Recipes Holidays & Events Thanksgiving Recipes Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes 12 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes for Every Taste, Including Roasted, Smoked, Brined, and Glazed Consider these traditional and more modern recipes for the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner. By Lynn Andriani Lynn Andriani Lynn Andriani is a New York City-based writer with 24 years of experience working in professional publishing and communication roles in addition to being a food writer for six years with MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Published on October 10, 2024 Close So, you want to cook a Thanksgiving turkey. You came to the correct place—our collection of turkey recipes runs the gamut, from traditional to unorthodox and everything in between. Aside from choosing a recipe to follow on this holiday, you'll also need to determine how big of a turkey to buy. A good ballpark figure is 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person—but keep in mind that everyone loves leftovers. Another important tip: If you've purchased a frozen turkey, consider putting it into the refrigerator to thaw a week before Thanksgiving. It needs one day in the fridge for every 4 pounds. And while all of our recipes include cooking times, it's helpful to know that if you're taking the most common cooking route—which is roasting the bird—you should plan on roughly 20 minutes per pound. Be sure to let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving for optimal flavor (and then be ready to gobble it up). 14 Leftover Turkey Recipes That Are Sure to Become Family Favorites 01 of 12 Roast Spatchcocked Turkey Believe it or not, you can cook a turkey in an hour if you spatchcock (or butterfly) it. When the turkey's backbone is removed and the halves are flattened, the meat cooks amazingly fast. View Recipe 02 of 12 Spiced Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Fragrant spices such as coriander seeds, bay leaves, juniper berries, fennel seeds, and peppercorns permeate the buttermilk brine for this holiday centerpiece. View Recipe 03 of 12 Smoked Turkey Paola + Murray You'll need a smoker for this low-fuss, oven-free method, but it produces a Thanksgiving turkey that's supremely moist with a lightly smoked taste and burnished, crispy skin. We marinate the turkey with citrus and herbs to infuse the meat with a depth of flavor. View Recipe 04 of 12 Upside-Down Turkey This recipe for upside-down turkey is a fun way to prepare your Thanksgiving meal, and it allows the juices to trickle down onto the breast meat, rendering it extra moist and juicy. For super-flavorful gravy, scatter cut oranges, onion, and garlic, along with a few rosemary and sage sprigs, in the bottom of the pan before you begin roasting. View Recipe 05 of 12 Roast Turkey With Herb Butter Kelsey Hansen This herb butter turkey recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare. Before going into the oven, the bird is coated in a simple, flavorful butter rub mixed with rosemary, sage, and thyme, which makes the skin crispy and golden and the meat moist and flavorful. View Recipe 06 of 12 Roasted Turkey Rubbed With Coriander, Black Pepper, and Fennel Louise Hagger You might not have tried this Thanksgiving turkey technique before, but it's time to start. Cooking the bird in pieces means everything is roasted to perfection; the breasts get a head start in the oven while you sear the legs on the stove. Then, put them together to finish in a roasting pan, where the legs braise in liquid. The result is juicy white meat and succulent dark meat—all with crisp, flavorful skin, courtesy of a spicy overnight rub. View Recipe 07 of 12 Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast Alpha Smoot This is a simple roast turkey recipe for beginners or anyone who doesn't want to roast an entire bird. Just be sure you use a bone-in turkey breast—it's the key to moist, juicy meat. View Recipe 08 of 12 Lemon-Herb Turkey With Bay Butter and Gravy Paola + Murray Roasted with lemon zest, rosemary, and thyme, this turkey has a light, fragrant taste that's welcome on any Thanksgiving table. If you can find them, fresh bay branches make a dramatic bed when you bring the bird to the table. View Recipe 09 of 12 Slow-Grilled Turkey David Malosh Here's one perk to cooking a turkey over charcoal: You'll save precious oven space. It will also impart a savory, smoky flavor. View Recipe 10 of 12 Turkey Roulade Marcus Nilsson A turkey roulade is easier than roasting a whole turkey—and everyone gets stuffing in each bite of turkey. Boneless turkey breast is pounded thin and rolled up with a stuffing made from rye bread, cranberries, chopped pistachios, and plenty of herbs. The finishing touch is a layer of bacon slices, which encases the roulade and keeps it moist while roasting. View Recipe 11 of 12 Roasted Dry-Brined Turkey A dry-brined turkey is easier to prepare than a wet-brined one—and the clean-up process is easier, too. For a beautiful, natural garnish, arrange fresh sage and bay leaves, cracked walnuts, and cranberries around the roasted turkey. View Recipe 12 of 12 Turkey With Brown-Sugar Glaze Try a flavorful glaze made with orange juice, brown sugar, and vinegar on your Thanksgiving bird. Brush it on the bird during the last hour of cooking, so you can give it a crunchy, sweet crust. View Recipe 8 Ways to Cook a Turkey, From a Traditional Roast to Modern Roulade Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit