Turkey recipes that are guaranteed to impress not just everyone at the table but the cooks in the kitchen. Whether you want to cling to tradition and roast it or go a little further flung and brine, smoke, or deep-fry it, you’ll find your centerpiece here. And we’re including foolproof carving instructions to make things even simpler on you this year.
Old-Fashioned Roast Turkey and Gravy
This is the real deal: a proper, old-fashioned roast turkey. Simple, straightforward, unfussy, with crisp skin and tender, juicy meat. Talk about a reason to give thanks.
Dry Brine Turkey
All the juicy, tender perks of brining. None of the fuss of finding a container large enough to contain a turkey and cramming it in your already overstuffed fridge.
Smoked Turkey
It's not just about how lovely a turkey imbued with smoke would be. It's also about how lovely more space in the oven on Thanksgiving would be.
Classic Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy
We know, we know. There've been other recipes that promise you a "classic" roast turkey. But we really mean it. We doubt Martha could do it any better herself.
Perfect Roast Turkey
This iconic roast turkey is, we sorta have to admit, perfect to behold. And it ought to be after being brined, stuffed with chestnut stuffing, and all but smothered in a ridiculously rich, real-deal gravy.
Deep-Fried Turkey
Crisp, burnished skin and moist, impossibly tender meat can be yours. (Yes, deep-fried turkey IS everything it's bragged up to be.)
Simple Roast Turkey
The operative word in this turkey recipe is simple. Although that word doesn't convey how crisp-skinned, monstrously moist, sigh-inducingly tender, and really quite quick this turkey also is.
Brandy-Brined Turkey Breast
The surest way we know to guarantee moist turkey? Brine it. Preferably with this boozy brandy-infused brine. (Hiccup.)
Maple Glazed Turkey
Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Paleo-friendly. And tastes magnificent. Things just got a heck of a lot easier for you to plan your Thanksgiving menu.
Instant Pot Thanksgiving Turkey
For a more intimate holiday dinner, a smaller turkey cooked in under two hours might be just the thing. Juicy with crispy skin, it's superb.
Roasted and Braised Turkey
Tender braised dark meat, moist roasted white meat, and skin so crisp you could weep. The best of all parts of the bird...minus the traditional hand-wringing.
Texas Style Smoked Turkey
Behold, your latest favorite turkey, whether on your Thanksgiving table or your Super Bowl bash or your next backyard barbecue.
Roast Turkey with Smoked Paprika and Fennel
This roast turkey from chef Tom Douglas is unlike any turkey you've ever had before. (Those of you familiar with his creative genius will stop reading right now and head to the store.)
Roast Turkey Breast
When you have more white meat lovers at Thanksgiving than you have white meat, this recipe is your answer. Guaranteed to be succulent, memorable, and done in 1 1/2 hours.
Turkey Cranberry Sandwich with Stuffing
To us, perhaps the best part of Thanksgiving--right up there with the people at the table--is the leftovers. This behemoth is turkey, cranberry, stuffing, gravy, and mayo, oh my.
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I am picking up my boneless turkey breasts (3 of ’em) tomorrow to dry brine. After that I’ll sear the skins and sous vide them. On the Wed night before I’ll bring them back up to temp in the sous vide rig and then give them a brief roast on T-day.
I’ve ordered backs, necks and wings as well to make broth and gravy well in advance..
This is a big departure from our conventional Normal Rockwell turkey but we did a test run several weeks ago and all our taste testers agreed they’d never had such moist turkey. The difference was nothing short of remarkable! I’d venture to say you could even make a cold turkey sandwich without the mayo with that juicy white meat.
I’ll miss the dark meat (but I’d need a second sous vide pump to prepare it to a different temp) and I’ll miss the in-the-bird stuffing but I know it’s gonna be good and I suspect it’s going to be calmer in those last 30 minutes on T-day.
Rainey, this sounds wonderful! I suspect you are correct; you will have a much calmer meal preparation and will be able to enjoy the experience rather than the sheer panic of the final half-hour. Do let us know how your meal turns out and what your favorite dishes were this year.