Gobble gobble, it's Turkey Day! Thanksgiving is ALL about the turkey, so this year, make sure yours is the best it can be. No more worrying about how much turkey to make, when to thaw it, or what the deal is with brining or rubbing…we’ve got you. Whether you’re cooking a whole turkey or are looking for alternatives to the full bird, we’ve got everything you’ll need to get it just right. Check out our best 30 turkey recipes for ideas—try them and you might just start a new Thanksgiving tradition.
The way we see it, there are a couple solid routes to the perfect roast turkey. If you’ve got extra time (24 to 72 hours), we recommend dry or wet brining your turkey. If you choose to go the wet brine route, feel free to get creative with your liquids, like we did in our apple cider-brined turkey or our pickle-brined turkey (trust us 😉).
If you’re shorter on time, you can always try a last-minute rub to add flavor to your bird, like our Italian, lemon-herb, or ranch rubs. They’re pretty much foolproof, even for turkey novices.
Looking for something a little less intense this year than a whole turkey? Try making a turkey breast instead of the whole bird. If you go smaller, the benefit is having a lot more flavor leeway, like in our rosemary, sage, and pecan-crusted turkey breast, our harissa-spiced turkey breast, or our cranberry-glazed BBQ turkey breast. These are perfect for smaller celebrations where you don’t feel the need to adhere too strongly to tradition.
More of a sides fan and don’t want the turkey to take up that prime oven space all day? Try making your turkey in another kitchen appliance, like your air fryer or slow cooker. They turn out surprisingly juicy and flavorful and are a lot less labor-intensive.
Not a fan of the whole bird but still want to keep with the Thanksgiving spirit? It’s YOUR meal, so make whatever you want. We’ve included some turkey-full alternatives here, like our turkey pot pie, our turkey burgers, or our turkey meatloaf, but we give you permission to sub in turkey into any of your family faves. These recipes are perfect for potlucks and Friendsgivings where the more options, the merrier.
Want more Thanksgiving inspiration? Check out our best Thanksgiving appetizers, side dishes, and desserts too.
Turkey Brine
If you've never brined your Thanksgiving turkey, this is your year. Our version is filled with the best fall herbs for that cozy, holiday feel, plus two types of citrus for brightness.
Get the Turkey Brine recipe.
Stuffed Turkey Breast
A savory mushroom and bacon filling keeps this roasted turkey breast juicy while making it fancy and hearty enough to take the place of a whole bird on the holiday table. If you end up with leftover filling, you can even use it as a pre-dinner snack!
Get the Stuffed Turkey Breast recipe.
Turkey Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a classic alternative to turkey on Thanksgiving, so why not keep with the theme and make your with turkey. This one is LOADED with flavor. How? Worcestershire garlic, rosemary, and thyme. (The herbs are our favorite part, so don't skip 'em!)
Get the Turkey Meatloaf recipe.
Roast Turkey
Whether you're roasting your first bird for Friendsgiving or hosting for the 26th time, use this handy guide to roast the perfect holiday turkey. This foolproof method has been tested (and tested and tested) by the Delish kitchen—trust us, it's the best.
Get the Roast Turkey recipe.
Turkey Tenderloin
Turkey tenderloin is the same cut you get when you get chicken tenders, just larger due to the size of the bird. Serve it in place of the classic roasted turkey if you're doing Thanksgiving dinner for 4 to 6 people.
Get the Turkey Tenderloin recipe.
Grilled Turkey
It's a little unconventional, but trust us on this one—grilling your turkey frees up oven space and lends itself to some delicious char marks that you just can't get from oven roasting. It's a method that's sure to wow all your guests, so get ready to share the recipe. 😉
Get the Grilled Turkey recipe.
Air Fryer Tandoori Turkey Breast
Keeping the bone in and skin on the turkey breast and marinating it in yogurt, garlic paprika, turmeric, ginger, and cumin helps to seal in moisture so the outside doesn’t dry out from the intense air fryer heat. Instead you get crispy skin and a super-moist, tandoori-spiced turkey breast. 😍
Turkey Shepherd's Pie
A traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb or beef, but this turkey version is surprisingly light and SO easy to make. It's the perfect seasonal meal to make when you're not feeling a whole turkey. Bonus: This makes great leftovers.
