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If you’re looking for the best meat subscriptions, you’ve come to the right place!
Whether you’re wanting to find the best meat for grilling, or you’re after the perfect gift for the meat lover in your life, there are so many options out there.
The question is – which one is best?
We’ll tell you right away that we love Butcher Box. But you’ll have to keep reading to find out more.
Here’s what you can expect to find out from this guide:
- A comparison of each subscription box
- What to look for in a meat subscription service
- 8 of the best out there, including their pricing and pros and cons
- Some frequently asked questions
- Which one we like best and why
Sound good? Let’s get into it!
Best Meat Subscriptions Compared
Name |
Meat Type |
Box Frequency |
Minimum Price |
Customizable |
Free Delivery |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beef, pork, chicken, salmon, cod |
Every 4 or 8 weeks |
$129 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Cod, Shrimp, Seafood |
Every 4 weeks |
$149 |
Yes |
Yes | |
Beef, pork, chicken, salmon |
Every 4 or 8 weeks |
$129 |
Yes |
Free in lower 48 states and Washington DC |
|
Various jerky products |
Every 4 or 8 weeks |
$29.99 |
No |
Free over $49.99 |
|
Beef, pork, chicken, shellfish, salmon |
Every 4 or 8 weeks |
$89 |
Yes |
Free over $99 |
|
Beef, pork, chicken, tuna, salmon, shrimp |
Weekly through to 6-weekly deliveries |
$69 |
Yes |
Free over $200 |
|
Beef, pork, chicken, lamb |
2 weeks, 4 weeks, or 8 weeks |
$70 |
Yes |
Free over $100 |
|
Jerky, Cured Meat, Salami, Prosciuttos, bacon |
4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks |
$49.99 |
No |
Free |
|
Steaks |
4 weeks, 8 weeks, or every 3 months |
$19,99 |
No |
Free over $149 |
What to Look for in a Meat Subscription Service
So, what should you look for in a meat subscription service?
Meat Varieties
The main thing to consider is, obviously, what kind of meat you’re looking for. Are you wanting to learn the principles of grilling, and therefore need good meats to practice? Are you looking for grass-fed steaks? Ground beef and pork chops for family meals? Chicken? Fish? Some subscription services focus on doing one thing well (for example, they might only focus on artisan bacon). Others include a variety of types of meat and fish.
What you choose will depend on the occasion you want it for. If you’re feeding a family, you might want a variety of meat that will cater to everybody’s tastes. If you’re looking for a gift for a family member, you might want to pick a steak subscription gift box.
Some subscription services offer more exotic meats than you would be able to get in your local grocery store, which may be something you’re interested in if you’re bored with your regular choices.
Customization
Some boxes aren’t able to be customized at all. Others allow you to build your own box from scratch or allow you to leave out certain products if you don’t like them.
You will commonly find boxes that allow you to include add-ons. This gives you a degree of customization but obviously comes at an extra cost.
Pricing
Subscription boxes for meat – especially those with high standards of ethical production – will cost more than buying regular meat from the supermarket. Prices do vary, however, and you may be able to take advantage of a special offer or a discount for subscribers.
Gift-based boxes can be lower in price, or those that specialize in a certain thing (for example, the jerky and bacon-based boxes we’ll be looking at later).
Box Frequency
You may not be able to keep up with a 2-weekly delivery of meat (even if you’re freezing it). Some subscription boxes allow you to choose a less regular frequency for shipments or allow you to pause your delivery if you’re away from home for a while or you just need to use up the meat you already have.
Ethical Practices
What’s great about subscription boxes is that they allow you direct access to some small, family-owned farms that really care about their animals. It makes it easier to find organic, free-range, cared-for animals.
It also makes it easier to ensure that the farmers producing your meat are being fairly paid.
Meat subscription boxes are usually really keen to tell you about their ethical practices as can be an important part of their company values – if they don’t display that information clearly, it’s worth digging into what their standards actually are, as they may not meet your expectations.
Health Concerns
You can get hold of some high-quality meat here that is better for your health. For example, bacon that is free of nitrates, or grass-fed beef. Some subscription boxes will be free from antibiotics or growth hormones, too. However, this will obviously bump up the cost, so it’s going to be more expensive than the meat you’d get from a supermarket. The good news is, this tends to mean that the meat is of a much higher (and tastier) quality than you’d usually get.
