CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 26, 2017	Mar. 27, 2016
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 2,020,492	$ 1,962,937
Cost of sales	1,805,287	1,725,375
Gross profit	215,205	237,562
Selling, general and administrative expense	62,853	48,788
Operating income	152,352	188,774
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest	12,386	12,033
Interest income	(302)	(693)
Foreign currency transaction loss (gain)	619	(235)
Miscellaneous, net	(2,715)	(2,946)
Income before income taxes	142,364	180,615
Income tax expense	47,901	62,604
Net income	94,463	118,011
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	542	(360)
Net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation	$ 93,921	$ 118,371
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	248,692	254,807
Effect of dilutive common stock equivalents (in shares)	234	340
Diluted (in shares)	248,926	255,147
Net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation per share of common stock outstanding:
Basic (usd per share)	$ 0.38	$ 0.46
Diluted (usd per share)	$ 0.38	$ 0.46