I recently purchased a pre-prepared turkey. For the last 7 years, we have ordered this same type of turkey for our Thanksgiving holiday. It was sublime. Tender, moist and a quality turkey. I decided to order a turkey last month. I was wholly disappointed and in the past, frequently extoled Diestel Family Turkey Ranch virtues in regarding the wonderful quality of their turkeys. As always, I heated the turkey and prepared it, per their recommendations. It turned out dry, tasted as if frozen for quite some time and I ended up disposing it immediately. I don't know if the frozen turkey dates back before Thanksgiving, because it was an exception to the tasty, moist and quality turkeys that I am used to from the past. In summary, unfortunately, once we started carving the turkey, we realized it was extremely tough; so tough we struggled to remove it from the bone and it was unusually fibrous. In fact, it was so fibrous, we often had to remove the meat from our mouth rather than risk trying to swallow it. Thereby, the reason for the complete disposal of an expensive turkey. I communicated via e-mail with the company's customer service. Hearing no response after a significant period of time, I called and spoke with a management representative. Although understanding, the resolution was not realistic. read more

We purchased a 14-lb 'Organic American Heirloom Turkey' direct from the Diestel Family Turkey Ranch's website. It was said to be on sale for $110, easily double what we would normally pay for a premium turkey. Given the excellent reviews, we were anticipating this being the most delicious turkey of our lives. Alas, it was not to be. We have been roasting turkey for over forty years, so it's safe to say we not only love roast turkey, but are also experts at preparing it. First, the turkey arrived a week before Thanksgiving (not on our chosen day) unannounced. We found it by our front door, without notice. Fortunately, it was still frozen and well-packaged. When it came time to roast the turkey (Thanksgiving morning 2025) we had dry-brined it 48 hours in advance, and allowed it to sit out for an hour before tucking it into our gas, fan-assist oven, filled with fresh limes, herbs, seasoning, walnut oil, and butter. After roasting it for three hours at 350F, we were delighted to remove a golden, crispy-skin turkey from the oven, allowing it to rest 30 minutes before carving. Unfortunately, once we started carving the bird we quickly realized it was stunningly tough; so tough we struggled to remove it from the bone. Ultimately, we had to put the turkey into a giant vat of organic chicken broth and cook it in the stock to tenderize it enough to eat. Even then, after all this, the turkey remained very tough and unusually fibrous. In fact, it was so fibrous, we often had to remove the meat from our mouth rather than risk trying to swallow it. The next day, we shared our story with Diestel Farm in a detailed letter with photos, appreciating that once in awhile something like this might happen. Unfortunately, they were not interested in offering to replace the expensive, un-edible turkey with meat we can actually eat. For this reason, we cannot recommend this company or their products. From our experience, it is unusual for a so-called family-owned and operated business to blow off genuine customer complaints like this. There was zero attempt to make amends for what was clearly an un-edible turkey. I now see they are offering the same turkey we purchased for $110 for $185 on their website. Unfortunately, I doubt my letter detailing our experience will be included on their website. read more

Diestel Family Turkey Ranch - Diestel Roasted Organic Heirloom Turkey, too tough to eat, 11/27/2025 - Meat Shops Near Me - Sonora, California

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Diestel Ranch - Boer Goats My son purchased three Boer goats from Diestel Ranch for his FFA fair project, and unfortunately the entire experience was extremely disappointing. The goats we received were not dehorned properly and not castrated properly, despite being told they were. Because of this, my son was unable to participate in the fair--something that was both heartbreaking and completely avoidable had Diestel Ranch done the procedures correctly. When I contacted Diestel Ranch about the situation, Jason Diestel said he would come pick up the goats and issue a refund. He never followed through, and never showed up. This experience caused unnecessary stress, financial loss, and a missed opportunity for my son. I would strongly caution anyone considering purchasing animals from Diestel Ranch. Honesty and proper animal care are essential, and unfortunately, that was not our experience. read more

Happy Thanksgiving all! Last year, since it's only the 3 of us, I only got a brined turkey breast already seasoned from Diestel that I found in Whole Foods. I took a chance and boy did we enjoy the WHOLE thing and wish we could have more during the year. This year Whole Foods had it again but only a few boxes and we are going to enjoy it again. Thank you for such a delicious turkey . read more

