12 Most Affordable Places To Buy Ground Meats In 2026, Hands Down

There was a time in the United States when one could, if nothing else, go to a supermarket and pick up some ground meat as an affordable protein option. Those days are now well in the wistful past. Ground beef alone has more than doubled in cost over the last 15 years, while the USDA predicts that it will have increased 10% from the previous year by the end of 2026 — outracing the rate of inflation. As we speak, the price of an average pound of minced cow meat is an eye-watering $6.82. That's a lot of bread for a small chunk of livestock.

And it's not as if the alternatives are much better. The soaring price of chicken can make the ground offering just as costly as beef, depending on where you shop. And even ground turkey, which folks have been swapping in for beef to save some cash and eat a little healthier, has seen its pricing get volatile due to supply issues — stemming from recent spread of bird flu, among other setbacks.

So, where does the average shopper turn for their ground meat products in 2026, while sticking to their grocery budget? Here's a list of 12 outlets that are selling their ground meat at reasonably low retail prices — at the very least below the average current costs. You might want to strike while the iron's hot at these places, for who knows what the future will bring.

Let's start with the German supermarket chain, Aldi, that only stocks what it needs to and likes to randomize its bargains. The fast-growing stateside grocer seems to be one of the very best establishments for picking up ground meat — certainly when it comes to cost, and especially when it comes to non-beef options.

The ground beef at Aldi is going for $6.19 per pound for 80% lean meat and as low as $5.19 per pound for 73% lean. Both are solid relative to overall prices but nothing to write home about. The real bargains, however, are the poultry. The Kirkwood ground chicken there will only set you back $3.69 a pound. You can also nab ground turkey at Aldi, albeit in frozen log form, for a ridiculously low $2.45 per pound.

The caliber of the meat may not be the most sterling, and you can get a sense of where the various Aldi ground meats rank in terms of quality (which sometimes has to be sacrificed for cost, unfortunately). But with the right seasoning, combos, and accompaniments, they can do the job nicely. And, following the logic that free food tastes better, then extremely low-priced food should still taste pretty alright. Maybe just leave the receipt next to your plate as a reminder while you're eating.

Walmart has long been a savior for those having to be stringent with what comes out of their wallet. It's basically built an empire on being exactly that — just as about 280 million people who stop into one of these stores every week can attest. If some of those throngs of customers are looking for affordable ground meat, then they're being greeted by a greeter at the right place.

You might have to sidestep the full-on beef options to get the real bang for your buck, it must be said. For example, the ground beef and pork blend that comes in the 1-pound log goes for $4.97 — inexpensive compared to a lot of the pure beef items. Granted, if you're sticking with burgers, you can get yourself the Great Value frozen patties. It's a 3-pound, 12-count pack that works out to $5.32 per pound.

Like with Aldi, however, the savings are seen with the winged and feathered fauna. The Perdue fresh ground chicken runs $3.84 a pound. Not to be outdone by the German chain when it comes to logged, minced turkey meat, Walmart is selling its Festive roll for the wowy-zowy low price of $1.98 per pound. Certainly there's thanks to be given for that, summertime or not. Deli meat may be a toss-up when it comes to Walmart versus Costco, but ground meat seems to be the better deal at Walmart.

Sitting firmly in third in a three-horse race that includes Costco and Sam's Club, BJ's can sometimes be overlooked by the general masses when it comes to bulk buys and shopper savings. But its members know the Massachusetts-based super-grocer can be a timely source for affordable goods. This is true in the current ground meat climate, which sees BJ's offering some respite at the register.

As long as you make bulk your buddy, that is. If you're fixing to grab about 5 pounds of 80% lean ground beef, then the BJ's offering works out to $5.49 per pound. Or you can go full YOLFO (You Only Live to Feast Once) and wield a 10-pound log of ground beef to whittle it down to $5.39 a pound.

You can also keep things comparatively modest by just picking up 3 pounds of Perdue ground chicken, which comes out to about $3.83 per pound at BJ's. As long as you learn the secret to keeping chicken burgers from drying out, it'll be well worth the purchase.

The bulk-buy, warehouse extension of Walmart, Sam's Club takes its cue from the parent company when it comes to, among other things, the prices on its ground meats selection. It's not perfect, and it might require you to buy considerable amounts of meat in order to see the savings, but that's why God made freezers. (And by God we mean General Electric, of course.)

