Chicken breast is one of the most versatile and popular meats. It’s a lean source of protein that can be used in everything from weeknight dinners to meal prepped lunches. While chicken breast is readily available at most grocery stores, buying it in bulk quantities can save you a lot of money. However, finding a retailer that sells quality chicken breast in bulk at an affordable price point isn’t always easy.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about buying chicken breast in bulk. We’ll discuss how buying in bulk can save you money, tips for identifying high-quality chicken, and the best places to buy large quantities of chicken breast. Whether you’re looking to stock up your freezer or meal prep for the whole week, we’ll point you towards the best bulk chicken breast options.
Why Buy Chicken Breast in Bulk?
There are several advantages to purchasing chicken breast in bulk quantities
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Save money – Buying larger quantities usually means saving per pound or per ounce Bulk cases of chicken can offer savings up to 40% off regular prices
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Convenience – Making fewer trips to the grocery store saves time and energy. Bulk buying allows you to stock up so you make fewer trips.
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Meal prep – Meal prepping several meals or weeks worth of meals is easier and more efficient when you have bulk quantities of meat on hand
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Freezer stock up – Bulk buying chicken allows you to fill up your freezer so you always have an inexpensive protein source readily available.
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Higher quality – Many retailers offer better quality, fresher chicken in their bulk cases than the regular grocery packages.
What to Look for in Bulk Chicken
To make sure you’re getting a high-quality product when you buy in bulk, here are a few important things to look for:
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Reputable seller – Make sure you purchase from a reputable grocery store, warehouse club, or online retailer with strict food safety standards. Don’t buy meat from an unknown source.
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Freshness dates – Look for chicken packs with recent freshness dates for maximum shelf life in the freezer.
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Correct temperature – Chicken should be very cold to the touch when selecting your bulk case.
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Packaging – Chicken should be packaged in secure, clean materials that maintain temperature. Avoid torn or damaged packaging.
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Appearance – Chicken should have a fresh, pink color free of discoloration or freezer burn. Boneless cuts should look uniform in size and shape.
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Certifications – Look for chicken that is USDA certified and/or antibiotic-free if these factors are important to you.
Paying attention to these quality markers will help ensure you get delicious, fresh chicken when buying in quantity.
The Best Places to Buy Chicken Breast in Bulk
After considering all of these factors, here are our top recommendations for where to buy high-quality chicken breast in bulk:
Grocery Store Butcher Counters
Many local grocery store chains offer special orders of fresh chicken breast in bulk through their butcher counters. This allows you to customize the exact quantity and type of chicken cuts you need. Expect to pay around $2-3 per pound.
Warehouse Clubs
Warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club and Costco offer high-quality, low-priced bulk chicken breast in their freezers. At Sam’s you can find 10-pound cases of boneless, skinless breasts for around $1.99 per pound. Warehouse clubs usually require a membership.
Online Retailers
Websites like Rastelli’s and Porter Road offer bulk boxes of chicken breast shipped frozen directly to your door. This is often free-range, organic and antibiotic-free chicken for around $3-5 per pound. Perfect for stocking up without leaving home.
Local Meat Markets
Don’t forget to check your local meat markets and butcher shops. Many offer bulk chicken breast at competitive prices. Ask them about special ordering case quantities. Prices can vary greatly.
Direct from Farms
See if any poultry farms in your area sell bulk quantities of chicken direct to consumers. Buying direct from the source is often the best deal. Expect to pay around $2-3 per pound.
Buying Bulk Chicken on a Budget
If you’re looking for the most affordable bulk chicken, opt for the warehouse clubs or local grocery butcher counters to get the best prices. Here are some other tips for keeping costs low:
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Buy whole chickens and butcher them yourself into breasts and other cuts. This is usually cheaper than buying chicken breasts alone.
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Look for warehouse clubs or grocery sales and promotions on chicken breast and stock up during these discounted periods.