I recently ordered a whole smoked turkey from Diestel Turkey Ranch. My past experiences have been excellent, so I was disappointed that a packer sent me a crumpled box of meatloaf instead of the whole smoked turkey. Diestel has not responded to my emails or phone messages. They need to improve their customer service. I expect a whole smoked turkey or a refund. Mostly, I expect a professional response to my messages. read more

I had ordered a smoked turkey. Instead, I received a boxed meatloaf. Due to snowy weather, it took a few days for Diestel staff to respond to my calls and emails. They responded very professionally and apologized for the mistake. We received a whole smoked turkey a few days later. Delicious! Well-packaged and just what we wanted. My faith in Diestel Turkey Ranch is restored. Thank you for making it right. read more

Our turkey was around 240.00..I don't think ordering turkeys around the holidays are for us... We were hosting 12 for Christmas... We received an email a week before saying that the order was delayed, but since they don't work on the weekends, we couldn't contact them... Then on Monday when we finally did, they realized that Christmas was coming up so they said they overnighted it... Unfortunately, USPS was delayed so we went out and bought a fresh turkey at our local giant... The turkey came the day before Christmas at approximately 2:30 but we had already started getting the other turkey ready... But we decided to try the diesel turkey and so we froze the other turkey... I'm not sure whether the turkey was completely unfrozen or what but the 12 people we had for dinner weren't impressed and neither was I... We had another turkey a week after Christmas just to see whether it was me or diesel and that turkey was delicious... I'm sure they're a great company... Just too much angst for us and not really worth it fir us... BTW... The representative that we spoke to on the Monday prior to Christmas could not have been more accommodating read more

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Toughest turkey I've ever had in my life . About a 4.2 lb turkey breast for Thanksgiving and cook it as per instructions . It was nearly inedible . Tough and stringy . It was a composite of apparently different turkeys rolled into a breast . read more

The Diestel Family Ranch has been in their family for over 70 years. When we ordered our Thanksgiving Turkey this year from Fresh Direct it came in a different package. It was a separate box that had the Diestel name and 1949 on the box. I was intrigued. Note: I'm not reviewing this location or Ranch I'm reviewing our Thanksgiving Turkey. I recommend this brand of Turkey based on the taste and texture. Our Turkey came out perfect after following the instructions provided by Fresh Direct. The skin was tasty. The breast meat was moist and delicious. Since we are only two people this year we have leftovers for days! I wrapped the Turkey individually in single serve portions. I enjoyed this brand of Turkey very much. The trouble is that I have enough leftovers that I don't want Turkey again for this holiday season! Look out Porky Pig here I come! read more

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Juicy, tender turkey that was full of flavor. My first time trying this brand, but it won't be my last. Well worth the extra cost.

Last year 2022 We bought a Brine TURKEY from COSTCO - worst dry - Rubbery Meat - Definitely not Tender at All . We Followed all directions on the pkg. This turkey was Very Expensive Also! This was a Disappointment for Us with Family to Try a Diestel Turkey for the first and Last time ever! Sorry to GIVE A NEGATIVE Review on a Turkey that is Highly Recommended! We wanted to Be very Truthful about our Experience with a Diestel Turkey! read more

I have purchased the fra'mani turkey (pre brined and seasoned) twice now and it cooks and tastes amazing! I've gotten rave reviews when I use these turkeys and I cook the turkey every year for our multi generational gatherings. I haven't tried any of their other turkeys, only the fra'mani, but they have gotten me extra rounds of applause when I use them. I do cook my turkeys in a bag so they come out extra moist so I've never had a redness issue. You will need to order these from their website at least 2 months in advance because they sell out fast. I learned this the hard way. The fra'mani is definitely the way to go! They also have a great customer service team that always responds to my questions via email and by telephone. Thank you! read more

