Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes Worthy of Center Stage
Roast turkey, turkey breasts, deep-fried turkey, even turkey sliders! Whether you’re a T-Day newbie or a seasoned pro, these 40 Thanksgiving turkey recipes just might start a new holiday tradition.
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Above: Super Moist Turkey; photograph by Olga Ivanova
(Want more Thanksgiving recipes and tips? Check out our big Yummly Thanksgiving page!)
The Pilgrims may or may not have actually served turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, though venison was on the menu for sure. I point out this fun fact to say that if you’re in the mood to mess with tradition a little and consider some new Thanksgiving turkey ideas, historical accuracy shouldn’t hold you back. (Though Grandma, expecting to eat her infamous seven-hour roasted turkey? That’s on you.)
Consider the options, turkey lovers. You can go for roasted, grilled, smoked, or deep-fried; turkey cooked sous vide, in a Crock Pot, or an Instant Pot. You can cook the bird whole, butterflied, or rolled. Just the breast? Sure. Even ground turkey can be festive, given the right recipe. Then there are the seasonings, from brines to rubs, glazes, and gravies. It’s a big, flavorful turkey world out there.
So let’s explore some of the best Thanksgiving turkey recipes for your holiday dinner. If this is your first time cooking turkey and you need pointers on how much turkey per person for Thanksgiving; how long to cook the bird; what to do with the giblets; and what kind of roasting pan, roasting rack, and cutting board you need, our turkey 101 guide is your friend for all those burning (but not burned!) questions.
And speaking of not burning, you’re going to need a meat thermometer for sure to measure the internal temperature and ensure a juicy roast turkey. May I recommend the Yummly®️ Smart Thermometer for perfect results?
Take the guesswork out of cooking with the Yummly® Smart Thermometer
With our wireless thermometer, you simply place the thermometer into the turkey breast before popping it in the oven. Using the Yummly app, you'll be able to monitor the temperature of your turkey and get an estimate of how much cook time is left. We'll notify you when the turkey is done and even set a timer for the turkey rest so you'll know when it's time to carve.
Let's get started on finding your perfect Thanksgiving turkey recipe!
Jump ahead to:
Thanksgiving turkey breast recipes >>
Grilled and smoked Thanksgiving turkeys >>
Deep-fried Thanksgiving turkeys >>
How to cook Thanksgiving turkey >>
Thanksgiving turkey breast recipes
You’re looking especially for ideas for cooking turkey breasts? Most of the categories that follow, which are organized by cooking technique, include some turkey breast recipes. Search for “turkey breast" in this article, or just keep scrolling.
Oven-roasted turkeys
A big oven-roasted bird fills the house with tantalizing aromas, makes a beautiful centerpiece on the holiday table, and ensures the next-best thing after Thanksgiving dinner: leftover turkey. Start here if you're looking for traditional roast turkey recipes.
Super Moist Turkey
There are a lot of methods out there for ensuring a juicy turkey. With this basic — but definitely not boring — recipe, you'll drape the outside of the turkey in cheesecloth with plenty of butter to guarantee it stays moist and to deliver a crispy skin. Fresh herbs, garlic, onion, and other aromatics stuffed into the cavity season the turkey from the inside.
Dry-Brined Roast Turkey with Garlic Sage Butter
Overcooking can make turkey dry, since it’s a lean meat. Brining gives you a wider margin for error, holding in the moisture using salt and sometimes sugar. But there’s no need to mess with a sloshy wet brine. With this dry brine you rub the whole bird with salt and seasonings and let it rest in the fridge for the mixture to be absorbed. The Yummly step-by-step guided video recipe shows you just how easy this is to do with the classic Thanksgiving turkey recipe. For added succulence and flavor (no basting needed!), the herb-roasted turkey also gets a seasoned herb butter — made with fresh sage and unsalted butter — before it goes in the roasting pan. Don’t forget to put some in the cavity of the turkey as well as on the outside!
The Easiest One-Step Perfect Turkey
If it’s your first Thanksgiving and you want a coach, cook along with Ali Rosen of Potluck with Ali using our unique Pro Recipe format. We teamed up with Ali for a foolproof, no-fuss Thanksgiving turkey recipe (this one is a dry-brined turkey) and easy ways to make the whole Thanksgiving meal. For her perfect roast turkey she includes baking powder to keep the skin crisp, and she starts the bird at 500°F. Bonus: She walks you through turkey carving, too!
The category of roasting-pan turkey recipes for Thanksgiving has lots more great choices. The first one below delivers just the breast, for an extra-easy option that includes gravy, too. MyRecipes takes a two-step approach for a heritage bird, roasting the breast but braising the tougher turkey legs. If you’re exploring seasonings, consider fresh rosemary, Italian fennel-spice seasoning often used for porchetta (more on that below), a pomegranate or cranberry-bourbon glaze, or a turkey gravy made with apple cider. Last-minute cooks can butterfly the bird and roast it in a hurry.
Grilled and smoked Thanksgiving turkeys
A turkey that’s grilled or smoked comes out crisp and golden brown all over, with the flavor and fragrance of the fire. Taking the bird outside frees up space in the over-subscribed Thanksgiving Day oven, too.
Cajun Smoked Turkey
In this first recipe, Cooks with Soul spatchcocks the bird, brines it with orange zest and other seasonings, and then injects the turkey with a spicy Cajun and garlic butter to keep it juicy during smoking. We're talking flavor in this spatchcocked turkey!
Some cooks may want to try a traditional wet turkey brine, and the Chile and Spice Grilled Turkey takes that approach, adding a Mexican-style seasoning rub as well, before grilling. More ideas to consider: smoking with wine-infused wood chips, and smoking a butterflied, spice-rubbed bird using larger wood chunks.
