ButcherBox is a popular meat subscription box that offers grass-fed and grass-finished beef, heritage-breed pork, organic chicken, wild-caught sockeye salmon, and other seafood.
Eating a diet rich in protein can help people build lean muscle mass, and researchers recommend eating a variety of lean meat along with an overall balanced diet for optimal health. (1)
Overindulging in red meat, or with an imbalanced intake among other nutrients, with the exclusion of fibrous vegetables and whole grains, can lead to cardiovascular conditions like high blood pressure, whereas increasing your intake of fish and other white meat can confer heart benefits and reduce inflammation in the body. (1, 2) For example, red meat consumption greater than one to two times per day was associated with 20–40% higher risk of hypertension. (3)
We assess each service’s cost, quality, and animal welfare with our honest opinions about each step of the customer experience to help you figure out if this meat delivery service is right for you.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.
Key product features
What you should know
ButcherBox offers a mix of high-quality meats and preprepared items like frozen meatballs delivered to your home with free shipping. You can choose from organic free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, lamb, wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon, wild-caught cod, wild-caught sea scallops, and heritage-breed pork chops, pork butt, and bacon. As part of a limited-time promotion, if you sign up for a subscription, you can get free ribeyes, NY strip steaks, or filet mignons for one year.
- Our team likes how ButcherBox uses a third-party company to ensure the welfare of the animals it raises.
- Similar to other companies, the Curated Classic Box costs $146 per month for 8–11 pounds of meat, and the Custom Classic Box is $169 per month for 9–14 pounds of meat.
- ButcherBox is great for people who prioritize buying meat and seafood from sustainable sources.
How does ButcherBox work?
ButcherBox offers two options: Custom Plan and Curated Plan. The Custom Box allows you to choose specific cuts of meat and seafood and is available in two sizes, Classic and Big. The Custom Classic Box includes 9–14 pounds of meat, while the Custom Big Box includes 18–26 pounds of meat. ButcherBox also offers add-ons like beef and turkey jerky treats for pets!
In the Custom Classic Box, you can choose from grass-fed beef like filet mignon steaks, ground beef, or sirloin tips, free-range chicken cuts, pasture-raised pork, and wild-caught Alaskan salmon, gulf shrimp, sea scallops, or cod. You can also select precooked beef or pork meatballs, black bean veggie burgers, or organic chicken and mozzarella ravioli.
“The variety of high-quality options is fantastic and allows the customer to pick and enjoy the nutrition benefits and flavors,” says Chris Mohr, PhD, RD. “Oftentimes, the grocery store can be overwhelming and we fall into the same patterns of what we choose each week, whereas this variety allows you to balance out the bore.”
Once subscribed, you will have access to member-only products and more discounts. Members can manage their subscriptions online, which includes pausing or canceling at any time. You can choose to receive boxes every two weeks, every month, every six weeks, or every two months.
The meat, poultry, and seafood are frozen and shipped in insulated boxes that are kept cool with dry ice. Meat should not get warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This is when food starts to spoil and can make you sick, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (4) It’s also important to know when you are roasting meat and poultry, set your oven to a temperature of at least 325 degrees, the USDA notes, and recommend keeping a food thermometer handy to check throughout the cooking process. Ground meats should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees when done and poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to be safe. (4)
Specs
| Shipping price | Free |
| Shipping area | Continental U.S. |
| Fresh or frozen | Partially frozen or frozen |
| Pasture-raised | Cows, chickens, and pigs |
| Sourcing | United States, Canada, Australia |
| Wild-caught seafood | Salmon, scallops, lobster, cod, halibut, sablefish, and shrimp |
| Subscription required | Yes |
How much does ButcherBox cost?
The Curated Classic Box costs $146 per box, which amounts to approximately 24 meals. The Curated Big Box costs $269, which adds up to 48 meals. The Custom Classic Box costs $169 per box, which adds up to approximately 30 meals. The Custom Big Box costs $306 per box, which adds up to 60 meals.
ButcherBox is currently running a $60 discount on meat boxes plus a choice of free food for a year. New subscribers can choose from free ribeyes, NY strip steaks, or filet mignons.
Shipping is always free.
