Food Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas 25 Turkey Alternatives for Thanksgiving Main Courses Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals. By Kim Wehby Kim Wehby Kim Wehby is a copy editor with over a decade of experience in the food and beverage space, including a senior editorial role at Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She's edited and developed content for Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Eating Well. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 15, 2024 Close Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford / Food Styling by Ali Ramee Turkey is a classic main course for Thanksgiving dinner, but that certainly doesn't mean you have to serve it every year. We've collected plenty of alternative Thanksgiving mains that can take center stage at your table, including wholesome salmon recipes, succulent pork shoulder recipes, showstopping prime rib roasts, and a wide array of vegetarian recipes for your holiday spread. Here are those recipes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen, plus more turkey alternatives for Thanksgiving. 01 of 25 Petite Beef Wellington Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen For individual Beef Wellington servings, try chef Sean Brock's ingenious holiday recipe. Diners will appreciate the chance to dig into their personal crisp, pastry-wrapped roast beef treasure. Get the Recipe 02 of 25 Picanha Roast recipe with Pink Peppercorn Brown Butter Sauce Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely You'll encounter plenty of complex flavor in this roast beef recipe from James Beard Award-winning writer and chef Amy Thiele. A warming pink peppercorn-infused brown butter sauce brings sweetness and a hint of tartness, all with a soft caramelized backbone. get the recipe 03 of 25 Madeira-Glazed Ham with Collard Greens Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Sweet, rich flavors abound in this celebratory holiday ham. A homemade honey- and Madeira-kissed glaze is basted over the ham, while collard greens tossed with tangerines and bay leaves cook underneath the ham, soaking up those delicious pan juices. get the recipe 04 of 25 Roasted Goose Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Jacques Pépin's 18-hour roast goose is well worth the time. Pépin's cooking method was adapted from a Chinese technique. It yields tender, juicy meat with unbeatably crispy skin. get the recipe 05 of 25 Timpano Carson Downing / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco Recipe developer and tester Jasmine Smith takes inspiration from the movie Big Night with this jaw-dropping meatless entree. The dome is made from layers of pasta, roasted vegetables, and two cheeses. It will have your Thanksgiving guests doing a double take at the table — and likely enjoying a double serving. Get the Recipe 06 of 25 Salmon Wellington Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Barrett Washburne This reimagination of traditional Beef Wellington comes to us from Top Chef winner Buddha Lo. In this recipe, salmon loin is wrapped with cabbage leaves, shrimp, nori, and puff pastry and then baked to perfection. The pastry slices beautifully, making for a centerpiece-worthy entree. get the recipe 07 of 25 Mushroom, Lentil, and Chestnut Mince Pie Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This spectacular vegetarian mince pie can hold its own — in presentation and in flavor — among any meat entrees on your Thanksgiving table. A hefty filling of mushrooms, black lentils, and chestnuts makes for a substantial main that can satisfy even the hungriest of omnivores at the table. get the recipe 08 of 25 Leg of Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford / Food Styling by Ali Ramee This beautiful leg of lamb features an overnight rub of garlic, parsley, rosemary, and oregano. It's served alongside a delicious decoration of roasted fingerling potatoes and sliced leek rounds. Get the Recipe 09 of 25 Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon with Oranges, Olives, and Herbs Antonis Achilleos "Tart and just barely sweet, the pomegranate molasses cuts through the richness of the fish while creating a gorgeous, shimmering glaze; the olives balance the bright flavors of the salad with their soft salinity and luxe butteriness," award-winning cookbook author and food stylist Andrea Slonecker says. Get the Recipe 10 of 25 Crackling Coppa Roast with Fennel and Onions Erin Kunkel The fat cap serves a crucial role in this roasted pork shoulder: As the fat renders, it begins to crisp up while the juices baste the meat with succulent flavor. A jammy fennel-onion mixture cuts through the richness of the meat while complementing the pork flavors with a slight sweetness. Get the Recipe 11 of 25 Roasted