40 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes to Make This Year
Updated on March 13, 2023
Turkey is often the star of the show on Thanksgiving. However, that doesn’t mean you should make the same old bland recipe every year. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, experiment with other Thanksgiving turkey recipes, and create a delicious meal that your entire family can enjoy on the most rewarding day of the year!
We prepared a list of what we think that the best Thanksgiving turkey recipes that you should try out this year. Surely you will find something that grabs your attention and gets you all excited for Thanksgiving dinner!
How to Cook a Turkey?
There are many variations of this tradition, but the basic gist of cooking a turkey is pretty simple: if you have a turkey for Thanksgiving, you cook it. It’s that easy.
You can cook your turkey to perfection whether you’re doing it in an oven or grill or even on a spit. The most common methods for cooking a whole turkey in an oven are 3-2-1, brine and roast, and using a deep fryer.
The 3-2-1 Method
The 3-2-1 method involves completely thawing out your turkey, washing it with cold water, drying it off with paper towels, seasoning both sides with salt and pepper or any other desired spices or herbs, placing aluminum foil over the wings and drumsticks, and cooking the turkey in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 3 hours.
After 3 hours of total turkey cook time, remove the aluminum foil from the wings and drumsticks, flip the turkey over so that it is breast-side up, baste with your favorite sauce or liquid seasoning, return it to the oven at 350 degrees for another 2 hours, baste with your favorite sauce or liquid seasoning, and let it cook for another hour.
At the end of the 3rd hour with the turkey breast-side up, remove it from the oven and use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone to butterfly it. Now turn the turkey over so that it is breast-side down, and cut along each side of the backbone to remove it. Finally, you can carve your turkey into pieces for serving.
The Brine-and-Roast Method
The brine-and-roast method involves completely thawing out your turkey, placing it in a large, resealable plastic bag or container, adding enough water or ice to cover the bird completely by at least an inch, adding a cup of salt to the water, along with spices and herbs of your choice such as bay leaves, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, garlic cloves and onions.
Seal the bag or container and place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours but no more than 24 hours. Remove the turkey from brine 30 minutes before roasting, pat it dry with paper towels and place in a roasting pan. Season both sides of the turkey with salt and pepper or any spices or herbs you desire, add aluminum foil over the wings and drumsticks to prevent them from burning in the oven, temperature set at 325 degrees F.
Roast your turkey for 3 hours (without basting), remove the aluminum foil from the wings and drumsticks, flip your turkey over for breast-side up, baste with your favorite sauce or liquid seasoning, return it to the oven at 350 degrees F for another 2 hours (without basting), flip your turkey over again for breast-side down, baste with any remaining liquids or sauces in the roasting pan and let it cook for another hour.
The Deep-Frying Method
The deep-frying method involves completely thawing out your turkey, washing it with cold water, drying it off with paper towels or a clean dishcloth, tying the legs together to keep the inside moist and seasoning both sides of your turkey with salt and pepper or any other desired spices or herbs.
Heat up around 6 cups of oil in a deep fryer until hot enough to cook your turkey, but not too hot to where the oil starts smoking. Drop the turkey carefully into the deep fryer and set a timer for 8 minutes. Cook until golden brown, flip it over and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove your finished deep-fried turkey from the oil carefully with tongs or cooking utensils designed for removing the turkey from a deep fryer and place it on a wire rack over a baking sheet, taking care not to drip oil all over the counter. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving so that the juices can settle and redistribute throughout the meat.
How Long to Cook a Turkey?
The turkey cooking time depends on how big the turkey is, what the turkey’s temperature was when you first put it in the oven, and what type of turkey cook method you use. A general rule of thumb is to cook your turkey for 15 minutes per pound and measure its temperature before removing it from the oven with a meat thermometer.
For instance, a 10 lb turkey requires around 14 hours to brine, 8 hours in the brine, 30 minutes to drain, and about 1 hour 40 minutes of cooking time. Meanwhile, a 20 lb turkey requires approximately 22 hours to brine, 8 hours in the brine, 30 minutes to drain, and around 4 hours 40 minutes of cooking time.
