No matter the technique or flavoring, these roast, grilled, and smoked variations on Thanksgiving turkey are guaranteed to deliver a show-stopping entree for your holiday feast.
Courtesy The Joy of Cooking
It’s hard to imagine Thanksgiving without a good turkey. The stuffing and the potatoes and the green beans all may flesh out the meal. But the focus is on the bird. With that level of importance, you need to have a good recipe.
However you like your turkey prepared, you’ve got plenty of options to help either stick to tradition or try something new. For fans of a classic roast turkey, why not mix things up a little by making it in the style of the traditional Italian pork roast, porchetta? Or pay homage to the flavor of SoCal with a citrus and herb-infused Ojai-inspired roast turkey.
Or if you prefer a grilled turkey, try giving it a boost of fresh flavors with a celery herb rub. Or instead, why not add a little kick, with a chile and spice rub.
More Videos From Sunset
And for those who prefer not to take up their whole oven with one bird, there are plenty of smoked turkey recipes out there as well. Take a trip deep into the Pacific with a Hawaiian-inspired turkey marinated in soy sauce and ginger, or bring the flavors of your glass to life in the bird with a wine-smoked turkey.
Whatever recipe you choose, make sure you’ve got a gravy recipe that’ll stand up to and improve upon your turkey. And of course, you need all the right gear to properly make a great turkey. Our selection of turkey prep tools will save you from being poorly equipped for the big meal.
- Roast Turkey Recipes
- Grilled and Smoked Turkey Recipes
- Gravy Recipes
- Essential Thanksgiving Tools
Roast Turkey Recipes
1 of 8Courtesy The Joy of Cooking
Joy of Cooking’s Classic Roast Turkey
A perfectly browned, supremely moist turkey takes the spotlight of any traditional Thanksgiving spread. This recipe forClassic Roast Turkeyfrom the latest edition ofJoy of Cooking, originally written by now-iconic American home chef Irma S. Rombauer, does just that.
2 of 8Thomas J. Story
Dry-Cured Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter
Rubbing turkey with salt 2 days before roasting seasons it well without themessiness of a brine, and a flavorful herbbutter adds juiciness.
3 of 8Heather Arndt Anderson
Classic Roast Turkey
This is far and away our most popular turkey recipe—try it and find out why!
4 of 8Thomas J. Story
Porchetta-Style Roast Turkey
Stuffed with an herb paste, rolled, tied, and baked until golden, this succulent roast is the polar opposite of overcooked, bland turkey breast. It was inspired by the Italian pork roast called porchetta, traditionally seasoned with garlic, red chile, and aromatic fennel.
5 of 8Yunhee Kim
Heritage Turkey with Crisped Pancetta and Rosemary
Is this your year to try a heritage turkey? Many people favor them over standard grocery store birds for their deep flavor, but they do require careful cooking to be tender.
6 of 8James Carrier
Ojai Roast Turkey with Rosemary, Lemon, and Garlic
This turkey’s sunny Southern California flavors of citrus, herbs, and garlic are always a hit.
7 of 8Lisa Romerein
Guajillo-Tamarind Turkey
Cook gently spicy guajillo chiles with tart-fruity tamarind, roasted garlic, honey, and lime to create an outstanding Mexican-style glaze for your holiday bird.
8 of 8Jim Henkens
Juniper-and-Herb Roast Turkey
Pre-salting the Thanksgiving turkey—not to mention covering the breast and drumsticks with bacon—adds flavor and helps it stay moist during roasting.
Grilled and Smoked Turkey Recipes
1 of 9Romulo Yanes
Grilled Butterflied Turkey
For juicy, crisp-skinned, evenly cooked turkey, you can do no better than a butterflied (spatchco*cked) bird.
2 of 9Romulo Yanes
Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Celery Herb Rub
An aromatic rub of fresh celery leaves, plus bold fresh herbs and black pepper, give this turkey a flavor boost.