Cornish Game Hens Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley A mixture of citrus, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and paprika is rubbed over Cornish hens for a wonderful blend of bright citrus flavors and warm earthy ones. A pan sauce fortified with butter is spooned over hen halves for a delicate presentation. Get the Recipe 12 of 25 Garlic-Butter Rib Roast Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell A butter compound with garlic, anchovies, herbs, and shallot serves two purposes in this rib roast. Half is slathered all over the meat before cooking, and the rest is served atop individual servings of the decadent meat. Get the Recipe 13 of 25 Greens-and-Cheese-Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Recipe tester and developer Anna Theoktisto brings us this fairytale-like entree inspired by chef Cassie Piuma's squash spanakopita. A Cinderella pumpkin is stuffed with a vegetarian filling of cheeses, fennel, and kale. The crisped puff pastry topping makes for a most elegant crown. Get the Recipe 14 of 25 Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine–Shallot Sauce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Mary-Frances Heck's recipe is inspired by the pork chop served at Anton's in New York City. As a stand-in for steak, peppercorn-crusted bone-in pork chops are seared and roasted to just-doneness, then served alongside an emulsified, buttery pan sauce. Get the Recipe 15 of 25 King Oyster Mushroom Steaks with Pesto and Almond Aillade Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Chef Julia Sullivan brings us this meaty, meatless mushroom steak recipe. Two cast-iron skillets are called upon here: one to sear and cook the mushrooms and one to weigh down the mushrooms as they cook. Get the Recipe 16 of 25 Braised Duck Legs with Spaetzle and Mushroom Ragout David Malosh This German-inspired recipe from Maria Sinskey features roasted duck leg quarters with a reduced pan sauce. It's served atop crisped golden-brown spaetzle and a saucy mushroom ragout. Get the Recipe 17 of 25 Roasted Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar-Rum Glaze Kelly Marshall Woodsy rosemary and sage complement the inherent gamey flavors of lamb in this wintry entree from chef Alexander Smalls. These roasted chops are elegant enough for fancy holiday celebrations yet approachable enough for a casual holiday at home. Get the Recipe 18 of 25 Herb-Roasted King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce Justin Walker This nod to David Pisegna's salmon served at Seattle's Hotel Sorrento features a simplified recipe that doesn't skimp on the original wine-blushed beurre blanc. Get the Recipe 19 of 25 Pork Loin Braised with Mushrooms and Wine Greg DuPree Juicy, citrus-infused pork sits atop a bed of mushrooms, spring onions, and garlic in this French-meets-Italian braised pork loin. Get the Recipe 20 of 25 Buttermilk-Marinated Quail with Herbed Raita and Blood Oranges Christopher Testani "What I love about this recipe, in terms of the ingredients and method, is that the mint and charred flavors are reminiscent of summertime despite the chill of winter," chef Maneet Chauhan says. Get the Recipe 21 of 25 Classic Duck Confit Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless If you plan ahead and reserve ample time for the duck to refrigerate and cook, you'll be delighted to discover how simple the hands-on time is for this classic duck confit. Get the Recipe 22 of 25 Spiced Brown Sugar Ham with Apple Jus © Marcus Nilsson This holiday ham from chef Kevin Gillespie could outshine any turkey on a Thanksgiving table. Brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, and apple cider vinegar create a completely fall-focused ham with deeply caramelized flavors. Get ready for your house to smell incredible. Get the Recipe 23 of 25 Honey-and-Lemon-Glazed Roast Chicken © Fredrika Stjärne Chef Piero Incisa Della Rocchetta takes inspiration from Peking duck in this roast chicken recipe. A glaze of honey and lemon helps to create beautifully browned skin on each bird. Get the Recipe 24 of 25 Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Lavender © Paul Costello In chef and cookbook author Melia Marden's boneless leg of lamb recipe, unexpected lavender brings delightful floral notes to the standard rosemary-garlic rub. A sweet-tart, jammy compote of shallots, dates, honey, and apple cider vinegar adds golden, autumnal flavors to the roasted lamb. Get the Recipe 25 of 25 Beef Chuck Eye Roast with Paprika-Herb Rub © John Kernick It takes just 25 minutes of hands-on time to prepare this herb- and spice-rubbed beef roast. Enjoy it during the winter holidays or any time you need a hearty, special entree without too much prep. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit