If you’re feeling the pressure of planning a vegan Thanksgiving main dish that everyone at the table will love, take a breath. You’re in the right place. This is the ultimate list of trusted, real-life-tested vegan Thanksgiving entrées that actually work, taste amazing, and impress vegans + non-vegans alike!
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Why This Thanksgiving Main Course List is Different
T and I have cooked and hosted a fully vegan Thanksgiving for the past 11 years…for every kind of eater you can imagine! From blissfully adventurous foodies to the uncle who still insists turkey is “basically a vegetable” (IYKYK).
Every recipe in this post has been tested in real homes, around real holiday tables, served to real families, not just assembled to look pretty in a photoshoot.
This list (completely free of animal products!) is designed to set you up for success. You want a main dish that shines, not something experimental, bland, mushy, or stressful. You want your dinner guests to say things like “Wait, this is vegan?” and “I guess vegan food can be good…” and “Can I get the recipe?” and “I didn’t miss the turkey at all.” That’s the exact reaction these vegan recipes are designed to evoke!
To make this easy to use, I’ve grouped the recipes into three clear categories depending on your comfort level and style:
- Seitan Entrées – For those who love a classic, meaty roast experience.
- Tofu Entrées – For a simpler prep that still delivers major main dish energy.
- Entrées Without Seitan or Tofu – For those who prefer a different, more creative approach with easy but impressive options
- Main-Dish-Energy Casseroles – For a cozy no-stress holiday that still tastes like you tried really hard. (Even if you didn’t.)
Your table, your vibe! This list helps you find your Thanksgiving dinner star dish quickly.
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Vegan Thanksgiving Entrees
Seitan Main Dishes
If you want that “classic holiday feast roast” feeling, this is your section. Seitan absolutely delivers that familiar hearty, comforting, centerpiece energy – when it’s done well.
And I am extremely picky about seitan texture and flavor, so you won’t find any dry, rubbery, or bland roasts here. These are deeply flavored, tender, sliceable, and crowd-tested. If you’re new to seitan, do a test run first. Think of it like your dress rehearsal for the feast.
Stuffed Vegan Seitan Roast
This is the showstopper roast. A tender roast turkey-style seitan stuffed with savory vegan stuffing, flavored with fresh herbs and vegan butter, wrapped in flaky puff pastry, and baked to golden perfection. It’s not the quickest recipe on this list, but if you want that traditional Thanksgiving feel, this is the one. @t_gold_22 on Instagram said: “This is one of the best vegan roasts I have ever made. It will definitely be on my Thanksgiving table again!”
Check out this recipe
Glazed Seitan Ham Recipe
If ham is more your Thanksgiving vibe, this recipe delivers the full glazed-holiday-ham experience – pineapple mustard glaze, caramelized edges, and all. This has been a longtime reader favorite, and on IG in 2019, blogger Liv B even called it her “favourite seitan recipe ever.” It’s easier to make than the roast above, but still totally centerpiece-worthy!
Check out this recipe
Seitan Sausages
Perfect for beginners. These UK-inspired savory sausages are full of herbs and umami and can be pan-fried or grilled before serving. Great as a main for smaller gatherings or as a Thanksgiving side option alongside other dishes. We love serving leftovers in a bowl with mashed potatoes smothered in mushroom gravy.
Check out this recipe
Vegan Corned Beef Seitan
A labor of love, and absolutely worth it. This beet-tinted corned-beef-style seitan is slow-cooked, then roasted, and finished with a cracked black pepper crust. The texture and depth of flavor are unmatched. We love this honest review from reader Ryan: “Made this today and it was the best Seitan I have ever made. Takes forever but it’s totally worth it!”
Check out this recipe
Veggie Italian Sausage
If you want something a little spicier and bursting with the bold flavors of tomato, garlic, and herbs, these Italian-style seitan sausages are perfect. Slightly more involved than our basic sausages, but the flavor payoff is big.
Check out this recipe
Tofu Main Dishes for Thanksgiving
If seitan feels intimidating, tofu is your dependable best friend. All of these delicious plant-based recipes use our Tofu Freezer Trick, which transforms tofu into a meaty, structured texture that holds up beautifully as a holiday centerpiece.
These recipes require a bit of pre-planning (freeze → thaw → press), but the actual cooking steps are simpler than seitan recipes. And the flavors and textures only improve after resting overnight. In fact, I recommend making them ahead and reheating in the oven or air fryer before serving for the optimal texture!
Tofu Cordon Bleu
Crispy, golden tofu cutlets stuffed with dairy-free cheese and vegan ham. This one looks elaborate but is actually very achievable. People remember it! Like one reader David B. who said “This is a great recipe thank you! Definitely a keeper at our house.”
