Thanksgiving Main Dishes That Are Better Than Turkey (2024)

FAQs

Thanksgiving Main Dishes That Are Better Than Turkey? ›

Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals.

So go ahead and shake things up this Thanksgiving with one of these flavorful alternatives to cooking up a whole bird this year, like mushroom, Gruyère, & spinach-stuffed pork tenderloin, vegan mushroom pot pie, or a juicy prime rib.

It's Smaller

Chickens are much smaller than turkeys, which make them a great alternative for smaller families or gatherings. Unless, of course, you want to eat leftover turkey for weeks. Because chickens are smaller, cooking them is also so much easier to manage.

If you're hosting a crowd this year, you'll most certainly want another Thanksgiving main dish, like ham or beef, to serve alongside your favorite turkey recipe.

"For the third year in a row, cranberry sauce takes first place as the most disliked traditional Thanksgiving food. Over 31% of respondents, 82 million American adults, do not want cranberry sauce for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Main Course: Turkey . . . for Days

The Thanksgiving turkey, perhaps most famously depicted as the centerpiece of Norman Rockwell's 1943 Freedom from Want, is an iconic image for Americans. Today, it remains a popular choice for most Americans.

For smaller crowds, swap the turkey with chicken, Cornish game hens, or stuff and roast individual quails for each guest, which is very elegant for a plated meal. Our roast chicken with sourdough stuffing, pomegranate roast chicken, and cranberry stuffed cornish game hen bring a festive Thanksgiving vibe to the table.

Nearly All U.S. Turkeys Are Raised on Factory Farms

Each year, more than 200 million turkeys are slaughtered for food in the U.S. — and over 99 percent of U.S. turkeys are raised on industrial farms and kept in severely crowded and unsanitary conditions.

Is turkey healthier or chicken? ›

Both chicken and turkey provide healthy protein. Generally, chicken tends to be higher in vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid, and turkey tends to be lower in calories, fat, and sodium while having more zinc, niacin, and vitamin B12.

As for cooking methods, duck, pheasant and goose can roast in the oven just like you would a turkey. The fattier duck and geese should be slow-roasted so the fat renders and you get a crispy skin. A quick reminder: Just like all poultry, make sure your bird reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.

Ham Is Easier and Quicker To Cook

As we mentioned, fresh ham has a higher fat content than turkey, so it won't dry out nearly as easily; this means you don't have to watch it as intensely. However, that only applies to fresh ham.

Duck is healthy.

Duck has the same amount of calories as turkey, but contains more essential nutrients like iron and vitamin E. It also contains no tryptophan, so you can avoid the traditional post-turkey food coma!