From Classic to Unexpected, These Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes Are Total Winners
No matter the technique or flavoring, these 22 variations on Thanksgiving turkey and 3 recipes for gravy are guaranteed to deliver a show-stopping entree for your holiday feast
Sunset
1 /25Thomas J. Story
Dry-Cured Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter
Rubbing turkey with salt 2 days before roasting seasons it well without the messiness of a brine, and a flavorful herb butter adds juiciness.
For juicy, crisp-skinned, evenly cooked turkey, you can do no better than a butterflied (spatchcocked) bird. This recipe is for a gas grill; we have charcoal directions as well.
Cooked in a water smoker, 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. You’ll need 4 small metal skewers to close up the turkey’s cavities.
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.
8 /25Photography by Leigh Beisch; food styling by Dan Becker
Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Rosemary Garlic Gravy
California leads the West in turkey production and in consumption of fresh and natural turkeys (those with no artificial ingredients). They cost more, but the flavor is so worth it. Sunset spin: Butterfly it, then cook on the grill― it’s done in 1 1/2 hours.
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. With this recipe we show you how.
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.
Presalting theThanksgiving turkey ― not to mention covering the breast and drumsticks with bacon ― adds flavor and helps it stay moist during roasting.
This recipe has all the components we look for in a great turkey recipe, from the brine to ensure moist meat, to the herb butter under the skin for flavor, and an herb gravy from the drippings to ladle on at the table.
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.
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.