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Purchase larger bulk quantities, like 40 pounds, to get the biggest volume discounts. Make sure you have ample freezer space!
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Focus on the price per pound rather than the total cost of the bulk case. This helps identify the best deal.
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Opt for the standard air-chilled chicken over organic and speciality chicken that often costs more per pound.
Is Buying Chicken Breast in Bulk Worth It?
Buying chicken breast in bulk quantities can offer big savings compared to smaller grocery packages. You get the convenience of having a steady chicken supply for meal prepping, saving trips to the store, and stocking the freezer. Higher volume purchases lead to lower per-pound costs.
However, bulk buying only saves money if you can use up the chicken before it goes bad. Make sure you have the storage space, particularly ample freezer room, before purchasing very large quantities. Only buy what you know your household can use in a reasonable timeframe.
For most families, buying a 10-20 pound case of chicken breast at a time yields optimal savings without waste. Don’t overbuy more than you can handle just to get the lowest price per pound. Some waste can diminish your bulk savings.
With the right freezer space and buying strategy, purchasing chicken breast in bulk is one of the most effective ways to save money on this versatile and popular protein. Use the tips in this guide to find the best high-quality bulk chicken options near you.
What is Zaycon Foods?
This chicken is sold via Zaycon Foods which is a nationwide company that provides fresh chicken, beef, pork and seafood to families at an affordable price. Zaycon cuts out the middle-man of the grocery store, which means a 30-50% savings on all the different selections of meat they have. It is basically a meat co-op and they can get these amazing prices because you are ordering in advance and the bulk orders drive the prices of the meat down! Their meat is higher quality and in some cases a natural option. They only have meat offerings at certain times of the year and for a certain type of meat. The last natural chicken breast sale was last fall. You do not know how often or when they will have these sales.
What do we do with the bulk chicken?
We have done a handful of things. Here are three ideas that have worked well for us!
- Cook, portion out and freeze the bulk chicken. We freeze half of the chicken raw in Ziplocs and the other box we cook it all up and chop it up and have cooked cubed or shredded chicken which makes dinner so much easier as this is always the hardest part for me (defrosting and cooking the meat). So the days I have very little time, the cooked chicken is the answer.
Read our post HERE on how these come packaged and then how we prep them for the freezer
2. We make bulk homemade marinades and freeze the bulk chicken in the marinade.
I have made 5 different homemade marinades: Asian, Mexican, Italian, Ranch, Hawaiian. These are my own recipes and I make enough of each to have 4 of each flavor/type for a total of 20 meals with marinades. These are super simple as I just have to get the ziploc bag out the day before and pop it in a crock pot. I serve with rice, potatoes or pasta plus steamed veggies and a bread or fruit and we have a complete meal in no time. I haven’t shared these marinade recipes yet, so if you would like me to, give a shout out!
3. We make freezer meals, about 24 at a time! The last time, I gave freezer cooking a try and spent two-hours preparing 24 meals from 12 recipes with the Zaycon Fresh freezer cooking meal plan! My 6 kids helped me and it was a fun day in the kitchen. We actually made the 24 meals live on Facebook.
Hopefully this gives you some ideas to get the ball rolling!
Bulk Chicken Purchase…Let’s Do Some Math!
FAQ
How many chicken breasts to feed 25 people?
| FOOD | SERVE 25 | SERVE 50 |
|---|---|---|
| Meats | ||
| Chicken or turkey breast | 8–9 pounds | 16–18 pounds |
| Fish (fillets or steaks) | 7-1/2 pounds | 15 pounds |
| Hamburgers | 6-1/2–9-1/2 pounds | 13–15 pounds |
Is it better to buy chicken in bulk?
Buying a full chicken is definitely cheaper over all for meat quantity. When you buy the whole chicken, it works out as better value for money. You are not paying someone else to cut it up for you, so it is cheaper. It’s sort of like wholesale price as opposed to retail. ie buying in bulk.
How many chicken breasts are in a 5 lb bag?
| 10-15 Pieces.