The Case for Thanksgiving Chicken

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it's a line that bears repeating every year around this time when people start placing orders for poultry: Thanksgiving issomuch better with a chicken. Yes,switching up your birdis a big break from tradition, but it's one I think deserves your serious consideration. Especially if you'renot doing the holidaythis year the way you usually would in terms of location and crowd size, it’s the perfect time to experiment in the main course department. Please allow me to make my case.

It’s clear we have been misled by Big Turkey, tricked into thinking we can’t eat a better bird onThanksgiving. We’ve been trained to think of chicken as quotidian, something that isn’t nearly special enough to get the holiday treatment, but be honest: How often are you roasting a whole, dressed up chicken? Everyday chicken is aboneless skinless breastor freezer nuggets—the chicken equivalent of a turkey sandwich, which somehow doesn’t disqualify a whole turkey from celebratory main course duty. Open your eyes, man! The game is rigged.

Also, the ideal modern Thanksgiving plate is an explosion of sides, an assemblage ofbold salads,comforting vegetables, andbutter-laden casseroles. According to many, they’ve the best part of the meal, but that passion is borne out of necessity. Turkey, especially boring Thanksgiving turkey, is totally thrill-less, so we psych ourselves up with what surrounds it. Makingextremely good squash—while extremely good—is nothing more than a band-aid covering up the real problem: that the traditional protein is perfunctory, a way to get a slice of meat on the plate. That meat slice can be awesome, even the best part of the meal, if only we learn to look beyond turkey.

Of course, I do not really think that psychoanalyzing turkey makers and eaters is going to convince you to make a Thanksgiving chicken (unless…?). So, to seal the deal, I have also prepared a list! Read on for why there is no better bird for your holiday dinner when it comes to ease, flexibility, cost, and the actual most important thing (aka leftovers).

Ease

The way some people talk about cooking aturkey, you would think it’s an Olympic sport. “Feeling really good about this year,” they say, stretching to loosen up theircarvingarm and pulling out the specialroasting panthat gathers dust the other 364 days. It makes sense! You spent a not insignificant amount of money (more on that later) on what will become the backbone of your family’s holiday meal. Nailing it comes with a lot of built-in stress.

The truth is, Thanksgiving success does not require athlete-level focus or specialized cooking tools. Roasting a chicken in a skillet—your average, everydaycast ironorstainless steel—is easy, straightforward, and effective, producing a well-browned and evenly cooked bird every time. For two chickens, stick those babies side by side on a sheet pan set with a wire rack.

Flexibility

The magic of a roast chicken is that it’s full of potential. A more flavorful and juicy specimen on its own (IMO) than turkey, chicken is less precious, a blank slate that can take a bit of playfulness when it comes to rubs and glazes. You can absolutely staysimpleandtraditionalif you want, but a few extra ingredients can take your bird in any direction you please—which, I promise, willnotclash with the rest of your spread. Try spicy-stickygochujang, garlickyCaesar dressing, or an irresistiblecitrus and chilecombination to mix things up.

Price

If you’re making turkey, choosing a heritage breed over a conventional bird is absolutely the move from both an environmental and animal welfare perspective—but the happier, fancier birds come at a premium. Split the difference by ordering Thanksgiving chicken: You can spring for a local, fully pastured bird you can be proud of for less money per pound than an ethically-produced turkey. If one chicken (which serves four) is too small for your holiday crowd, buy two—still cheaper than a big turkey! Math!

Leftovers

Perhaps the most important category of all is the one that focuses not on Thanksgiving dinner itself, but on the following day. It is my belief that every standardturkey leftoversplay is just something wewishwe could eat with chicken. The breakfast hash move, the sandwich move, just running the whole meal back another time—it’s all better with chicken. Flavorwise, the fight doesn’t even seem fair. Also, though technically more of a byproduct than a leftover, theschmaltzyou yield by roasting a chicken is reason enough to make the swap.

Even with all of these points in the pro column, I understand that for some, deviating from storied Thanksgiving tradition is (literally) not on the table. I developed a recipe this year that takes baby steps away from the tried-and-true holiday menu—and towards chicken, obviously—while maintaining the ethos of the classic dishes. You still get silky gravy to pour over everything, for example, made from the drippings of your simple roast chicken (themisoblends right in, providing some savory saltiness rather than a distinct additional flavor). And you get a stuffing-esque side, as well: roasted acorn squash, apples, and buttery, herby croutons that soak up the sauce with aplomb. It’s achievable but celebratory, with plenty of room for adding the sides you can’t live without—exactly what aholiday menushould look like this year. It’s not full-blown Thanksgiving anarchy, but it’s a step in the right direction. Maybe next year, you’ll makelasagna.

Miso-Butter Roast Chicken With Acorn Squash Panzanella

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