How To Select High-Quality Sliced Turkey And Bring The Deli Home

Need to grab deli turkey this week? Maybe you're hankering for a delicious dish like our apple turkey cheddar sandwich. Before heading to the deli counter, hear Phil Cassise, the vice president of perishables for Plum Market, out. Cassise shared helpful tips with Tasting Table on how to select the best high-quality sliced turkey. After all, not every turkey at the deli counter is worth your money. There are some low-quality deli turkey brands you should avoid at all costs.

"Start with whole muscle turkey breast, not pressed and formed. If the slice looks perfectly uniform, like it came out of a loaf, it probably was formed, and it will never taste like real turkey," Cassise stated. Instead, look for turkey that's cooked as a whole breast, such as an oven-roasted option prepared in-house. This will give you a more natural texture and flavor.

Next, look at the label or packaging if you want healthier deli meat. Cassise explained, "Keep the ingredient list short. Turkey, water, salt, maybe a little sugar. Long lists with fillers, carrageenan, artificial flavors and colors are a reason to pass." Deli meat is considered an ultra-processed food to begin with, so it also pays to scan for curing agents, such as sodium nitrate.

How thick or thin you ask for the turkey to be sliced matters, too. "Have it sliced fresh at the counter, medium thin. Not shaved paper thin, which dries out and tastes mostly like salt, and not thick slabs," Cassise stated. "Medium thin folds nicely, stays juicy, and actually tastes like turkey." This thickness also makes it easier to layer the turkey with other sandwich fillings without overwhelming the bread or crowding out other ingredients.

Finally, Cassise suggested asking the employee behind the counter questions to help select the highest quality turkey to slice and bring home. He said you could ask, "Is this whole muscle turkey breast or formed? When was this opened? Can I taste a slice? How much sodium per serving? Is there anything in here beyond turkey, water, and salt?" The answers will help you decide whether or not that turkey is worth buying, while tasting a sample gives you an opportunity to judge its flavor for yourself.

While sandwiches are a perfect way to enjoy the high-quality sliced turkey you've picked up at the deli counter, there are plenty of other dishes you can make with it. Check out these 15 recipes you can make to use up a package of deli meat.