Best Meat Subscriptions
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best meat subscriptions out there!
Butcher Box – Good All-Rounder
Founded by Mike Salguero, ButcherBox focuses on grass-fed beef. This is a good thing – as of 2017, according to a study by Colorado State University, 97% of beef produced in the US is grain-fed – meaning only 3% is grass-fed. ButcherBox makes grass-fed beef more accessible.
They focus on meat that is “better for you”. So, along with the grass-fed beef, they sell organic chicken, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, and heritage breed pork. Perfect for the health-conscious meat eater. They’re very open and transparent about the sourcing of their products, and they only work with farmers who believe in fair labor practices.
ButcherBox only sells meat from animals that are humanely raised. Their meat has no added hormones or antibiotics.
There are a few different options for customers. You can go for the lowest bundle ($129 for 7-10lbs of chicken, beef, pork, bacon, and salmon) all the way up to $238 per month for the 16-22lb plan. You can choose the types of meat you will receive, and there’s even an option for 8-week delivery. If you find that you’re not getting through enough meat for a monthly box, you can swap for every other month instead.
You can pause or cancel your subscription at any time. However, some customers have had issues with boxes arriving despite cancellation, which is a shame. The delivery is always free. They have a ton of recipes on their website, too.
The downside? It’s a pricey subscription. You can see why, thanks to the quality of the meat and where the meat is sourced from, but it might be too much for those on a tighter budget.
Pricing
There are four subscription boxes to choose from:
Custom Box
- Classic Box (9-14lbs) – $149
- Big Box (18-26lbs) – $270
With the custom box, you can pick the cuts of meat you’d like to receive.
Mixed Box
- Classic Box (8-11lbs) – $129
- Big Box (16-22lbs) – $238
Beef and Pork
- Classic Box (8-11lbs) – $129
- Big Box (16-22lbs) – $238
Beef and Chicken
- Classic Box (8-11lbs) – $129
- Big Box (16-22lbs) – $238
All Beef
- Classic Box (8-11lbs) – $129
- Big Box (16-22lbs) – $238
With all plans, you can choose add-ons of bacon, ground beef, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and boneless pork chops. These come at an extra cost and will be recurring every month unless you change your order. You can find out more about the pricing here.
ButcherBox delivers 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, humanely raised pork, and wild-caught seafood directly to your door. Sign up today!
Pros
- Healthier meat – no antibiotics or growth hormones
- They believe in fair practices. Animals are treated fairly, and workers are paid a proper wage
- It’s customizable
- Shipping is free
Cons
- It’s expensive – possibly prohibitively so if you’re on a smaller budget
- Some customers have had issues with canceling their box
Good Chop
Good Chop focuses on delivering high-quality, independently farmed meat from the USA. They certainly succeed in their goal of offering high-quality, incredibly tender meat. Their steaks are some of the best, cut from Angus breeds with premium options that are 100% grass-fed.
Their meat is raised on a 100% vegetarian diet, and their pork is raised on a vegetarian diet. Their fish is wild-caught or sourced from sustainable fish farms in the US. No antibiotics, additives, or colors are used in their fish either. Truly making this meat some of the cleanest.
Their shipping leaves a little to be desired, and of course, they are a bit more expensive than simply purchasing meat from the store. However, you receive a much higher quality product. Going to a local butcher would likely yield a similar price point, but Good Chop comes with the convenience of not having to go out.
Find our full Good Chop review here
Good Chop is a flexible meat subscription service that brings high-quality, American meat and seafood right to your door. Join Good Chop today to get a full year of FREE ribeyes, filet mignons, or NY strip steaks, plus a $30 discount.
Pricing
Medium Box
The medium box is $149, which gives you up to 36 portions and a choice from 6 cuts of meat.
Large Box
The large box is $269 and contains up to 72 portions of meat and a choice from 12 cuts of meat.
Pros
- Focused on high-quality meat born, raised, and processed in the USA.
- Wide variety of meat choices
- Completely customizable with flexible delivery dates
- No antibiotics or hormones used
- USDA Prime Cuts & Grass Fed Available
Cons
- Packaging produces a lot of waste
- A bit expensive but still reasonably priced compared to a local butcher.
