Because turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving is sometimes colloquially called Turkey Day (USA). The USDA estimated that 269 million turkeys were raised in the country in 2003, about one-sixth of which were destined for a Thanksgiving dinner plate.

Most Thanksgiving turkeys are stuffed with bread crumbs and roasted. Sage is the traditional herb added to the stuffing (also called dressing), along with chopped celery and onions. Turducken, a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, is becoming more popular, from its Cajun base in Louisiana. Deep-fried turkey is rising in popularity as well, requiring special fryers to hold the large bird, and reportedly leading to fires and bad burns for those who aren't careful. In more recent years it is also true that as the wild population of turkeys has rebounded in most of the U.S., some will also hunt and dress their turkey in the woods and then freeze it until it is time to eat.

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