Pass the turkey, then pass the opinion. In AP-NORC’s 2023 poll, 32% of Thanksgiving celebrators answering the favorite-dish question chose turkey; 12% named it their least favorite. Affection and indifference can share a serving platter. Before you cross anything off your holiday menu, these findings deserve a place beside the family recipe cards.
The Vacationer surveyed 1,042 U.S. adults on October 4, 2024, allowing multiple dislike selections across 13 food categories. These seven ranked highest, with a tie at seventh. The research discussed here dates from 2021–2025. Read it as a conversation starter for your menu, rather than a fresh 2026 verdict.
Turkey
Even the centerpiece has its critics: turkey led The Vacationer’s 2024 dislike results at 34.84%. Remember, respondents could choose several foods.
Set that finding beside AP-NORC’s strong favorite showing, and the bird looks divisive rather than destined for retirement. Ask your guests before giving the roasting pan the day off.
Stuffing or Dressing
Stuffing gets a crowded cheering section and a few empty chairs. The Vacationer recorded 32.05% dislike in 2024. Meanwhile, AP-NORC’s 2023 respondents named it their favorite at 19% and least favorite at 8%. Those questions describe different preferences; they aren’t interchangeable scores.
Campbell’s company-commissioned 2025 State of the Sides report placed stuffing or dressing first among sides in 42 states. That’s another reason to ask who wants it before trimming your menu. A national survey can inform the conversation; it cannot taste your family’s recipe.
Ham
Ham needs to earn its invitation, too. The Vacationer’s 2024 survey found it drew 31.67% dislike, placing third. Smoked, glazed, and country ham weren’t measured separately.
If you’re considering ham, ask whether your guests actually want it. Give it a place because somebody loves it, rather than assuming it’s the guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Related: How to Prepare Your Home to Host a Beautiful Thanksgiving Celebration
Sweet Potatoes or Yams
The marshmallow question deserves its own conversation. The Vacationer’s combined sweet-potatoes-or-yams category drew 29.17% dislike in 2024. AP-NORC’s 2023 poll found 32% of Thanksgiving celebrators preferred sweet-potato dishes without marshmallows, 26% preferred them with marshmallows, and a quarter disliked sweet-potato dishes generally.
Instacart’s Harris Poll research in 2021 separated candied yams and sweet-potato casserole: 27% and 21%, respectively, selected them among the worst dishes. Those categories aren’t a verdict on plain roasted sweet potatoes. Settle the topping question before you erase the ingredient from your shopping list.
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce brings a particularly lively disagreement. The Vacationer recorded 28.89% dislike in 2024. In AP-NORC’s 2023 poll, 18% named it their least favorite, the leading answer, while 2% chose it as their favorite. Still, that doesn’t settle the separate debate over canned versus homemade.
Instacart’s 2021 research found 37% preferred homemade, 35% preferred canned, and 21% didn’t eat cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. AP-NORC likewise found no clear preparation winner. Skip the superiority speeches at dinner and make room for the version your guests enjoy. A can opener doesn’t need to be a conversation stopper.
Green Bean Casserole
Familiarity and affection aren’t the same. Green bean casserole drew 22.94% dislike in The Vacationer’s 2024 survey; Instacart’s 2021 research recorded 25% calling it one of the worst dishes. Both findings give its skeptics a voice without speaking for every guest.
Campbell’s 2025 report found 44% considered its green bean casserole recipe the most iconic Thanksgiving side. Remember, the sponsor sells the dish’s ingredients. “Iconic” measures recognition differently from “favorite,” so don’t mistake that figure for unanimous enthusiasm. Keep the casserole if your table wants it; tradition can invite participation rather than demand it.
Mashed Potatoes
Even mashed potatoes don’t escape the debate. The Vacationer’s 2024 result was 22.17%, tied with coleslaw, so both share seventh place. Instacart’s 2021 worst-dish figure was 8%, while AP-NORC’s 2023 favorite-dish figure was 6%. Different questions explain why these numbers cannot establish a popularity slide. There’s no reason to let mismatched percentages decide whether you pass the potato bowl.
Read the fine print before rewriting dinner. The Vacationer publishes a ±3.158-point margin of error but doesn’t fully explain recruitment or weighting. AP-NORC used a probability-based panel, with 1,101 Thanksgiving celebrators and a ±4.1-point margin for that group. Instacart’s 2021 commissioned online surveys were nonprobability samples. Repeated news coverage of these results doesn’t create additional polls.
With turkey named favorite by 32% in AP-NORC’s 2023 poll, there’s room for loyalty alongside disagreement. Let the numbers start a conversation, then let the people around your table help write the menu.
