My buddy the butcher dropped a truth bomb on me about ground turkey

I was bragging about saving $4 a pound using ground turkey instead of beef when my buddy Jake, who works at a local meat shop, told me that cheap turkey is often pumped full of broth and fillers. He said by the time it cooks down, you're actually paying more per ounce of real meat than decent ground beef. Has anyone else checked the fine print on their bargain protein?

3 comments

3 Comments

lindamartin1mo ago

Your buddy is ignoring one thing: nobody is eating ground turkey for the same experience as beef. You save money upfront, period. The fillers and broth are already accounted for in the price tag, so you're still paying less per package compared to cheap ground beef that shrinks just as much anyway. Plus, a lot of that "broth" is just water and salt that cooks off, and you're not paying for the fat you'd be draining off beef. If you're that worried about fillers, stop buying the 99 cent a pound tube and get the store brand that lists "ground turkey" without all the extra junk, it's still cheaper than most beef cuts.

nora_dixon1mo ago

Yeah, I started reading the ingredients on the cheap tubes after noticing my burgers just dissolved in the pan. Switched to the store brand that just says "ground turkey" with no added broth and it works way better.

nora_dixon1mo ago

Oh man, I totally get where you're coming from but I gotta push back a little here. See, that "broth" they add isn't just water and salt that cooks off, it's also stuff like corn syrup solids and modified food starch. So even if it evaporates, you're still paying for that weight when you buy it, and it changes the texture in a way that's not great. And about the price comparison - cheap ground beef at least has fat that renders out and gives you flavor, plus it holds together better in a pan. I've had turkey burgers that literally crumbled into mush because of all that added liquid, and at that point you're not even saving money since half of it turns into slop in the pan. I mean, I'd rather just pay a little more for the real stuff that actually cooks up nice instead of feeling like I'm eating flavored water shaped like a patty.