This year we decided to order a Diestel Heritage Turkey. Why not? This was a special Thanksgiving after not being able to be with family last year. I wish I could report that our Diestel Turkey was everything promised! Unfortunately our Diestel Heritage Turkey arrived looking like it had been hit by a truck before being shipped. On the upside it was fodder for a lot of jokes and laughter when we placed it on the table. Fortunately the warped bird tasted like any other turkey we have had in the past, at a third the cost, so no one went hungry. When we contacted Diestel we received a form letter response with all sorts of turkey issues that were of no concern regarding our warped turkey. Bottom line, they said the Turkey was straight but it was put in the bag crooked. It will definitely be our last Diestel Turkey. I cannot recommend purchasing a Diestel Turkey. read more

I was so pleased when I cut open the package to our Turkey. It was flawless! All of our guest raved about how moist and delicious it was. Definitely buying from this company next year. read more

I tried their Frozen Turkey burgers 2 times. Will recommend you save your money. They are too tough to chew, and have limited flavor. They recommend cooking from frozen. There are better choices available. read more

I have cooked two frozen Diestel turkeys in the last couple of months. They were delicious. And I like how the turkeys are raised. I am glad they are available frozen all year instead of just in November. read more

Review is for the frozen turkey burgers purchased at whole foods. Brutal. This is the stereotype most people have in their minds for turkey burger and why they aren't more popular. It was super dry and had zero flavor. I will never buy these again. Butterball, bubba burger, some other I forget are making some crazy good turkey burgers. I would pay to eat them at restaurants. Anyways, I gave it a shot and it didn't work out. read more

Diestel Turky is the de facto Turkey for our Thanksgiving celebrations. We personally drive up to the ranch to pick it up and show the kids the cage free turkey roaming the farm. The best are the Heirloom and the Organic birds. They don't freeze the birds, instead they are flash frozen to ensure freshness. I don't know about all these other posts from people with one stars buying their turkey from Costco. Go the ranch dude! read more

We got a 10lb bird. Put it a rotisserie, which got us to temp evenly. It was really moist. But the meat was really tough. I have never experienced a moist bird that was tough. The body was really big but there was hardly any meat. Maybe small turkeys have big bodies and a low ratio of meat. I have been eating this companies turkeys for decades. I can get a 25 dollar local pasture raised chicken for half the price of this turkey and still get about the same amount of meat. I have been happy with the big birds but I cannot reccomend the small birds. read more

Amazingly delicious. I always get organic turkey for our Thanksgiving, and never frozen, though "air-chilled" seems to mean frozen these days. I just happened across the Diestel turkeys at Costco and saw that it was a full 50 cents a pound cheaper than the usual organic bird I get. I didn't get the pre-brined, as I like to control the amount of salt and seasoning myself. The moment I opened the package I could tell this was a different kind of turkey, it already had a very strong turkey aroma. When I roasted it the smell was very strong, which made me a little nervous. When my husband carved the bird he struggled a little, which made me worry that the turkey would be tough. It was not! It was so flavorful and moist, and everyone took home leftovers. I think you need to make sure to use a meat thermometer, the kind you leave in the bird that has a readout. I was able to monitor the temp and then take the bird out to rest before we carved it. I was so happy with the bird, and enjoyed leftovers like never before. read more

This was the worst turkey I have ever made. Every turkey I have made prior to this one has been tender and flavorful. This turkey was so tough that it didn't come off the bone when it was done. It also tasted very bland because the tough texture was unable to absorb the flavor from the seasonings. It was completely inedible and went in the trash. This awful overpriced turkey cost close to $100 (20 pounds at $4.99 per pound). Don't buy into the hype about this brand because you will be very disappointed. read more

Don't do it..........just don't do it. I have cooked a turkey every Thanksgiving for the last 50 years so it is safe to say I know how to cook these birds. This turkey was a waste of time and money. Very gamey and very dry. Terrible taste! This was a so called fresh turkey; not frozen, but I don't believe it, it tasted like something that was left in the bottom of a freezer for 5 years.......freezer burn taste. Didn't even serve it to my guests, just threw it in the trash. Cost over $50.00, I will never buy another Diestel product again. read more

The diesel turkey we got from New seasons for Thanksgiving was very dry, tough, and hardly any flavor. I won't order again.