What Temp to Cook a Turkey?
A turkey is fully cooked when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. So, you need to cook the turkey to 165 degrees F and just the time according to the turkey’s weight.
Internal turkey temperatures for turkey cooking are as follows:
- Breast meat should be cooked to 160 degrees F
- Dark meat should be cooked to 170 degrees F
The dark turkey meat has a higher internal temperature compared with light turkey meat because it is denser and contains more myoglobin, which is a protein that helps turkey meat maintain its rich color.
The turkey cooking time varies depending on what turkey method you use:
- The turkey cooking time for the brine-and-roast method is around 3 to 4 hours for a 15-pound turkey at 325 degrees F
- Deep-frying a turkey takes about 5 minutes per pound at 350 degrees F
- Roasting turkey takes approximately 2 to 3 hours for a 15-pound turkey at 325 degrees F
- Oven-roasted turkey takes around 3 to 4 hours for a 15-pound turkey at 325 degrees F
The turkey cooking time also varies depending on where you insert the meat thermometer. A turkey’s innermost part is between the thigh muscles and breast, which is where you should insert your turkey cooking thermometer.
Best Turkey Recipes for Thanksgiving Day
People often take, for granted, the delicious turkey dinner they are eating at Thanksgiving. Nowadays, there are many new recipes to choose from on top of traditional holiday fare, like roast turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes.
Here are some of the best turkey recipes you can cook to share a delicious meal with your friends and family on Thanksgiving Day:
1. Simple Roasted Turkey Recipe
If you’re not feeling up for a complicated recipe when it comes to the Thanksgiving turkey, let’s start with a simple roasted turkey recipe that you can serve with any preferred side dish.
We found a great recipe on Tastes Better from Scratch, which guides you every step of the way to make a simple roasted turkey in the oven. The recipe is tailored for 16 servings and shouldn’t take more than 4 hours with the prep and cook time.
All you need is a turkey, onions, lemons, apples, rosemary, thyme, and sage. You also need unsalted butter, salt, ground black pepper, garlic, and chopped herbs to make the herb butter.
2. Seasoned Roast Turkey
If you’re looking for a delicious way to prepare roast turkey, look no further than this seasoned roast turkey recipe by Country Living. It’s got everything you need to make your Thanksgiving turkey extra tasty.
The ingredients you need include a 12-to-14 pound turkey, rosemary, uncooked fresh herb stuffing, olive oil, no-salt Bell’s Seasoning, kosher salt, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken stock, and clementines for garnish.
The seasoned roast turkey recipe is made for 8 servings and shouldn’t take more than 3 hours and a half. It looks absolutely stunning and we bet that it tastes just as amazing!
3. Juicy Roast Turkey – Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
If you want to share with your Thanksgiving guests a delicious but easy-to-make turkey recipe, here’s one made by Natasha’s Kitchen. You will make a juicy and tasty turkey breast with crispy, golden-brown skin.
To make the roast turkey, you will need a 12-pound turkey and salt and pepper. For the flavored butter, make sure to have the following: unsalted butter, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, fresh parsley, salt, and ground black pepper. When it comes to the turkey stuffing, prepare onions, garlic, parsley, and lemons.
However, the secret to this juicy turkey recipe for Thanksgiving is the turkey gravy, which you can easily make from flour, fat and fat-skimmed drippings from the roasted turkey, milk, salt, and pepper. It’s an elaborate recipe that is guaranteed to become the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner!
4. Brined and Barbecue Roast Turkey with Beetroot Purée and Tahini Gravy – Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
If you’re looking for something extraordinary when it comes to your Thanksgiving turkey, check out this recipe by Delicious Magazine. It’s an amazing barbecue roast turkey with beetroot purée and tahini gravy that is definitely going to raise some eyebrows!
The ingredients you will need are a 10-11 pound turkey, unsalted butter, fresh lemon thyme, garlic, bay leaves, and oranges with wedges for garnish. To make the brine, you will need fennel and coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, light brown sugar, salt, bay leaves, and garlic cloves.
