Best Thanksgiving Entree Recipes

Grillmaster Randy pulling a deep-fried turkey from a fryer
Cajun Fried Turkey Deep-fried turkey originated not far from our home of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, so we’d be remiss not to include a recipe for the Southern delicacy here. Gorgeous color, unexpected juiciness, and a kickin’ Cajun marinade make this bird take flavorful flight from the deep fryer all the way to hungry bellies around the dinner table.
Smoked Turkey on a plate
Smoked Turkey on Traeger Timberline We’ve all had turkey in the oven, but turkey on the smoker? Now you’re aiming for flavors that come around only once a year. A juicy injection and delightful poultry seasoning combine to boost the bird’s natural flavors, followed by a 2-hour bath in cherrywood smoke. Oh, and did we mention there’s a roasting pan — and an herb butter paste?
Oven Roasted Turkey on a plate
Oven-Roasted Turkey Oven-roasted Thanksgiving turkey is about as traditional as it gets, but you can still elevate the dish with some help from the always-reliable Chef Tony. With a surprisingly simple turkey seasoning and an overnight marinade, this oven-roasted turkey recipe is your secret weapon for wowing family and friends on Thanksgiving.
Whole chicken on a kettle grill
Smoked BBQ Chicken The classic Weber Kettle charcoal grill serves as the perfect stage for this smoked BBQ chicken recipe, which uses applewood chunks to create astounding flavors in tandem with a homemade barbecue dry rub and butter paste. This Thanksgiving, you’re flying the coop from the norm with smoked chicken the BBQGuys way.
Chicken on a chicken throne, Chuck Matto shown on the right
Beer Can Chicken If you’ve ever wanted to share a Thanksgiving feast with TikTok sensation Chuck’s Flavor Train — who hasn’t? — now’s your chance! The simplicity of his beer can chicken recipe belies its bombastic flavors (which are right in line with Chuck’s infectious personality) that’ll have the whole family clamoring for seconds.

Best Grilled Thanksgiving Sides

Carrots and Parsnips on a plate
Grilled Honey Glazed Carrots & Parsnips The colors and flavors of fall abound with carrots, parsnips, herbs, and honey masterfully blended then grilled to perfection. This tasty addition to your Thanksgiving bounty also brings a crunch to the cornucopia, showing that you’re a holiday host who can do more than cook a mean bird.
Potatoes on plate seasoned with herbs
Pecan Smoked Herb Potatoes Herb potatoes in the oven are one thing, but giving them time to soak up the smoke of pecan wood is just what they need to reach the next level of deliciousness. This is a super quick and easy Thanksgiving side dish that can feed up to 10 people when plated alongside a heaping helping of turkey.
Bacon wrapped brussles sprouts in a bowl
Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts You think the Pilgrims came all this way for you not to eat your greens? That might be ancient history at this point, but so is this age-old strategy of wrapping your veggies in bacon to satisfy the ever-watchful Food Pyramid. Either way, we think you’ll find it hard to pass on a Thanksgiving recipe that requires just 3 ingredients.
Green Beans wrapped in bacon, covered in bleu cheese
Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans More greens, more bacon! (Come on, you know everything’s better with a little bacon.) Our good friend Laura Miner — aka “Cook at Home Mom” — sends this Thanksgiving side dish recipe with love, bleu cheese crumbles, and sliced almonds that turn boring beans into charming chow.
Bite sized stuffed potatoes on a wire rack
Stuffed Mini Baked Potatoes Mashed potatoes are so last Thanksgiving. Instead of playing it safe with the same old side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, step outside the box with these delightfully delicious and simply shareable mini baked potatoes. They’re stuffed with all the traditional baked-potato fixings, then finished on the grill for a melty interior and browned bottom.

Best Thanksgiving Desserts on the Smoker

Pumpkin pie slice next to a cast iron filled with pumpkin pie
Homemade Pumpkin Pie If the recipe title alone has piqued your interest, then you’re in for a treat (besides the pie itself, of course). This Thanksgiving dessert recipe can be fun for the whole family, from roasting a pumpkin for a puree and making a homemade pie crust to concocting a bourbon whipped cream topping.
Pecan pie with a slice cut out
Bourbon Pecan Pie Punch up your pecan pie with a little help from our friend Jack Daniel, who always knows how to have a good time. A candied orange peel also adds to the fun, putting an expected twist on this classic Thanksgiving dessert. This holiday pie recipe calls for an hour-long trip through the oven, but daring home chefs can also use their kamado grill for the baking process.
Slice of peach cobbler sitting on a white plate
Southern Peach Cobbler This cobbler is a delicious dish that takes only 2 hours from start to finish, beginning with blanching and peeling the peaches. They then get baked in a cast iron skillet before joining forces with the cobbler filling and topping mixtures to give your Thanksgiving dessert course some Southern charm.
Bruleed sweet potato casserole in a cast iron skillet
Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline Brulee Topping Ah, a Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. Comforting, familiar, and… topped with praline brulee? This one has that distinct addition, and it’s sure to be a hit when dinner is over and dessert is getting passed around. It’s all about making holiday dinner work for you!
Slices of bread pudding on a white plate with ice cream on top
Holiday Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce and Spiced Cream Sauce What, you thought we were going to give you another Thanksgiving dessert recipe that uses bourbon? Well, you were pretty close — this holiday bread pudding includes a rum sauce, which… wait, no, there’s actually a bit of bourbon used in the bread-pudding mixture too.

Thanksgiving Extras

Cutting board with onions, apples, and peppers being sliced
Turkey Seasoning We’ve given you a veritable cornucopia of Thanksgiving dishes to choose from, but we both know everything will fall flat if the holiday bird is bland. That’s not happening on our watch, so we created a turkey seasoning recipe that’ll please palates time and time again.
Gravy boat filled with gravy and a sprig of thyme
Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy When the phrase “It’s all gravy” was invented, they were referring to this recipe. And with good reason: it requires just 7 basic ingredients, takes only 15–20 minutes to prepare, and elevates any turkey into a delectably memorable meal. As they say, “It’s all gravy, baby!”
Cranberry sauce in a white bowl
Cinnamon-Citrus Cranberry Sauce In a world of cranberry-flavored everything (looking at you, hard seltzers), it’s refreshing to get back to one of the most classic uses of the fruit. This Thanksgiving cranberry sauce, however, capitalizes on citrus and cinnamon notes to achieve a depth of flavor that’ll have relatives talking until next holiday season.
Old Fashioned cocktail next to a plant and cinnamon sticks
Smoked Cinnamon Old Fashioned with a Flash of Orange Essence A drink after dinner is a widely celebrated holiday tradition, and there are few cocktails more traditional than an Old Fashioned. That didn’t stop us from sprucing it up with the aroma of cinnamon smoke and a dash or orange essence, creating a new take on the Old Fashioned.