Turkey Alternatives for This Year's Thanksgiving Table
Maybe you’re having a small gathering this holiday season. Maybe you don’t really like turkey. Or, you simply decided this will be the year you take a break from tradition to cook something outside-the-box. No matter the reason for skipping a big ol’ bird this year is, there are so many amazing dishes, and fun ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, that don’t involve turkey.
Keep scrolling for some of our favorite turkey alternatives to put on your dinner table this November.
Ready-Made Thanksgiving Entrees
Tofurky Holiday Feast
Tofurky Plant-Based Holiday Feast
An all-in-one dinner that includes a plant-based roast, gravy, stuffing, and even a brownie, this holiday feast from Tofurky is a great option for vegans and meat eaters alike. Simply defrost the roast in the fridge for 24 hours before basting, then cook it in the oven for a little over an hour.
Warm your gravy in a saucepan over medium heat and serve alongside the Tofurky roast with all the Thanksgiving sides.
Tofurky Plant-Based Ham Style Roast
Smoky ham flavor is complimented by a sweet, tangy glaze in this ham-style plant-based roast from Tofurky! Coated with glaze and oven roasted for just over an hour, this ham roast is an easy entree to toss in the oven.
Field Roast Celebration Roast
Field Roast Celebration Roast
Featuring sage, garlic, and bread stuffing with a porcini mushroom gravy, Field Roast’s Celebration Roast is perfect for any extra special occasion, including Thanksgiving!
Simply coat the roast with olive oil and toss it in the oven for a little over an hour and warm the mushroom gravy in a saucepan over medium heat.
Roast a Chicken
If you still like the idea of poultry as the main course for Thanksgiving dinner, why not go for a chicken instead?
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Simple Roast Chicken
We'll start off with a simple take on roasted chicken that only calls for salt, thyme, and rosemary.
Ingredients
1 4-pound roasting chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 handful fresh thyme and rosemary
5 celery ribs (if you don’t have a roasting rack for your pan)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450⁰F. Place a rack or five celery ribs in the bottom of a large roasting pan, to hold the chicken above the bottom of the pan and allow it to brown.
Pat the chicken dry, inside and out, with paper towels. The drier the skin, the more crisp it will become. Place the thyme and rosemary into the cavity, tie the drumsticks together across the bottom of the breast with kitchen string and fold the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 60-75 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to test the meat of the thigh at the thickest part; it should be 160⁰F when fully cooked. (Cook larger birds for longer—a 5 pound chicken should roast for 90 minutes.)
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. To deglaze the roasting pan, pour in a half cup of chicken stock and place the warm pan over a burner on the stove, scraping the pan to lift up all the browned bits. There may only be a small amount of concentrated pan drippings, but this can be the base of a delicious sauce.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Cajun Roasted Chicken
Add some Southern flair to your Thanksgiving with this roasted chicken recipe from Co+op.
A homemade cajun-style spice blend of paprika, cayenne, thyme, oregano, and cumin are rubbed all over the chicken before being roasted alongside celery, carrots, onions, and lemon.
Ingredients
Rub
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons garlic granules
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Chicken
1 whole chicken
Olive oil
4 ribs celery
1 large onion
1 small carrot
1 small lemon, quartered
Kitchen string
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix spices and reserve (rub recipe makes enough for two chickens, or reserve remaining spices for future use).
Cut celery, onion, and carrot in 1-inch chunks. Scatter celery, onion, and carrot in a roasting pan and drizzle them with olive oil. Stuff chicken with lemon quarters and tie legs together with kitchen string (video instructions on how to truss a chicken), place on the vegetables in pan and tuck wings under. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub all over, then sprinkle on the spice and rub to coat. Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the thigh meat reaches 160° on a meat thermometer, the juices run clear, and the leg wiggles easily.
Photo Courtesy of Once Upon a Chef
Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken
With a flavorful Peruvian-style rub and a spicy, savory green sauce, this is not your average whole chicken recipe.
Lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, cumin, and oregano are blended until smooth before being spread over the chicken and left to marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
The chicken is then oven-roasted for around 2 hours. Serve your green sauce on the side for dipping!
Spatchcocked Chicken with Mustard
Roasting a chicken is a faster alternative to cooking a turkey. But if you want to speed up the process even more, try spatchcocking the chicken. What is spatchcocking? Spatchcocked is basically a fancy term for butterflying, and it helps cook the chicken quicker and more evenly, making it a great last-minute option if you’re reading this a few days before Thanksgiving, or you know, the day-of.
In this recipe, the chicken is spatchcocked before being rubbed down with mustard, olive oil, and plenty of salt and pepper. Here, it’s served over a bed of cauliflower, but you could easily pair it with mashed potatoes for a more Thanksgiving-esque option.