This place creates great tasting birds that have been foraging their entire life's duration. Happy to see the sun rise each day they live a stress free, care free life and, we suspect, that is the reason their meat is so firm, juicy and del read more

We have purchased the Diestel Turkeys for years. This year for Thanksgiving we bought a 9 pound breast to cut into smaller pieces instead of a whole turkey because we are not hosting a family gathering and do not need a whole turkey presentation. One chuck of turkey I put in the crock pot and cooked it for about 6 hours. It made an intensely flavorful broth but the meat itself was tough and chewy. I shredded it and chopped it into really tiny pieces and used it in the soup I made from the broth. Additional cooking time softened the meat up. Another chunk of the breast I basted with melted butter and cooked it in the air-fryer for about 10 minutes. The air-fryer sealed the outside of the meat, keeping the inside moist and flavorful. The left-over air-fried meat I diced up with celery and onion, added mayo and made a turkey sandwich spread. The next chuck of meat I plan on baking covered in the over with potatoes and carrots. Although I do believe that air-fried is my favorite method of cooking turkey breast I do like to experiment. I have to wonder if those who are complaining about their turkeys aren't just cooking them incorrectly? We have ordered these turkey's and turkey parts for over 10 years and we have never been disappointed or dis-satisfied in any way. This Christmas we plan on deep frying a whole bird in coconut oil. Yumm I am making myself hungry! read more

We have been buying Heidi's Hens for years, and they are great. The last few years we have been purchasing the breast only, and this year I needed enough turkey for 15 people, so I decided to see what else was available. Reading Diestel's website, I discovered they sell an Heirloom turkey and there was something about the way they presented it that made me want to try it. Man, am I glad I did. Their Heirloom turkey was hands down, the best turkey I have ever tasted. I could go on and on about the flavor, the texture, the flavor.... But, I won't. Just trust me. Next time you're in the market for the best turkey you ever tasted, check out the Heirloom from Diestel. read more

We have always gotten our family Thanksgiving turkeys here since I was a little girl. It is a tradition I have continued today I love driving out to the ranch to pick up my order You can see the birds on site roaming the hills the kids love to feed them. The care and love the family runs this ranch is phenomenal. They have expanded their product line to include sliced turkey and Heidi's healthy hens. I was fortunate enough to move near a Whole foods that carries their entire product line. I can still get the tastes of home without being there. read more

I bought their petite turkey from Bristol Farms for the holidays. Turkey had a very good flavor and a lot of meat on it for a smaller turkey. It cooked very quickly since it was small. Skin was crisp and tasty. I would recommend it for the holidays. I'm also very glad it was raised humanely with no antibiotics and natural grain. I will definitely buy one again. read more

Diestel Family Turkey Ranch - Petite turkey - Meat Shops Near Me - Sonora, California

Oh so good. My roommate did the turkey this year and I was so scared he was going to screw it up. But with a little helpful nagging and the quality turkey from Diestel, we had a turkey that could rival my aunt's turkey. That's right, my AUNT! Trust me, that's impressive. read more

This Thanksgiving we tried a Diestel brine turkey for the first time. My wife questioned my selection since the national brand we usually buy in her opinion is " the gold standard". On Thanksgiving I was plenty nervous since in addition to my wife we were hosting the in-laws and her brother and my son in-law who know their way around the kitchen. First bite, heaven the white meat was moist and the dark meat was a complexity of flavors that made everyone request second helpings. Including a wife who graciously admitted that the Diestel Turkey was delicious and a good value to boot! We will definitely try Diestel Turkey again. read more

