When to Order Meat for the Holidays and How Shipping Works
Every year, somewhere around the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I get a text from a friend that reads something like this: "Okay, slightly panicking. The grocery store is out of everything good. Is it too late?" I know that feeling in my bones. I have stood in front of an empty butcher case at 7 PM, staring at a lonely package of chicken thighs while the person next to me grabbed the last rib roast like it was the final lifeboat off a sinking ship.
Here is the honest truth about holiday meat: the cooking is the fun part, but the timing is the part that makes or breaks the whole day. A beautiful roast that arrives Friday is a lovely weekend dinner. A beautiful roast that was supposed to arrive Wednesday and shows up Friday is a crisis with a side of cranberry sauce.
So let's take the guesswork out of it. Below, I will walk you through exactly how our shipping works, the suggested order-by dates for every major holiday this season, what happens to your box between our door and yours, and how much to order so nobody leaves the table hungry. Think of it as a calm, well-organized friend who already did the math for you.
How Does Holiday Meat Shipping Actually Work?
Our shipping follows a simple weekly rhythm, and once you understand it, every holiday deadline makes sense. According to our shipping policy, orders placed by Sunday at 5:00 PM MST typically ship on Monday or Tuesday. We do that on purpose. Shipping early in the week means your box spends its journey moving, not sitting in a carrier warehouse over a weekend.
Once your order ships, most deliveries arrive within 2 to 3 business days. Orders travel via UPS, with FedEx used in select cases, and every order ships to the 48 contiguous United States. If you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico, availability is limited, so it is worth reaching out to our team before the holiday rush to talk through options.
That rhythm is the single most important thing to remember this season. Your real deadline is not the holiday itself. Your real deadline is the Sunday evening cutoff that comes before it.
When Should You Order Meat for the Holidays This Year?
Using that Sunday cutoff and the typical 2 to 3 business day delivery window, here are my suggested order-by dates for the 2026 holiday season. The comfortable date gives you a cushion for weather and carrier volume. The cutting-it-close date can still work, but it leaves very little margin.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Comfortable Order-By | Cutting It Close | My Advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thursday, November 26 | Sunday, November 15 | Sunday, November 22 | Order early. This is the busiest carrier week of the fall. |
| Hanukkah | Begins at sundown Friday, December 4 | Sunday, November 22 | Sunday, November 29 | Thanksgiving week slows carriers, so lean early. |
| Christmas Eve and Christmas Day | Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25 | Sunday, December 13 | Sunday, December 20 | The safest window of the season if you plan ahead. |
| New Year's Eve | Thursday, December 31 | Sunday, December 20 | Not recommended later | Order with your Christmas box and enjoy a quiet week. |
Please treat these as suggestions built on our standard schedule rather than guaranteed carrier dates. Weather, holiday volume, and your exact location all play a role, which is exactly why I always push people toward the comfortable column.
When Should I Order Meat for Thanksgiving?
For Thanksgiving, my answer is simple: aim to place your order by Sunday, November 15. That order should ship on Monday, November 16 or Tuesday, November 17, which gives it the whole week to arrive and leaves you nearly a week of buffer before the big day. Ordering by Sunday, November 22 means your box ships during Thanksgiving week itself, when carriers are carrying more packages than at almost any other time of the fall. It often works out. But "often" is not a word I like to associate with the main event of a holiday dinner.
Early ordering has a second benefit that people forget. Large roasts, like a bone-in prime rib or a whole tenderloin, need time to thaw slowly in the refrigerator. Arriving a week early is not a problem. It is the plan.
When Should I Order Meat for Christmas?
Christmas is actually the friendliest holiday on the calendar for planners. Order by Sunday, December 13, and your box should ship December 14 or 15, arriving well before Christmas Eve. If you are also hosting New Year's Eve, add those cuts to the same order, or pick from our holiday meat bundles to cover both nights at once. One delivery, two celebrations, and zero frantic tracking-page refreshes between Christmas and New Year's.
How Is Frozen Meat Shipped Without Thawing?
This is the question I hear most from first-time customers, and I love answering it, because the packaging is genuinely impressive. According to our shipping policy, perishable items are packed guaranteed frozen in a high-performance insulated cooler box with precisely calculated dry ice, ice packs, and thermal layers. That reusable cooler maintains temperature for up to 7 days, which is far longer than the typical 2 to 3 business days your box spends in transit.