Find the full recipe at Feasting at Home
Go Veggie
Prefer to host a meatless Thanksgiving? Easy! Squash, mushrooms, and other veggie sides are the perfect solution for a meat-free holiday spread.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Wild Rice Stuffed Squash
Savory, sweet, and nutty, this wild rice stuffed squash offers the perfect individual-sized entree for all your guests! Pair these with a roasted chicken to offer something for everyone, meat eaters and veggies alike.
Ingredients
2 medium sweet dumpling or acorn squash
1 cup wild rice blend (packaged or bulk)
1 cup corn kernels, frozen
4 teaspoons scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a large sheet pan. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash, cut side down, on the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the squash is tender when pierced with a paring knife. When the squash is tender, place on a rack until cool enough to handle.
While the squash is baking, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the wild rice blend. Return to a boil and cover, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 30 minutes, or according to package directions. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Scoop the flesh from the squash, leaving about a quarter-inch inside the shells so they won’t collapse. Put the squash flesh in the bowl with the rice. Add the corn, scallions, Dijon mustard, sage, thyme, pepper and salt. Mix well, and when cooled to room temperature, stir in about two thirds of the cheese.
Spoon the squash mixture back into the shells and place on the sheet pan. Cover with the remaining cheese. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F., and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the squash is heated through. Serve hot.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Co+op
Sagey Mushroom Walnut Roast
Whether you want something that somewhat resembles meat, or you just love all things mushroom, consider this sagey roast that's filled with mushrooms and walnuts.
Walnuts are toasted and combined with onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms to create a savory and satisfying loaf.
Top it all off with mushroom gravy and pomegranate seeds for a little extra flavor and color.
Photo Courtesy of A Couple Cooks
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Traditionally, Shepherd's pie is filled with ground meat, but in this veggie-forward version, lentils, carrots, celery, corn, and peas serve as the filling.
This pot pie comes together in just under an hour and is the perfect vegan-friendly alternative that still tastes like Thanksgiving.
Mushroom Wellington with Rosemary and Pecans
A traditional wellington calls for you to wrap tender filet mignon in a buttery puff pastry. But here, mushrooms are subbed in for beef and paired with rosemary and pecans for a simple, yet elegant main dish for your Thanksgiving spread.
Shiitake mushrooms are sliced and seared with onions, garlic, salt, and rosemary before being sauteed with sherry wine and balsamic vinegar. Next, toasted chopped pecans, pepper, and truffle oil are stirred into the filling before being spread on puff pastry and rolled up.
Brush the pastry with egg wash and toss it in the oven for 35 minutes or until the pastry is a bright, beautiful golden brown.
Photo Courtesy of Cookie + Kate
Roasted Delicata Squash, Pomegranate, and Arugula Salad
You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish that looks more festive and seasonal than this beautiful salad from Cookie + Kate!
Delicata squash is sliced and oven-roasted before being cooled and served atop spicy arugula and topped with pomegranate arils, pepitas, and goat cheese.
Slightly sweet, tangy, salty, and spicy, this simple, but elegant salad will make a statement as the center piece for your meal.
Make It a Global Affair
Want a total departure from the traditional this Thanksgiving? Consider serving a different style of food entirely. And what better way to get inspired than diving into our collection of Wandering Kitchen articles, where we take you on a virtual trip to some of the best places on Earth for world-class cuisine?
Paella from Spain
Spain
Spice up your traditional November feast by swapping out herby turkey and buttery mashed potatoes for a pan of paella, Gambas al Ajillo, and chilled-down gazpacho!
While it’s a labor of love, paella can be scaled up to serve a crowd of people, and it’s a fun dish to make as a group. And don’t forget the cava for a bubbly toast at the start of dinner!
India
Swap out the oven-roasted turkey for some saucy, flavorful, oh-so-cozy tikka masala or butter chicken! Indian dishes are some of the most comforting foods, making them ideal for a cold season holiday like Thanksgiving.
And when the main course is all said and done, finish off the evening with a warm cup of authentic homemade masala chai.
Puerto Rico
Are you craving a trip to the tropics? While you can’t buy warm weather and sandy beaches at the Co-op, you can buy some ingredients to toss together a one-of-a-kind Puerto Rican Thanksgiving feast!
If you still want a meaty main course, consider making some Puerto Rican pernil! Slow-cooked as you would pulled pork or carnitas, pernil has a rich garlic flavor that’s accented with bright, aromatic cilantro. Pernil is traditionally served during Christmas in Puerto Rico, so you can definitely save this idea for an extra special take on the more traditional December dish.
Japan
Ramen and sushi? On Thanksgiving? We can definitely get on board with that non-traditional take on Turkey Day. And while you could get takeout from your favorite local spot, consider making your own at home for a fun and memorable culinary experience!
Or, stock up on chicken breast and make an assembly line of family members to whip up an extra large batch of katsu!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanskgiving, no matter what you eat or how you celebrate. See you at the Co-op!