Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Learn how to roast, carve, and serve the perfect Thanksgiving turkey this holiday season. First get tips on buying, storing, thawing, and prepping your bird for Thanksgiving dinner, then check out our foolproof recipes for turkey brines, rubs, and glazes. Looking for something unusual? We even have step-by-step instructions for how to deep-fry your turkey to golden perfection.

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How to Stuff and Prepare a Thanksgiving Turkey

The secret is there is no secret. This simple method yields a flavorful, moist Thanksgiving turkey every time: spread butter under the skin, stuff loosely, season generously, and truss the legs. Here's a step-by-step guide. For more on preparing a turkey, check out our downloadable, no-fuss guide.
By Laura Rege

Our Step-by-Step Guide to Cooking Turkey for Thanksgiving

For a perfectly moist and tender turkey, follow these steps and download our full turkey guide for more tips and tricks on how to assure the bird is the star at your Thanksgiving table.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Properly Brining a Turkey

Giving your Thanksgiving bird a bath in salt water isn't complicated, but there a few things to know before you start the brining process. Here, we outline exactly how to brine a turkey for delicious results. Follow our instructions to prepare a perfectly brined turkey and download our complete turkey guide for more Thanksgiving tips.
By Lynn Andriani

Pan Gravy

Rating: 3.17 stars
1
Serve with our Turkey with Brown Sugar Glaze.

Maple-Glazed Turkey with Gravy

Rating: 3.63 stars
2
This turkey's crunchy, sweet crust is the result of boiling down maple syrup until it's almost crystallized and then brushing it on the bird during the last hour of cooking.

Classic Brined and Roasted Turkey

Rating: 3.64 stars
118
Brined to retain moisture, then basted with butter and wine while roasting, this turkey, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, is golden and juicy. The bird is brined for 24 hours, so leave plenty of time for this recipe. If you don't brine yours, skip steps one and two.

Turkey-Salad Sandwich

Here's a bright, fresh lunch that's ideal if, perhaps, you've overindulged (and delicious even if you haven't). A bit of lemony mayonnaise binds together roast turkey, apples, celery, and raisins. You can also serve the mixture over greens instead of bread.

Perfect Roast Turkey 101

Rating: 3.69 stars
68
This recipe yields a plump and regal roast turkey, with crisp, golden-brown skin and an aroma to match.

Roast Turkey with Herb Butter

Rating: 3.76 stars
15
Getting a great-tasting turkey on the Thanksgiving table is easier than you might think. Here, the bird is rubbed with a flavorful mixture of butter and fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme before going into the oven. Use the roasted vegetables and turkey neck to make Rich Gravy.

Turkey Brine

Rating: 3.49 stars
96
Keeping your bird juicy isn't that hard—all you need is the right seasoning and a really large fridge. Brining is the first step in our roasted turkey recipe.

Turkey, Cheddar, and Green-Apple Sandwich

Rating: 3.59 stars
1
 This nourishing turkey sandwich recipe is a genius use of Thanksgiving leftovers. Sliced roasted turkey is stacked between slices of cheddar, tart apple, and whole-grain bread.

Slow-Grilled Turkey

Rating: 3.66 stars
1
Save precious oven space this Thanksgiving by roasting your turkey over charcoal instead. Check out our step-by-step photo tutorial.
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Inspiration and Ideas

How to Spatchcock a Turkey for Thanksgiving

How to Spatchcock a Turkey for Thanksgiving
For juicy, evenly-cooked turkey with a crisp, golden brown skin, spatchcocking is the answer. In a little more than an hour, you can have a perfectly roasted 12-pound turkey. Here's a step-by-step guide, plus roasting tips, and advice on how to carve a spatchcocked bird. For more on this simple trick and other Thanksgiving tips, check out our latest and complete turkey guide, download here.
12 Classic Leftover Turkey Sandwich Recipes

12 Classic Leftover Turkey Sandwich Recipes
Give leftover Thanksgiving turkey a new life with these simple sandwich ideas.
Learn How to Roast the Perfect Turkey with These Tips

Learn How to Roast the Perfect Turkey with These Tips
How to Make Easy Turkey Stock

How to Make Easy Turkey Stock
10 Delicious Ways to Season a Turkey

10 Delicious Ways to Season a Turkey
Easy Turkey and Turkey Breast Recipes for a Less-Stress Thanksgiving Dinner

Easy Turkey and Turkey Breast Recipes for a Less-Stress Thanksgiving Dinner

Citrus and Herb Turkey

Rating: 4.49 stars
2

Roasted with orange, lemon, garlic, and fresh sage and thyme in its cavity, this simple citrus and herb turkey makes a spectacular Thanksgiving centerpiece. An easy pan gravy is the finishing touch.

All Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast

Rating: 3.15 stars
1
Enjoy this simple roast turkey recipe for Thanksgiving or an extra-special dinner during the week. Make sure you use a bone-in turkey breast for this recipe—it's the key to moist, juicy meat.

Pan Juice Gravy

Turkey Cobb-Salad Sandwich

Cranberry sauce adds a welcome touch of sweetness to the wonderful combination of ingredients found in a traditional Cobb salad. This iteration includes turkey for added protein.