3 of 9Romulo Yanes
Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Fennel Garlic Rub
That secret ingredient in Italian sausage—fennel—transforms turkey into a main course that summons up the allure of the Mediterranean.
4 of 9Thomas J. Story
Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Rosemary Garlic Gravy
Butterflying the turkey—removing the back so it lies flat—makes it cook faster and more evenly.
5 of 9Annabelle Breakey
Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey
The Thanksgiving bird takes on a whole new flavor. It just might become your holiday tradition. We created this juicy, fragrant bird flavored with herbs and applewood smoke.
6 of 9Leigh Beisch
Wine-Smoked Turkey
Smoking turkey on the grill with wine-infused wood chips gives the bird lots of flavor and provides extra oven space.
7 of 9Shelly Strazis
Chile and Spice Grilled Turkey with Mole Gravy
A chile-rubbed bird cooked on the grill and served withmolegravy makes for a richly seasoned dinner.
8 of 9Lisa Romerein
Hawaiian-Portuguese Smoked Turkey
For a Hawaiian take on Thanksgiving, marinate turkey with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and brown sugar.
9 of 9Courtesy of Matt Horn
Matt Horn’s Smoked Turkey Legs
Turkey is not just for large gatherings, served as a whole bird, pitmaster Matt Horn says. Breasts can be smoked for a weeknight dinner. Here we use legs—the dark meat is juicer, more flavorful, and less expensive than the white meat. This recipe makes a lot of turkey. If you don’t need as much, just cut the recipe in half.This recipe comes from Matt Horn’s cookbook (his first!),Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ.
Turkey Gravy Recipes
1 of 3
Classic Gravy
An easy version of the giblet gravy Grandma used to make, this cornstarch-thickened favorite is made by using turkey necks, giblets, carrots, celery, and onions to enhance store-bought chicken stock. Giblets can be strained out of the stock or chopped up into the finished gravy.
2 of 3Thomas J. Story
Roasted Turkey Gravy
RoastedThanksgiving vegetablesand drippings from the turkey pan, plus toasted roux for thickening, make for a deeply flavored gravy.
3 of 3Romulo Yanes
Make-Ahead White Wine Gravy
This recipe takes the last-minute hassle out of gravy making by not relying on pan drippings. Before browning the flour, have the broth measured so you can whisk it in at just the right moment.
We only recommend things we love. If you buy something through our site, we might earn a commission.
1 of 7Courtesy of Made In Cookware
Made In Cookware’s Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan
Cheaper than the competition and induction-burner-compatible.
Made In Cookware's Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan, $139
2 of 7Courtesy of Willams Sonoma
Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Don’t bother with the single-purpose carving knife. Buy this chic, blonde, Pakawood-handled, Japanese-made chef’s knife that’s got all the ceremonial swagger but year-round usefulness.
Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef's Knife, $180
3 of 7Courtesy of Sur la Table
John Boos Cutting Board
You’re going need that little juice groove. Made of antimicrobial maple, it’s handsome enough to use as a rustic serving platter.
John Boos Cutting Board, $110
4 of 7Courtesy of Filson
Filson Tin Cloth Apron
Sturdy and large enough to protect you from errant cranberry juice, spattering turkey fat, and spilled Pinot Noir.
Filson Tin Cloth Apron, $125
5 of 7Courtesy of OXO
OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid
Slightly deeper than competition, this updated version of the classic glass pie plate also comes with a handy domed lid that’ll protect even the loftiest cream pies.
OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid, $15
6 of 7Courtesy of Amazon
OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator
Gotta love a fat separator for easily discarding the lipids while tidily reserving the drippings (which have about 10 times the flavor of the turkey itself). Plus it doubles as a measuring pitcher you can use the rest of the year.
OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator, $33
7 of 7Courtesy of Anthropologie
How to Style Your Thanksgiving Table
The finishing touch your Thanksgiving feast needs might not be another pie—it might be one of these stylish and functional accessories.
Search All of Sunset’s Recipes
Keep Reading:
- family meals
- Holidays
- Thanksgiving
- turkey