And you'll need quite the amount of freezer space for one of Sam's Club's ground beef bargain bonanzas. You might even need a tundra. By grabbing — or rather, lugging – an entire case of ground chuck chub at around $400, you'll be getting your meat for $4.77 per pound. Hey, maybe you own a tiger. If not, go for the roughly 5-pound Member's Mark helping for a still-advantageous $5.97 a pound.

Then there's always tried-and-true Perdue ground chicken, sold in 3-pound divisions for a competitive $3.92 per pound. Whatever your choice, on the way out you can grab the new Sam's Club sundae to treat yourself for budgeting and possibly resistance training.

Kroger is, by any stretch, a grocery behemoth. With approximately 2,685 locations in 35 states and about 400,000 employees, the Cincinnati-based company has become one of the world's largest retailers. Inhabiting the rarefied air that includes your Walmarts and your Costcos, Kroger is in a position to offer customers deals where others can't. This includes ground meats, where it's one of the best places to find affordable offerings in 2026.

There's a veritable slew of budget mince at Kroger, starting with the 3-pound tray of fresh ground turkey, which is $3.33 per pound. There's also 3 pounds of the token Perdue ground chicken (also $3.33 per). And how about ground Italian sausage, great for a delicious pasta or a breakfast casserole. That's just $4.29 a pound.

Kroger has not forgotten about the beef, because it's America. Two-and-a-quarter pounds of the 75% to 25% lean-to-fat version sells for $5.33 a pound. You can accompany all this with some of Kroger's recommended branded snack offerings. All in all, a trip to Kroger can set up a few decent red meat meals without putting you in the red.

Having previously been named the top grocery store retailer in the U.S. (in 2020), H-E-B has set high expectations for its regional consumer base. The chain continues to meet those expectations, as H-E-B has been declared one of the supermarket chains that is cheaper than Walmart in 2026. No surprise then that the Lone Star State retailer also joins Walmart on this list, offering up ground meat at prices people can stomach.

So, 4.5 pounds of H-E-B ground beef — its so-called "Texas-Size Pack" of 80% lean — breaks down to $5.69 per pound. If you don't want to get bulky with the purchase, you can stick with a log of 73% lean Hill Country Fare Ground Beef for just $5.49 a pound. (Although it should be mentioned that a 10-pound roll of that same beef comes out to only $3.99 per pound –- perhaps the best per-pound beef deal around.)

Even though it's Texas, beef isn't the only highlight here. The store's H-E-B branded ground chicken is a straight-up price of $3.72 for a pound, while a 1-pound log of its 80% lean ground turkey is $3.59. H-E-B might only cater to Texas (and Mexico), but folks down there have an absolute score for ground meat.

Lidl's profile has grown in the U.S. in recent years, right along with its fellow Teutonic retailer Aldi. Honestly, when you're allowing shoppers to save money on their basic goods, you'll grow anywhere. Lidl has also seemingly realized that knocking some numbers off the cost of American's beloved meat products will take it a long way toward stateside dominance — especially when it comes to ground meat.

Even though it's only available in certain stores (at least according to the website), if you can get your hands on the Butcher's Specialty grass-feed ground beef (85% lean), go for it — it's only $5.89 per pound. That's pretty good for the lean-to-fat ratio. At the time of writing, Lidl was even running a sale on the 2-pound offering, slashing it to $10.99 total.

In fact, Lidl's Butcher's Specialty line has a few bargains going on. A pound of the ground chicken will set you back just $3.79, while the ground pork runs at only $3.39 a pound. You can still get your Butterball ground turkey, as well, as that's only $3.99 per pound — or $11.79 for a 3-pound package of the stuff.

The Grand Rapids-based outfit that is Meijer boasts around 500 locations across parts of the Midwest. Since opening in 1934, the company remains family-owned and privately operated, and was one of the first retailers in the country to offer a "one-stop-shopping" experience — where you could get everything from groceries to garments in a single location. This holds true today, and one of the goods on offer is ground meat at a stellar price.

Normally $3.99 per pound, at the time of writing Meijer had a sale on its 85% lean ground turkey roll, hawking it for just $2.99 a pound. A pound roll of a ground beef and pork blend (80% lean) was selling for $4.99 a pound. The 95% lean ground chicken there was also going for $4.19 per pound. Not great, but not bad either.

Maybe the best overall deal to be had at Meijer's is a 5-pound log of 73% lean ground beef. Running $5.60 a pound at full price, it went down to $4.99 per pound on sale (even not on sale, a half-decent deal). And, if you want to mix things up with meals and barbecue gatherings, Meijer also has some of the best supermarket chain seafood in the country.