Dry ice is the hero here. It is frozen carbon dioxide, far colder than regular ice, and instead of melting into a puddle it turns directly into gas. That means it keeps everything deeply frozen without soaking your packaging. When you open the box, you may see a little wisp of vapor curling out like a magic trick. That is completely normal. Just avoid touching the dry ice with bare hands, and let any leftover pieces dissipate in a well-ventilated spot away from children and pets.
If you have ever wondered whether frozen meat can truly compete with fresh, our piece on why flash frozen meat and seafood can be better than fresh makes a compelling case. Freezing at peak quality locks in texture and flavor, which matters a great deal when the cut in question is your holiday centerpiece.
Does Meat Stay Frozen During Shipping?
Yes. That is the whole point of the dry ice system. Your order is packed to stay frozen from our door to yours. When your box arrives, open it promptly, check that everything feels firm and very cold, and move it straight to your freezer or refrigerator depending on when you plan to cook.
The bigger risk is not the box in transit. It is the box sitting on a porch while everyone is out at a holiday party. Track your package and plan to be home on the expected delivery day if you can.
What If My Meat Delivery Arrives Thawed or Damaged?
It is rare, but it can happen, especially during stormy weeks when carriers face delays. Our policy is clear and fair: if your order arrives damaged, incorrect, or unsatisfactory, contact us within 7 days of delivery with your order number, a description of the issue, and photos if possible. If the issue is due to our error, such as damage during transit, we may send a replacement subject to availability or issue a full or partial refund.
You will also see optional Shipping Protection at checkout. It covers lost, damaged, or stolen orders with expedited replacements. We stand behind our packaging, but during the busiest weeks of the year, that extra layer of reassurance can be worth it for a centerpiece roast.
How Much Meat Should You Order for a Holiday Party?
Ordering too little is a holiday nightmare. Ordering far too much is a freezer full of guilt. These are the general guidelines I use when planning a holiday meal, based on common serving rules for each type of cut.
| Cut | Plan Per Adult | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bone-in prime rib | About 1 lb | A common rule of thumb is one rib for every two guests. |
| Boneless prime rib | About 1/2 lb | Add more if your crowd loves leftovers. |
| Whole tenderloin | About 1/2 lb, trimmed | Lean and rich, so modest portions go a long way. |
| Whole turkey | 1 to 1.5 lbs | This guide comes straight from our whole turkey listing. |
| Appetizers and small bites | 2 to 3 oz of meat | Assume guests also fill up on sides. |
For a gathering of eight with a hearty appetite, for example, a bone-in roast of around four ribs is a generous centerpiece. If you prefer a boneless cut, about four pounds will feed the same table with room for second helpings. Whatever you choose, round up slightly. Holiday guests always eat more than they claim they will, and leftover roast makes the best sandwich of the year.
Which Holiday Roasts Should You Order Online?
This is where ordering online truly shines, because the selection goes far beyond what most grocery cases carry. Our prime rib collection currently includes a Bison Bone In Rib Roast, a Bison Boneless Prime Rib, USDA Prime Angus Beef in both bone-in and boneless prime rib, and a Wagyu Beef Boneless Prime Rib. Our whole tenderloins come in USDA Prime Angus Beef, Bison, and Wagyu Beef.
If you want to explore beyond the classics, our roasts and slow cook collection gathers dozens of holiday-worthy cuts in one place. And if you are feeding a crowd over several days of celebration, browsing our meat bundles can be an easy way to cover several meals in one delivery.
How Long Does It Take to Thaw a Holiday Roast?
Timing does not end when the box arrives. Large roasts thaw best in the refrigerator, slowly and evenly, and that takes longer than most people expect. A common guideline is roughly 24 hours of refrigerator thawing for every 4 to 5 pounds of meat. A bigger bone-in roast can easily need two or three full days.
That is exactly why my suggested order-by dates build in a cushion. Your roast should be sitting in your refrigerator, thawing gently, while everyone else is still searching for one. For every method in detail, our guide on how to thaw meat safely covers it all.
Does Holiday Weather Delay Meat Delivery?
It can, and this is the part of holiday planning nobody can fully control. Our policy notes that delivery estimates are based on carrier schedules and may vary due to weather, holidays, or other factors beyond our control. Late November and December bring both: winter storms across much of the country, plus the heaviest package volume of the entire year.
A few habits help enormously. Order a week earlier than you think you need to. Keep an eye on the forecast where you live during your delivery week. And if your location and order size allow it, expedited 2-day or overnight delivery may appear as an option at checkout. Think of it as an insurance policy for the years when the weather has its own plans.
What About Local Pickup and Delivery in Santa Fe and Albuquerque?