For the beetroot purée, you need the following ingredients: cinnamon, star anise, cumin and coriander seeds, cooked beetroot, garlic, red chilies, fresh coriander and dill, red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and thick Greek yogurt.
To make the tehina sauce, prepare tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and iced water. Finally, you will need unsalted butter, plain flour, chicken stock, and tehina sauce for the tahini gravy.
As you can see, it’s an intricate recipe with a lot of ingredients involved. But we can assure you that it will be all worth it when preparing this mouth-watering turkey recipe! It’s one of the best Thanksgiving turkey recipes we have come across!
5. Herb-Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Recipes
Not all people want to use a whole turkey to prepare a savory turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. Many of them settle for the turkey breast, which is arguably the best part out of the entire bird!
Here’s a nice little Thanksgiving recipe made by Food Network, which focuses on turkey breast. It’s an herb-roasted turkey breast recipe that goes perfectly with any side dish, like mashed potatoes or green beans.
Plus, the Thanksgiving turkey breast recipe is incredibly easy to make in the oven for 8 servings, with a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of 75 minutes. And there is no brining involved.
To prepare this moist and delicious dinner, you will need the following ingredients: a bone-in turkey breast with its skin removed, olive oil, garlic cloves, fresh sage, thyme and rosemary leaves, salt, and ground black pepper.
6. Thanksgiving Turkey Brine Recipe
The best thing about Thanksgiving turkey recipes is that you can make them your own! The Pioneer Woman shares with you her tasty Thanksgiving turkey brine recipe. You can use it to submerge a large turkey, cover the pot and refrigerate it for 16 to 24 hours.
What makes this recipe so special is that it’s incredibly easy to prepare. You just need 25 minutes of your time once you have all the ingredients ready, and then mix everything in a large bowl. This includes apple juice or apple cider, cold water, fresh rosemary leaves, garlic cloves, kosher salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, whole bay leaves, and oranges.
The Pioneer Woman also teaches you the correct way to brine the turkey in the mixture and leave it in the fridge overnight.
7. Jamie’s Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Who doesn’t love Jamie Oliver? The guy is a culinary genius for sure! With Thanksgiving almost upon us, he is here to help you cook up the best and easiest Thanksgiving turkey recipe ever.
Plus, his recipe can be effortlessly done in an oven with no fuss at all. In fact, you only need 3 hours of cooking time for a 13-pound turkey, which is enough to fuel 12 people at Thanksgiving dinner.
In addition to the 13-pound turkey, you will need unsalted butter, a clementine, onions, carrots, sticks of celery, and fresh woody herbs like bay, sage, and rosemary. Be sure to follow all the intuitive steps provided by Jamie Oliver, including how to carve the turkey once it’s done.
8. Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing Recipe
Who needs bread stuffing when you can have Thanksgiving turkey stuffing? We know that this might seem like a shocking question to ask, but believe us when we say that turkey stuffing is equally as delicious as traditional bread stuffing.
This especially holds true with grandma’s Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipe provided by Tastes of Lizzy T. It’s made for 10 servings and takes about 50 minutes, which includes both the prep and cook time.
As far as ingredients are concerned, you will need the following: dry bread cubes, chopped celery, diced onion, butter, salt, ground black pepper, poultry seasoning, chicken stock, and eggs.
Check out the easy instructions to learn how to prepare this delicious Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipe. There’s also a video tutorial you can watch.
9. Air Fryer Garlic Herb Turkey Breast Recipe for Thanksgiving
Ever wondered how you can cook a whole turkey in the air fryer? Well, you can’t since you would need an industrial-sized fryer. But that shouldn’t stop you from taking the best part of the turkey – the breast – and quickly cooking it in the air fryer!
This Thanksgiving turkey breast recipe is provided by Delish and involves garlic herbs – yummy! For a 2-pound turkey breast that serves 6 people, you need about 10 minutes of prep time and 1 hour of cooking time. So it works great as a last-minute solution for Thanksgiving dinner when you have unexpected guests!
