Turkey will reaffirm its reign on Thanksgiving with 94% of Americans set to celebrate the holiday
The survey, conducted in August 2025 among a representative sample of 1,000 consumers ages 18 and 75, confirms that culinary traditions remain strong. Among those who celebrate, 87% say turkey is part of their dinner almost every year, and 74% plan to cook a whole bird.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving Day maintains its strength as one of the country's most deeply rooted celebrations, and turkey continues to take center stage in households. According to new research from the National Turkey Federation (NTF), 94% of Americans plan to celebrate the holiday this year and nearly 30 million turkeys will be served on tables across the land.
The survey, conducted in August 2025 among a representative sample of 1,000 consumers ages 18 and 75, confirms that culinary traditions remain strong. Among those who celebrate, 87% say turkey is part of their dinner almost every year, and 74% plan to cook a whole bird.
Most gatherings will include between three and 10 guests (71%) and nearly six in 10 celebrants (59%) will act as hosts, NTF claims.
"Thanksgiving brings people together like few traditions can achieve, and turkey is always at the center of that celebration. The U.S. turkey industry is proud to help make those special moments possible," said Leslee Oden, president and CEO of the NTF, quoted by the agency on its website.
Cooking: tradition with room for innovation
The study reveals that the classic way of preparing turkey remains the most popular.
65% of Americans roast it in the oven, while others opt for more modern or risky methods: smoked (10%), fried (7%), grilled (7%) or in an air fryer (7%).
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) roast their turkey in the oven, while others opt for more modern or alternative methods: smoking (10%), frying (7%), grilling (7%), or using an air fryer (7%).
After the big dinner, the traditions continue: 84% percent of hosts send their guests home with leftovers, and more than half say the turkey sandwich is their favorite way to enjoy them the next day.
Stress-free cooking resources
In an effort to support the millions of home cooks preparing for the holiday, NTF highlights its Thanksgiving 101 resource center available at EatTurkey.org. The platform offers tools such as thawing calculators, cooking charts, turkey carving tutorials and recipes for making use of leftovers throughout the weekend.
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