Turkey is the traditional main dish at Thanksgiving in the United States.
Roast turkey became the familiar centerpiece as Thanksgiving grew into a widely celebrated national holiday during the 19th century. By 1857, turkey was established as part of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner in New England. The meal commonly pairs it with stuffing or dressing, gravy, potatoes, cranberry sauce and vegetables.
The bird is the North American wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, though modern table turkeys are domesticated and selectively bred. Wild turkeys are native to the Americas and were introduced to Europe after Spanish explorers transported Mexican birds in the early 16th century.
Popular stories often portray the 1621 Plymouth feast as a fully formed modern Thanksgiving dinner. Historians caution that the lavish, standardized menu was shaped largely by 19th-century writers and later American tradition. Turkey is customary, not mandatory: some households serve ham, goose, vegetarian dishes or regional specialties instead.