In addition to the turkey breast, you need kosher salt, butter, ground black pepper, garlic, as well as freshly chopped thyme and rosemary. As you can see, the ingredients are standard and, if you carefully follow the Delish instructions, you will see how easy it is to cook this amazing Thanksgiving dinner!
10. Spiced and Glazed Roast Turkey
This spiced and glazed roast turkey recipe is truly a gem, and Bon Appetit even classifies it as an expert’s recipe. Such a high-achieving title naturally means that this turkey recipe will satisfy even the pickiest guests at Thanksgiving dinner.
In fact, all you need to do is follow the intuitive instructions provided by Bon Appetit to cook up a 12-pound turkey, which is enough to feed 8 people. What goes into this spiced and glazed roast turkey? Firstly, make sure to remove the neck and giblets from the turkey.
Secondly, prepare whole pink and black peppercorns, kosher salt, garlic and onion powder, light brown sugar, and smoked paprika. When it comes to the glaze and assembly, you will need a handful of herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, or bale leaves.
Make sure to also have garlic, oranges, light-sodium soy sauce, light brown sugar, sherry or red wine vinegar, and neutral oil. Once you are done preparing all ingredients, you will need 1 to 1 and a half hours to cook the mouth-watering turkey. We guarantee that you will fall in love with this recipe!
11. Turkey Legs Braised with Red Wine – Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
If you want to bring the flavors of French cuisine to your Thanksgiving dinner, there’s no better way than cooking turkey legs braised with red wine. This recipe is made by Seriouseats and is a perfect choice for those who love hearty meals.
What’s more, the time it takes to cook this mouth-watering Thanksgiving turkey recipe is only 50 minutes. There’s a video tutorial too, which will guide you through every step of this delicious meal preparation.
With two whole turkey legs, you can serve 4 or 5 people. It takes about 3 hours in total, from scratch to finish. As far as ingredients are concerned, make sure you have freshly ground black pepper, kosher salt, canola oil, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and rosemary sprigs, dry red wine, low-sodium chicken stock, bay leaves, butter, flour, and chives.
12. Sausage-Apple Stuffing – Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing Recipe
If Thanksgiving is all about turkey and stuffing, why not combine both in one dish? This Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipe provided by Food and Wine has sausage and apple – a classic combination you can’t go wrong with!
From scratch to finish, the preparation time is under 1 hour. And you can prepare it ahead of Thanksgiving dinner by refrigerating it overnight – just make sure to add the eggs and turkey stock afterward.
The ingredients you will need are unsalted butter, celery ribs, onions, sweet Italian sausage, a day-old Italian bread, pitted prunes, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, flat-leaf parsley, freshly grated nutmeg, eggs, and turkey stock.
As far as Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipes go, this one is definitely a winner!
13. Roast Turkey Breast with Garlic Herb Butter
This roast turkey breast is a real Thanksgiving winner! You can roast it alongside your roast or baked turkey, and simply have two different dishes out of one.
This recipe is made by RecipeTin Eats and requires an hour and 50 minutes, from scratch to finish – only 20 minutes for the prep time! To prepare roast turkey breast with garlic herb butter you will need 10 to 15 minutes.
When it comes to ingredients, get your shopping list ready: a 5 or 6-pound single turkey breast, salt, black pepper, fresh herbs and rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves. For the butter, you need unsalted butter, salt, black pepper, garlic cloves, finely chopped sage, rosemary and parsley leaves, together with fresh thyme leaves.
Be sure to follow all instructions provided by RecipeTin to effortlessly cook this succulent roast turkey breast in no time!
14. Herb, Lemon, and Garlic Turkey Recipe
This turkey recipe is a delicious, lighter version of turkey that you can serve for Thanksgiving. It includes ingredients such as turkey breast, garlic, hard herbs, soft herbs, lemons, and dry white wine. The best part about it is that it doesn’t have a wet brine. Instead, it uses a dry salt and sugar cure to remain flavorful.