Rolled and stuffed turkeys
If the idea of turkey as craft project appeals, then you may want to create a boned and seasoned porchetta or stuffed roulade. You'll have the ultimate easy-carve turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, and the beautiful slices will look like a mosaic. The trick for either type of recipe is to get a butcher to do the de-boning, which takes some expertise. That way, you get the fun part.
Tuscan-Style Turkey Alla Porchetta
In the Martha Stewart Italian porchetta, you lay a whole boned turkey flat; generously season it with fennel, garlic, and herbs; roll it up with pancetta around the outside; and cook it in a sheet pan or roasting pan.
Canadian Turkey makes their porchetta with similar classic Italian seasonings, but using a turkey breast and panko breadcrumbs. Roulades are typically boned and stuffed. Jamie Geller’s recipe features cornbread stuffing, while the Foxes Love Lemons recipe calls for an herb stuffing with apples, kale, and blue cheese.
Sous vide turkeys
Are you a high-tech cook who’s looking for an ultra-juicy and tender turkey? Consider sous vide cooking, where you immerse food in a vacuum-sealed bag in a circulated water bath while precisely controlling the temperature.
Sous-Vide, Deep-Fried Turkey Porchetta (Turchetta)
Because the meat doesn’t brown in the sous vide circulator, Serious Eats and the next contributors add a finishing step to deep-fry, shallow-fry, or broil the turkey for a browned, crispy exterior. Choose a whole turkey, turkey breast, or for dark meat fans, turkey thighs.
Slow-cooker turkeys
Set it and (almost) forget it: That’s the promise of a slow-cooker, and it’s a welcome idea on Thanksgiving when you may be up to your elbows in pies or side dishes, which may also be hogging the oven.
Crispy Skin Slow Cooker Turkey (& Homemade Gravy)
The steamy environment of the Crock Pot helps keep the meat juicy, but if you want crisp skin, plan to pass the turkey under the broiler, as in this Cafe Delights whole turkey recipe.
If your family goes for turkey breast meat, The Kitchn coats it with a smoked paprika dry rub, slow-cooks the meat on top of sweet potatoes with a favorite barbecue sauce, and finishes it under the broiler for crispy skin. The next two recipes pair turkey breast with more traditional herb and garlic seasonings. These are great options if you're looking for easy Thanksgiving turkey breast recipes. The last, from Countryside Cravings, adds a simple gravy recipe.
Instant Pot turkeys
Smear a turkey breast with butter and fresh herbs, possibly give it a quick sear, and then set your Instant Pot for about 30 minutes. Seriously. That’s all the cooking time these recipes need! Add 10-15 minutes for venting the Instant Pot, and an optional quick pass under the broiler to crisp the skin, and you’re done.
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Maybe you’re looking for an ultra-easy recipe. This first Instant Pot recipe, a Yummly original for just the breast, delivers an herbed turkey in 50 minutes, start to finish, including prep time.
Oh, Sweet Basil seasons the next recipe with the tantalizing combination of smoked paprika, fresh thyme and fresh sage, butter, and orange juice. Once the turkey is done, you’ll make a gravy from the drippings. JoCooks adds a little complexity with a smoked paprika-herb rub, which seasons the delicious cream gravy. For dark meat fans, Simply Recipes cooks turkey thighs or turkey legs (drumsticks) and serves them with a white wine-Dijon mustard gravy, which makes enough to ladle over potatoes.
Deep-fried Thanksgiving turkeys
Is this your year for a backyard turkey adventure? To make a deep-fried turkey, you’ll need to rent an outdoor deep fryer if you don’t own one. The reward is one of the most juicy, tender turkeys you’ll try, with the crispest skin — and the typical cooking time is only 45 minutes.
Deep-Fried Turkey with White Wine Gravy
Cooking with Paula Deen opts for traditional herb seasonings in her deep-fried turkey, and includes a buttery wine and shallot gravy.
Leite’s Culinaria weaves in lots of safety tips in their recipe (for example, pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels so you don't get spatters, and don't use more than a twelve pound turkey) — and then there's an optional 2 tablespoons of cayenne for seasoning! The next two recipes skew toward the spicy side as well, in keeping with the adventure theme.
Turkey burgers
Maybe you’re a casual Thanksgiving cook, and if that’s the case, turkey burgers may be right up your alley for your holiday meal. Don’t plan on leftovers, though — which may be a good thing for some.
Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders
The petite sliders from MyRecipes feature ground turkey with fresh herbs and black pepper. You grill the patties, then set out sautéed mushrooms and onions and cranberry mustard for diners to build their own sandwiches. The recipe makes 16 sliders and serves eight, and the total time is 1 1/2 hours.
Buns in My Oven’s pan-seared recipes each serve four diners, making them a great option for an intimate Thanksgiving celebration, while the Simply Recipes option serves eight. If you're looking to change up the usual flavors, consider Yummly's Green Chili Turkey Burgers with Chipotle Mayo.
How to cook Thanksgiving turkey
Now that you've got some recipes in mind for the Thanksgiving table, you may have questions about techniques. Yummly's a key resource stuffed full of recipes and tips, including these articles. The first two cover all the details of how to cook Thanksgiving turkey (including how to brine a Thanksgiving turkey and how to carve a Thanksgiving turkey) and the next one gets into the gravy! Your taste buds will feel thankful. Head to our big Yummly Thanksgiving page if you’re looking for mashed potatoes, green beans, veggies, and other side dishes.