Get the Turkey Shepherds Pie recipe.
Air Fryer Garlic Herb Turkey Breast
Craving turkey but don't want to go through the hassle of cooking a whole bird? Make turkey breast in the air fryer! It takes way less effort with far better results, and you're guaranteed to get crispy skin and juicy meat.
Dry Brine Turkey
The one thing you can do to ensure a bird that stays juicy and doesn't dry out in the oven: Brine it! A proper brine will set you up for serious success. A dry brine takes a little bit of forethought (but not too much), and you'll end up with a turkey that's juicy, flavorful, and has extra-crispy skin.
Get the Dry Brine Turkey recipe.
Turkey Roulade
Sometimes, roasting a whole turkey is just too much of an undertaking. A roulade, though? It's surprisingly easy (we swear!), super-flavorful, and much easier to carve. Perfect served with a side of mashed potatoes and some tart cranberry sauce.
Get the Turkey Roulade recipe.
Turkey Burgers
It's YOUR Thanksgiving, so if you're craving burgers, go for it! Keep with the holiday theme with these turkey burgers and serve them alongside some sweet potato fries, potato salad, grilled green beans, and s'mores. Ta da, Thanksgiving on the grill.
Get the Turkey Burgers recipe.
Apple Cider Brined Turkey
Brining helps flavor your turkey and keep it nice and juicy, and an apple cider brine is fall perfection. If you're planning on a smaller Thanksgiving this year, this method also works on smaller pieces of meat.
Get the Apple Cider Brined Turkey recipe.
Crockpot Turkey Breast
Who says you have to turn on your oven to make delicious turkey? After trying this easy recipe, not us. All you need to do is mix up a simple brown sugar rub, coat the meat, and let your Crockpot do the rest! That way, your oven can take on more important tasks like pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole. 😏
Get the Crockpot Turkey Breast recipe.
Bacon-Wrapped Turkey
Turkey is great and all, but we just felt it was missing a little something. Bacon was the obvious answer. Crunchy and not an ounce of dryness, this is the turkey you've been looking for. Serve it along side our cornbread stuffing for the perfect pairing.
Get the Bacon-Wrapped Turkey recipe.
Turkey Pot Pie
This turkey pot pie has a comforting creamy center with an extra-flaky top. It's the perfect little twist on the chicken classic! Also, though homemade pie crust is a dream, we also love to use frozen store-bought in a cinch. Just make sure to get the type you can thaw and roll out so you can have a top and bottom crust.
Get the Turkey Pot Pie recipe.
Turkey Feta Meatballs
Not into traditional Thanksgiving spreads? Make these turkey meatballs instead this year. We like these atop our lemon-yogurt spread, but feel free to get creative—meatball subs, spaghetti & meatballs, whatever you like.
Get the Turkey Feta Meatballs recipe.
Air Fryer Turkey Meatloaf
These little meatloaves are exactly what we want to eat when we’re homesick, even if we never had meatloaf growing up. Maybe it’s the ketchup. Maybe it’s the brown sugar. Maybe it’s the tantalizing scent of a cozy meal made extra easy in our air fryer!
Get the Air Fryer Turkey Meatloaf recipe.
Turkey Divan
If you're looking for something different for Thanksgiving, this turkey divan casserole is the perfect thing. It's so simple to throw together and endlessly versatile. Don't have broccoli? Throw in cauliflower or even green beans. Don't want to use Ritz crackers? Use some leftover bread as croutons or top it with buttery panko.
Get the Turkey Divan recipe.
Baked Turkey Burgers
These juicy turkey burgers are packed with flavor, thanks to soy sauce, garlic, green onions, and shallots. They're great for a non-traditional, unseasonably warm Thanksgiving. Baking the burgers removes the guesswork of knowing whether they're fully cooked too (a win in our book!).
Get the Baked Turkey Burgers recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