Check out this amazing turkey recipe at Cooking Light! We have to warn you that you need to prepare it way ahead of Thanksgiving dinner, though, since the recipe needs almost 12 hours in total. On the bright side, you can use it for 16 servings since it involves a 14-pound turkey.
In addition to the turkey, add the following ingredients to your shopping list: kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, sugar, fresh poultry herb blend or sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage, unsalted butter, fresh flat-leaf parsley, lemons, garlic, cooking spray, dry white wine, chives, unsalted chicken stock, and unbleached all-purpose flour.
15. Dry Brine Turkey – Thanksgiving Turkey Brine Recipe
Many people prefer dry brining their turkeys for Thanksgiving because it keeps the bird juicy but makes its skin extra crispy.
This Thanksgiving turkey brine recipe is something you might want to try! First of all, it’s simple and won’t eat up a lot of your time – only 10 minutes for prep time. Secondly, it uses ingredients that are easily available in stores or online.
Check out this excellent recipe from Delish, which not only gives you instructions on how to prepare turkey brine but also teaches you the benefits of this method. There’s also a video tutorial available.
You need an 8-pound turkey, kosher salt, granulated sugar, butter, freshly ground black pepper, garlic cloves, fresh thyme leaves, and red pepper flakes. The brining process should start two days before cooking the turkey. Keep it refrigerated on the first day and take it out on the second one so that the bird has time to dry off.
16. Chile-Rubbed Turkey Recipe
If you love sweet and spicy foods, this chile-rubbed turkey recipe is so delicious that it will surely become your family’s new tradition! According to Goya, the secret lies in the traditional Mexican chile marinade.
For the turkey, you need a 12 to 14-pound turkey, ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, garlic,white onion, bitter orange marinade, corn oil, brown sugar, coriander, and all-purpose seasoning with pepper.
As far as the gravy is concerned, you need sweet red wine, chicken-flavored bouillon, and flour. Just make sure to follow all instructions provided by Goya and your turkey will be ready for the oven in no time!
17. Cider Roast Turkey with Applejack Gravy
This recipe for cider roast turkey with applejack gravy from Bon Appetit is a perfect Thanksgiving dish! It’s easy to make and will definitely impress your family and guests.
In addition, it requires ingredients that you can find in any supermarket which makes it a great last-minute option. For the herb butter, you need unsalted butter, shallots, as well as fresh or dried thyme and sage.
When it comes to the glaze, make sure you have apple cider, sugar, and honey. To prepare the stuffing, get trimmed egg bread or white bread, leeks, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, chicken stock or canned low-salt broth, ham slice, applejack or another brandy, and eggs.
As for the turkey and gravy, you need a 12-pound turkey, chicken stock or canned low-salt broth, all-purpose flour, applejack or another brandy, and fresh herb sprigs.
18. Pancetta-Sage Turkey with Pancetta Gravy – Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
A Thanksgiving gathering wouldn’t be complete without a classic turkey recipe. If you’re looking for Thanksgiving turkey recipes that will be simply perfect, we recommend trying Fork Tender‘s pancetta-sage turkey with pancetta gravy.
We have to warn you, though, this Thanksgiving turkey recipe takes a long time to make. However, all the effort is worth it because the turkey doesn’t just taste amazing but also looks fantastic!
For the pancetta-sage butter, you need garlic cloves, pancetta, Parmesan cheese, unsalted butter, olive oil, shallots, freshly chopped rosemary and sage, and ground black pepper. When it comes to the turkey, you need a 14- to 16-pound turkey, fresh sage and rosemary sprigs, and olive oil.
To prepare the gravy, you need pancetta, shallots, all-purpose flour, dry white wine, freshly chopped rosemary and sage. And, to make the turkey stock, you need low-salt chicken broth, carrots, celery, onions, fresh Italian parsley, and the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard.
19. Crockpot Turkey Breast – Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Recipes
Delish has shared their recipe for the perfect crockpot turkey breast recipe for Thanksgiving! It uses the slow-cooking method to ensure that the bird will remain moist and full of flavor. At the same time, its skin will remain crispy.