Moink – Best Ethical Practices
Moink has a strong focus on healthier meat. Their meat is free-range, grass-fed, and have no antibiotics or GMO grains. They care strongly about ethical practices in farming. It was founded by a husband-and-wife team who grew up on family farms, so they have a strong connection to good farming practices.
What’s great is that every box is customizable, and it’s easy to make changes each month. Each box has a set number of products, and you can click on each one to substitute it for something else. They have a wide range of cuts too. One downside is that they don’t offer large boxes – only small and medium.
You can also skip a box whenever you wish if you’re away from home or you need to use up the meat you already have. They offer free shipping to all the lower 48 states and Washington, DC.
Like Butcher Box, it’s expensive compared to store-bought, corn-fed meat. Given the quality of meat that’s not a surprise, but it’s still something to bear in mind when budgeting for it.
The customer service team is helpful and friendly if you need to contact them at any point.
Pricing
There are four subscription boxes to choose from:
Small
The small box is $129. This gives you 6 products.
Medium
The medium box is $159. This gives you 8 products.
Small (No Pork)
The small box without pork is $129, which gives you 6 products.
Medium (No Pork)
The medium box with no pork is $159, which gives you 7 products.
You can find out more about their boxes here.
Pros
- Focus on ethically produced meat
- No antibiotics or growth hormones
- Wide variety of cuts
- Very customizable
Cons
- Fairly pricey
- No large box available
Jerky Dynasty – Best for Jerky Lovers
Jerky Dynasty gives you what you’d imagine – a big range of jerky products! You can buy individual items on their website – they have a huge range of exotic jerky including alligator, buffalo, camel, kangaroo, and ostrich – or you can join their Dynasty Club.
The Dynasty Club has three pricing tiers – the Dynasty Club Edition (which includes a unique selection each month), the Fitness Edition (which includes high-protein, post-workout snacks), and the Lite Edition (which gives you a smaller amount of products each month).
Jerky Dynasty sources its products from a variety of companies, and there’s no clear way of tracking the process. If ethical food shopping is a concern for you, you’ll find it difficult to figure out the original source of each type of meat and the working conditions of the people producing it.
The subscription boxes have great reviews, and customer service is good. Plus, you can choose to have a delivery every 4 or 8 weeks, and they offer free shipping for orders over $48. (Canadian customers will receive free shipping for the first month but will have to pay $10 more every month afterward for delivery).
Pricing
There are three boxes to choose from.
Dynasty Club Edition
This is $49.99 and includes anything from 16-24oz of jerky. You’ll get a variety of products including bags, snack packs, sausages, and sticks.
Fitness Edition
This is $69.99 per month and includes a range of high-protein, low-fat snacks. You’ll get anything from 24-32oz of products.
Lite Edition
This is $29.99 per month and includes similar products to the Dynasty Club edition, but less of them. You’ll receive 8-12oz of jerky each month.
You can find out more about their boxes here.
Pros
- Includes a wide variety of exotic jerky products
- You can choose the lite option if you’re on a tighter budget
- Includes a fitness option for post-workout snacks
Cons
- No way of tracing the ethical origins of each product
- Free shipping only applies to the two more expensive boxes
Crowd Cow – Best Luxury Subscription
Crowd Cow works with independent farmers. One of the co-founders, Ethan, wondered how he could make it easier for people to purchase meat from local farms. He teamed up with his friend Joe, and together they launched Crowd Cow.
They’re selective in the ranches they choose to work with, and they have a focus on high ethical standards. There are no unnecessary hormones or added hormones used. They’re also committed to better sustainability. They’ve reduced their waste, replaced their packaging with 100% recyclable and compostable options, and they fully offset their carbon emissions.
They have a big variety of products. There’s a lot of luxury options here, which makes it a good choice if you want to try something new. You can go for big chunks of meat (like the Japanese A5 Wagyu Prime Rib, $348.50) or something less expensive (like the elk hot dogs, $9.50).
The recurring boxes vary from month to month, and there are a few different options. The Steak Connoisseur box is a popular choice that includes 5 high-quality steaks. Or you can go for the Cookout Classic Collection, which gives you ten items to grill.
Each box includes information about each type of meat and how the animal was raised. Shipping is free over $99.
