Paleo Thanksgiving Menu: Recipes and Turkey Timeline

By Paleo Life Coach Editorial Team · Last updated September 25, 2026 · Nutrition from USDA FoodData Central

Thanksgiving is the easiest holiday to go paleo, because the centerpiece already is. Turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries, green beans and pumpkin are all paleo foods. What isn’t: bread stuffing, flour gravy, marshmallow toppings, canned cranberry jelly and a wheat pie crust. This paleo Thanksgiving plan swaps each of those, gives you a thaw-and-roast timeline for Thursday, November 26, 2026, and shows the nutrition of every dish so you know what you’re serving.

The quick version: For a paleo Thanksgiving, roast the turkey as usual and change the sides. Make stuffing from sausage, apples, mushrooms and pecans instead of bread, thicken gravy with arrowroot, mash sweet potatoes with coconut milk, sweeten cranberries with a little honey, and bake pumpkin pie in an almond-flour crust.

Here’s the full menu for 8 people. Every dish skips grains, dairy, legumes and refined sugar, the core paleo exclusions summarized in Harvard’s diet review.

What does a paleo Thanksgiving menu look like?
Course	Paleo dish	Replaces
Main	Herb-roasted turkey (unstuffed)	Nothing; turkey is already paleo
Sauce	Pan gravy thickened with arrowroot	Flour gravy
Side	Sausage, apple and mushroom stuffing	Bread stuffing
Side	Mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk	Marshmallow sweet potato casserole
Side	Garlic green beans with bacon	Green bean casserole with canned soup
Condiment	Honey-orange cranberry sauce	Canned cranberry sauce
Dessert	Pumpkin pie with almond-flour crust	Wheat-crust pumpkin pie

When should you thaw and roast the turkey? (2026 timeline)

Thaw in the refrigerator, allowing about 24 hours for every 5 pounds, or in cold water at 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every 30 minutes. Never thaw on the counter (Illinois Extension).

When should you thaw and roast the turkey? (2026 timeline)
Turkey weight	Fridge thaw time	Cold-water thaw time	Unstuffed roast at 325°F
8–12 lb	1½ to 2½ days	4–6 hours	2¾–3 hours
12–14 lb	2½ to 3 days	6–7 hours	3–3¾ hours
14–18 lb	3 to 3½ days	7–9 hours	3¾–4¼ hours
18–20 lb	3½ to 4 days	9–10 hours	4¼–4½ hours
20–24 lb	4 to 5 days	10–12 hours	4½–5 hours

Thaw times calculated from Illinois Extension’s rates (24 hours per 5 lb in the fridge; 30 minutes per lb in cold water); roasting times from the Illinois Extension roasting chart. Always confirm doneness with a thermometer.

Worked example, 16 lb turkey, dinner at 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 26:

Sunday, Nov. 22, morning: move the frozen turkey to a tray on the bottom shelf of the fridge. It needs about 3.2 days, so Sunday leaves a margin.
Wednesday, Nov. 25: make cranberry sauce, pie and the stuffing mix (keep the raw sausage mixture separate until baking). Simmer the neck and giblets for gravy stock, or use homemade bone broth.
Thursday, 10:00 a.m.: oven to 325°F; pat the turkey dry. It goes in by 10:30.
About 2:15–2:45 p.m.: check the thermometer; the turkey is done when the innermost thigh, wing and thickest part of the breast reach 165°F (FDA safe food handling). Rest it 20–30 minutes while you bake the stuffing and make gravy.

Herb-roasted turkey

1 turkey, 14–16 lb, fully thawed, giblets removed
3 tbsp olive oil or melted ghee (ghee is clarified butter; strict paleo cooks use oil)
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage, thyme and rosemary, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper
1 onion, 1 lemon and a few herb sprigs for the cavity (aromatics only, not stuffing)

Pat the turkey dry, rub it with the oil, herbs, salt and pepper, and set it breast side up on a rack in a shallow pan. Tent loosely with foil and roast at 325°F, removing the foil for the last hour to brown the skin. Illinois Extension recommends roasting until the innermost thigh reaches 165°F and notes there’s no need to wash the turkey (Illinois Extension).