It's so poor business practice not to respond to customers concerns when they post here, but the business just proves they could care less. I have been seeing/reading about these birds for years. You actually needed to order the bird at my gourmet market years ago. I finally picked one up this year. I relayed my experience to the farm and you won't believe the response. On my mothers grave and as God is my judge this story is true. The bird was almost 100 times more expensive than a bird I could/should have purchased. The neck and cavity were not boned out completely which left 3+ inches of the neck still attached. The neck was shoved down and was almost impossible to remove. (You bought a corvette and found out the clutch peddle is welded to the frame.) There were a tremendous amount of pin feathers. The wing tip was missing. (Those of you who don't think this is a big deal, let me explain. I bbq turkeys and fold these wing tips under the bird. It stabilizes the bird on the grill.) I did not/ want anything from the farm when I notified them. Please remember what was spent on the bird. The naked bird should have been absolutely perfect. The response ( please sit down) They thanked me for purchasing the finest product available. They did not address the issue with the neck bone. They asked if I could send a picture of the pin feathers so they could show their quality assurance team. Are you sitting? They told me that parts of blemished birds get removed so as not to ruin the bird. I should feel the package of the bird to make sure it has all the parts before buying. Can you believe this? They did ask for my mailing address to send a coupon for a reduction on my next purchase (which won't happen). I hoped the family/owners/president be notified of my email and their response read more

I ALWAYS get our holiday turkeys from Diestel! I usually opt for the smoked turkeys because they're 1- super easy (just re-heat), and 2- SUPER delicious! Not to mention the gravy you can make from smoked turkey drippings... heaven! Also, the staff is always so friendly and accommodating! Last year the shipment of smoked turkeys was running late and we ended up having to wait around a while to get it, so they gave me a dozen eggs! read more

I purchased my Diestel brined and seasoned turkey from Costco. It was the more expensive one of two choices they had and I thought it had something better to offer based on the $60 cost. It was very disappointing. I was waiting for the house to fill with that familiar Thanksgiving turkey aroma when it was cooking in the oven, instead there was a smell of seasoning that overwhelmed us and was a terrible aroma. It wasn't that the turkey was bad or rancid it just didn't smell like a traditional delicious turkey. The taste was just as bad as the smell. Over seasoned, over salted. Completely disappointing. I will never purchase another turkey from this company again. I did a little research on the company after I bought it. Again, not impressed with the information that made the news on this company. read more

Bought two packages of the Diestel Organic turkey burgers (total of 8 patty's) had then for dinner last night thought they were exceptional without a high price. They were purchased frozen, went right to a oiled skillet, flavorful, not dry, just perfect. Would we have then again? Definately! read more

I have purchased many turkeys, both frozen and fresh, but I will always buy a Diestel turkey from here on. It was by far the BEST Turkey ever! Juicy, flavorful and reasonably priced. You really can't go wrong. And I didn't have to brine it myself. read more

Bought a breast for thanksgiving brined it ourselves, best bird we've ever cooked.. succulent, tender will definitely get one again

Picked up an organic turkey from them awhile back. Smoked it and it came out SO great. Excellent quality meat and the carcass made 10 cups of delicious, high quality stock. After reading up on them I read that their non organic turkeys and chickens are non GMO, as well as being antibiotic and hormone free. I'm saving the money and buying their regular birds next time since they all get to graze the beautiful pastures there. Excited to try the heritage turkey! read more

I've been buying Diestel ground turkey -- 99% fat free -- for a few months now. I've noticed in the past 3 weeks that I could not find the product anymore in my local markets. So I substituted for the 93% (green package) but noticed that my 3-year old dog is getting sick on this product. To my complete dismay, I just saw the article that Diestel's has been making false claims and that the USDA inspected their products, and found many violations. https://www.organicconsumers.org/blog/does-your-diestel-turkey-come-side-antibiotics I will no longer buy their products. I wanted to post this review to inform other readers and buyers. read more

Purchased a Diestel turkey from Whole Foods for thanksgiving dinner and ended up throwing it out. I've been making Thanksgiving dinners for the past 25 years, and never had such an awful bird. Gamey and tough! Very disappointed. Definitely not worth the price or the hype. Ugh read more

Got the organic, non GMO, vegetarian fed from Whole Foods as I thought this will be more healthy and its meat will taste better with no added preservatives and cooked it the same way I have been cooking my turkies for years... Guess what, it was the most horrible tasting turkey of all times, it was tough and it tasted like nylon threads even though it was fully cooked, it was a complete waste of time, effort and money... Do not waste your energy buying or cooking this turkey.. I am so disappointed by it and by Whole Foods for carrying such a brand, i never heard of that brand before but I used to trust Whole Foods as they brand themselves as a health supermarket!! read more