ButcherBox compared to alternatives
ButcherBox sets itself apart from other meat services by offering free shipping on every order, regardless of the total spent—something many competitors only provide with the first box or after reaching a specific price threshold. Additionally, ButcherBox includes pet treats, a feature not typical of other services. While ButcherBox, like some competitors, sources sustainable meats and seafood, there are distinct differences worth considering.
Meat options
The meat options vary from service to service. If you’re a home chef looking for high-end meat like Japanese A5 Wagyu, known for its beautiful marbling and tenderness, Crowd Cow might be for you. (5) Alternatively, Snake River Farms might be the right choice if you’re looking for locally sourced ranch-to-table steaks. Snake River breeds Japanese Wagyu with American cattle for a hybrid raised in the Northwest United States. If you’re closer to the East Coast, consider Porter Road, which sources chicken, beef, pork, and lamb from Tennessee and Kentucky.
“Variety is the beauty of all of these,” adds Mohr. “If you prefer more seafood or specific cuts of beef and so on, there are options. ButcherBox started off as just meat, but over the years has expanded its offerings to include seafood. Or, maybe you follow a more vegetarian approach and want a more plant-centric box. There are always options.”
Price
When comparing box prices, ButcherBox may seem more expensive. However, factors like free shipping, animal welfare, and meat quality might justify the higher cost if these are priorities for you. Prices per piece of meat can vary, with options like Snake River starting at $14 per piece. Full boxes range from $99–$149, depending on the types, quality, and quantity of meat included. For a deeper comparison of ButcherBox prices with other plans, check out our article on the best meal delivery services.
Subscription
When signing up for a subscription the first step is to choose your free protein for a year and provide your email address. Next, select Custom Plan or Curated Plan, the size of the box, and how often you want to receive your boxes. Then, you’ll choose your meats and cuts. Once you’re a subscriber, ButcherBox unlocks member-only deals like drumsticks, fully cooked carnitas, and sablefish. The last step is entering your address and payment information.
Delivery
Once you place your order, your first box should arrive between two and eight days. While you cannot pick the day of the week your box will arrive, ButcherBox will let you know when to expect it. To track your order, visit “Order History” on the website. For subsequent orders, you can change how often you want new boxes to be delivered.
Compare Butcher Box
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| ButcherBox | Snake River Farms | Porter Road | Crowd Cow | Farm Foods | |
| Rating | |||||
| Starting price | $146 | $14 | $45 | $149 | $99 |
| Shipping cost | Free | Shipping to Hawaii or Alaska costs $24.99; all other states cost between $9.99 and $49.99. | Varies by location | Orders of $149 or more qualify for free shipping. For orders less than $149, shipping costs $24.99. Priority shipping is available for $29.99. | Free shipping for orders more than $125 |
| Delivery area | Continental U.S. | Continental U.S., Hawaii and Alaska require express shipping | Continental U.S. | Continental U.S. | All 50 states |
| Meat options | Chicken, beef, lamb, pork, seafood, | Wagyu beef, USDA beef, Kurobuta pork, seafood, BBQ | Beef, chicken, pork, sausage | Wagyu beef, chicken, pork, seafood, game | Beef, chicken, pork, turkey, seafood |
Why ButcherBox is worth it
Depending on your budget, we think ButcherBox is a great way to get sustainable food sent to your home on a rolling basis. We consider cost, convenience, and animal welfare when assessing ButcherBox and its competitors. While doing your research, read our cheapest meal delivery service article.
Cost
As noted earlier, ButcherBox prices vary depending on the box you select. The Classic Curated box costs $146 per box, which amounts to approximately 24 meals, or about $6 per serving. This sounds pretty reasonable to us before considering the cost of side dishes and beverages to round out your meal. ButcherBox also offers deep discounts and some free proteins in special limited-time deals on its website.
Convenience
For busy people, having a meat delivery service like ButcherBox can save you time and energy by allowing you to make fewer trips to the grocery store, which is a big win in our eyes. Even in the elderly population, delivery has been shown to help with malnutrition. (6) Just be sure to have enough freezer space if you opt for one of the big boxes, which can hold up to 60 meals.
