What are the most popular Thanksgiving dishes? It depends on where you live (2024)

While your own meal maybe steeped in tradition or if you’re planning to host your first, you’ll want to make sure that you aren’t wastefully putting food on the table that won’t be appreciated. Here are some of the dishes that are guaranteed to please your guests so that you can save some money this year.

Check out the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes 🥗🌽for the holidays.

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What are the most popular dishes?

In 2020, the polling company YouGov undertook a comprehensive survey that answered one of the most controversial questions in the US: which is the best dish served during Thanksgiving?

The poll included more than 1,300 people from the West, South, North East, and Mid-West.

The answers varied widely across the different parts of the country. Across the board, eighty-three percent of respondents said the turkey was the best dishes on the table. Some other national favorites include mashed potatoes (78 percent), stuffing or dressing (77 percent), and bread and rolls (74 percent).

Favorites by Region:

South

  1. Turnips
  2. Staffing or Dressing
  3. Macaroni and cheese
  4. Collard green

North East

  1. Fruit Salad
  2. Beans and rice
  3. Rice
  4. Soup

West

  1. Tamales
  2. Glazed carrots
  3. Soup
  4. Beef

Mid West

  1. Deviled eggs
  2. Chicken
  3. Mash potatoes
  4. Jell-O

The only region where the turkey was not in the top slot was the West.

Across the board, some of the worst-ranked foods were tofu, plantains, black-eyed peas, and lamb.

Regional Favorites

The various dishes favored in each region of the country tend to reflect the native crops and the immigrant communities that live in those areas. For example, tamales are the most common side dish in the West.

Who typically does the cooking in your family?

In addition to surveying Thanksgiving preferences, YouGov also took a look at who in families tend to do the cooking and cleaning during the holiday. The poll found that 48 percent of women reported that they would be doing “all” or “most” of the cooking, compared to only twenty-four percent of men. Men are slightly more likely, thirty-one percent, to help with the cleaning, but still the rates are heavily weighted towards women, forty-six percent.

What are the most popular Thanksgiving dishes? It depends on where you live (2024)

FAQs

What are 5 traditional Thanksgiving foods? ›

The classic Thanksgiving dinner includes old-time favorites that never change: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie. But the way these dishes are made or added to is everchanging because of food trends and different dietary requirements.

What are the 3 traditional foods Americans eat during Thanksgiving? ›

Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries. These foods have become synonymous with Thanksgiving, but how did they end up on tables from Maine to California?

What is the number 1 rated side dish for Thanksgiving? ›

Mashed potatoes are a traditional Thanksgiving side dish for a reason, and we definitely look forward to serving up this delicious dish every November. Click here for the recipe!

What is America's least favorite Thanksgiving food? ›

"For the third year in a row, cranberry sauce takes first place as the most disliked traditional Thanksgiving food. Over 31% of respondents, 82 million American adults, do not want cranberry sauce for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Which dish was not eaten at the first Thanksgiving? ›

Potatoes. Whether mashed or roasted, white or sweet, potatoes had no place at the first Thanksgiving.

What was the original Thanksgiving dish? ›

The first Thanksgiving banquet consisted of foods like venison, bean stew and hard biscuits. And while corn and pumpkin had their place on the table, they hardly resembled the cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie we feast on today.

How many sides do you need for Thanksgiving? ›

For sides like mashed potatoes and stuffing, you should have at least one dish for every five people and at least two dishes for 10 people or more. If you're serving a salad, one should be enough unless you're serving 20 people or more.

What are the best foods for Thanksgiving? ›

For just one day a year, we feast on roast turkey, jellied cranberries, and marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole—dishes so synonymous with Thanksgiving, they earn the exclusive designation of Thanksgiving food.

What food is served at Thanksgiving party? ›

Get the Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.
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Nov 15, 2023

What is the most common main dish for Thanksgiving dinner? ›

Turkey is a classic main course for Thanksgiving dinner, but that certainly doesn't mean you have to serve it every year.

What is the difference between northern and southern Thanksgiving? ›

Up north, Turkey is the guest of honor. No ifs, ands or wish bones about it. But down past the Mason Dixon line, there is a good chance to find ham the head honcho. Some Southern families make more than one meat at Thanksgiving, such as turkey and ham, whereas Yankees tend to focus solely on a turkey.

What are 4 commonly consumed foods at Thanksgiving other than turkey? ›

Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals.

How many sides should you serve for Thanksgiving? ›

How many dishes should I serve with the turkey? For 4 people, choose 1-2 appetizers and 3 sides. For 8 people, choose 1-3 appetizers and 3 sides. For 16 people, choose 2-3 appetizers and 3 or more sides.

What is the most popular Thanksgiving side dish in Michigan? ›

According to the study, Michigan's favorite Thanksgiving side dish for 2023 is Mashed Potatoes! Michigan is not alone in its love for mashed potatoes. The following states also love mashed potatoes, too.

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