Firmly ensconced in the Northeast shopping landscape, Stop & Shop boasts over 350 locations from Massachusetts to New Jersey. The first location opened in the Bay State more than 100 years ago, but the good news for those that live in the present day is that the ground meat is moderately priced — making it one of the ideal locations for buying minced proteins in 2026.

Especially since Stop & Shop likes its sales. For instance, both its Butterball ground turkey and Perdue ground chicken were slashed at the time of writing, going for $2.99 per pound and $3.99 a pound, respectively.

Beef-wise, the store is no slouch either. A package of 3.2 pounds of 85% lean ground beef was selling for $5.99 per pound ($19.17 total). And 1.2 pounds of all-natural fresh ground pork was $4.99, making it $3.99 a pound. You can go ahead and blend that ground pork in with the ground beef yourself to add a whole new depth of flavor to whatever you're making — while still saving a buck or two.

Piggly Wiggly has a pretty unique claim to fame. When the first shop opened in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee it became the very first self-service grocery store in the country. Meaning that you didn't have to ask the grocer to grab stuff from behind the counter for you — you could just get it off the shelves yourself. Hard to imagine this was something that had to be invented, but there you have it. Come 2026, and Piggly Wiggly has over 500 locations in 18 states, ranging from New York to Texas. And it has pretty good deals on ground meat to boot.

Amish ground chicken is prized for being humanely raised, free-range, hormone-free, and all-naturally fed. Piggly Wiggly sells a pound of it for $5.99 (depending on your location). It also sells a 16-ounce roll of Prairie Fresh Vermont maple sausage for $4.99. Beef-wise, you can score yourself a pound of 80% lean ground beef for a solid $5.99.

Nobody really knows the reason behind the name Piggly Wiggly – not even the guy who founded it, Memphis businessman Clarence Saunders. The only real answer he's given is so that people can ask that question. Very cryptic, and probably very clever. Not that you need to concern yourself with that when scouring for low-priced ground meat there.

According to Shaw's itself, the store is one of the oldest supermarkets still existing in the country, opening its first retail shop in Portland, Maine in 1860. As of 2026, there are around 150 locations throughout New England. Thankfully, for folks tucked into that pocket of the deep Northeast, Shaw's also offers some pretty solid deals on ground meats.

This is especially true for healthier ground meat options (often hard to get on the cheap). Shaw's 90% lean ground beef, for example, is priced at $8.74 for 1.25 pounds — equaling $6.99 per pound. Decent setback for a more nutritional product. Especially when you consider that 90% lean can go for as much as double that per pound.

Yet, even the more conventional, fattier 80% lean ground beef is conveniently priced at Shaw's. Three pounds of it costs $14.97, working out to a welcome $4.99 a pound. There are ways for choosing the perfect lean-to-fat ground beef ratio, depending on what you're making. Good thing Shaw's saves you some money on each no matter which route you go.

Although it's perhaps not a household supermarket name across the continental U.S., many East Coasters are very familiar with ShopRite and have made it their regular grocer for decades. The chain basically inhabits a packed cluster ranging from Connecticut to Delaware, with New York and New Jersey being primary homes. For those living in that part of the country, it just may well be the most affordable ground meat option this year.

Take the ground beef. A 3-pound pack of 80% lean can be had for a little under $18, or about $5.99 per pound. The 92%-fat-free ground chicken, on the other hand, normally $3.99 a pound, was on sale at the time of writing for only $2.99. Even the 99% fat-free ground chicken is just $4.99 a pound (sale price as this was written: $4.49). 

Meanwhile, your Butterball ground turkey, 3 pounds of it, divvies out to $4.33 per pound, and ShopRite's Shady Brook Farms 85% lean ground turkey is only $3.99 a pound when you purchase the 3-pound pack. Pick some up and use the minced gobbler to make a meatloaf, once you find out the secret to keeping turkey meatloaf moist.

Starting from a base point of the average cost of ground beef at the time of writing, $6.82 per pound, I searched through retailers that had ground beef available for under $6 a pound — either straight-up or, commonly, in bulk, multi-pound packs.

More often than not, this applied to the 80% lean-to-fat ratio beef (almost always the lowest priced version), but I did note when other ratios, both leaner and fattier, were generally less expensive than other stores or outlets. An example of this is 90% lean ground beef, which can sell for as much as $13.99 a pound, making a $6.99 per pound offering noteworthy.

As for ground chicken and turkey, I tried to keep that at under $4 per pound, except with a few higher quality types, such as Amish ground chicken. Ground pork or sausage came into play, and again, they were weighed relative to other stores — as were beef and pork blends.