36 Unusual Roast Turkey Recipes for the Holidays

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We all love Thanksgiving and it’s a good time to show appreciation for our friends and family. But sometimes we can get into a bit of a rut in the kitchen, cooking the same things over and over again.

So now you’re looking for some interesting turkey recipes, right? Because a good roast turkey recipe is essential for any traditional holiday meal.

And making the same old turkey over and over again can get a bit tired, right?

Why not try one of these unusual and unique turkey recipes (that are also crazy awesome!) to shake up the menu.

But first, have you ever thought about WHY we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? We did too and this is what we found out.

Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving?

Gobble, gobble, gobble! Roast turkey is probably the most popular holiday meal for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

  1. Turkeys are native to North America and they were widely available to early settlers.
  2. Turkeys are large enough to feed multiple people and aside from their meat, they don’t have much other use! For instance, other farm animals provide other edibles or uses like eggs from chickens, milk from cows, wool from sheep. Turkeys are just turkeys, so it may have made sense to use them for this reason.
  3. Some historians think that it might have something to do with the popularity of Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. When the book was published in the 1840s, it introduced the idea of a turkey being something extra special. It’s what the Cratchit family wants to share most in the world, and shortly after this turkeys started gaining popularity.
  4. The actual celebration of Thanksgiving dates back officially to 1777 when an act of the Continental Congress declared it a real holiday. Then again in 1863 during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, Thanksgiving was declared a nationwide holiday again. Lincoln had started the tradition with an unofficial Thanksgiving dinner that featured roast turkey, his favorite meal. 

So we’ve basically had roast turkey dinner for almost 250 years.

The same old plain roast turkey your mom made, and her mother made, and her grandmother made. Ugh.

I mean those are probably good turkey recipes, but some new turkey recipes might be just what you need this year.

good turkey recipes
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If you’re tired of the same old, same old turkey dinner recipes – why not surprise your family and guests with a unique twist on your turkey dinner this year?

We’ve round up some mouth watering and maybe sometimes weird thanksgiving turkey ideas to try.

Best turkey recipe in the world

Roast turkey is both traditional and delicious, but there are so many unusual and unique holiday turkey recipes to shake up the menu.

You never know, after taking a look at our favorite different turkey recipes, you just might find a new family favorite of your own!

Maybe find the best turkey recipe in the world? (Pst if you do, be sure to let us know and we want to know about the funky turkey recipes too!)

Our favorite Deliciously Unique Turkey Recipes

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and of course, food! While traditional turkey recipes are always a hit, why not mix things up this year with a unique twist on the classic bird?

Now it’s your turn to share – What is the best holiday turkey you’ve ever cooked or eaten?

Which are your favorite unique turkey recipes? Have you tried any of the above? How did it turn out?

good turkey recipes
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How to Deep Fry a Turkey Without Burning Down Your Garage

Is this the year you’re finally going to try deep frying a turkey? Afraid you might burn something down…like your garage? That is definitely a legitimate concern!

We’ve got you covered though with our step by step How to Deep Fry a Turkey post.

how to deep fry a turkey

What should you make with leftover turkey?

The great thing about roasting a turkey for dinner is that even if you host a large dinner party, you will almost certainly have turkey leftovers.

Lots of turkey leftovers.

Which means you need an arsenal of lots of leftover turkey recipes. (Or maybe just one really good one?)

Unfortunately turkey tends to really dry out when reheated.

Luckily, we kept that in mind with our easy turkey hand pie recipe which is an awesome way to use all of that leftover turkey!

How to Make Turkey Hand Pies from Thanksgiving Leftovers

thanksgiving leftover turkey hand pie recipe

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