Our 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes

Brined and Roasted Turkey

Brining turkeys has become de rigueur in many American households. Get the recipe for Brined and Roasted Turkey »

Whole Cranberry Sauce

Fresh orange and grapefruit juice add zest to this seasonal staple. Get the recipe for Whole Cranberry Sauce »

Sea Salt Ice Cream With Cornbread Financiers

These are an elegant, restaurant-style nod to the hunks of cornbread typically found on Thanksgiving tables. Get the recipe for Sea Salt Ice Cream With Cornbread Financiers »

Thanksgiving Roast Turkey

This recipe comes from a true Kentuckian, Rena McClure, who has lived there her whole life. Serve it with cornbread dressing cooked in a cast-iron skillet on the side.

Ciabatta and Sausage Stuffing

This rustic stuffing from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro is made with crusty Italian bread and laced with fresh herbs, aromatics, and sausage. Get the recipe for Ciabatta and Sausage Stuffing »

This bracingly tart relish, from Matthew Jennings of Townsman in Boston is the perfect foil for a rich Thanksgiving spread. Whole pieces or orange flesh and peel add texture to balance the creamy smoothness of mashed potatoes and cornbread dressing. Get the recipe for Cranberry Relish »

Tamarind-Glazed Roast Turkey

The flavors of Senegal—sour tamarind, fiery scotch bonnets, and pungent fish sauce—add umami-rich depth to this unexpected Thanksgiving bird.

Turkey Pan Gravy

Make this gravy using the drippings that remain in the pan after you’ve cooked the roast turkey. For additional flavor, add to the finished pan gravy any juices that accumulate on the platter as the turkey rests. Get the recipe for Turkey Pan Gravy »

Grilled Oysters

Oysters are the perfect aphrodisiacs to have on Valentine’s day. Believed to increase fertility, these half shells evoke images of romance. Grill them for your lover and sprinkle some pecorino and bottarga before serving. Get the recipe for Grilled Oysters »

Sweet Potato Purée

Spiced Honey-Glazed Spiral Ham

Although spiral-cut ham comes fully cooked, a low, slow roast will heat it through and caramelize its sticky, spiced glaze. At Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro, a ham is glazed with pan drippings, local honey, and fragrant cinnamon and clove for their annual Thanksgiving feast, which they serve to veterans and their families. Get the recipe for Spiced Honey-Glazed Spiral Ham »

Cornbread Dressing

This classic Southern-style Thanksgiving dressing is tossed with crumbled breakfast sausage and plenty of sage, then cooked in a casserole dish beside the browning bird. Get the recipe for Cornbread Dressing »

Haricots Verts Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble

This sweet potato casserole is an especially festive, over-the-top take on the Thanksgiving classic, topped with a crisp pecan crumble and dotted with marshmallows. Get the recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble »

Macaroni au Gratin

The foundation of this creamy casserole is a classic mornay sauce, a béchamel sauce to which cheese has been added—in this case, comté, a French cheese with a complex, nutty flavor that melts beautifully. With lots of freshly grated nutmeg to season it and a golden, crunchy breadcrumb topping, it’s a luscious, satisfying side dish for the Thanksgiving table. The dish comes from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro, in the Napa Valley, where the staff makes it as part of their annual Thanksgiving dinner for veterans and their families.

Turkey Congee

Butternut Squash Pepe Soup

Chef Pierre Thiam‘s take on this classic autumn soup uses Scotch bonnet chiles for spice and nutmeg for warmth. In Senegal, a similar soup is said to prevent hangovers, so you’ll find hawkers selling it outside the bars late at night. Use your favorite type of pumpkin or other fall squashes to substitute for the butternut in this recipe, if you like. For a vegan soup, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock. Get the recipe for Butternut Squash Pepe Soup »

Apple-Cranberry Relish

Sautéed garlic and onion, plus a little bit of salt, add a savory note to this sweet-tart relish, which gets its body from the natural pectin in the poached, puréed cranberries. A twist on Thanksgiving’s traditional cranberry sauce, the recipe was given to us by Michael Sandoval, executive chef of Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, California. His staff prepares it as part of the restaurant’s annual Thanksgiving meal for veterans and their families. Get the recipe for Apple-Cranberry Relish »

Pomme Purée

Passing cooked potatoes through the fine holes of a potato ricer ensures a silky consistency for this ultrarich side. Get the recipe for Pomme Purée »

Lard Bread Stuffing

Lard Bread Dressing

Fonio Pilaf with Dates, Carrots, and Peanuts

Fonio Pilaf

Wok-Fried Brussels Sprouts and Bacon with Crispy Chestnuts

This spin on a popular Sichuan stir-fry—with bacon, ginger, and garlic; garnished with sliced chestnuts—swaps traditional cauliflower for Brussels sprouts. Get the recipe for Wok-Fried Brussels Sprouts and Bacon with Crispy Chestnuts »

Julia Child’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Thirty cloves of garlic go into this creamy side dish, adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume 1 (Alfred A. Knopf, 1961). The cloves are first blanched whole, which enhances their sweetness, then used to make a rich béchamel sauce that’s stirred into mashed potatoes with cream and parsley. Get the recipe for Julia Child’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes »

Shredded Collard Green Salad With Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Birch Syrup and Soy Sauce-Glazed Roast Duck

