per package: $4.79
- Cost per serving: About $1.06
Organic Nuna Honey Turkey Breast
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 60
Fat: .5g
Sodium: 320mg
Carbs: 2g
Protein: 12g
This honey turkey breast from Nuna is made using just the simplest ingredients like organic turkey breast and organic honey. It’s gluten-free, high protein, and raised with no antibiotics.
The Look:
It does say that there’s water in it, but when I opened the package, it leaked water out, which was a little un appetizing to be frank. It has a moist texture to it and appeared overall pretty thin. As I started pulling it out of the package, I realized it’s not thin at all. It’s actually quite thick and has a nice natural feel to it.
The Taste:
This turkey has a great flavor to it and texture. It has a slight sweetness from the honey and the texture of actual turkey isn’t slimy like some other deli meats. You can literally taste how natural this is, and if you like a little bit of sweetness, this is a wonderful option.
Price Point:
- Cost per package: $12.39 (for the 6 oz package)
- Cost per serving: About $5
Boar’s Head Ovengold Turkey
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 60
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 360mg
Carbs: 0g
Protein: 11g
Many of these pay-by-the-pound options smell like fresh turkey out of the oven. It’s already such a difference from the prepackaged turkeys out there. I have high hopes about this option from Boar’s Head. I didn’t love the packaged versions from this brand, so maybe this will be better quality.
The Look:
This looks and feels like real turkey, as it should, but you’d be surprised. When I gave it the smell test it smelled fresh, with just a little seasoning on it. The texture looks good, as well, but let’s see how it tastes.
The Taste:
The texture is better than the prepackaged options from this brand, but I still get that little bit of sponginess. Not bad, but I think that there are better options out there.
Price Point:
Market 32 Cracked Pepper Turkey
Nutrition Facts (oven roast turkey breast):
Calories: 60
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 340mg
Carbs: 1g
Protein: 14g
This pay-by-the-pound option that I got at Market 32 is coated in cracked pepper. The turkey has a thickish border lined with dark pepper. If you like a little more flavor with your turkey, this could be a great option.
The Look:
The cracked pepper turkey has a great smell to it. It smells like actual fresh roasted turkey out of the oven and doesn’t have a wet texture or feel to it. It also feels like real turkey, but doesn’t break apart too much.
The Taste:
Sometimes when the turkey advertises that it has a flavor or seasoning added to it, you don’t taste it. If you get a bite of that border, it is so peppery it almost has a little bit of a spicy kick to it. This is a great combination of texture, smell, taste, and all-in-all, a solid choice.
Price Point:
Market 32 Golden Roasted Turkey
Nutrition Facts (oven roast turkey breast):
Calories: 60
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 340mg
Carbs: 1g
Protein: 14g
The golden roasted turkey from Market 32 is a decent fallback if you want flavor without an overwhelmingly peppery taste (or others, like honey). This is a bit more of a base version, a little planer while still having a little seasoning.
The Look:
It doesn’t look wet, but has a glossy look to it. I wasn’t sure if it would taste rubbery like some of those other brands that had that fake glossiness to it, but after giving it a try, it didn’t!
The Taste:
Despite the somewhat glassy appearance that can make it look artificial, this tasted fresh, delicious, and had an oven roasted taste to it of homemade turkey. I enjoyed this texture and flavor combination overall.
Price Point:
The Fresh Market Oven Roasted Turkey
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 50
Fat: 0g
Sodium: 360mg
Carbs: 1g
Protein: 11g
From The Fresh Market, I tried their oven roasted turkey that’s sliced per pound from the deli. For turkey, I tend to prefer just oven roasted usually because I like to doctor it up the way that I like it, starting with a good base layer, in the sandwich.
The Look:
It looks a little glossy, but feels kind of dry. It has a dark border from the roasting and a good smell to it of naturally roasted turkey. Based on how this one smells and looks, I have high expectations!
The Taste:
It tastes and smells like freshly roasted turkey! It also tastes saltier than some other options in the best way. I really loved this turkey from The Fresh Market for a base layer in a sandwich.
Price Point:
When it comes to turkey, a deli meat option that’ll be a great addition to your sandwich is the Fresh Market Oven Roasted Turkey. If we didn’t try your favorite, drop it in the comments!
