35 Thanksgiving Main Dishes Everyone Will Love
This Thanksgiving feast, serve more than just turkey as the main course! We’ve collected a bunch of recipes for main dishes made from meat that you can serve on Thanksgiving .
This may seem like a silly post – after all, isn’t turkey the main dish at Thanksgiving?
Of course it is!
There are also about a million and one ways to make turkey (we even have a list of turkey recipes here). However, not everyone likes turkey. (Pause while everyone gasps in shock and takes a minute to recover.)
So to help those turkey-haters that crop up in your family, this list also includes other main dishes that you can serve along with the turkey. Who knows? Maybe one of these recipes will be a new family tradition!
We love family traditions in our home, and Thanksgiving is no exception. And not all are food-related traditions, either! We love reading these Thanksgiving kids books as a family, too.
Honestly, Thanksgiving is really so much fun, no matter what you eat – as long as it tastes good! To help your holiday be great, you may also want to check out our other Thanksgiving posts:
- 28 Thanksgiving Appetizers & Side Dishes
- 60 Recipes for Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
- 15 Thanksgiving DIY Crafts and Printables for Kids
- 150 Thanksgiving Appetizers & Side Dishes
- 47 Thanksgiving Pie Recipes
- 90 Thanksgiving Desserts (That are NOT Pie!)
- 27 Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas
- Thanksgiving Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Thanksgiving Main Dishes
Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter Gravy (GF, LC, K)
With this recipe for Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Garlic Butter Gravy you can make moist and juicy turkey and gravy in less than an hour! So easy and so delicious, you will not only want to make this for Thanksgiving but all year long as well.
Turkey Tenderloin Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipe
It’s simple to make pressure cooker turkey breast in an Instant Pot. Here’s an easy method to cook breast fillets so they won’t be dry. It makes for a great Thanksgiving main dish!
Grilled Spatchcock Turkey with Maple Butter and Apple Cider Brine
This recipe for juicy, succulent, Maple Butter Turkey is absolutely delicious! It’s roasted on the grill, giving it a smoky flavor. Learn how to spatchcock, brine and grill the best turkey you’ve ever had!
Kahlua Pineapple Sprial-Cut Glazed Ham
One pan Kahlua Pineapple Glazed Ham is the BEST spiral-cut baked ham recipe to serve a crowd on a budget. A huge hit for holiday parties, brunch or dinner!
The Best Air Fryer Whole Chicken
This easy Air Fryer Whole Chicken is juicy with a perfectly crispy skin and is ready in just 1 hr. It makes for a great Thanksgiving main dish!
Herbed Butter Roasted Chicken
This herbed butter roasted chicken is the juiciest chicken you will ever sink your teeth into. Packing the butter and seasoning between the breasts and the skin locks in the flavor and keeps the chicken moist all throughout the cooking.
Delicious Instant Pot Ribs
This delicious instant pot ribs recipe is a very easy and yummy dinner the family will love. Find out how to make ribs in the instant pot!
Pineapple & Honey Glazed Ham (Bone-In)
A staple for many holiday dinners, this old fashioned bone in pineapple and honey glazed ham is a truly wonderful thing when properly prepared.
Brined and Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Breast with the Best Easy Gravy
This Brined and Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Breast with the Best Easy Gravy is perfect for when you want the juiciest and most flavorful Main Course for your special Thanksgiving meal.
Roasted Turkey (12-15 lbs)
How to prepare a juicy, flavorful turkey for Thanksgiving Day. Includes instructions for brining, trussing and roasting a turkey.
Easy Spiced Ham with a Crushed Pineapple Glaze
This Easy Spiced Ham with Pineapple Crusted Glaze brings a perfect balance of spice and sweet together on one plate. A store bought spicy pork rub paired with a sweet crushed pineapple crust makes it look like you’ve spent hours bent over an oven to turn out this delicious main course Holiday dish.
Turkey Breast in your Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot or Crock Pot Express!
Pressure cooker turkey breast that’s tender inside and crispy on the outside! Learn how to cook a bone in turkey breast in your Crock Pot Express, Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot.
Vegan Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie Recipe
This Meatless Shepherd’s Pie (or Vegan Cottage Pie) is true comfort food for the fall with carrots, zucchini (courgette) and eggplant (aubergine) topped with creamy vegan mashed potatoes. If you are looking for a Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie recipe with a light veggie stew filling (no legumes, no grains, and no nuts), this is the one to check out.
Apple Cider Brined Turkey
Easy to prepare, moist, and so flavorful! Once you try this Apple Cider Brined Turkey there will be no going back to basic turkey again.
Vegan Holiday Pie with Hot Water Pastry
This vegan holiday pie with lentils, vegetables, and a vegan hot water pastry was inspired by traditional British pastries, and it’s a gorgeous centrepiece for a vegetarian or vegan table. Not just potatoes and cheese, it’ll please meat eaters and veggies alike during the holiday season.
Traeger Smoked Turkey
Traeger Smoked Turkey is going to quickly become your new favorite turkey method. Put away the gallons of oil, free up your oven, and go ahead and donate that giant electric roaster that you only pull out once a year to someone else, because you’re going to want smoked Traeger turkey every year from here on out.