If you want to use a frozen turkey breast, be sure to transfer it to the refrigerator about 24 hours ahead of cooking time so that it can thaw. A 6-pound turkey breast is enough to serve 4 people, enough for a tiny gathering on Thanksgiving. You need about 10 minutes of prep time and 3 additional hours of cook time.
Besides the 6-pound turkey breast, prepare the following ingredients: light brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, low-sodium chicken broth and soy sauce, honey, and freshly chopped parsley.
Delish carefully explains every step of the way toward making this appetizing turkey breast for Thanksgiving, so don’t miss it!
20. Brine Roast Turkey Crown and Confit Legs
If you are seeking a roast turkey recipe for delicious, crispy skin and succulent flesh to wow your guests at Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t miss out on this excellent recipe for brine roast turkey crown and confit legs.
This turkey cooking method provided by BBC Good Food is unusual since confits are usually duck or goose legs. But we assure you that you will fall in love with it! It’s best to start several days before you plan on serving the bird because the longer it can marinate in its brine, the better. The meat can be served hot or cold, so it’s perfect even for a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich.
When it comes to ingredients, you will need the following: an 11-pound turkey, duck or goose fat, bay leaves, thyme and sage sprigs, onions, and butter. To make the dry brine, get flaky sea salt, black peppercorns, bay and sage leaves, soft light brown sugar, as well as lemon and orange zest.
21. Porcini Mushroom Turkey Recipe with Mushroom Gravy
Here is another wonderful turkey recipe from Bon Appetit, which teaches you how to create a beautiful crispy turkey with a hint of mushroom flavor! It works well as the perfect Thanksgiving dinner that everyone around the table will enjoy.
You need a 14- to 16-pound turkey, fresh Italian parsley sprigs, fresh rosemary sprigs, olive oil, and shortcut turkey stock. To make the mushroom butter, you need dried porcini mushrooms, boiling water, garlic cloves, unsalted butter, freshly chopped Italian parsley, thyme, rosemary and mint, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
When it comes to the gravy, you need crimini mushrooms, garlic cloves, shallots, dry white wine, shortcut turkey stock, heavy whipping cream, water, cornstarch, and freshly chopped Italian parsley and mint.
22. Tandoori Turkey with Homemade Gravy – Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Check out one of the best turkey recipes for Thanksgiving! Besides, a Tandoori turkey with homemade gravy is a perfect meal any day of the year, so you don’t really need to use Thanksgiving as an excuse to prepare it.
This complete meal requires no side dishes as it is served with homemade gravy made from scratch. The recipe is offered by Nish Kitchen and involves a 7-pound turkey. You need about 30 minutes of prep time and 2 additional hours for the cooking time.
To prepare the brine, you need water, vegetable broth, salt, dried bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, and fresh rosemary. When it comes to the homemade gravy, get butter, cumin seeds, bay leaves, cornflour, chicken broth, and juice from the roasting pan.
For the homemade Tandoori paste, make sure to add the following items to your shopping list: turmeric, coriander, garam masala, ground fennel seeds, Kashmiri chilly powder, ground black pepper, paprika, garlic and ginger paste, yogurt, lemons, dried fenugreek leaves, oil, and salt.
23. Cider-Brined Turkey Breast with Star Anise and Cinnamon – Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Recipes
If you are looking for a special turkey breast recipe for Thanksgiving, you should definitely try out this cider-brined turkey breast with star anise and cinnamon recipe we found on The Recipe Depository.
Brining the turkey breast is a great way to keep it moist and add delicious flavor. This recipe calls for brining the turkey in apple cider flavored with star anise and cinnamon, which gives it a slightly sweet, exotic taste that’s just perfect for Thanksgiving.
As far as ingredients go, you need the following items: a 5- to 6-pound turkey breast, apple cider, kosher salt, soy sauce, light brown sugar, black peppercorns, star anise pods, garlic cloves, scallions, ginger, shitake mushrooms, cinnamon sticks, cilantro sprigs, Granny Smith apples, and unsalted butter or vegetable oil for basting.
