What to order from ButcherBox.ca

Ordering meat online can be convenient, but one question comes up again and again:

What should I actually order?

Whether you are trying a meat delivery service for the first time, stocking your freezer, feeding a family, planning weekly meals, or looking for better steaks for the weekend, the best order is not necessarily the biggest order.

The best meat order is the one that matches how your household actually eats.

At ButcherBox.ca, you can customize your box and choose the meats your family enjoys most rather than being limited to a fixed selection. You can choose different products, repeat products you use frequently, change future orders, or place a one-time order if you simply want to try it.

This guide will help you decide what meat to order online, how much variety to choose, and which cuts work best for family dinners, meal prep, BBQs and freezer stocking.

What Should You Look for When Ordering Meat Online?

Before choosing individual products, think about five things:

  1. How many people are you feeding?
  2. How often do you cook meat?
  3. Which proteins does your family actually eat?
  4. Do you want everyday cuts, premium cuts, or a combination?
  5. Do you want to cook immediately or stock your freezer?

A good meat delivery order usually combines everyday staples + a few specialty or premium items.

For example, a family might use chicken breasts and ground beef every week but only buy steak occasionally.

That means there is little reason to fill an entire box with expensive steaks if the household regularly needs chicken and ground beef.

A simple rule for building your order

Start with the meats you use most often. Then add variety.

That approach can help reduce food waste, simplify meal planning and make your meat delivery order work harder for your household.

Best Beef to Order for a Family

Beef is one of the most versatile proteins to keep in the freezer.

The best beef order for a family usually includes a mixture of ground beef, everyday steaks or roasts, and one or two cuts suited to slow cooking.

1. Ground Beef

Ground beef is one of the most useful freezer staples because it can become dozens of different meals.

Use it for:

If your family cooks beef regularly, ground beef is one of the first products worth adding to a meat delivery order.

2. Stewing Beef

Stewing beef is ideal for:

It is particularly useful during the colder months.

3. Steak

For families who enjoy steak, consider adding a few premium cuts such as:

You do not need steak for every meal. A few good steaks in the freezer can give you an easy option for weekends, celebrations or nights when you want something special.

Best Chicken to Order for Weekly Meals

Chicken is often one of the most useful proteins for busy Canadian households because it can be used in everything from quick weeknight dinners to meal prep.

ButcherBox.ca offers several poultry options, including air-chilled chicken. The company describes its air-chilled poultry as cooled using cold air rather than water immersion.

Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is especially useful for:

Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are a great choice when you want a more flavourful and forgiving cut.

Use them for:

  • Curries
  • BBQ chicken
  • Sheet-pan dinners
  • Stir-fries
  • Chicken tacos
  • Slow-cooked meals

Whole Chicken

A whole chicken can provide multiple meals from one cooking session.

Serve it as a roast dinner, then use leftovers for:

  • Chicken soup
  • Sandwiches
  • Wraps
  • Chicken salad
  • Pasta
  • Rice bowls

Chicken Wings

Keep wings in the freezer for:

Best Pork to Order

Pork is one of the easiest ways to add variety to a meat delivery order.

Good choices include:

Pork Chops

Excellent for quick weeknight dinners.

Pork Tenderloin

A lean and versatile option that works well with:

  • Apples
  • Maple
  • Mustard
  • Garlic
  • Herbs
  • Roasted vegetables

Ribs

Perfect for BBQ season, family gatherings and weekend cooking.

Ground Pork

Useful for:

  • Meatballs
  • Dumplings
  • Sausage-style recipes
  • Lettuce wraps
  • Pasta dishes
  • Breakfast recipes

A family order does not need to contain every pork product. Choose the cuts that match the meals you actually cook.

Best Seafood to Order Online

Seafood can be an excellent addition to a meat delivery order because it gives you a break from beef, chicken and pork.

Salmon

Salmon is versatile enough for:

ButcherBox.ca currently features wild sockeye salmon among its popular products.

Shrimp

Shrimp cooks quickly, making it particularly useful for busy weeknights.

Try it in:

Other Seafood

Depending on availability, consider adding seafood when you want more variety in your weekly meal rotation.

Best Steaks to Order

If steak is one of your favourite foods, there are several cuts worth considering.

Ribeye

Best for: flavour and rich beefiness.

Ribeye is a popular choice for steak lovers who enjoy marbling and a rich flavour.

Striploin

Best for: a balance of tenderness and beef flavour.

Striploin is an excellent all-around steak for grilling or pan-searing.

Filet Mignon

Best for: tenderness.

Filet is a great choice for special occasions or when tenderness is your top priority.

