A whole roast turkey on a white platter, surrounded by fresh herbs, orange slices, and cranberries.

TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)

  • Explore 11 Thanksgiving turkey recipes that impress guests, featuring traditional, small gathering, and non-traditional options.
  • Consider roasting, smoking, or deep-frying your turkey for the best results.
  • Utilize a grill or smoker for cooking turkey to free up oven space for side dishes.
  • Always use a fully thawed turkey and check doneness with an instant-read thermometer, aiming for 165°F (74°C).
  • Let your turkey rest before carving, and store leftovers properly for long-lasting enjoyment.
A whole roast turkey on a white platter, surrounded by fresh herbs, orange slices, and cranberries.

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If a majestic bronzed bird is something your guests have been looking forward to since last Thanksgiving, these classic recipes are the way to go. Try one of the traditional whole roast turkeys below, or zhuzh things up with a roast turkey with stuffing. Either way, you’ll be met with a chorus of oohs and ahhs!

99 Thanksgiving Questions, Answered

Classic Thanksgiving Turkeys

An old-fashioned roast turkey on a white platter, with gravy in a boat beside it.
Keller & Keller
1 of 15

Old-Fashioned Roast Turkey and Gravy

This old-fashioned roast turkey and gravy shows why covering turkey with cheesecloth while you roast it is the perfect trick to ensuring tender meat and shatteringly crisp skin. And there’s no need to stuff, truss, brine, or otherwise fuss with it.

Feature Review

I tried this old-fashioned roast turkey and gravy recipe for the first turkey I ever made. I had my parents and in-laws over. It was so awesome. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe.

Angelina
A whole roast turkey on an oval serving platter with cranberries, fresh herbs, and orange slices tucked around it.
bhofack2
2 of 15

Simple Roast Turkey

Simple roast turkey is an easy way to cook the perfect bird for Thanksgiving. And by that we mean the best, most juiciest roast turkey imaginable. A failproof technique, even for beginner cooks.

Featured Review

I’ve been doing this myself for more years than I will admit to (I’m only 29, you know 😇, and I’m so glad to see someone as respected as Barbara Kafka espousing the same technique.

B.S.
A whole roasted dry brined turkey on an oval platter on a bed of herbs with side dishes around it.
David Leite
3 of 15

Dry Brine Turkey

This dry brine turkey gets blanketed in a salt and sugar rub overnight and is then rinsed and roasted until golden. The result? Perfectly moist and tender turkey. No basting required.

Featured Review

This is the best recipe for dry-brining that I’ve tried, and I’ve tried countless over the years. The prep takes just a few minutes. There’s no need to babysit the bird once it’s in the oven. I scaled the recipe for a 4 lb chicken and it was delicious. The skin was beautifully caramelized and the breast meat was unbelievably juicy and flavourful. I added lemon and onion wedges to the herbs in the cavity. Definitely a keeper!

Sadie
A Portuguese roast turkey with two stuffings in white bowls with a spoon resting in one of the bowls.
Holly Jennings
4 of 15

Portuguese Turkey with Two Stuffings

Portuguese turkey with two stuffings is a duet of beloved and traditional Portuguese stuffings: a chouriço-bread dressing with spicy sausage, onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, and paprika and another dressing with sweet sausage, potato, butter, nutmeg, and spices.

Turkey Recipes for a Small Gathering

If you’re planning an intimate celebration, consider this small bird whipped up in an Instant Pot or, perhaps, this elegant stuffed turkey breast. They’re easy to make, and you won’t have mountains of leftovers.

A brandy-brined turkey breast on a wooden cutting board with a couple slices cut off, a basket of mandarins in the background, and some grilled red onion wedges scattered around.
Matthew Benson
5 of 15

Brandy-Brined Turkey Breast

Brandy-brined turkey breast. It’s a simple and sure way to guarantee moist turkey. (Hiccup.)

Featured Review

Totally delicious! Even my 9-year-old said, “Hey, this turkey is good! Not like last year’s turkey!” I used a standard grocery-store turkey breast, as didn’t read close enough. Took longer on the smoker – 4 hours or so for an 8-pound (including backbone) turkey breast. Thanks; made for a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Ingrid
Instant Pot Thanksgiving turkey on a platter garnished with figs, oranges, grapes, and sage, beside a carving set.
Sterling Publishing Co.
6 of 15

Instant Pot Thanksgiving Turkey

A 6- to 7-pound (2.75- to 3.25-kg) turkey—the perfect size for an intimate dinner party—will easily fit in your six-quart multicooker, and will produce the juiciest, most tender turkey your guests have ever had. To give the turkey a beautiful golden-brown finish, pop it under the broiler for about five minutes.

Featured Review

I roast fowl, including turkey in my Instant Pot. I always use the rack, and have jerry-rigged an extension for ease of lifting. I also have the air fryer lid which eliminated the need to move the bird (or other meat) to get a brown and delicious finish. I would put the aromatics down the side when using the lid.

Deborah Clark
A partially sliced pancetta and herb stuffed turkey breast on a serving platter with a serving fork on the side.
David Leite
7 of 15

Pancetta and Herb Stuffed Turkey Breast

Whether you're hosting a small Thanksgiving gathering, or don't have the space, time, or inclination to wrestle with a whole bird, this pancetta and herb stuffed turkey breast makes for an easy holiday main course.