Animal health
ButcherBox prioritizes high-quality meat and animal welfare, ensuring all cows are pasture-raised and free to roam; many of the offerings are from Australia, known for its animal welfare standards. (7). The free-range chickens are raised in the United States and are USDA-certified organic, according to ButcherBox. None of the ButcherBox animals receive antibiotics, which may be important to people who are concerned about the long-term ramifications of overuse of antibiotics leading to antibiotic resistance to both animals and humans down the road. (8)
Support for farmers
ButcherBox’s mission is to help farmers achieve equity in pay and treatment. (9) It supports and celebrates people from diverse populations. ButcherBox supports Black farmers and others from marginalized farmer populations through grants from American Farmland Trust and donations to the National Black Farmers Association. It also provides scholarships through Food Animal Concerns Trust.
How we test meat delivery services
Signing up for a meat delivery service like ButcherBox can make it easier to eat delicious meals when you’re busy. Our goal is to provide unbiased, honest feedback to help you pick the right service for you.
Here’s why you can trust our meat delivery reviews.
Every Fortune meat delivery review features:
- In-depth analyses by testers and/or authors who are certified nutritionists and/or registered dietitians
- Testing for portion, taste, and freshness
- Fact-checking and reviewing by qualified experts
At times, we may feature meat delivery services we haven’t yet tested. Until we can try them, we examine each service’s cost, meat variety, sourcing, and customization options. We then update our reviews once we’ve tested them to highlight everything we liked and didn’t like.
Learn how we test all product categories here.
Testing criteria
Meat choices—30%
A meat delivery service should provide numerous options. It should also give you as much authority as you want over what you order. Here’s what we take into account in our meat choices rating:
- Multiple options
- Sourcing transparency
- Cooking guidance
Food quality—30%
We aim to match you with companies that ethically source free-range and pasture-raised meat, and wild-caught seafood.
- Flavor
- Healthiness
- Freshness
Value—20%
Meat delivery services run the gamut in price, but what you receive should feel reasonable for what you’re paying. Here’s what we factor into a program’s value rating:
- Fair price
- Multiple quantity options
- Customization
Customer experience—20%
The overall purchasing of a product can significantly impact satisfaction with a food delivery service. This category focuses on consumers’ journeys, from initial interest to post-purchase support.
- Packaging
- Reviews
- Customer service
FAQs
Is ButcherBox meat organic?
ButcherBox has USDA-certified organic chicken. The other meats are not certified organic, but beef and pork are Certified Humane or Global Animal Partnership Certified.
How do you cancel ButcherBox?
To end your subscription service, go to your account page on the website and click “Box Settings.” At the bottom of the page, click “Delay or Stop My Subscription” and follow the prompts to end your subscription for good. If you encounter any problems, you can contact ButcherBox by emailing support@butcherbox.com or calling 855-981-8568. Customer service is available Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
Is ButcherBox fresh or frozen?
ButcherBox meats are partially frozen or frozen and shipped in recyclable boxes kept cold with dry ice.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
Our experts
Christopher Mohr, Ph.D., RD
Dr. Christopher Mohr is an internationally recognized subject matter expert and speaker, performance coach, and registered dietitian. Through his facilitation and online resources, he works closely with some of the largest corporations in the world including Deloitte, Delta Airlines, Johnson & Johnson and more to help busy executives all over the world, develop the energy to thrive personally and professionally.
Victoria Burgess, Ph.D., CSCS, CISSN
Victoria Burgess earned her Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance from Concordia University Chicago and holds her NSCA CSCS and Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN). She is an adjunct professor in the Human Performance and Nutrition department at Concordia University Chicago & Parker University, where she teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level courses.
Joana Neziri, M.S., NASM CPT
Joana is a writer, editor, and content strategist focusing on nutrition, fitness, and all things health. After earning a master’s degree in business from the University of North Florida, she began a career in research and digital marketing.
Kelly Uhler
Kelly has a multifaceted background in elder care, health care, and copywriting. She has worked for organizations such as A Place For Mom and Homecare.com, which gave her the opportunity to work closely with families, providing reliable information to help them make informed decisions about their loved one’s health, safety, and quality of life.
Lauren Evoy Davis
Fortune Recommends Staff Writer
About Author
Lauren Evoy Davis is a health journalist with expertise in cancer and other chronic conditions. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from American University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Elon University. Her work has been published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, National Council on Aging, HelpGuide WebMD, Everyday Health and Verizon. She tests meal kits, meal delivery services, and fitness apps. When not writing or reading, Lauren enjoys paddle boarding on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, weightlifting, and gardening.