24. Grill-Roasted Turkey – Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
This Thanksgiving turkey recipe is easy to make and even simpler to clean. It’s a no-muss, no-fuss recipe that involves only two ingredients: the turkey and vegetable oil.
You might be surprised at the incredible taste of this ultra-simple recipe. Besides, you can serve it with your favorite homemade gravy or anything else you love.
We found this great recipe on Reynolds Brands, which teaches you how to easily grill-roast a turkey. You also have to make a foil drip pan and place it under the bird. It’s not necessary to stuff the turkey with anything. Just make sure to remove its neck and giblets.
To get the perfect temperature, you need to stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. You can then heat the bird over a grill at medium temperature until the thermometer reads 180 degrees F. It should take 2 to 3 hours for an 8-12 pound turkey, as well as 3 to 4 hours for a 12-16 pound turkey.
25. Cajun Roast Turkey
Cajun roast turkey is one of the best turkey recipes for Thanksgiving day! This recipe is super easy to make and will deliver great results. You can serve it with your favorite side dishes to create the perfect dinner on Thanksgiving that your family and friends will remember!
Dinner Then Dessert provides a straightforward recipe to create a flavorful spice rub that uses paprika, cayenne pepper, and other cajun spices. As far as ingredients are concerned, you need a 16 – 18 pound turkey, unsalted butter, kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, ground black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, and chicken stock.
More Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
We have even more tasty Thanksgiving turkey recipes for you this season!
26. Maple Roast Turkey and Gravy Recipe
Sometimes all you need to take the flavour of something to the next level is just a slight, subtle change in taste that really catches the tastebuds’ attention.
If you’re the kind of person that really enjoys adding a bit of sweetness to your savory then we have a feeling you’re going to love this tutorial from All Recipes that teaches you how to make a maple roasted Thanksgiving turkey with similarly flavored gravy to suit the rest of the meal as well.
27. Traditional Roast Turkey Recipe
Are you actually very new indeed to the whole cooking game and this year will actually be your first time preparing a roast turkey dinner for your family and friends, so you’re hoping to keep things pretty plain and traditional and you’re really just on the hunt for guidance?
In that case, we’dabsolutely suggest taking a look at howFood Network documents the whole process for you with all kinds of different tips and tricks for getting that classic, timeless taste.
28. Garlic and Herb-Roasted Turkey Recipe
Did we really catch your attention quite well when we started talking about differently prepared turkeys that have a subtle but marked flavour, but you’re just not sure the sweetness of maple is quite the direction you’d like to go in?
Then we have a feeling you might get along a little better with something like this garlic and herb roasted turkey outlined in nice, clear detail onDelish.
29. Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe with Mexican Rub
Are you the kind of food enthusiast who actually usually prefers your dishes with a little bit of extra kick since you’ve always been a spicy foods fan?
In that case, we’d be willing to bet that you’llreally adore the wayYummly made this roast turkey with Mexican rub! The rub is something they show you how to make and mix yourself before you even start on the bird.
30. Orange and Shallot Stuffed Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Recipe
Do you love stuffing just as much as the next person but you’re actually making a slightly smaller dinner just for your closest people, so you’re just not sure you need thew hole bird stuffed to the brim?
In that case, if you’d rather give your few guests a slightly more gourmet tasting experience, then we thin you simply must take a look at the wayCooking Channel made this orange and shallot stuffed turkey breast faster and easier than you might think.
31. Fried Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Of course, fried Thanksgiving turkey might sound like the stuff of TV land, but we actually tried this recipe last year after we found we simply couldn’t kick our curiosity about the idea and we werenot disappointed in any way, shape, or form!
Luckily,Country Living is here to show you how it’s done so you can taste how the technique beautifully magnifies the flavour as well.
32. Maple Bourbon-Glazed Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Are you actually having a little bit of trouble choosing between a few of the different Thanksgiving turkey recipe elements you’ve seen so far on our list because several things just look so good to you? Well, whoever said you had to choose?
