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    Home Β» Fall

    Published: Nov 10, 2022 Β· Modified: Nov 18, 2022 by Zen Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    15 Alternate Thanksgiving Meals (to Turkey)

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    Alternative Thanksgiving Meals that are even better than the star of the show (roast turkey!)

    Close-up of chicken poached in dark soy sauce.

    Although Turkey and cranberry sauce is a classic Thanksgiving dish, not every likes it or can cook it well! (1 whole turkey is usually too large for a small family too.)
    Here is a list of delicious Asian recipes that would make great alternative Thanksgiving meals. They only require simple ingredients for an stress-free holiday season! For specifically fish Thanksgiving recipes, click here.

    Note: click here for more Asian and Chinese Thanksgiving recipes.

    Jump to:
    • Appetisers
    • Mains
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • πŸ’¬ Comments

    Appetisers

    Chinese Soup with Pumpkin

    A bowl of Chinese soup with pumpkin, scallops, carrots, jujubes and seaweed in a white bowl.

    If you do want a pumpkin dish for autumnal flavor, try this Asian pumpkin soup! It's pretty much cut, dump in the bowl and steam, making sure you'll have an easy and stressless Thanksgiving Day!

    Alternatively, I also have more easy Asian pumpkin recipes here and more Kabocha Japanese Squash recipes here.

    Chinese Pumpkin Soup with Carrots
    A deliciously savory dish, this Chinese Pumpkin Soup with carrots is also very nutritious and really easy to make in a few simple steps! (Basically, cut + steam!)
    Click here for the pumpkin carrot soup recipe.
    A hand holding Chinese pumpkin soup served in a small pumpkin and white bowl.

    Cucumber Salad

    For a healthy appetizer, try this Chinese cucumber dish- its tangy flavor will get your stomach ready for the rest of the food!

    Cold cucumber salad recipe
    The easy Chinese cold cucumber salad recipe is delicious and full of spicy flavor. Best of all, it only requires 4-ingredients and takes 5-10 minutes to make.Β 
    Click here for the crisp and refreshing cucumber dish.
    Close-up of red spicy asian cucumber salad.

    Spam Fries

    Dipping a SPAM fry into a bowl of Gochuajng Mayonnaise Sauce.

    Don't forget to serve with a delicious dip on the side, such as sambal aioli.

    Spam fries (2-ingredients)
    Savoury and full of umami, these luncheon meat fries, or SPAM fries, will leave you wanting more! Crisp outside but soft inside, they're super simple to make and on the table in under 30 minutes! (I have tested them 5 different ways!)
    Click here for the umamilicious luncheon meat fries.
    A box of SPAM fries with sauce in the background.

    Spicy Tuna Dip

    This 4-ingredient seafood dip is perfect with cruditΓ©s such as cut vegetables.

    Curried Spicy Tuna Dip (4- ingredients)
    An easy, spicy, creamy canned tuna recipe that only calls for 4 pantry staples and can be made in 15 minutes.
    Click here for the easy, spicy canned tuna recipe.
    Someone dipping a cracker into a bowl of spicy coconut tuna curried dip.

    Mains

    Hong Kong Soy Chicken

    Close-up of chicken poached in dark soy sauce.

    A whole roast turkey is traditional for the main course but can be a pain to make and to finish! (Turkey breast can be so dry...) Why not go with something smaller, such as chicken, as a turkey alternative?

    This soy sauce chicken is a classic recipe from Hong Kong. The meat is juicy and tender from the poaching- a favourite at family gatherings!

    The cooking process is mostly passive, with little hands-on involvement, allowing you the freedom to entertain your guests or make other healthy Thanksgiving recipes. If you want something even easier, I have a 30-minute braised chicken thigh version of this recipe here.

