36 Jewish Thanksgiving Recipes (Brisket, Kugel, Challah Stuffing & More)

Thanksgiving isn’t technically a Jewish holiday. And by technically, I mean actually. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have Jewish Thanksgiving recipes!

I love Thanksgiving. The food, of course, is some of the best around. Turkey. Mashed potatoes. Cranberry sauce. All topped with bourbon gravy! Remember Thanksgivukkah? When Hanukkah and Thanksgiving overlapped for the first time in forever and the last time in 70,000 years or so? Yeah. It was the best food day ever. So now I aim to recreate the Jewish/Thanksgiving mashup every year. Because you want challah in your stuffing. Trust me.

Here are 36 of my favorite Jewish Thanksgiving recipes, organized by course, from challah stuffing and brisket to kugel, latkes and a tahini pumpkin pie. Plus everything you need to know about hosting a kosher Thanksgiving.

Do Jews celebrate Thanksgiving?

Most American Jews do! Thanksgiving is a national holiday, not a religious one, so there is nothing about it that conflicts with Judaism. A few very traditional communities skip it, but the famous Orthodox authority Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ruled that a Thanksgiving meal is fine, as long as it is not treated like a religious holiday. Gratitude is a pretty Jewish value anyway. We say blessings of thanks all day long.

And honestly, a holiday built around a big family dinner, too much food and relatives with opinions? We were made for this.

What is Thanksgivukkah?

In 2013, the first day of Hanukkah landed on Thanksgiving, and the internet lost its mind. Sweet potato latkes, challah stuffing, cranberry applesauce, menurkeys (yes, a turkey-shaped menorah). It was a once-in-a-lifetime overlap, so a lot of us just kept making the mashup food anyway. This year Hanukkah starts on December 4, 2026, only eight days after Thanksgiving on November 26, so plan on a lot of frying in a short amount of time. My Hanukkah menu can help with round two.

How to have a kosher Thanksgiving

If you keep kosher, the big challenge is that you cannot mix meat and dairy. With turkey or brisket on the table, that means no butter, milk or cream anywhere in the meal. A few tips:

• Swap the butter. Use olive oil, schmaltz or a plant-based butter in stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie crust.
• Do not brine a kosher turkey. Kosher birds are already salted as part of the koshering process, so brining or heavy salting will make them too salty.
• Make dairy-free gravy. Pan drippings, stock and a little flour are all you need.
• Plan pareve desserts. Pies with oil-based crusts, fruit desserts and nondairy whipped topping keep dessert kosher after a meat meal.
• Check each recipe. Some of the recipes below are dairy, some are meat and some are pareve, so read the ingredients and swap as needed.

How to plan a Jewish Thanksgiving menu

• Start with the main: turkey, brisket, or both if you are feeding a crowd (or my family).
• Add a kugel or two. They act like a casserole, and they reheat beautifully.
• Put challah in the stuffing. This is non-negotiable.
• Make ahead. Brisket and kugel are both better the next day, which frees up the oven for the bird.
• End with something pumpkin. Then go lie down.

36 Jewish Thanksgiving recipes

To start

Appetizers

Something to nosh on while the turkey (or brisket) finishes. Most of these can be made ahead, which is the whole game on Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Spice Mashed Potato KnishesThanksgiving BourekasCheesy Bourbon Horseradish DipZa’atar Yogurt and Red Wine Cranberry CrostiniTzimmes CrostiniKofta Stuffed Dates

Warm up

Soups and salads

A bowl of soup and something bright and crunchy to balance out all the carbs to come.

Pumpkin Spice Matzah Ball SoupCarrot Harissa Soup with Za’atar Challah CroutonsRoasted Carrots and Beets with Tahini Yogurt

Carbs on carbs

Challah, stuffing and breads

Because you want challah in your stuffing. Trust me.

Pumpkin ChallahMushroom Challah DressingThanksgiving Deli Roll

The main event

Mains

Turkey is great, but brisket at Thanksgiving is a Jewish power move. Here are both kinds of centerpieces, plus a couple of cozy chicken dishes.

Bourbon Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry SaucePomegranate Brisket with Cranberry SuccotashWhite Wine, Honey and Fig ChickenZa’atar Roasted Chicken Over Sumac PotatoesMatzah Ball Pot PieStuffed Cabbage Rolls with White Wine Sauce

Pass the kugel

Sides

Kugel is basically a Thanksgiving casserole that went to Hebrew school. These sides do double duty for Hanukkah too.

Tahini Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Fried SageSweet Potato KugelNoodle Kugel with Candied PecansCaramelized Onion Sriracha Potato KugelVegetable Kugel with Caramelized LeeksRoasted Brussels Sprouts with GribenesSweet and Spicy Bamba Brussels SproutsBrussels Sprouts LatkesStuffed Sweet Potatoes with Za’atar Chickpeas

Thanksgivukkah forever

Thanksgiving latkes

Thanksgiving classics, reimagined as latkes. Green bean casserole latkes are real, and they are spectacular.

Green Bean Casserole Latkes (Haricots Verts)Sweet Potato Latkes with Cranberry Pecan ApplesaucePumpkin Pie Stuffed Latkes

Save room

Desserts

Pumpkin pie, but make it Jewish. Plus rugelach, babka and mandel bread for the dessert table.

Tahini Hawaij Pumpkin PiePumpkin Pie BlintzesPumpkin Butter and Caramelized Fig RugelachPumpkin Chocolate BabkaCranberry Orange Chocolate Mandel BreadSweet Potato Casserole Latkes

Jewish Thanksgiving FAQ

What do Jewish people eat for Thanksgiving?

The same classics as everyone else, turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and pie, often with a Jewish twist. Brisket shows up as a second main, kugel stands in for casseroles, challah goes into the stuffing, and latkes sneak onto the table, especially when Hanukkah is close.

Is turkey kosher?

Turkey is a kosher bird, but it has to be slaughtered and koshered according to Jewish law to count as kosher. Look for a kosher certification on the package.

Can you have dairy at a kosher Thanksgiving?

Not if you are serving turkey or another meat. Keep the whole meal pareve or meat, and save the dairy desserts for another day, or host a vegetarian dairy Thanksgiving instead.

When is Hanukkah in 2026?

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, just over a week after Thanksgiving. Get ready with my Hanukkah desserts, sufganiyot and the best latkes recipe.

Will Thanksgivukkah happen again?

Not for a long time. The next time Thanksgiving falls during Hanukkah is expected to be 2070, and the exact 2013 lineup, with the first day of Hanukkah on Thanksgiving, is tens of thousands of years away. Which is all the more reason to make Thanksgiving latkes this year anyway.