Hearty Pumpkin Chili Recipe
This versatile recipe is guaranteed to keep you and your family full and healthy this season. Who doesn’t love a nice bowl of hearty flavors anyway? Replace the beef with turkey for a great Thanksgiving dish!
Pesto Garlic Rubbed Roasted Pork Sirloin
Enjoy a wholesome family dinner with this Pesto Garlic Rubbed Roasted Pork Sirloin and Potatoes. Garlic and fresh herb rubbed pork loin seared then roasted, topped with pesto sauce.
Roasted duck with apples + how to roast a whole duck
Classic roasted duck with apples recipe. The duck is stuffed with apples and herbs. The meat is very juicy and aromatic, it falls off the bone easily. Duck breasts are particularly delicious here, they are so tender that you can cut them with a fork! Truly amazing.
Picnic Ham with Orange Glaze - Food Meanderings
The reason this ham is so good is because of this orange glaze – glaze is the key to a great ham. But it’s not only the glaze, the other secret to great ham is basting with the glaze. A lot of people don’t realize that ham needs that TLC, just like a turkey does.
Sage-Rubbed Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey: A Tender and Juicy Bird
Dry, overcooked, and stringy turkey. Does this sound familiar? There are various methods that have been developed to prevent dryness, and this recipe combines three of them to roast the perfect bird for your Thanksgiving (or any time of the year) table. This sage-rubbed smoked turkey will be the juiciest hunk of bird that you’ve ever tasted.
Easy Crockpot Ham Recipe!
This Easy Crock Pot Ham goes perfectly for Thanksgiving dinner and not just to be made up for Easter dinner! It makes for a great Thanksgiving main dish!
Tender Pork Loin in Dutch Oven Recipe
If you are looking for an easy pork loin recipe, I have it – Oven Roasted Pork Loin is about as easy as it gets. Adding vegetables to the pot and roasting at the same time, makes it a one dish meal that is deeeelish! Plus, it is GAPS, paleo, keto, whole 30 and just plain nourishing!
Slow Cooker Ham With Honey And Bourbon
This Slow Cooker Ham With Honey And Bourbon is the perfect way to twist the flavor a Slow Cooker Ham.
Vegan Holiday roast – WFPB, no-oil, cheap, succulent and festive!
Well, this incredibly festive, succulent Vegan holiday roast is so much more than just “something extra” you have to make so your vegan friends have something to eat other than… salad. The flavors, texture and smell in this roast could easily go head to head with any of the holiday classics. Just look at it! Can you guess what the 1 inexpensive ingredient is?
Stuffed Cornish Game Hen with Garlic and Sage
This garlic and sage Cornish game hen is stuffed with delicious, homemade Anjou pear and baby bella mushroom stuffing. The best recipe for an elegantly rustic Thanksgiving dinner party with friends! You’ll be surprised just how incredibly simple they are to make! The hens take only a few minutes to prepare, and 45 minutes to roast.
Vegetarian Fajita Pasta - Instant Pot & Stovetop
Loaded with veggies and lots of flavor, this Vegetarian Fajita Pasta is a favorite pasta dinner. Fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, colorful bell peppers, sour cream and cheese make this a healthier pasta dish. Make it as a one-pot dish in the Instant Pot or Stovetop. Enjoy topped with cilantro and avocado.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham
Slow Cooker Ham is a classic and iconic meal, yet there’s so many variations on this recipe. Here a great go-to for the best Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham ever, easy to make with just 5 ingredients – and so delicious! It makes for a great Thanksgiving main dish!
Classic Baked Gluten-Free + Vegan Manicotti (Soy-Free)
No more missing out on your Italian favorite! A Classic Baked Gluten-Free & Vegan Manicotti recipe with homemade tomato sauce, a creamy dairy-free & soy-free cheesy filling, all topped with a homemade 2-ingredient “parmesan”! A perfect comfort food dinner the whole family will enjoy!
Easy Cast Iron Whole Roasted Chicken (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
A simple and easy cast iron whole roasted chicken that’s full of flavor, perfectly moist and tender, and just waiting to be served at the dinner table! This recipe is gluten-free, allergy-free, and paleo using a no-fail method for success!
Smoked Turkey Recipe And Dry Rub Recipe
This Smoked Turkey is the perfect way to use a homemade rub to make a holiday dinner even more amazing! Plus the smoke flavoring adds to leftover meals made with the turkey!
Best Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe
Amazingly delicious and healthy whole chicken recipe, perfect for Thanksgiving!
Vegan Cauliflower Lentil Loaf
A hearty plant-based dinner idea that will satisfy even meat-eaters! A Vegan Cauliflower Lentil Loaf that mimics the classic meatloaf with no meat, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free! Get all your protein and veggies in this healthy recipe!
Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe
Amazingly tender and delicious Thanksgiving turkey. You will never make your turkey any other way again!
Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe
A whole turkey is easier to make than you might think! Use this easy oven roasted turkey recipe the next time you want to make a whole bird. The directions are easy to follow, and your poultry meal will be simply delicious.
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This Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot is perfect for the season!I will surely bookmark your page and will come back on thanks giving! These recipes are the best! Thanks for sharing!