How to Tell of a Turkey is Done?

Non-Traditional Turkey Recipes

Are you passing on the traditional Norman Rockwell bird but still need your turkey fix? Try deep-frying the gobbler or roasting pieces separately. You’ll be rewarded with marvelously cooked, juicy turkey everyone will be clamoring for.

A whole deep-fried turkey, garnished with sage, bay, and thyme leaves on a wooden cutting board.
Peter Frank Edwards
8 of 15

Deep-Fried Turkey

This deep-fried turkey, which requires no brine and no injection, is the juiciest and most tender we’ve ever tried and has just the slightest Cajun lilt. Here’s how to (safely) make it.

Featured Review

Very thorough guide and recipe for deep-fried turkey. It was the best turkey I’ve ever had. Not oily at all, and the meat was incredibly juicy and tender. You can’t beat the color of the turkey when deep-fried, either. Highly recommend.

Fryin’ ryan
An oval platter with roasted and braised turkey, a dish of stuffing, a bowl of cranberry sauce, a bowl of chestnuts, two glasses of wine, and a small pot of gravy on a wooden table.
Christopher Hirsheimer
9 of 15

Roasted and Braised Turkey

Roasted and braised turkey makes certain that both the white and dark meat is cooked perfectly and with tons of flavor. Cooking them separately ensures that everything is succulent.

Featured Review

This roasted and braised turkey is the best turkey I have ever eaten in my life, and I am 72 years young! The breast doesn’t dry out, and the rest of the bird is tender, flavorful, and mouthwateringly good! If you don’t try it this way, you’re missing out on delicious!

Valerie

Where is the Thickest Part of a Turkey Thigh?

Three smoked turkey legs on a plate with a bowl of coleslaw in the background.
Angie Zoobkoff
10 of 15

Smoked Turkey Legs

Can smoked turkey legs you make at home possibly be as good as the ones at the carnival or theme park? Actually, they're even better. All it takes is a simple brine and a little patience. Here's how to make them.

Turkey on the Grill

While cooking turkey on the grill or smoker might seem unusual, it’s actually nothing short of brilliant. It takes the biggest, most oven-hogging part of the meal entirely out of the kitchen. What’s left is premium cooking real estate for all the other important stuff, like crispy stuffings and creamy gratins.

If you want something really different and don’t want to deal with all that pomp and circumstance of carving, try this brined boneless turkey breast. It gets soaked in a woozy, boozy brandy-infused brine and smoked to perfection. All you have to do is slice it.

A Texas style smoked turkey cut into breast and leg pieces on a cutting board with a knife.
Johnny Autry
11 of 15

Texas Style Smoked Turkey

This Texas style smoked turkey, which is smothered with a bold spice rub and slowly smoked on the grill, is welcome any time of the year, whether on your Thanksgiving table or your annual backyard shindig.

Featured Review

These smoked turkey legs were absolutely yummy and tasted like we went to the fair. We used pecan pellets on our Traeger Grill. We’ll be saving this recipe!!

Shantrice M.

How to Carve a Turkey

How to Carve a Turkey

Here’s how to make Thanksgiving dinner as Rockwell-ian as possible. (Well, the turkey carving part, anyways. We can’t do anything about your family.)

Turkey Roasting Times + Tips

WeightUnstuffedStuffed
8 – 10 lbs.2 3/4 to 3 hours3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 -14 lbs3 to 3/4 hours3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 -16 lbs3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours4 to 4 1/4 hours
16 -20 lbs4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 -44 lbs4 1/2 to 5 hours4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours
  • These times are estimates; your specific oven, the starting temperature of the bird, and whether the oven is conventional or convection will affect the actual cooking time.
  • For safety, ensure the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C)
  • Always insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
  • Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving, allowing the juices to redistribute evenly. 

How to Spatchcock a Turkey

What is Spatchcocking?

Spatchcocking, or butterflying, a whole chicken ensures your hen cooks remarkably quickly and sigh-inducingly evenly. And it’s a cinch to do at home.

Helpful Tips for Making a Showstopper of a Thanksgiving Turkey

A danish Modern table set for Thanksgiving dinner.
  • Always start with a fully thawed turkey. Using a partially frozen turkey can result in uneven cooking. If your bird is still somewhat frozen, follow these tips for quickly thawing a frozen turkey.
  • Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. Measure the temperature in several spots, including the breast and the thickest part of the thigh. You’re aiming for a temperature of 165°F (74°C). But pull it out of the oven at 160°F (71°C)–it will continue while it rests.
  • Let your turkey rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving.
  • Leftover turkey should be refrigerated within 2 hours of serving.
  • Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

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About David Leite

I’ve received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. I’m the author of The New Portuguese Table and Notes on a Banana. For more than 25 years, I’ve been developing and testing recipes for my site, my books, and publications. My work has also appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and more. I’m also a cooking teacher, memoirist, and inveterate cat lady.

Read More About Me

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4 Comments

  1. No Spatchcocked turkey recipes!? I was looking forward to seeing and trying one of these as I love how this works for chickens, etc.

    Reply

  2. 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.

    Reply

    1. 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.

      Reply