If you live near us, you have the easiest holiday timeline of all. In-store pickup is available at our location at 1934 Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe, typically within 24 to 48 hours, with same-day pickup available. Our hours are Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Local doorstep delivery is also available in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and surrounding areas. Select Local Delivery at checkout and our team will coordinate a convenient time with you. For locals, this takes nearly all the carrier risk off the table, which is a lovely thing during the busiest week of the year.
Shopping Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Read This First
Black Friday lands on November 27 this year, and Cyber Monday on November 30. If you are shopping that weekend, the same weekly rhythm applies. An order placed over Thanksgiving weekend, before the Sunday cutoff, will typically ship that Monday or Tuesday. That timing works beautifully for Hanukkah and Christmas roasts, and even better for stocking up for the weeks ahead.
What it will not do is rescue a Thanksgiving dinner. By then, the turkey has been carved and the pie has been demolished. So if a holiday is close, let the calendar decide when you order, not the weekend's shopping frenzy.
Is Online Meat Delivery Worth It for the Holidays?
I am obviously biased, but I will give you my honest reasoning. The best argument for ordering online is choice. You can serve a bison prime rib, a Wagyu tenderloin, a centerpiece from our holiday roasts lineup, or a USDA Prime Angus rib roast that your local grocery case may simply not stock. You also skip the crowded store, the parking lot battle, and the gamble that the cut you want will still be there on the Tuesday before the holiday.
The second argument is quality. Meat that is frozen at its peak and shipped in a temperature-controlled cooler often arrives in better condition than meat that has spent days sitting in a display case. And the third argument is peace of mind. When your roast is already in your refrigerator a week ahead, you get to spend those final days thinking about side dishes, table settings, and who is bringing the wine, instead of hunting for dinner.
If you love the convenience, our guide to the best meat subscription boxes for 2026 explains how a recurring delivery can keep your freezer stocked well past the holidays.
Can You Cancel or Change a Holiday Order?
Plans change, especially during the holidays. Under our policy, you may cancel an order before it ships. Once processing begins and a shipping label is created, cancellation is no longer possible. Because our products are perishable, we do not accept returns once an order has shipped, which is one more reason to double-check your guest count before you hit the order button.
Subscribers can also pause or cancel future deliveries anytime through their account, which makes it easy to skip a month if you are traveling over the holidays.
Ready to Plan Your Holiday Order?
The calmest holiday hosts I know all share one habit: they order early and let the calendar work for them. Whether you want to order a holiday roast online, arrange prime rib delivery for Christmas dinner, buy a whole tenderloin online for a New Year's Eve gathering, or explore premium meat bundles shipped to your door, your best move is the same: pick your holiday, find your Sunday cutoff, and order with a cushion. You can also browse our full range of regenerative meat delivery options, all in one place.
And if you are unsure which cut fits your table, or you are shipping somewhere outside the contiguous United States, our team would love to help you plan. Give us a call at 800-674-8426.
Frequently Asked Questions About Holiday Meat Ordering and Shipping
When is the last day to order meat for Thanksgiving delivery?
For Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 2026, I suggest ordering by Sunday, November 15 for a comfortable cushion. Orders placed by Sunday, November 22 typically ship Monday or Tuesday of Thanksgiving week and may still arrive in time, but carrier volume is extremely high that week.
When should I order meat for Christmas?
Order by Sunday, December 13 for the most reliable delivery before Christmas Eve. Orders placed by Sunday, December 20 typically ship December 21 or 22 and usually arrive in 2 to 3 business days, but that leaves little room for weather or carrier delays.
How is frozen meat shipped?
Perishable items are packed guaranteed frozen in a high-performance insulated cooler box with precisely calculated dry ice, ice packs, and thermal layers. The reusable cooler maintains temperature for up to 7 days, and most orders arrive within 2 to 3 business days of shipping.
What days does Beck and Bulow ship?
Orders placed by Sunday at 5:00 PM MST typically ship on Monday or Tuesday. Shipping early in the week helps avoid weekend delays in carrier warehouses.
What should I do if my meat arrives thawed?
Contact us within 7 days of delivery with your order number, a description of the issue, and photos if possible. If the issue is due to our error, such as damage during transit, we may send a replacement or issue a full or partial refund.
How much prime rib should I order per person?
A common guideline is about 1 pound per adult for bone-in prime rib roasts, or roughly one rib for every two guests. For boneless prime rib, plan about half a pound per adult and round up if you want leftovers.
Can I pick up my holiday order in Santa Fe?
Yes. In-store pickup is available at 1934 Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe, typically within 24 to 48 hours, with same-day pickup available. Local doorstep delivery is also available in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and surrounding areas.