The Most Exciting Meat and Seafood Buys Every Home Cook Needs Right Now

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lemon herby chicken thighs recipe, macro shot
Credit: Photo: Paola + Murray; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero; Prop Styling: Carla Gonzalez-Hart

If you’ve ever stood in the meat and seafood sections of the grocery store and felt overwhelmed, you’ve come to the right place. We spent the last few months testing and tasting our way through the most flavorful cuts of chicken (spoiler: It’s the thighs), flakiest fish, and our favorite frozen shortcuts. We also considered each brand’s dedication to sustainability and humane practices. All to bring you this very satisfying and succinct list.

We’re calling this year’s Kitchn Essentials the magnificent seven — one for each day of the week! Let’s take a look at what made the cut.

1 / 7
Chicken

If you're not relying on chicken thighs as a weeknight go-to, you need to switch up your meal plan. We dedicate countless recipes to the almighty thigh. Why? They're cheaper, more flavorful, and harder to overcook than breast meat. As long as there’s a pack of chicken thighs in your freezer, dinner is never far off.

2 / 7
Chicken Tenders
Instacart
$8.79

We all need a solid dinner fallback, and that's where this box of chicken breast tenders comes in. They're a bit more grown-up than nuggets, but these all-white meat tenders deliver the same crowd-pleasing versatility as the perennial kid food. You can also feel good about Applegate’s dedication to humane practices, which are listed in great detail on the website for all to read.

3 / 7
Fish
Seafood Watch

Sustainability is key when shopping for fish, and if you don't know where to start, look for the Seafood Watch's "Best Choice" ranking. More often than not, you'll find Atlantic cod on that list. Thanks to its mild flavor and flaky texture, cod works in so many different recipes, including tacos, sandwiches, and skillet dinners.

4 / 7
Shrimp
Whole Foods Market

We love that Whole Foods makes it easy to find sustainable, responsible seafood, and the Whole Catch White Shrimp is one of our favorites. The company's commitment to seafood that's responsibly farmed or wild-caught by certified sustainable fisheries means we don't have to question where these shrimp came from or their impact on the environment.

5 / 7
Bacon
Target
$6.49

Applegate's Sunday Bacon comes from humanely raised, antibiotic- and GMO-free pork. Whether you fry it on the stovetop or bake it in the oven, it cooks up super crisp and has a richer, deeper flavor compared to other brands.

6 / 7
Smoked Fish
Trader Joe's

When it's too hot to turn on your oven (or you just don't feel like cooking), let Trader Joe's Sesame Crusted Hardwood Smoked Ahi Tuna help. Sustainably sourced and wild-caught off the coasts of Indonesia, it has a meaty texture and smoky flavor. Looking for a recipe to get inspired? Start with this no-cook ahi tuna bowl!

7 / 7
Deli Meat
Target
$4.99

Contributor Lisa Freedman knows a thing or two about making the perfect sandwich. In search of the best turkey, she went through a lot of trial and error. "I tried everything at the deli counter and all the other pre-packaged stuff, and this is the only sliced turkey that holds up well in the fridge and consistently gets compliments when I use it in sandwiches." Grab the family size so you'll always be sandwich-ready.