Turkey Reuben

Rating: 3.04 stars
1
In this reinvented twist on a classic reuben sandwich, turkey pairs up with melted cheese and rye bread, with a mustard-laced take on coleslaw supplanting sauerkraut.

Stuffed Turkey Breast

Rating: 3.09 stars
15
Learn how to make this delicious and impressive turkey main, which is filled with our Sausage and Sour-Cherry Stuffing. It's the perfect recipe to make for Thanksgiving in lieu of the traditional roast turkey.

Turkey Monte Cristo

Rating: 3.11 stars
1
If you like French toast and grilled cheese, you'll love a Monte Cristo. This sandwich is usually pan-fried, but baking it instead means you can use less butter and make several at the same time.

Stuffed Turkey Breast

This wonderful recipe for stuffed turkey breast is from "Martha Stewart's Cooking School" and makes a delicious dinner.

Turkey with Brown-Sugar Glaze

Rating: 3.2 stars
9
This year, try a flavorful glaze made with orange juice, brown sugar, and vinegar on your Thanksgiving bird.

Roast Spatchcocked Turkey

Rating: 3.71 stars
21
Cut down on your cook time with this simple, spatchcocked version of a Thanksgiving classic.

Giblet Stock

Giblets, which are the heart, gizzard, and liver of turkeys and other fowl, along with the neck, can be used to make a rich stock for homemade gravy. The liver should be cooked separately before being added to the stock, or it will make it too bitter. To save time, you can make this stock while your turkey is roasting.

Roasted Rolled Turkey Breast with Herbs

Rating: 3.15 stars
3
Add plenty of earthy, citrus flavor to whole turkey breast with fresh flat-leaf parsley, sage, and orange zest. A delicious gravy is made with chicken stock and orange juice for dressing.

Egg Sandwiches for a Crowd

Hungry mouths to feed the morning after Thanksgiving? Put that leftover turkey to good use and make a quick, no-fuss frittata in a baking dish, then slice and place on toast slathered with Dijonnaise.

Rich Gravy

To make a flavorful, deep-brown gravy, first roast vegetables and turkey neck under the turkey, then caramelize them on the stovetop.

Upside-Down Turkey

For super-flavorful gravy, scatter cut oranges, onion, and garlic, along with a few rosemary and sage sprigs, in the bottom of the pan before you begin roasting the turkey. This recipe for upside-down turkey is a fun way to prepare your Thanksgiving meal. 

Salt and Pepper Turkey

Rating: 4.07 stars
3
This simple but spectacular roast turkey is filled with our savory Bread Stuffing with Sage. Spreading butter under the skin enhances the flavor of the breast meat.

Spiced Buttermilk-Brined Turkey

Fragrant spices such as coriander seeds, bay leaves, juniper berries, fennel seeds, and peppercorns permeate the buttermilk brine for this holiday centerpiece. It's an easy way to create big flavor with your bird this Thanksgiving.

Perfectly Moist and Tender Turkey

Rating: 3.31 stars
1
You only need three ingredients—plus salt and pepper—to create this perfect roast turkey. The secret is placing the bird over a buttered loaf of ciabatta bread, which helps the meat to cook evenly in the roasting pan.

Herbed Turkey Breast

Rating: 3.58 stars
1
Dressed up, this diminutive cut of turkey breast is no less iconic than a whole roast turkey. For the best flavor and texture, brine your turkey breast for six hours. Fresh flat-leaf parsley, sage, oregano, and rosemary bring lots of earthy, aromatic flavor.

Lemon-Herb Turkey with Bay Butter and Gravy

Rating: 5 stars
1
Bay leaves, rosemary, and lemon zest are tucked under the skin of this turkey and gently perfume the meat with a fragrant, floral flavor. Then the roast turkey is set on fresh bay branches for a dramatic presentation.

Roasted Turkey

Rating: 4 stars
2
Roast turkey is one of the most simple, satisfying meals and this recipe is no exception. Rub the turkey with butter, then sprinkle on poultry seasoning and leave uncovered for the first hour of cooking allows the skin to crisp. Baste frequently to give the bird an even color while helping to seal in juices. Serve with our Perfect Gravy.

Turkey with Stuffing

Rating: 3.79 stars
3
Don't relegate a stuffed bird to Thanksgiving only; this turkey recipe, which roasts over a bed of parsnips, onion, celery, carrots, celeriac, and white turnip, is delicious year-round. 

Turkey Breast with Roasted Garlic and Fresh Herbs

Rating: 3.04 stars
2
Holiday guests are sure to ask for seconds of this tender turkey breast from chef Emeril Lagasse. Pair with his Roasted Carrots with Fresh Thyme and Savory Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding for a complete Thanksgiving feast.

Turkey Sandwich

Give this favorite a big nutrient boost by choosing the right ingredients. Skip the mayo and cheese, which add fat but not much else, and our Romesco Sauce instead.

Tuscan-Style Turkey Alla Porchetta

Rating: 3.94 stars
2
This Tuscan-Style Turkey Alla Porchetta is the perfect Thanksgiving dish. If you can, order your turkey from a local farm, and ask for it to be boned with the skin on. The wing and leg bones should be removed, and the turkey tenders should be included. Make sure you have the wing tips, neck, and giblets for the gravy. Rolling the turkey ensures that each slice will include both light and dark meat.
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