    Best Poached One Pot Chinatown Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe
    This Cantonese classic chicken is an easy-to-recreate-restaurant dish that can be made in 1 pot! It's also the gift that keeps giving as the leftover poaching liquid can be used for so many things (see post above). (Inspired by 4 recipes: Woks Of Life, SCMP, Burning Kitchen and Red House Spice)
    Click here for the Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe.
    A plate of Cantonese soy sauce with white rice and green onions.

    If 1 Asian whole chicken dish isn't enough, click the link for more recipes!

    Note: If you do go with the traditional bird and have leftovers, click here for ways to use up the leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat!

    Pumpkin Chicken Curry

    Someone scooping up thick pumpkin chicken curry with white rice.

    Curries taste even better the next day, so you can actually make this aromatic dish the day before and just warm it up for your Thanksgiving dinner.

    Full of holiday flavors, with tender and juicy chicken in a fragrant curry sauce, it goes really well with wild rice! It's so good you'll finish every grain of rice.

    Easy Pumpkin Chicken Curry from Scratch
    This easy pumpkin chicken curry is made of juicy, tender chicken morsels simmered in a deliciously aromatic sauce that is full of warm spiced flavor. It's well- spiced but not spicy and can be bulked up with healthy veggies, all in one pot. Plus it's super flexible: it can be made with coconut cream, regular cream, pumpkin puree or none of the above!
    Click here for the homemade curry recipe.
    A plate of jasmine rice and chicken pumpkin curry with coriander.

    South East Asian Fish Curry

    Someone holding up a plate of coconut fish curry with white rice.

    For a lighter non-traditional meal, go with a seafood curry such as this tamarind coconut fish curry. It's so easy and delicious, it may start a new tradition in your household!

    Singaporean Tamarind Coconut Fish Curry
    An 8-ingredient curry with flaky fish in a spiced, creamy curry sauce. The tamarind juice gives the flavorful Singapore Tamarind Coconut Fish Curry a delicious citrusy acidity (and makes sure there is no fishy flavor)- unusual for a curry, but makes for a super satisfying meal with white rice. (Dairy-free) (Stovetop)
    Click here for the Assam Fish Curry recipe.
    Close-up of a white plate of tamarind fish curry with coconut and rice.

    Scallion Pancakes

    Crispy and flaky pan fried scallion pancakes on parchment paper.

    These Asian savory pancakes only require sliced spring onions and 3 other ingredients. Delicious, cheap and can be fried from frozen!

    Taiwanese green onion pancake recipe (Cong you bing)
    Taiwanese green onion pancake (Cong you bing), also known as Chinese scallion pancake, is a delicious savoury street snack that is easy to batch make and freeze.
    Click here for the savory bing recipe.
    Crispy and flaky pan fried scallion pancakes on parchment paper.

    Side Dishes

    Butternut Squash Fries

    Close-up of gochujang butternut squash baked fries.

    Instead of pumpkin, why not go for butternut squash?

    Gochujang is so flavourful that you don't need plenty of garlic for flavor! The same dressing can also be used for pan-fried pork tenderloin or roasted Cornish hens.

    Note: For more Korean side dishes recipes, click here. Wash down with some homemade makgeolli for a perfect meal!

    Easy Gochujang Butternut Squash recipe
    An easy 5-ingredient gochujang butternut squash recipe that is bursting with flavour. The hardest thing about this roasted Asian butternut squash recipe is cutting the squash!
    Click here for the butternut squash appetizer.
    Close-up of gochujang butternut squash baked fries.

    Chinese Mantou Rolls

    2 green matcha buns with a Chinese tea pot.

    Go fancy with your dinner rolls this year, and try these Asian steamed buns! They can be made in advance, frozen then steamed from frozen: perfect for parties!

    If you're not a matcha fan, you can omit the flavor or substitute with something else such as Hojicha, black sesame powder, turmeric or cocoa powder.

