53 Thanksgiving Recipes We Turn to Year After Year
Preparing and hosting a literal feast is hard enough without scouring the internet for the best Thanksgiving recipes—so we’ve done the work for you. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner might include roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green beans or brussels sprouts, dinner rolls, and pumpkin, apple, or pecan pie. You’ll find some version of all of those here, alongside the recipes we’re especially excited to put on the table right now.
If turkey is nonnegotiable, we’ve got roasted, grilled, and smoked options, plus guides to turkey cooking times and carving the bird. Prefer a vegetarian Thanksgiving? There are plenty of meatless mains and sides too. And if 53 choices sound like about 48 too many, our Classic Thanksgiving Menu maps out the whole meal for you.
Of course, the turkey is only the beginning. Browse our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, then round out the feast with appetizers, cocktails, pies, cakes, and other desserts. And when the day is done, our leftover turkey recipes ensure the feast keeps giving.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling Tim Ferro1/52Maple-Butter-Glazed Turkey
Breaking down the turkey before roasting means more evenly cooked meat, beautifully burnished skin, and dramatically easier carving. A sticky maple-butter glaze makes this an especially handsome centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni2/52Sausage-and-Herb Stuffing
Breakfast sausage makes this classic Thanksgiving stuffing extra savory, while sage, parsley, and thyme keep it firmly in familiar holiday territory. Torn bread gets crisp and golden on top while staying plush underneath.
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Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz3/52Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz4/52Green Bean Salad
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz5/52Sweet Potato Rolls
Mashed sweet potato gives these golden dinner rolls an especially tender, springy crumb—and a gorgeous autumnal hue. Make a double batch if you want enough left over for turkey sliders the next day.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski6/52Fancy Jellied Cranberry Sauce
For people who love the wobble of canned cranberry sauce but want to make their own, this is the answer. It’s sliceable, jewel-toned, deeply fruity, and fancy enough for the chicest Thanksgiving soirée.
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz7/52Candied Purple Sweet Potatoes
Purple sweet potatoes give this nostalgic Thanksgiving side a dramatic makeover. Bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, and star anise form a glossy spiced syrup, and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes work too if purple ones are hard to find.
Read more: 12 Types of Potatoes and How to Cook Them
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz8/52Sweet-and-Spicy Squash With Scallion Oil
Ginger, miso, and chile wake up roasted winter squash, while a fragrant scallion oil brings freshness and crunch. It’s an especially good Thanksgiving side when the rest of your menu leans rich and traditional.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni9/52Cheesy Corn Pudding
Part cornbread, part custard, this spoonable Thanksgiving side gets plenty of richness from butter and cheddar. Boxed corn muffin mix keeps the prep exceptionally easy when you’ve already got half a dozen other dishes going.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne10/52Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Traditional pumpkin pie has its place, but this cloudlike alternative makes a compelling case for switching things up. The airy pumpkin filling and crisp crust are especially welcome after a very full Thanksgiving plate.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran11/52Pecan Cream Pie
For the pecan-pie lover who wants to go big: A nut-packed pecan layer, brown sugar custard, tangy whipped cream, and candied pecans make four distinct layers of Thanksgiving dessert excess—in the best possible way.
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz12/52White Chocolate–Cranberry Cake
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski13/52Expertly Spiced and Glazed Roast Turkey
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco14/52Tadka Turkey and Gravy
Ghee is ideal for basting this golden roast turkey thanks to its high smoke point. A fragrant tadka and peppery gravy push the centerpiece beyond the usual sage-and-butter flavor profile without losing its holiday appeal.
More Thanksgiving ideas