The downside is that the website is a bit confusing to navigate, and it’s awkward to figure out which boxes are recurring and which are just one-off products.
Pricing
The boxes change and vary in price. The lowest-priced box we could find was the Cookout Classic Collection at $89. Or you can go for the Heritage Duroc Pork Box, which includes ten of their best pork products for $165.75.
If you sign up for a recurring box, you get 5% off your orders.
You can find out more about their products here.
Get grass-fed steaks, pasture-raised craft beef, pastured chicken, heritage pork and more meat you can't find anywhere else ― delivered right to your door.
Pros
- High ethical standards
- Great quality products
- Luxury steaks available
- Lots of choice of cuts
Cons
- It doesn’t have the easiest interface to use
Rastelli’s – Best for More Regular Deliveries
Rastelli’s was founded by Ray Rastelli, Jr. He discovered an empty shop and thought it would be a good place to use as a butcher shop. They quickly expanded, and now they sell high-quality meat subscription boxes online. They are transparent in their sourcing, choosing small farms run by families over generations, with high ethical standards. They offer organic options for their pork, beef, and chicken, too.
There are a few options for customers, ranging from just ground beef ($99) to Surf and Turf ($299). They sell beef, pork, chicken, tuna, salmon, and shrimp. All their products are hormone and antibiotic-free, and they only sell wild-caught seafood. The downside is that they don’t offer any particularly exotic or unusual products.
There’s a lot of customization here. You can choose between 8 and 24 servings, and you can pick weekly deliveries (for $99) right through to six-weekly deliveries.
Delivery is free over $200, $10 between $90-199, and $25 for orders under $90.
Pricing
There are a few boxes to choose from:
Chicken Sampler
The chicken sampler is $69 and includes chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and drumsticks.
Mixed Grill
The mixed grill box is $79 and includes sirloin steaks, boneless pork chops, chicken breasts, and steak burgers.
Organic Ground Beef Family Pack
This costs $99 and includes 10 16oz packs of ground beef.
Seafood Sampler
This costs $109 and includes shrimp, salmon fillets, cod, and salmon burgers.
Steak Sampler
This costs $149 and includes filet mignons, center-cut sirloins, NY strips, rib-eyes, and Black Angus steaks.
Surf and Turf
This costs $299 and includes Black Angus filet mignon steaks and Atlantic lobster tails.
You can find out more about their pricing here.
Pros
- High-quality meats with no antibiotics or growth hormones
- Focus on using small, family-run farms
- More regular deliveries available
- Some organic options available
Cons
- No exotic/unusual meats
Porter Road – Best for Customization
Porter Road uses farms from Kentucky and Tennessee. They have high standards for ethical practices, and they choose meats that are free from antibiotics and growth hormones. They focus on beef, pork, lamb, and chicken – so you won’t find any exotic meats here. They do offer a wide variety of cuts for each type of meat.
There are a few boxes to choose from, and each box can be delivered on a 2-week, 4 weeks, or 8 weekly bases. The Butcher’s Choice box always includes steaks, pork chops, ground beef, and bacon, plus seasonal selections that change each month. You can choose from 20 add-ons to customize your box.
Given the quality, the pricing isn’t too bad, with the lowest price box costing $70. Shipping is free over $100.
Pricing
There are five boxes to choose from:
Butcher’s Choice Box
This is $127 and includes steaks, pork chops, ground beef, bacon, and seasonal selections.
Stay at Home Bundle
This is $90 and includes ground beef, ground pork, Loose Italian sausage, and Country Breakfast Sausage.
Best of Porter Road Box
This costs $100 and includes a selection of their best-selling products.
Beef and Pork Basics
This is $100 and includes dry-aged sirloin fillets, pork chops, ground beef, and ground pork.
Grill Master Box
This costs around $70 and includes some of their best products for grilling.
You can find out more about their subscription boxes here.
Pasture-raised beef, pork, lamb, and chicken delivered on your schedule, every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Free of antibiotics, hormones, and GMOs.
