25 Dishes to Serve Instead of Turkey on Thanksgiving

Turkey is traditional, but it’s far from the only main dish you can serve Thanksgiving. Maybe you need a break from cooking the big bird, or maybe turkey just isn’t your family thing. Whatever the reason, we’ve rounded up 25 dishes that could be the star of the show instead. They’re just as delicious served with your favorite holiday meals, from mashed potatoes to… green bean casseroleand will look just as impressive in the middle of the holiday table.

Victor Protasio; Food stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop stylist: Julia Bayless

A two-inch rib-eye steak is pretty holiday-worthy, if you ask us. Especially when it’s adorned with a rich wine and mushroom sauce (which is delicious spooned over mashed potatoes instead of gravy).

Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

You don’t have to save a classic roast beef just for Christmas. This beautiful centerpiece is great any time of year, including Thanksgiving. Plus, a round roast (which we use here) is usually much cheaper than a whole turkey.

Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Monroe Dickey; Prop stylist: Lydia Pursell

The crispy exterior makes this simple pork roast shine. Don’t skip scoring the fat cap; this helps release the fat, which in turn bastes the meat as it cooks.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

The crispy panko and Parmesan crust makes these lamb chops a special dish worth serving to loved ones on Thanksgiving. The crust takes on a nice green hue from the fresh parsley mixed into the mix.

Jen Causey; Food stylist: Torie Cox

While turkeys take forever to cook, this chicken is ready in a fraction of the time, especially since we take out the backbone. Don’t worry, the technique is quite easy to perform at home and all you need is a pair of sharp kitchen scissors.

Pro tip: Don’t throw away the spine; it makes great chicken stock.

Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop stylist: Josh Hoggle

Although you might associate this cut of meat with fancy steakhouses, making prime rib at home is actually quite simple. All you have to do is rub it with spices, leave it and roast it until it reaches the desired doneness. Cut it at the table and watch the guests ooh and aah.

Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Our leg of lamb cooks low and slowly before being finished under the grill to form a beautiful crust. Served with a fresh herb sauce, no one will miss the turkey, we promise.

Victor Protasio; Food stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop stylist: Christine Keely

Channel your inner Ina Garden and serve this beautiful chicken for Thanksgiving. It’s ideal for smaller family gatherings, and as it roasts it releases rich juices that flavor the bed of rainbow carrots it’s placed on, creating the main course and a side dish in one pan.

Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop stylist: Christine Keely

You might associate lamb with Easter, but there’s no rule that says it can’t also be a Thanksgiving main dish. Serve it at our Romaine Salad With Oranges And Radishes for a refreshing crunch and Ginger Carrots to finish the record.

Greg DuPree, food stylist: Ruth Blackburn, prop stylist: Christine Keely

Nothing screams like apples, and they’re good for so much more than just pie. Use them to season a beautiful pork tenderloin with this recipe. While this dish is quick enough to serve as a weeknight meal, it looks impressive enough to make a big holiday feast.

Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

The Dutch Oven creates all the magic in this simple recipe. It helps create a rich, garlicky sauce in the bottom pot while the chicken roasts, which we think will scratch the Thanksgiving gravy for purists at the table.

Caitlin Bensel; Food stylist: Torie Cox

We often say that bacon makes everything better, but here we really mean it. Pork tenderloins are such lean cuts of meat that they dry out easily. Wrapping the loin in bacon adds flavor, as well as fat that keeps it moist during cooking.

Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Don’t relegate squash just to side dishes. Here we prove that they can also be the star of a meal. Filled with hot Italian sausage, chard, cornbread, and pecans, this dish is everything you love about Southern cornbread dressing, upgraded to main course status.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

A cast iron skillet is a Southern chef’s best friend, even when roasting a chicken. While there are countless ways to roast a chicken (we’ll list at least a few in this article), this might be our favorite way we’ve come up with so far.

Alison Miksch, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Loaded with bacon, this mac and cheese goes from just a side dish to a centerpiece of a holiday meal. No one will miss the turkey when they take a bite of this ultra-creamy recipe.

Caitlin Bensel, food stylist: Torie Cox

Apart from the ham, this recipe only requires five ingredients. It’s simple and sweet, just the way we think ham should be.

Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Micah Morton; Prop stylist: Ginny Branch

If you want to go all out this Thanksgiving, this is the recipe for you. We’re not going to mince words: this pork roast takes some work, but we think it’s worth the photo-worthy results.

Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop stylist: Claire Spollen

If you’re craving a more low-key, casual Thanksgiving, this homey dish is the way to go. When done right, the meat is super juicy and tender, and the gravy is perfect for soaking in mashed potatoes.

GREG DUPREE; FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY

The secret to the perfect tenderloin with a pink center is a thin layer of mustard and mayonnaise. It helps seal in the juices of the meat and bond the flavorful crust of breadcrumbs and herbs.

Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Pumpkin is a fall staple and when combined with brown butter it makes a silky lasagna sauce that pairs so well with a creamy ricotta cheese filling. Golden in color and bubbling straight from the oven, this simple casserole will wow friends and family.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

We offer three glaze options for this classic spiral ham: fig and thyme glaze, sage and cider glaze, and ginger and clove glaze. They’re all delicious, so choose the one that appeals to you (or your family) the most.

Hector Sanchez

For a smaller Thanksgiving gathering, an oversized steak can be the perfect main course. Garnished with garlic, thyme, oregano and rosemary, every bite will be tender, juicy and flavorful.

Alison Miksch

The secret to this juicy roast is a jar of pepperoncini peppers (juice and all). It comes together easily in a slow cooker and the leftovers make for the best roast beef sandwiches the next day.

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Slow cooker recipes like this one are hands-off by definition, giving you (and the oven) time to work on any side dishes or desserts. And thanks to the low and slow technique, this pork roast (which can be notoriously dry) stays nice and juicy.

Iain Bagwell

We keep it simple with this recipe, just four ingredients to be precise. And since this tenderloin is ready in just 50 minutes (much less time than any turkey), you can focus on all the other holiday tasks on your to-do list.