    Spiral Pandan Mantou (Steamed Chinese Buns)
    Click here for the pretty mantou recipe.
    A few steamed spiral mantou buns on a serving board.
    Easy Matcha Buns (1-rise Mantou)
    An easy matcha bun (Chinese mantou bao) recipe which only requires 1 proof (1 rise), along with a mantou FAQ section on how to use a metal steamer (instead of the traditional bamboo steamer) and why your naturally vegan matcha buns aren't smooth.
    Click here for the green tea bun recipe.
    1 matcha green tea bun before being steamed.

    For more Asian breads besides steamed buns, click here.

    Roast Potatoes

    A close-up of baked turmeric potatoes on a white plate.

    For a new spin on classic mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes casserole, try these beautifully golden turmeric potatoes that are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Goes with any main dish and a great way to incorporate healthy turmeric into your diet.

    Tip: you'll need to rub on the olive oil to get that crispy skin.

    πŸ“‹ Quick & Easy Turmeric Potatoes
    These roasted turmeric potatoes are super quick and easy as the potatoes aren't parboiled before baking. Golden and spiced from the turmeric, they're nonetheless delicious- firm outside but warm and melt-in-your-mouth inside! (I also show you how to parboil them for a super crispy turmeric roast potatoes, if that's what you're looking for!)
    Click here for the roast potato side dish recipe.
    Roasted potatoes which are beautifully golden thanks to turmeric on a white plate.

    Meaty Mushrooms

    A plate of seared mushrooms tossed in a butter soy sauce.

    These king oyster mushrooms are 1 of my favourite Thanksgiving recipe. They're often used as meat substitutes thanks to their meaty texture. Although delicious with just butter and soy sauce, adding a hint of lemon zest and juice makes the dish even better!

    Quick Eryngii Mushrooms (3-ingredients)
    A 25-minute, easy to make and delicious eryngii mushroom recipe. These have a nice meaty texture which make them great meat substitutes for vegan meals.
    Click here for the Chinese mushroom recipe.
    A plate of seared mushrooms tossed in a butter soy sauce.

    Note: for more Chinese mushroom recipes, click here.

    Korean Potato Salad

    1 of my favorite potato recipes is this soft and creamy mashed potato- it has crisp apples for sweetness and cucumbers and eggs to balance out the soft potatoes.

    Desserts

    Many fried orange pancakes with sesame seeds in a bowl on baking paper.

    Instead of pumpkin pie or classic apple pie and ice cream, try these Chinese Pumpkin Glutinous Rice Cakes which are deliciously gooey but super simple to make.

    Much easier than making pie crust, for sure!

    Chinese Pumpkin Cake
    Crisp on the outside but soft, gooey and chewy on the inside, Chinese Pumpkin Cake or Nan Gua Bing is a must-make dessert in fall! If you've ever felt intimidated by the thought of making your own Asian street snacks, try this easy Chinese recipe to give you confidence! It's simple enough to make perfectly the very 1st time!
    Click here for the Pumpkin Nan Gua Bing recipe.
    Many fried orange pancakes with sesame seeds in a bowl on baking paper.

    Brown Sugar Cookies

    A hand dipping a brown sugar cookie into a cup of afternoon tea.

    Or, for something lighter, maybe end the Thanksgiving menu with these 3-ingredient cookies that go super well with some coffee or tea? (If you don't have brown sugar, you can make your own!)

    Tip: they're great as a lime curd sandwich or dipped into coconut caramel.

    Easy 3-ingredient Brown Sugar Cookies
    Buttery, crisp but flaky and not-too-sweet, these deliciously easy 3-ingredient Brown Sugar Cookies are the perfect Holiday Bake for fall and winter! Lots of flavor for very little work, they're the perfect bake for when you're feeling lazy and don't have eggs.
    Click here for this classic fall cookie recipe.
    Someone dipping a brown sugar cookie into a cup of tea.

    If you use any of these Asian recipes in your Alternative Thanksgiving Meal, do let me know! I'd love to see a photo of your holiday table spread!

    If you enjoyed these dishes, maybe you'd like to sign up for my Chinese recipes newsletter here?

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

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    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love cooking for friends and family. Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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