Pan gravy without flour

Pour off the pan juices and skim the fat. Bring 2 cups of the juices plus stock to a simmer, whisk 3 tablespoons of arrowroot into ¼ cup of cold water, and stir it in off the boil until glossy. Arrowroot thickens quickly and thins if boiled hard, so add it last. The paleo flour guide explains why arrowroot and tapioca are the best grain-free thickeners.

Grain-free sausage, apple and mushroom stuffing

Serves 8.

1 lb (450 g) ground pork, seasoned with 1 tsp dried sage, ½ tsp thyme, ½ tsp fennel, ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (150 g) and 4 celery ribs (160 g), diced
8 oz (225 g) mushrooms, chopped
2 apples (240 g), diced
½ cup (60 g) chopped pecans
1 egg, beaten, and 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock

Brown the pork and cook until no pink remains, then remove. Cook the onion, celery and mushrooms in the oil for 8 minutes, add the apples for 3 minutes, then combine everything with the pecans, egg and stock. Bake in a greased dish at 350°F for 30–35 minutes. Bake it separately rather than in the bird; stuffing must reach 165°F to be safe (Illinois Extension).

Mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk

Serves 8. Boil 3 lb (1.36 kg) peeled, cubed sweet potatoes for 15 minutes until tender, drain and mash with ½ cup (120 g) canned coconut milk, 1 tbsp maple syrup, ½ tsp salt and a pinch of cinnamon. No marshmallows needed; sweet potatoes are already sweet. Not sure sweet potatoes count? See is sweet potato paleo.

Garlic green beans with bacon

Serves 8. Blanch 2 lb (900 g) trimmed green beans for 3 minutes and shock in ice water. Crisp 4 slices of bacon (60 g cooked), then sauté the beans with 3 cloves of sliced garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil in the bacon pan for 4 minutes. Crumble the bacon on top. Check that the bacon has no added sugar, or leave it out.

Honey-orange cranberry sauce

Makes about 2 cups (8 servings of ¼ cup). Simmer one 12-oz bag (340 g) fresh cranberries with ½ cup (120 ml) orange juice and ⅓ cup (120 g) honey for 10–12 minutes, until most berries pop. Add orange zest and cool; it thickens as it sets. Refrigerated cranberry sauce keeps up to 2 weeks, according to Illinois Extension.

Pumpkin pie with an almond-flour crust

Serves 8.

Crust: 1½ cups (180 g) almond flour, 3 tbsp (45 g) melted coconut oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, pinch of salt. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
Filling: one 15-oz can (425 g) pumpkin purée, 1 cup (240 g) canned coconut milk, 3 eggs, ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (120 g) maple syrup, 2 tbsp arrowroot, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice.

Whisk the filling, pour into the crust and bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes until the center is just set. Cool completely, then refrigerate. Tent the crust edge with foil if it browns too fast; almond flour browns quicker than wheat.

How does the paleo menu compare nutritionally?
Dish (per serving)	Calories	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Sodium (mg)
Roast turkey, meat only, 4 oz	180	32.8	4.3	0	0	0	114
Sausage-apple stuffing (1/8)	267	13.0	20.2	9.5	2.4	5.5	247
Mashed sweet potatoes (1/8)	182	3.0	3.3	36.3	5.1	8.6	241
Garlic green beans with bacon (1/8)	87	4.7	4.6	8.3	3.1	3.7	133
Arrowroot pan gravy (¼ cup)	32	1.5	0.7	4.8	0.1	0.9	86
Honey-orange cranberry sauce (¼ cup)	72	0.3	0.1	19.0	1.6	15.4	2
Paleo pumpkin pie (1/8)	347	9.5	25.2	22.4	3.7	12.4	35

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy values weighted by recipe quantities (turkey FDC 171481; ground pork 167902; sweet potato 168482; green beans 169961; cranberries 171722; honey 169640; pumpkin 168450; coconut milk 170173; maple syrup 169661) and USDA Foundation almond flour (2261420). Gravy assumes 2 cups of home-prepared stock. Herbs and spices not included; sugars for the pie are from maple syrup and pumpkin.

A plate of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, gravy and cranberry sauce comes to about 820 calories and 55 g of protein by these numbers, before pie.

