These cozy non turkey Thanksgiving mains are less work, more fun, and definitely more cozy than the usual giant bird main dish.
Are you one of those people who just don’t like turkey or think it’s way more effort than reward? If so, these are the recipes you should make for a cozy, delicious Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is all about the bird, right? Nope, break those chains of tradition and go rogue. You, your tastebuds, and your Thanksgiving guests will thank you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually a huge fan of a classic Thanksgiving dinner, but you can only get excited about the classics after you stray a bit, am I right? Whatever the reason for you deciding against a turkey, whether it be insane food costs or just too much food, here are some alternatives for a very delicious non turkey Thanksgiving.
Lemon pepper chicken
This is for y’all out there who dont even want Thanksgiving to be a thing but still need to put something on the table. Juicy oven roasted chicken thighs with jammy caramelized lemon slices set over a bed of fluffy cous cous is a gorgeous alternative to turkey. It looks a little fancy, it tastes even better and best of all, you can hide in the kitchen doom-scrolling/hiding from your family while the chicken roasts. Fast, easy, and no 8 hour wait for dinner.
Crispy Italian Porchetta Roast
A roasted pork belly porchetta lets you have the carving experience, sans turkey. Easily as impressive as turkey but infinitely tastier, pork belly porchetta is the way to go. Golden brown crunchy crackling skin, juicy pork, and an incredible toasted fennel, rosemary, lemon, parsley mix come together in a glorious golden brown roast.
Birria Tacos
Taco night for Thanksgiving? Why not?! Not just any taco night, crispy, cheesy, beefy birria tacos are a cause for celebration. This recipe is mostly hands off and after the birria stew is ready, assembly can be a family affair. Our birria taco recipe is already a beloved family favorite, maybe now a Thanksgiving favorite too?
Paella
Nothing says a celebration quite like a huge pan of steaming saffron rice, chicken, chorizo, and seafood. It’s a party in a pan! Honestly, if I showed up at a Thanksgiving dinner and a paella came out of the kitchen, I would be back year after year. The beauty of paella is that you can customize the proteins to your heart’s content — almost everything goes beautifully with that smoky, seasoned Spanish bomba rice.
Steak Frites
If you’re more of a beef than a chicken person, why not do steak for Thanksgiving, especially if your Thanksgiving is intimate? Steak can be prepped in advanced then finished a la minute via reverse sear then served up with a steak sauce bar for the ultimate dinner. Add some air-fryer fries because that’s the best way to make fries at home and you’ve got yourself a celebration.
Charcuterie
This more like an appetizer rather than the main course, but no Thanksgiving is complete without a charcuterie board. Cheese, cured meats, crackers and other crunchy things, fresh bread, nuts, and spreads…I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. I love all the combinations you can play around with and the fact that you can make a giant board for a huge amount of people or a tiny board just for two. Charcuterie is always a good thing, and even better at Thanksgiving.
Korean BBQ
If there’s one thing you need to know about Korea, it’s that Koreans know how to party. The food is delicious, the drinks are free flowing and everyone has a good time. Recreate your favorite K-BBQ experience right at home with our super simple how-to K-BBQ guide at home. From marinades to banchan/side dishes to what kind of grill you need, we’ve got all the answers to all your questions. Personally, I love DIY dinner parties, they’re fun, interactive, and last longer than the typical 20 minutes it takes most people to down a Thanksgiving plate. PS – don’t do this one for your grandparents unless they’re the cool kind, they’ll most likely grumble about having to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner.
That’s it for now! I hope you guys are inspired. We have so many more recipes on the blog that would fit right into a nice non turkey Thanksgiving, so leave a comment if you want more and I can update this round up. Happy dreaming about food!
xoxo steph
