22 Thanksgiving Recipes Our Recipe Testers Loved

Pickle biscuits, sour cream pound cake, esquites stuffing and more new recipes we think you’ll adore, too.

A pear and cranberry crisp tastes like pie, but is far easier to assemble.Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.

Published Nov. 18, 2024Updated Nov. 18, 2024

At New York Times Cooking, we rely on professional recipe testers to ensure each and every new recipe is clear, works and tastes great. They test about a thousand recipes a year, which is a lot of cooking and eating, so when they really love something, it’s worth taking note. These are a few of the new Thanksgiving recipes that a handful of our testers — Kayla Hoang, Janet McCracken, Lisa Nicklin, Tina Ujlaki and Ben Weiner — couldn’t stop raving about.

“PICKLEBISCUITSSSSWOWOW. The pickle is super pleasant and not overpowering. The brine adds a nice little tang that was delightful.”

As if biscuits couldn’t get any better, Andy Baraghani adds finely chopped pickles and their brine for super flaky results. For some salty-sweetness, serve them with honeyed ham.

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“Very accessible, looked beautiful, tasted terrific. This was a big hit in my house!”

Yossy Arefi combines sweet pears with tart cranberries (fresh and dried) in this gorgeous crisp that has everything you want in a Thanksgiving dessert.

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“So festive! I loved the lightly fried tortilla strips in the mix.”

Priya Krishna’s sweet-salty-fresh-crunchy chaat is the ultimate Thanksgiving food: You can prep it in advance, and assemble (or rather, show off) in front of your guests.

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“The turkey was really, really good. So juicy, tender and not at all dry.”

If you’re serving a small crowd, have limited oven space or just need more white meat for the table, Sarah DiGregorio’s slow-cooker turkey breast is here for you.

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“Fun and delicious! If it had another pound of chorizo in it, it could be the centerpiece of the meal (and without chorizo, it would be awesome for vegetarians too).”

In this recipe from Rick Martinez, fresh corn, chorizo, onions, poblanos, jalapeños and garlic jazz up Southern-style cornbread stuffing, finished with a healthy drizzle of crema and a sprinkle of queso blanco on top.

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“If I had the time and my body could handle it, I’d make this chicken at least once a month. This was insane (in the very best way).”

Once you try Sohla El-Waylly’s fried chicken, which is seasoned with parsley and sage for a just-right Thanksgiving-y flavor, you’ll never go back to the big bird.

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“These were great, and super easy to make. The spicy-salty mix would make this great as a drinking snack.”

Hungry guests can be hangry guests, so don’t forget the pre-dinner snacks. Sheela Prakash’s spicy little crackers, also known as comeback crackers, are seasoned with from-scratch ranch seasoning and crushed red pepper, then baked until crunchy and perfectly poppable.

See the recipe.

“This was a super satisfying dish. The cauliflower is cooked wonderfully with the cheese being perfectly melty and toasty right on top.”

Here’s a gloriously rich side dish from Andy Baraghani that can be made with just six ingredients: cauliflower, shallots, Cheddar, heavy cream, rosemary and garlic. Yum.

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“The aroma that came from making this batter brought me straight back to the days I’d help my mom prepare boxed cake mixes as a kid (and I mean this is a very good, nostalgic way).”

Show up at the potluck with this tangy stunner from Vallery Lomas, and you’re sure to be invited back next year.

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“This recipe is so easy and rewarding! Hot, pillowy, tender rolls that cry out for a slab of salted butter.”

Making Thanksgiving rolls can seem like a tall ask, but with this breezy recipe from Yossy Arefi, they’re completely doable. Slather them with butter, and forget your troubles.

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“The cranberries and caramelized onion with the rosemary provide this perfectly autumnal flavor profile that is just wonderfully comforting and absolutely crucial.”

Deeply savory and buttery with crisp edges and pockets of tart cranberry, this Thanksgiving-inspired tachin from Andy Baraghani would make a spectacular stand-in for stuffing.

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“This was a really tasty muffin.”

A classic combination done right in these light muffins from Yossy Arefi. It also works great with gluten-free flour.

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“The vegetables are perfectly roasted with a fantastic tenderness, and great deep caramelization. The mint is a very welcome herbaceous note that perfectly complements all throughout.”

Nargisse Benkabbou makes this simple dish of roasted vegetables special by adding ras el hanout, a warm and aromatic blend of spices from North Africa including turmeric, coriander, ginger, cumin, cardamom and nutmeg.

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“Really tasty and super straightforward biscuit. This is a great building block recipe for just about any novice to learn a basic baking recipe.”

The batter for these easy biscuits from Naz Deravian is made in one bowl, then spread over melted butter, which makes it look like it’s — you guessed it — swimming in butter. As it bakes, the butter gets absorbed into the biscuits, which means crisp, buttery edges and pillowy insides without any rolling out or cutting.

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“I loved this — it’s so simple, but so delicious. The carrots (even the thickest ones) were tender and sweet. The kale was soft with a few crispy edges and the two went beautifully together.”

This simple, four-ingredient side dish from Yossy Arefi comes together on a single sheet pan so you can work something green and vegetal onto the table.

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“It was perfect. Soft, tender interior with just a little bit of sweetness. Happy to make this without pulling out a mixer!”

Basic cornbread is great, but fold bits of roasted red pepper and feta crumbles into the batter, as Lidey Heuck does, for a real treat. The sour cream in the batter keeps the bread moist, which means it’s ideal for making ahead.

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“Terrific, easy and clean method for roasting beets (very satisfying to hear the sizzle inside the bags when they get removed from the oven) and I can’t say enough good things about the bright, lemony flavor of the yogurt. Great contrasting textures and flavors — a big hit.”

Beets are delicious, but cooking them can be a messy venture leading to pink fingertips for days. In this smart recipe from Vivian Chan-Tam, she calls for roast-steaming them in foil packets until the flesh is soft and the skin can be more easily removed.

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“Loved it best with potato chips but great with crudités, pretzels, etc., too. And yay for featuring the eternally unsung cottage cheese!”

Long considered a 1950s diet food, cottage cheese gets its star turn in this herb-packed dip from Yossy Arefi. For the best flavor, be sure to use the full-fat option.

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“I’ve never had cranberry-flavored meringue before and loved it. The citrus custard is a lovely balance of tangy and sweet.”

Readers are already in love with this gorgeous pie from Vaughn Vreeland. Inspired by lemon meringue, the filling is a lemon-orange curd made even brighter with a pale pink, cranberry-infused topping.

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“These are super simple to mix together by hand. The ‘somewhere between sweet and savory’ is spot on, and the honey butter is excellent with that little bit of salt that makes all the difference.”

These pumpkin drop biscuits from Yossy Arefi are a great way to use up the last bit of pumpkin purée in the can, and the honey butter makes them sing.

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“I was so impressed by what the air fryer could do in such a short amount of time. The drumsticks came out deeply colored in some spots and with a nice char in others. Great, flavorful rub — a bit smoky and very savory.”

Fans of dark meat and Renaissance fairs alike will love this easy and relatively fast recipe from Vivian Chan-Tam. In just 35 minutes, you’ll end up with perfectly cooked turkey legs that taste like they’ve been roasting for hours.

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“Delicious gravy, perfect to serve alongside any roast, with the extra perk that it’s vegetarian and can be served alongside any vegan meal. It’s also handy if you are looking to make a do-ahead gravy.”

Carolina Gelen combines caramelized shallots, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs for a rounded and complex vegan gravy that will make everyone happy.

See the recipe.