You know how everything tastes like chicken? Well, that is because when most people think of chicken they are thinking of the standard, flavorless chicken you can buy at the grocery store. But pasture raised chicken? That is another story… Before I get into where to buy pasture raised chicken let me talk about what they actually are.
When I say pasture raised chicken I am not talking about what you have seen labeled “free range” or “organic”. I am not going to get too far in the weeds about free range chicken but basically according to the USDA to be called “free range” a chicken producer just needs to “demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside”. Outside could be a nice, grassy area or it could be gravel or even concrete. And just because they have access doesn’t mean they will take advantage of it. Many free range chickens still spend the majority of their lives in a crowded chicken coops and only have one small door to access their free range area.
Pasture raised chickens are just that. They are raised outdoors in wide open pastures. Pasture raised chicken farms vary but many of them have what amount to large, movable, open pens that the farmers can move around their pasture. These birds are “always outside” and live on the pastures 24/7. Rather than eating only engineered chicken feed the chickens eat grass, bugs, worms, seeds, and whatever else they can find. Feed is given to them while they are out on the pasture but unlike factory chickens that isn’t all they eat. Basically they eat what chickens are supposed to eat.
The result is a chicken that is much more flavorful than a standard grocery store chicken. The birds tend to be a bit smaller, the meat is darker, and they are much, much tastier. Pasture raised chicken also tend to have more thigh meat and less breast meat since they are walking around all day. Once you taste a pasture raised chicken it will be hard to go back.
Disclosure: This post is monetized with affiliate links. If you buy something through them I earn a commission which helps support this site and lets me buy more meat so I can write about it.
Where to buy pasture raised chickens
You can’t just go to the grocery store or warehouse store and pick up a pasture raised bird. Farmers markets will have them or if you know someone who raises chickens you might be able to get one. But for most people ordering pasture raised chickens online will be your best bet. Here are a few options:
Pasturebird Pasture Raised Chickens
The video above is a great overview of Pasturebird and pasture raised chickens in general. Pasturebird is based in California and ships pasture raised chickens all around the country.
One more thing I like about Pasturebird is they have a lot of different options. You can buy whole birds, half birds, chicken pieces, breasts, dark meat, and a few other variety packs.
The best deal is 20 half chickens for $179 and if you use the coupon code COMPLETECARNIVORE10 you can save 10%. That brings the price down to $161.10 or just over $16 for a whole bird. These birds weigh 3-4 pounds so you are looking at about $6 per pound. I haven’t seen any other pasture raised chickens for under $20. These chickens ship for free as well. The 10 pack of whole chickens for $189 is a great deal as well.
If you would rather have chicken pieces they have a chicken cuts pack for $99 which includes 4 lbs of drumsticks, 2 pounds of chicken wings, 3 packs of chicken thighs, and 2 packs of boneless breasts. Use the code COMPLETECARNIVORE10 and the price drops to $89 or right about $9 per pound. Check out all the great options available at Pasturebird and place your order today. And again, all orders ship for free!
Here is another good video showing what Pasturebird does:
Load up your freezer with some great pasture raised chickens from Pasturebird and don’t forget to use code COMPLETECARNIVORE10 to save 10% on your order.
Crowd Cow Chickens
If you don’t want 10 (or 4) pasture raised chickens you can order individual chickens from Crowd Cow. They sell Pasturebird chickens starting at $20 and offer free shipping on orders over $149. They also have a subscription offer that allows you to save 5% on your order and get free shipping over $99.
Just be sure you click the Shop by Farm button and select pasture raised chickens from Pasturebird:
Porter Road Chickens
Porter Road sells individual pasture raised chickens starting at $21 a piece for a 2-3 pound bird or $26 for a 3.5-4.5 lb bird. Unlike most other retailers you can also buy pasture raised chicken pieces like drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breasts. They ship free on orders over $100 and they also have some excellent steaks and other cuts of beef.
More about pasture raised chickens
Pasture raised chickens have 21% less fat and 30% less saturated fat than conventional chickens. They also have 50% more vitamin A and 3 times the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids due to the diet they eat. Give some pasture raised chickens a try and you will be hooked.
If you are looking for a good way to cook your birds (other than smoking them of course) check out this Roast Chicken with Schmaltzy Cabbage from Smitten Kitchen.
Slice up a cabbage into 1 inch thick slabs, lay it the bottom of a cast iron pan, put the chicken on top of it, and roast it at 450 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until the breast meat is 155 and the thighs are 165 (the Thermopop is great for checking temps):
You can cook it in the oven or on the grill or smoker like pictured above. Don’t be turned off by that pic. That is only about 20-30 minutes into the cook. If after 30 minutes or so you aren’t getting a lot of juice dripping down into the cabbage pour in a bit of chicken stock. Once the chicken is done take it off the cabbage and cook the cabbage for a few more minutes to brown it up a bit.
As the chicken cooks and the drippings and fat soak down into the cabbage and make it delicious. I have wanted to try this with brussels sprouts sometime.
Or of course you can smoke it on the grill. I run the grill at about 400-450 degrees with a chunk or two of wood. Don’t use too much wood because chicken really takes on a smokey flavor. It only takes about 45 minutes or less to cook a chicken on the grill.