Check out this recipe
Vegan Chicken Cutlet
If you love the flavor of the Cordon Bleu but don’t want to stuff anything, these Italian-Style cutlets are your go-to. They’re simple, versatile, and shockingly good. Reader Sherry wrote: “Hands down, my favorite. A game changer.”
Check out this recipe
Restaurant-Style Vegan Chicken Parmesan
A major crowd-pleaser, and one we’ve served at more Thanksgivings than we can count. Meaty tofu cutlets in a rich marinade, crispy breading, marinara, and melty nondairy cheese. The Full Helping has featured this recipe multiple times in her Weekend Reading posts as a favorite and one reader (Susan) even said “This recipe is so wonderful I have no words.”
Check out this recipe
More Non-Seitan Entree Ideas
If neither seitan nor tofu is your thing, we still have delicious, hearty options including TVP, soy curls, and an incredibly fun veggie-burger-to-wellington upgrade. These are satisfying, flavorful, and still feel special enough for the holiday!
TVP Meatloaf Recipe
No mush. No blandness. No falling apart. This TVP-based loaf took years to get right, and it slices beautifully. Feel free to sub chickpea flour for the wheat gluten in this one for a gluten-free option! @willnin on Pinterest shared: “This is it. THE vegan meatloaf recipe I have been searching for.”
Check out this recipe
Vegan Mushroom Burger Wellington
This is where easy meets impressive. Stack veggie burgers with sautéed mushrooms, melty dairy-free cheese, and onions, wrap in puff pastry, and bake. Shockingly elegant for how little hands-on time it takes. This is perfect for smaller gatherings but can easily be scaled up for larger feasts!
Check out this recipe
Vegan Rotisserie Chicken (Soy Curls)
If you want the easiest Thanksgiving main on this page, this is it. Tastes like Boston Market rotisserie chicken – wild claim, but try it, and I think you’ll agree. Dina said: “Fantastic. Will definitely make again.”
Check out this recipe
Vegan Casseroles with Main Dish Energy
If your priorities are easy, comforting, and make-ahead, casseroles are the hero here. These vegan main dishes are hearty enough to carry the meal, and they reheat like a dream, making them great for a low-stress holiday!
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
A rich, savory TVP-and-vegetable filling in silky gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Reader Harrington (who was brand new to TVP when trying this recipe) said it's “Everything you want from comfort food.”
Check out this recipe
Vegan Pot Pie Casserole
Creamy gravy + veggies + soy curls + potatoes between two layers of puff pastry. People literally lick their plates clean. The blogger Runs for Cookies wrote an honest and glowing review on this one in 2022 that starts with “HOLY COW this was so good!”
Check out this recipe
Walnut and Mushroom Stout Pie
Individual mini pies with a thick umami stout gravy and flaky pastry tops. Beautiful on the table and easy to serve! You can make the filling ahead of time and bake before serving!
Check out this recipe
Cheesy Vegan Tater Tot Hot Dish
A cozy Midwestern classic with a Southwestern twist. Meaty walnut mixture, savory cheesy sauce, and a tater tot topping no one can resist. Full disclosure: I am not from the Midwest and didn't discover this dish until after I went vegan. But fret not because one blog reader (Sheila) tested it with her family and said: “We are true Minnesotans, and loved this.”
Check out this recipe
Vegan Mac and Cheese with Doritos
Yes, mac and cheese can absolutely be the main event. Creamy tofu-based cheese sauce, layered nondairy cheese, and a crunchy dairy-free Doritos topping. This dish has impressed non-vegans, kids, grandparents, grumpy uncles…everyone. Main dish energy for sure!
Check out this recipe
More Vegan Seasonal & Holiday Resources
If you’re looking to become the perpetual star of all your holiday and seasonal gatherings, make sure you check out these resources for year-round culinary glory!
- Our Full List The Best Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes – including side dishes and decadent desserts!
- Lazy Vegan Thanksgiving Menu for Two – Written back in 2020, this is great for a small Thanksgiving when you want to celebrate, but the year has just been…quite a year. We hear you. And we created this menu to help!
- Vegan Easter Recipes – From brunch to dinner to homemade treats, save this one for all your Easter feasts!
- Purple Carrot Review – This is kind of an all-year resource, but I wanted to include it because they offer wonderful delivery Thanksgiving boxes when you have no time to plan and shop!
- Vegan Summer Entrées – Save this one for the next seasonal shift!
- Vegan Game Day Recipes – Designed to wow any sports fan, every one of these has been tested with a non-vegan crowd and got major WOWs!
Before You Go
I hope this list of vegan Thanksgiving main dishes leaves you feeling energized, inspired, and ready to make a Thanksgiving meal you’re truly excited about. You can do this. And these trusted recipes are here to support you every step of the way.
Tell me in the comments:
Which entrée are you making this year?!
Happy Thanksgiving!
