CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 29, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 3,074,928	$ 2,724,675
Cost of sales	2,897,829	2,505,736
Gross profit	177,099	218,939
Selling, general and administrative expense	92,713	81,924
Administrative restructuring activity	0	(27)
Operating income	84,386	137,042
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest	32,688	33,562
Interest income	(1,690)	(3,340)
Foreign currency transaction loss (gain)	(18,385)	2,636
Miscellaneous, net	(34,188)	(357)
Income before income taxes	105,961	104,541
Income tax expense	38,512	20,416
Net income	67,449	84,125
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	181	114
Net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation	$ 67,268	$ 84,011
Weighted average shares of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation common stock outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	249,347	249,167
Effect of dilutive common stock equivalents (in shares)	275	390
Diluted (in shares)	249,622	249,557
Net income attributable to Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation per share of common stock outstanding:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.27	$ 0.34
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.27	$ 0.34