Pros
- High standards for ethical production
- Meats are free from growth hormones and antibiotics
- A large variety of cuts for each type of meat
- Add-ons make boxes customizable
Cons
- No exotic/unusual meats available
Read the full Review here:
Carnivore Club – Best Artisan Crafted Meat Selection
Carnivore Club has plenty of tasty meats you can enjoy and there are multiple clubs. They are proud of their premium artisanal meats. They’re also a brand with a scene of humor so you might see some people posting their funny memes with Carnivore Club’s meat. Read our full Carnivore Club review here
Pricing
The price of Carnivore Club is reasonable and they make sure there is something for everyone.
- Jerky Club – This is the least expensive option and it’s all jerky – $19.99
- Snack Box – The snack box comes with premium cured meat snacks – $34.99
- Classic Box – You receive 4-6 cured meats each time – $49.99
- Complete Box – You get everything you need to make a great charcuterie board – $49.99
US Carnivore Club functions to brings you closer to the world through cured meats from top artisans.
Pros
- They have a good price range
- There are a lot of delicious options from which to choose
- They feature a new artisan each month
Cons
- Not customizable
Omaha Steaks Gift Boxes – Best for High-Quality Steaks
Omaha Steaks focuses on – you guessed it – steaks! They’ve been going for over 100 years, so they’ve got a lot of expertise behind them. Their steaks are sourced from farms in the USA. It’s not as easy to figure out how ethical their farming practices are, and not all of their steaks are grass-fed.
They offer three boxes – the monthly steak box, the bi-monthly steak box, and the quarterly steak box. Each includes a selection of steaks, with different options for each month. You could receive sirloins, filet mignons, rib-eyes, T-bone steaks, crown steaks, or bacon-wrapped steaks.
Shipping is free for orders over $149.
Pricing
There are three options to choose from:
Monthly Steak Box
This gives you one delivery a month and costs $119 per shipment. It includes between 6 to 8 steaks each month.
Bi-Monthly Steak Box
This gives you one delivery every two months and costs $139 per shipment. It includes between 6 to 8 steaks per shipment.
Quarterly Steak Box
This gives you one delivery every three months, and it costs $159 per shipment. It includes between 6 to 8 steaks per shipment.
You can find out more about their boxes here.
Omaha Steaks beef is expertly selected, naturally aged, and hand-carved into the best steaks of your life... guaranteed.
Pros
- High-quality steaks
- Variety of types of steak included
- Farms are all based in the US
Cons
- No customization
- Difficult to see their ethical practices
The most convenient way to shop life-changing meat. Delivered on your schedule, every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Get 10% Off your first order using code: RAISEDBETTER10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about meat subscription boxes:
Answer: We think so. Obviously, it depends upon what you want from your meat. High-quality subscription boxes will cost more than the regular meat you’d find in grocery stores. You’re paying for better quality and the convenience of not having to source the meat yourself – so we think it’s worth the money.
Answer: It depends on the type you choose. Some companies offer fish alongside meat.
Answer: You can freeze meat for quite a while. Here’s a rundown from the FDA:
– Poultry, whole – 1 year
– Poultry, parts – 9 months
– Bacon – 1 month
– Sausage – 1-2 months
– Steaks – 6-12 months
– Chops – 4-6 months
– Roasts – 4-12 months
– Lean fish – 6-8 months
– Fatty fish – 2-3 months
Answer: No, not necessarily – it’s worth checking the website for more detailed information about this.
Get grass-fed steaks, pasture-raised craft beef, pastured chicken, heritage pork and more meat you can't find anywhere else ― delivered right to your door.
To Sum Up … Which Meat Subscription Box is Best?
ButcherBox delivers 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, humanely raised pork, and wild-caught seafood directly to your door. Sign up today!
If you want a basic variety of meats each month, with a focus on high-quality meat from happy, well-looked-after animals, we’d pick Butcher Box. It’s a good all-rounder, they have a good selection to choose from, and you can choose the Custom Box to have full control over what you get.
For a specialist box, we’d have to go for Jerky Dynasty. It’s a niche product but if you have a jerky-obsessed loved one, they’d really love this as a gift. They’ve got so many unusual products to choose from too.
If you want more luxurious meat, we’d go for Crowd Cow. Their selection of Wagyu beef is well worth a look.
Hopefully, this has helped you to choose the right meat subscription box for you!
Indulge in a full year of FREE ribeyes, filet mignons, or NY strip steaks with each purchase, all while enjoying a $30 discount on your initial order, and experience the exceptional quality and taste that defines GoodChop's premium cuts.