Is homemade paleo cranberry sauce and pie really lighter?

On sugar, yes. Here’s how the paleo versions compare with USDA’s entries for the canned and commercial versions:

Is homemade paleo cranberry sauce and pie really lighter?
Per serving	Calories	Sugars (g)	Sodium (mg)
Canned sweetened cranberry sauce, ¼ cup (69 g, FDC 173961)	110	21.9	4
Honey-orange cranberry sauce, ¼ cup (recipe above)	72	15.4	2
Commercial pumpkin pie, 1 slice (133 g, FDC 172787)	323	25.1	318
Paleo pumpkin pie, 1/8 pie (recipe above)	347	12.4	35

USDA portion weights for the canned and commercial items; paleo values from the recipes above.

The homemade cranberry sauce has about 30% less sugar than canned, and the paleo pie has about half the sugar and a ninth of the sodium of a commercial slice. It’s not lower in calories, though: the almond crust and coconut milk make it richer. Honey and maple syrup still count as added sugar, as the paleo sweeteners guide explains, and Harvard’s Nutrition Source summarizes the daily limits.

How do you handle leftovers safely?

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of the meal, split into shallow containers (Illinois Extension). Illinois Extension’s storage guide gives these limits:

Cooked turkey: 3–4 days in the fridge; 2–3 months in the freezer.
Gravy: 1–2 days in the fridge; 2–3 months frozen.
Stuffing: 1–2 days; reheat to 165°F (Illinois Extension).
Cranberry sauce: up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Turn the carcass into broth the same weekend and the leftover meat into the chicken vegetable soup in our paleo soup recipes, swapping turkey for chicken. For longer storage, see the paleo freezer meals guide.

Common paleo Thanksgiving mistakes

Thawing too late. A 20 lb turkey needs 4–5 days in the fridge. Start the weekend before.
Stuffing the bird with a paleo stuffing. The egg and sausage need to reach 165°F; bake it in a dish.
Boiling arrowroot gravy. It thickens fast and can thin out again; add it off the boil at the end.
Assuming “paleo” dessert means light. The almond-crust pie has more calories than a commercial slice.
Forgetting guests with nut allergies. Almond flour and pecans are tree nuts; label those dishes.

Frequently asked questions about paleo Thanksgiving

Is turkey paleo?

Yes. Plain roast turkey is a paleo protein. Watch pre-brined or “self-basting” turkeys, which can contain added sugar, broth or flavorings, and skip commercial rubs and gravy packets with flour or sugar. Roast it until the innermost thigh reaches 165°F.

What can I use instead of bread stuffing on paleo?

Make stuffing from browned sausage or ground pork with onions, celery, mushrooms, apples and pecans, bound with an egg and stock. Some cooks add diced roasted sweet potato or cauliflower for bulk. Bake it in a separate dish until it reaches 165°F.

How do you make paleo gravy?

Skim the fat from the pan juices, add stock to make about 2 cups, bring to a simmer and stir in 3 tablespoons of arrowroot or tapioca starch whisked into cold water. Cook just until thickened. Flour and cornstarch aren’t paleo, but arrowroot gives the same glossy texture.

What paleo desserts work for Thanksgiving?

Pumpkin pie in an almond-flour crust is the classic swap. Baked apples with cinnamon and pecans, a pear crisp with an almond-flour topping, or dark chocolate-dipped fruit also work. All still contain sugar from honey, maple syrup or fruit, so keep portions reasonable.

Can you eat sweet potatoes on a paleo Thanksgiving?

Yes. Sweet potatoes are paleo. Mash them with coconut milk, a little maple syrup and cinnamon, or roast them with olive oil and herbs. Skip the marshmallow topping, which is refined sugar and corn syrup.

Your next step: set the thaw date now

Write “move turkey to fridge” on your calendar for the weekend before Thanksgiving, sized to your bird. Then make the cranberry sauce and pie on Wednesday. For more holiday-friendly cooking, browse the paleo recipes hub and the paleo brownie recipes.

Paleo Thanksgiving: A Full Menu, Grain-Free Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie and a Turkey Timeline

What does a paleo Thanksgiving menu look like?