Instead, check out how Girl in An Apron made this mouthwatering maple bourbon-glazed turkey with local bacon and dried cherry stuffing. Their one recipe walks you through more than one key element of your entire meal, all in one impressively delicious place!
33. Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey Recipe
Yes, you read that right. This shockingly tasty recipe and tutorial outlined in great detail onShe Wears Many Hats reallydo teach you how to prepare your Thanksgiving turkey using mayonnaise!
It is applied all over the surface along with a custom homemade blend of herbs and spices, working like any other turkey rub to make the outside golden, crispy, and flavourful as the bird cooks.
34. Red Wine Lacquered Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Have wereally go your attention with all these different rubs and outer treatments for your turkey bird now but you can’t help feeling like you might rather make yourself one that has a much stronger taste to it, like something with more of a punch than a spice?
Then we think you simplymust take a look at howHeather Christo made this irresistible red wine lacquered turkey with spiced butter!
35. Garlic Butter Baked Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Has all this talk of butter involved in treating the outside of a turkey got you feeling very intrigued indeed but you’ve also seen mention of garlic rub in a different recipe so now you’re feeling torn between the two? Well, whoever said that you have to choose?
Instead, check out how Bored Fast Food combined the two in order to make this scrumptious garlic butter baked turkey that’s easier to do than it sounds.
36. Red Chili and Orange Glazed Turkey Recipe
Perhaps you’re still feeling rather enamoured indeed with the idea of making a turkey rub that will have a bit of flavourand and bit of kick to it but you just haven’t seen the idea that quite has you feeling convinced?
In that case, we’dabsolutely suggest taking a look at howCountry Living made that precise combination happen in this amazing red chile and orange glazed turkey that we actually tried in real life! It was unlike anything we’d ever tasted before, and we mean that in a really good way.
37. Best Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Recipe with Spanish Spiced Rub and Sour Orange Sauce
What if the chiles you saw in the earlier recipe might actually be aslightly too spicy option for you, even though youdo like a recipe with a little jump to it, but you feel like the inclusion of that orange flavour is still kind of calling to you?
Then here’s a similar but slightly milder alternative for your consideration!Cooking Channel has the whole process outlined in great, clear detail how to make this brined turkey breast with Spanish spiced rub and sour orange sauce happen.
38. Bacon-Wrapped Thanksgiving Turkey
Are you the kind of meat lover who will take literally any opportunity you can find to combine more than one kind of meat you love together in one place?
Then we’d be willing to bet that you’ll be absolutelythrilled to learn more about howDelish made this downright decadent bacon-wrapped Thanksgiving turkey recipe happen in a way that makes our mouths water just looking at it!
39. Tuscan Turkey Roulade – Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
In addition to adding a mild flavouring to the surface of your turkey, were you also hoping to get a little more gourmet style creative with the stuffing and how it’s prepared as well?
In that case, we think this next recipe fromFood Network might be right up your alley! They show you how to make a Tuscan turkey roulade that’s packed with regional flavour both inside and out.
40. Rosemary Roast Turkey Recipe
Are you actually still finding yourself thinking about what we said when we mentioned subtle but impactful flavours and how they can improve the taste of turkey without overpowering it?
Well, just in case you’re still feeling enamoured with the concept but you just haven’t found the one that quite speaks to you yet, here’s another alternative for your consideration!All Recipes is here to guide you through the process of making a rosemary roasted turkey that’s just about as wonderfully fragrant as it is deliciously flavourful.
Final Thoughts on Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
Some people say that the turkey should be the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner table. While we’re not arguing with this point, we have to add that choosing the right recipe is just as important as buying a fresh turkey from your local butcher or supermarket.
Besides, if you spend a couple of minutes learning how to roast a turkey, your Thanksgiving dinner table will be filled with mouth-watering aromas and delicious flavors that you’ll love. Our list of the best turkey recipes for Thanksgiving day hopefully gave you a lot of great ideas to try out this year!
Feel free to share your original turkey recipes by leaving us a comment below! We will make sure to choose the best ones and add them to this article.