Sirloin

Best for: value and versatility.

Sirloin can be a practical choice when you want steak without making every steak night a premium purchase.

Which steak should you buy?

If you are unsure, start with ribeye or striploin.

If tenderness is your priority, consider filet mignon.

If value and versatility are more important, sirloin is worth considering.

Best Freezer Staples

One of the biggest advantages of ordering meat online is being able to keep individually packaged meat ready for future meals.

ButcherBox.ca says its products are individually vacuum sealed and portion controlled, and its products are flash frozen to help maintain freshness.

A practical freezer should contain a mixture of:

Everyday Staples

Quick Meals

  • Burgers
  • Sausages
  • Chicken wings
  • Shrimp

Premium Options

  • Ribeye
  • Striploin
  • Filet mignon

Slow-Cooking Options

  • Stewing beef
  • Roasts
  • Ribs

This gives you options instead of forcing you to plan every meal weeks in advance.

Best Budget-Friendly Cuts

Premium meat does not mean every item in your box needs to be a premium steak.

Some of the most useful products are everyday cuts that can become multiple different meals.

Ground Beef

One of the most versatile choices for families.

Chicken Thighs

Great for flavourful family meals and meal prep.

Pork Chops

A simple option for quick dinners.

Stewing Beef

Ideal for larger meals and slow cooking.

Whole Chicken

Can provide several meals from one cooking session.

Tip: Build Around Versatility

If you are trying to make your meat budget go further, prioritize products that can be used in several different recipes.

A package of ground beef can become tacos one night, meatballs another night and chili later in the week.

That is more useful than buying a specialty cut that only works for one recipe.

Best Premium Cuts

Sometimes you simply want something special.

Premium cuts can turn an ordinary dinner into a restaurant-style meal at home.

Consider:

  • Ribeye
  • Striploin
  • Filet mignon
  • Premium roasts
  • Specialty seafood

A good strategy is to combine premium cuts with everyday staples.

For example:

2 premium steaks + several packages of chicken + ground beef + pork

can give you both special-occasion meals and everyday options.

Best Meat for Meal Prep

If you meal prep, prioritize proteins that can be cooked in batches and used in several different meals.

Best meal-prep choices

Chicken breast

Use it for:

  • Rice bowls
  • Salads
  • Wraps
  • Pasta
  • Sandwiches

Ground beef

Use it for:

  • Taco bowls
  • Burgers
  • Rice bowls
  • Pasta
  • Chili

Chicken thighs

Use them for:

  • Curries
  • Rice bowls
  • Salads
  • Wraps

Pork tenderloin

Slice cooked pork into:

  • Grain bowls
  • Salads
  • Sandwiches
  • Meal-prep containers

The Meal-Prep Strategy

Choose 2–3 proteins, then prepare them differently throughout the week.

For example:

Chicken breast + ground beef + salmon

can create an entire week of different meals without eating the same dinner every night.

Best Meat for BBQ Season

When BBQ season arrives, your freezer should be ready.

Popular BBQ choices include:

  • Ribeye
  • Striploin
  • Burgers
  • Sausages
  • Chicken thighs
  • Chicken wings
  • Pork ribs
  • Chicken breasts
  • Pork chops

The Ultimate BBQ Combination

For a backyard gathering, consider having:

Steak + burgers + sausages + chicken + ribs

This gives guests different options and makes it easier to feed a group.

Recommended ButcherBox.ca Starter Orders

Not sure where to begin?

Here are three example orders based on different shopping styles.

These are starting-point ideas rather than fixed boxes. ButcherBox.ca allows customers to customize their selections and choose the products that fit their household.

 The Weeknight Family Starter

Best for families who want versatile proteins for everyday dinners.

Start with:

  • Chicken breast
  • Ground beef
  • Chicken thighs
  • Pork chops
  • Steak

Why this combination works

You have enough variety to build:

  • Quick chicken dinners
  • Burgers
  • Tacos
  • Meatballs
  • Pork chop dinners
  • Stir-fries
  • Steak nights
  • Meal-prep lunches

This is a strong starting point if you want one order to cover several different types of meals.

The Steakhouse Box

Best for steak lovers and households that want premium beef.

Start with:

  • Ribeye
  • Striploin
  • Filet mignon
  • Ground beef
  • Burgers

Why this combination works

The steaks give you premium meals while ground beef and burgers provide more casual options.

You get:

Special occasion + weekend + everyday

all in one order.

The Freezer Stock-Up

Best for families who want to keep a variety of proteins ready to go.

