Our Best Thanksgiving Recipes, Menus, Strategies, and Tips for 2024
If you ask us, the true pleasure of Thanksgiving comes in the bounty of Thanksgiving leftovers: A slice of pie for breakfast, a midnight turkey sandwich enveloped in a pillowy dinner roll. But these stolen moments can’t happen if you don’t first put out a delicious Thanksgiving day spread. Below, you’ll find our favorite ways to cook turkey, our best potato recipes, more autumnal desserts than you can make in a year, and plenty of tips to guide you along the way. Want to know our go-to pie crust recipe? Did your great-aunt just request a pumpkin cheesecake? Need a quick substitute for sour cream? Suddenly found out you need a gluten-free gravy recipe? We’ve got you. And when the brown sugar and breadcrumbs settle, we’ll be here to help you out with those leftovers, too.
The Star of the Table
The Simplest Roast Turkey
The Case for a Smaller Holiday Bird
The 18 Best Turkey Breast Recipes for Thanksgiving
We’re Just Here for the Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwiches
Skip the Whole Bird and Make Crispy Fried Turkey Wings This Year
Turkey 101
Choosing the right Thanksgiving bird for your holiday gathering is one thing. But it’s also a good idea to brush up on a few essential techniques as you embark upon your holiday planning.
How to Thaw a Turkey
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
How to Cook a Turkey
How to Carve a Turkey With Ease
Foolproof Spatchcocked Turkey With Garlic-Thyme Butter
Herb-Butter Turkey
Confit Turkey With Chiles and Garlic
Turkey for Twenty
Citrusy 3-Ingredient Roast Turkey
Grilled Turkey Under a Brick
Smoked Turkey Breast
Garlic-Aioli Roasted Turkey
Non-Turkey Mains
There’s more to the holiday than roast turkey, and these mains prove it.
Classic Baked Ham
Crisp Roast Duck
Stuffed Squash With Preserved-Lemon Gravy
Smoky Dry-Rubbed Pork Steaks
One-Stop Menu Planning
From vintage Gourmet classics to our best modern tips for getting your meal together, here’s how the staff of Epicurious pulls off Thanksgiving.
The 5 Questions Everyone Googles on Thanksgiving Day, Answered
How to Delegate Your Thanksgiving To-Do List (and Still Take Credit for Dinner)
One-Stop Menu Planning
From vintage Gourmet classics to our best modern tips for getting your meal together, here’s how the staff of Epicurious pulls off Thanksgiving.
The 5 Questions Everyone Googles on Thanksgiving Day, Answered
How to Delegate Your Thanksgiving To-Do List (and Still Take Credit for Dinner)
Nothing Says Thanksgiving Like a Spreadsheet
A Very ’90s Gourmet Thanksgiving
A Cheap and Thrilling Thanksgiving Menu
A Very ’70s Gourmet Thanksgiving
A Chef’s Thanksgiving at Home
Our Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes
73 Side Dishes to Round Out Your Thanksgiving Table
Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash
Cheesy Corn Casserole With Buttered Crunchies
Classic Cranberry Sauce
Roasted Carrots
Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower
Garlicky Green Beans
Our Favorite Mac and Cheese
Cranberry-Orange Relish
Glazed Carrots
Creamed Corn
Buttered Green Beans
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips With Honey
Don’t Forget the Stuffing
Sure, you could keep the stuffing simple; but, you don’t have to. Here are a few of our favorite variations.
Garlicky Sausage Stuffing
The Best Vegetarian Stuffing Ever
Skillet Dressing With Cornbread and Biscuits
How to Make Thanksgiving Stuffing Without a Recipe
Cornbread Stuffing With Chorizo and Sweet Potatoes
Skillet Stuffing With Sausage and Mushrooms
Our Favorite Stuffing With Cornbread and Sausage
30+ More Stuffing Recipes We Love
Just How Important Are Potatoes?
Absolutely Everything You Need to Know About Thanksgiving Potatoes
Our Favorite Mashed Potatoes
Twice-Baked-Potato Casserole
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Hasselback Potatoes
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Cheesy Potato Soup With Bacon
Creamy Potato and Leek Gratin
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Two Potato Sauté
Sweet Potato Casserole With Candied Pecans
Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Spiced Maple Glaze
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
More of Our Best Sweet Potato Recipes
Would You Like Some Bread With That?
Skillet Cornbread
Parker House Rolls
Flaky, Buttery Biscuits
Pull-Apart Bread With Pumpkin and Spinach
Somewhere That’s Green
87 Thanksgiving Salads to Round Out Your Meal
Quick and Easy Collard Greens
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Garlic and Pancetta
Iceberg With Dried Oregano Dressing and Creamy Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Dive Into These Classic Desserts
Our Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
Our Favorite Apple Pie
Shoofly Pie
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Simple Bread Pudding With Melted Ice Cream Sauce
Pear Tart With Dulce de Leche
Pumpkin Roll With Cream Cheese Filling
Pear and Hazelnut Frangipane Tart
Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Pecan Pie
The Easiest Buttermilk Pie
Molasses Cookies
Chocolate Cream Pie
Pear Pie With Lattice Crust
Fried Apple Pies
Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding
Basque-Style Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Chocolate Pots de Crème
Pumpkin Bread
Explore Even More Desserts
Sweet tooth still not satisfied? Get the desserts you crave below, or go straight to our best pie recipes or our full collection of fall desserts. Oh, and don't forget the whipped cream.
Our 31 Best Pumpkin Pie Recipes
43 Thanksgiving-Ready Cakes
48 Thanksgiving Cookie Recipes
43 Gluten-Free Desserts for Every Occasion
Thanksgiving Recipes for Everyone at Your Table
It's easy to go gluten-free at Thanksgiving. Ditto vegetarian—and even vegan. And if you seek still more Thanksgiving dinner recipes, try out our holiday recipe finder.