Publix Thanksgiving Dinner 2026 Menu, Prices and Pickup Dates
The Publix Thanksgiving dinner is a fully cooked turkey meal for about eight people. You order it ahead, pick it up cold and reheat it at home.
Publix says it works out to less than $10 a person. Last year that meant $70 for the eight-person dinner.
The date to circle is Wednesday, November 25, 2026. It’s the last pickup day, because every Publix closes on Thanksgiving.
What comes in the Complete Turkey Dinner
Publix lists the contents on its Thanksgiving ordering page. It’s a 9.5 to 12.5 lb turkey with five sides and sauces, and it serves 8.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fully cooked turkey | 9.5 to 12.5 lb |
| Old-fashioned cornbread dressing | 2.5 lb |
| Homestyle Yukon Gold mashed potatoes | 2.5 lb |
| Cranberry orange relish | 16 oz |
| Marshmallow delight | 26 oz |
| Homestyle gravy | 32 oz |
Notice what’s missing. There’s no green vegetable, no rolls and no dessert in the box, so budget for a pie and a vegetable if you want them on the table.
You don’t have to take the whole meal, either. Publix sells the turkey, other meats and the sides on their own, so you can build a smaller dinner or fill gaps in your own cooking. Its holiday dinners as a group feed anywhere from 2 to 18 people.
Last season’s lineup also had a Latin-inspired turkey dinner, with rice and pigeon peas, sweet plantains with bacon and onions, cranberry orange relish and gravy, according to Food & Wine.
How much it cost last year
Publix hadn’t posted 2026 dinner prices when we checked on October 19, 2026, so the best guide is last season. Food & Wine reported in November 2025 that the dinner cost $70 for about 8 people and $140 for up to 15, and that prices can vary slightly by store.
Per person, the small dinner comes out cheaper. And there’s a quirk in that pricing worth knowing about.
Two eight-person dinners cost the same $140 as one 15-person dinner but feed one more guest, and you get two turkeys. For a group of 15 or 16, two small dinners are the order we’d place if this year’s prices keep the same pattern.
When to order and when to pick up
Publix needs at least 48 hours between your order and pickup, and it asks for three days if you can manage it. With stores closed on Thursday, November 26, the week plays out like this.
Publix’s Thanksgiving page still says “Order ahead by November 24.” That was a Monday last year. This year it’s a Tuesday, which leaves less than the 48 hours Publix asks for before a Wednesday pickup.
Order by Monday, November 23, for a Wednesday pickup with the full 48 hours’ notice.
Earlier is safer anyway. Food & Wine reported that quite a few stores across the Southeast sold out of Thanksgiving pre-orders days before the holiday in 2024. Orders go through Publix’s Order Ahead service for in-store pickup, and the holiday meals page lists the dinners, meats and sides once this season’s menu is live for your store.
Missed the cutoff? You can still shop the in-store Thanksgiving selection, and a call to your deli will tell you what can be made at short notice.
Pickup day and reheating
Head to the deli and ask for your holiday meal. If you added rolls or a pie, Publix says you may need a second stop at the bakery.
Don’t expect a hot turkey. The meals are stored cold, and the turkey should be thawed and a bit icy but not frozen when you collect it. Heating instructions come in the packaging, and Publix says some items take two to three hours.
Our rule of thumb from that timing: for a 2 p.m. dinner, have the oven going by 11 a.m., and read the instructions the night before so nothing surprises you on the day. Our guide to Publix store and holiday hours covers the rest of that week’s schedule.
The Mojo Pork Dinner
Not a turkey family? Publix’s Mojo Pork Dinner also serves 8 and comes fully cooked, with the pork flavored with a mojo blend of grapefruit, lemon, orange, garlic, onion and oregano.
- One mojo pork roast, 5 lb
- Rice and pigeon peas, 2 lb
- Sweet plantains, 2 lb
- One Dulce de Leche Milk-Infused Bar Cake
Unlike the turkey dinner, this one comes with dessert. Its 2026 price wasn’t posted when we checked.
Pies and desserts to add
Publix’s Thanksgiving page lists six desserts you can add to the order, and the holiday meals page adds more pies.
| Dessert | Serves | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin Pie | About 8 | $6.99 |
| Sweet Potato Pie | About 8 | $6.99 |
| Apple Pie | 8 to 9 | $7.49 |
| Pecan Pie | 6 to 8 | $10.99 |
| Turkey Thanksgiving Mini Cake | About 5 | From $15.99 |
| Caramel Apple Pecan Round Cake | About 8 | $26.99 |
| Decadent Sweets Platter | 10 to 28 | From $28.99 |
| Autumn Elegance Pull Apart Cupcakes | About 24 | From $36.99 |
These are the prices at the Southgate store in Lakeland, Florida, and prices vary by store. Pumpkin and sweet potato pies were on sale for $5.99 in the weekly ad that ran October 15 to 21, so check the current ad before you order. Cake ordering is covered in our Publix bakery guide.
Who it suits best
A host feeding eight who would rather not roast a turkey gets the most out of it. At last year’s $70, that’s under $9 a person for a meal nobody has to cook.
It’s less of a fit if you want something straight from the oven. You’re reheating for a couple of hours, the sides are fixed, and there’s no pickup on Thanksgiving Day. For a bigger crowd, party platters and deli trays fill the gaps between turkey and pie, and our Publix catering menu and prices rundown shows what each one costs and how many it serves.
