From Classic to Unexpected, These Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes Are Total Winners (2024)

FAQs

What percentage of Americans skip turkey? ›

When going in for seconds, two-thirds of Americans are getting sides (66 percent) rather than the turkey, including an overwhelming majority of Gen Z (76 percent), and women (73 percent). More than half of Americans (57 percent) would rather a guest show up empty-handed than with a side dish that nobody likes.

Of all the states, residents of California consume the most turkey per person, but California is not one of the five. Missouri is. It's number five. The top turkey producing state is Minnesota, followed by North Carolina, Arkansas and Virginia.

An estimated 46 million turkeys are eaten each year as part of Thanksgiving meals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's about 21% of the around 216.5 million turkeys produced in the U.S. each year.

Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals. This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors.

Most Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving—about 9 in 10, according to a 2021 poll—eat turkey with their holiday meal, perhaps alongside other favorite dishes such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.

Unsurprisingly, the number of turkeys consumed on the fourth Thursday in November is high, and has even risen in recent years despite increased interest in turkey alternatives and plant-based foods. According to the National Turkey Federation, an estimated 88 percent of Americans consume Thanksgiving turkey each year.

Adult female turkeys are called hens. Juvenile females are called jennies. Adult females average half the size of male turkeys.

The meat for Thanksgiving turkeys may come from either sex. Toms are larger and typically are used in further processed products like breast meat cold cuts, sausage, etc, but if you choose a whole, oven ready bird that is more than 8 kg.

Highlights: Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes Statistics

Mashed potatoes are by far the most popular side dish for Thanksgiving, favored by 75% of Americans. Stuffing is the second most popular side dish, chosen by 60% of people.

While Thanksgiving technically isn't a religious holiday, the “giving thanks” part of it struck Jefferson as being far too religious for his tastes. As our nation's third president, he stirred controversy by refusing to recognize Thanksgiving.

Who was the mother of Thanksgiving? ›

Her name was Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale was a New England-born poet, editor, activist and philanthropist perhaps best known for penning the poem “Mary's Lamb,” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” as it is known today.

Wild turkeys can fly and have a top flight speed of about 55 miles per hour. Wild turkeys see in color and have excellent daytime vision, three times better than a human's eyesight, with a visual field of more than 270 degrees.

Short Thanksgiving greetings

May the chairs around your table be filled with those you love. May this day and every day be filled with love, joy and happiness. Wishing you every blessing of this bountiful season. May the blessings of Thanksgiving fill your heart and home with joy.

Roast chicken is less expensive, easy to roast, delicious, and has less portions than a large turkey, so it is perfect for a single, couple, or small family celebration. A simple chicken stuffed with mirepoix, lemons, fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage) and roasted whole is a great alternative to a large turkey."

The National Turkey Federation reports that approximately 88 percent of Americans consume turkey on Thanksgiving, translating to over 46 million turkeys eaten on the fourth Thursday in November.

The National Turkey Federation estimates that 46 million of those turkeys were eaten at Thanksgiving, 22 million at Christmas and 19 million at Easter. Nearly 88 percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving.

Americans are flocking to Turkey in unprecedented numbers, according to figures released on August 22 by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Some 377,000 Americans visited Turkey in the first half of 2022—an increase of 76.8% over the same period in 2019, before the onset of the pandemic.

The consumption of turkeys in the U.S. amounted to 14.6 pounds per capita in 2022.