Wild Rice with Roasted Buttered Onions

Apple and Kale Salad with Black-Sesame–Maple Cashews

Maitake Mushrooms with Red Chiles and Cilantro

Get the recipe for Maitake Mushrooms with Red Chiles and Cilantro »

Turkey Tetrazzini

Van Valkenberg Hot Slaw

Coleslaw gets a makeover as a filling and hearty casserole that test kitchen assistant Sarah Ruth Maier grew up eating at family functions. Get the recipe for Van Valkenberg Hot Slaw »

Honey and Herb Biscuits

Instead of plain dinner rolls, we like to serve these fluffy biscuits, fragrant with rosemary and thyme. This recipe first appeared in our November 2011 issue along with Linda Monastra’s story True Harvest. Get the recipe for Honey and Herb Biscuits »

Braised Red Cabbage

Adding a grated russet potato to this braise helps to temper the sour sweetness of the cabbage. Get the recipe for Braised Red Cabbage »

Braised Paprika Kraut

This hearty, chicken stock—braised kraut is smoky, spicy, and well balanced, with sweet onions, garlic, and bacon fat nicely contrasting the brightness and brininess of jarred sauerkraut. If you prefer the end result even more sour, feel free to add a splash more brine from the jar. Get the recipe for Braised Paprika Kraut »

Redfish on the Half Shell with Creamy Grits

Chef Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery learned this popular Louisiana fish camp technique—cooking “on the half shell”—after moving to New Orleans from California. Grilling fish skin-side-down with its scales still attached protects the tender meat from ripping and insulates it slightly from the heat, resulting in perfectly tender flesh. Get the recipe for Redfish on the Half Shell with Creamy Grits »

Roasted Turnips and Greens with Bacon Vinaigrette

Pleasantly bitter turnips are roasted until sweet and then slicked with bacon fat and tossed with sherry vinegar and their own wilted green leaves in this warming side dish. Get the recipe for Roasted Turnips and Greens with Bacon Vinaigrette »

Fried Brussels Sprouts

Get your sprouts crispy all over with a quick trip through a deep fryer, then dress them in a sweet-and-sour sauce of honey and balsamic. Fried shallots, walnuts, and Parmesan bring texture and flavor, and a dose of lemon zest ties it all together. Get the recipe for Fried Brussels Sprouts »

Fingerling Potatoes with Bacon

The secret to this simple dish is to use the best quality bacon available. Delicious and straightforward, you can whip this dish together quickly while keeping the oven available for other jobs.

Gluten-Free Gravy

Potato starch replaces flour as the thickener in a rich brown gravy that’s great with roasted turkey. Get the recipe for Gluten-Free Gravy »

Spiced Apple Cocktail (Pomme Épicée)

Easily made in big batched, this autumnal bourbon and apple brandy cocktail from Andrew Carmellini is just as easy to drink. Get the recipe for Spiced Apple Cocktail (Pomme Épicée) »

Black coffee spike

Roasted Squash and Pork Dumplings

This delicate seasonal dumpling is stuffed with squash, spiced pork, ginger, and scallion. Get the recipe for Roasted Squash and Pork Dumplings »

Turn Your Oven into a Smoker

Inspired by the flavors of Peking duck, this turkey is infused with a Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, and fresh ginger brine, then lightly smoked over oak.

Oyster Pie with Buttermilk Biscuits

This classic oyster stew from Justin Devillier, the chef of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans, is packed full of Swiss chard and flavored with smoky ham and absinthe, which perfumes each steaming bite with an enticing note of licorice. The buttermilk biscuits on top are just as delicious cooked separately and slathered with butter and honey. Get the recipe for Oyster Pie with Buttermilk Biscuits »

Mango and Pumpkin Spice Cake

Fresh mango, mixed into the base and fanned on top of this warmly spiced pumpkin dessert—chef Pierre Thiam‘s version of his wife’s classic pumpkin cake—adds a tropical brightness and dramatic presentation to his Thanksgiving table. Get the recipe for Mango and Pumpkin Spice Cake »

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

This autumnal dessert is a lighter and more refined version of plain old pumpkin pie, thanks to egg whites folded into the filling. Get the recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie »

Green Bean Casserole

With a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with flash fried onions, this holiday classic is the epitome of a crowd-pleasing casserole. Get the recipe for Green Bean Casserole »

Autumn Panzanella Salad

Crispy pancetta, peppery arugula, and sweet sautéed shallots give a fall spin to panzanella. Get the recipe for Autumn Panzanella Salad »

Apple, Sage, and Sausage Stuffing

A combination of apples and sausage lends a nice sweet-savory balance to this simple stuffing enhanced with sage. Get the recipe for Apple, Sage, and Sausage Stuffing »

Blue Ribbon Pecan Pie

The toffee-like interior and beautiful bronze top layer of halved pecans won Rubyane Surritte first place in the pie contest at Oklahoma’s Drummond Ranch. Get the recipe for Blue Ribbon Pecan Pie »

Todd’s Turkey Hash

This hearty breakfast dish is perfect for the morning after Thanksgiving. It uses up leftover cooked turkey as well as Thanksgiving pantry ingredients you may not have used up the day before, like cream, stock, and herbs. Get the recipe for Todd’s Turkey Hash »

Our 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes

Turn Your Oven into a Smoker

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