10 Unconventional Ways to Cook a Turkey

Celine Curtis

Thanksgiving is a holiday that often gets overshadowed by more dazzling holidays like Halloween and Christmas. Most times, Christmas spirit is already in full swing even before poor Thanksgiving has its time to shine. So, here are 10 unconventional ways to spice up your turkey dish to make this year’s Thanksgiving one for the ages. 

1. From Scratch

If you want to really celebrate Thanksgiving differently this year, try going all natural! Find a wild turkey and get cooking. It takes a lot of time (and gets pretty messy) but it is truly rewarding.

2. A Ballotine of Turkey

The basic concept of this cooking method is to butterfly the turkey breast, roll it up, and then roll  it in bacon and bake it. Your final result will be very juicy and professional-looking. With this dish, you are guaranteed to be mistaken for Gordon Ramsey.

3. Deep-Fried Whole Turkey

What’s more American than frying anything and everything? With this extreme, home-cooked alternative to KFC, you can increase your chances of a heart attack at a record speed! 

4. Turkey Ice Cream

A very intriguing yet questionable alternative to the classic that you can make at home. Simply infuse turkey into your standard ice cream recipe and voila: a meat-flavored dessert! Believe it or not, there are multiple recipes across the internet to choose from.

5. Sous Vide Turkey

A sous vide turkey is cooked in a similar way to the classic method, except instead of being brined in the fridge, it is actively cooked in the brine. This essentially Titanic's your turkey, except in cool water. As fun as that sounds, unfortunately a sous vide circulator is needed for this easy turkey, so it is not as accessible as other methods.

6. Turducken

Elevate your turkey dish with even more poultry meat! Including chicken! In short, you will somehow stuff a deboned chicken into a deboned duck into a deboned turkey. It creates layers of flavor and is, in my humble opinion, an abomination.

7. BBQ Turkey

Does your family really love barbeque? Bring this summer activity into fall by barbequing your Thanksgiving turkey for hours on end! This is a comparably normal way to innovate your Thanksgiving traditions.

8. Stuffed ‘No Turkey’

If you’re a vegetarian, first of all, what are you doing here? Second, if you still want to participate in Thanksgiving, you can use a combination of soy milk, tofu, and herbs to fake a turkey and have it still taste good.

9. Franklin From Animal Crossing

I think this one is pretty self explanatory, if you want to eat a virtual turkey, Animal Crossing’s got you covered. Just make sure the other villagers don’t see.

10. Turkey and Gravy Soda

This one’s a real showstopper! Surprise your friends and family on Thanksgiving with a recipe that’s sure to make them hesitate. If they think it sounds disgusting, then you’ve done it right. 

Happy feasting!