Start with:

  • Ground beef
  • Chicken
  • Pork
  • Stewing beef
  • Sausages

Why this combination works

These are highly versatile freezer staples that can be turned into everything from quick weeknight dinners to slow-cooked weekend meals.

For households that regularly buy meat, a stock-up order can also reduce the need for frequent grocery-store trips.

ButcherBox.ca offers a Stock Up & Save option for customers looking to build a larger order.

How Much Meat Should You Order?

The right amount depends on:

  • Household size
  • How often you eat meat
  • Your freezer space
  • Whether you meal prep
  • Whether you cook leftovers
  • How much variety you want

A family that eats meat five or six nights a week will need a very different order from a couple that eats meat twice a week.

Before ordering, ask yourself:

How many people am I feeding?

How many meat-based meals do we eat each week?

Which proteins disappear fastest from our freezer?

Which products do we always end up buying at the grocery store?

Start with those answers.

Should You Buy a Curated Meat Box or Build Your Own?

There is no single right answer.

A curated box can make shopping easier if you want someone else to choose a selection for you.

Building your own box makes more sense if your household has specific preferences.

For example:

A family that eats mostly chicken should not have to fill its order with beef simply because it comes in a predetermined box.

Likewise, a steak lover may want to allocate more of their order to premium beef.

That's why customization can be valuable.

At ButcherBox.ca, customers can select the products they eat most, choose the same item multiple times if they want, and make changes to future orders.

What Should You Order From ButcherBox.ca?

If you are completely new to online meat delivery, start simple.

For a family:

Chicken breast + ground beef + chicken thighs + pork + steak

For steak lovers:

Ribeye + striploin + filet + ground beef + burgers

For freezer stocking:

Ground beef + chicken + pork + stewing beef + sausages

For meal prep:

Chicken breast + chicken thighs + ground beef + salmon

For BBQ season:

Steak + burgers + sausages + chicken wings + ribs

The important thing is not to order the largest box.

Order the meats your household will actually use.

Why Order Meat Online?

Ordering meat online can make meal planning easier by allowing you to shop for several meals at once and keep individually packaged products in your freezer.

ButcherBox.ca focuses on Canadian and Ontario-sourced products, including 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, AAA beef, air-chilled poultry, pork and seafood.

The company also offers flexible ordering: customers can customize boxes, make changes to future orders, and place one-time orders without committing to a subscription.

That means you can build an order around your family, your freezer and your cooking habits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best meat to order online?

The best meat to order online depends on how you eat. For most families, versatile staples such as ground beef, chicken breast, chicken thighs and pork are good starting points. Add steak or seafood for variety.

What meat should I order for a family of four?

A good starting point is a mixture of chicken, ground beef, pork and steak. The exact quantity depends on how often your family eats meat and whether you use leftovers or meal prep.

What is the best meat for meal prep?

Chicken breast, chicken thighs and ground beef are among the most versatile meal-prep choices because they can be incorporated into many different meals.

What are the best steaks to order?

Ribeye is a great choice for flavour, striploin offers a good balance of tenderness and beef flavour, filet mignon is known for tenderness, and sirloin is a versatile option.

Is frozen meat good for freezer storage?

Yes. Properly packaged frozen meat is designed for freezer storage. ButcherBox.ca individually vacuum seals and flash freezes its products to help maintain freshness.

Can I customize my ButcherBox.ca order?

Yes. ButcherBox.ca allows customers to customize their box and select the products they eat most. Customers can also choose the same item multiple times and modify future orders.

Do I have to subscribe?

No. ButcherBox.ca offers one-time orders as well as recurring delivery options, so you can try an order without committing to a subscription.

What should I put in my first meat delivery order?

A versatile first order could include chicken breast, ground beef, chicken thighs, pork chops and steak. This gives you several proteins that can be used for everyday dinners, meal prep and weekend meals.

Build Your Own Meat Delivery Order

The best meat delivery order is not necessarily the biggest one.

It is the one that gives you the right combination of everyday staples, freezer-friendly proteins and a few meals you are excited to cook.

Start with the foods your family already eats.

Then add something new.

Whether you are looking for Canadian beef, air-chilled chicken, pork, seafood, premium steaks or freezer staples, you can build an order around your household's needs.

Ready to choose your meat?

Build Your ButcherBox.ca

Create a customized box with the meats your family actually wants to eat.

[Build Your Box →]

Related ButcherBox.ca Guides

Key Takeaway

If you're wondering what to order from a meat delivery service, start with the proteins your household uses most often. Build around versatile staples, add a few premium cuts, and use your freezer to make meal planning easier.

For most families, a combination of chicken, ground beef, pork and steak is an excellent place to start.