This Thanksgiving, nobody’s stuck in the kitchen.
A private chef shops, cooks the turkey and every side, serves your table and does the dishes. You get the whole day with your people.
“Easily the best thanksgiving meal any of us had ever had.”
Thanksgiving guest of Chef Richard, ChicagoSame feast, different day
Keep the turkey. Skip the stress.
The food your family waits for all year, without someone missing the whole day to make it.
Thanksgiving, the usual way
- 6 amTurkey in the oven before the coffee
- NoonSecond run to the store for the cranberries
- 4 pmBasting while everyone else catches up
- 7 pmCold plate, then a sink full of dishes
Thanksgiving with a chef
- 10 amCoffee and the parade. The chef does the shopping
- 2 pmThe game, the long walk, the catching up
- 6 pmEvery course served hot at the table
- 8 pmPie on the couch. The kitchen’s already clean
Pick your Thanksgiving
Six real Thanksgiving menus
Each one was cooked by a Take a Chef chef on Thanksgiving Day. Ask for it as is, mix and match, or tell the chefs your own family classics.
Thanksgiving 2025 · 17 guests · HoustonThe Classic
Thanksgiving Traditions
Turkey and every side your family expects, made from scratch for 17.
- StarterCharcuterie and cheese platter
- First coursePumpkin cream soup
- MainTraditional roast turkey with mashed potatoes, sweet potato mash, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables and dinner rolls
- DessertPumpkin pie with whipped cream, or apple pie à la mode
Chef Alejandro Barreda Westphal★ 4.64 · 48 reviews · profile
Thanksgiving 2025 · 22 guests · ChicagoItalian Thanksgiving
Italian Thanksgiving
Brined turkey next to tenderloin and rigatoni alla vodka. Cooked for 22 in Chicago.
- StartersMini veal meatballs in tomato basil sauce; bruschetta with whipped ricotta; imported charcuterie
- SaladItalian chopped salad
- MainsBrined whole roasted turkey, sliced tenderloin with red wine sauce, mascarpone garlic potatoes, sweet potato wedges, green bean casserole, Italian sausage stuffing with sherry giblet gravy, rigatoni alla vodka
- DessertApple pie and homemade pumpkin pie
Chef Richard Mancini★ 4.68 · 63 reviews · profile
Thanksgiving 2025 · 8 guests · Miami areaSurf & Turkey
Chef Sylvie's Thanksgiving table
Grilled lobster first, stuffed turkey after, pumpkin and pecan tarts to close.
- StartersCrostini with gorgonzola, pears, Parmesan and arugula; Brie with caramelized apple
- First courseGrilled lobster with lemon butter and celery risotto
- MainRoasted stuffed turkey with thyme, cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans
- DessertPumpkin tart and pecan tart with vanilla ice cream
Chef Sylvie Delenclos★ 4.77 · 81 reviews · profile
Thanksgiving 2025 · 10 guests · Phoenix & ScottsdaleChef’s Tasting
Gourmet Thanksgiving (5 courses)
Plated course by course. Thanksgiving as a fine-dining night.
- StarterCapellini e polpette in a sage beurre blanc with a house-made meatball
- First courseRoasted squash bisque with sourdough croutons, truffle salt and smoked paprika
- MainHerb-seared turkey breast with root vegetable purée, rosemary jus and candied cranberries
- DessertHoney pound cake with vanilla mascarpone, Biscoff-pecan crumble and salted chocolate ganache
Chef Dino Luciano★ 4.92 · 42 reviews · profile
Thanksgiving 2025 · 16 guests · New York CityNew York Modern
Indulge Holiday Menu
Sous vide turkey, pistachio ricotta, prawns in pumpkin sauce.
- StarterCharcuterie board with sweet roasted onion in pumpkin yogurt, balsamic peaches in whipped feta and a cranberry-kale ragout
- First coursePoached prawns with pumpkin sauce spaghetti and basil
- MainSous vide turkey breast, garlic confit potato purée, bacon-wrapped green beans, whipped pistachio ricotta and onion jus
- DessertApple pie tartlets with vanilla ice cream
Chef William Quinn★ 4.73 · 25 reviews · profile
Thanksgiving 2024 · 13 guests · Los Angeles & Orange CountyWest Coast
Chef Dave's Holiday Family Favorites
Turkey stuffed with apples and guajillo chiles, plus a garlic-rubbed prime rib.
- StartersOlives San Leandro, marinated in his family tradition, with crudités; Grandma Lola's Holiday Mix from her 1940s recipe card
- SidesWhipped potatoes and sausage stuffing; West Coast green bean casserole with fresh herbs and Romano; pan gravy from scratch
- MainsRoast turkey stuffed with apples, onions, rosemary and guajillo chiles; Prime Rib O'Neill, Central California style
- DessertSeasonal desserts, pies to ice cream, per the guests' request
Chef Dave Mau★ 4.98 · 171 reviews · profile
More families hand Thanksgiving to a chef every year
more Thanksgiving Day requests in 2025 than in 2021
Thanksgiving menus skip the turkey altogether
median per guest, groceries and cleanup included
guests at the typical table; 1 in 3 are 10 or more
Not only Thursday
The whole holiday week is a reason to eat well
The family is in town for days. A chef can take one meal off your plate, or all of them.
WednesdayFriendsgiving
The night before, with the friends who won’t be at the family table.
Friendsgiving ideas →
Thursday noonThanksgiving lunch
1 in 6 Thanksgiving services is a lunch. Eat early and keep the evening free.
Plan a lunch →
SaturdayThe second feast
After Thursday itself, Saturday gets the most requests of the holiday week. Everyone’s still in town.
Book the weekend →The best chefs book up first
7 in 10 Thanksgiving dinners are booked at least two weeks ahead: this year, that’s by November 12. Book now and you can still cancel for a full refund until November 11.
Each dish was delicious and beautiful and at the end of the evening, the kitchen was so clean it was as if they had never been there.
Chef prepared thanksgiving for us and it was easily the best thanksgiving meal any of us had ever had. Chef plated, served and cleaned up everything before he left.
How it works
Three steps to a day off
Tell us about your table
Date, time, guests, the dishes you can’t skip and any allergies. Free, with no commitment.
Get up to four menus
Local chefs send you their proposal with the price per guest. Chat with them and tweak it.
Book and sit down
Take a Chef holds your payment until after the dinner. The chef cooks, serves and cleans up.
Included: the menu, grocery shopping, the chef’s travel, cooking in your kitchen, serving at the table and the cleanup.
Not included: drinks, tableware and extra staff for big groups, unless you agree them with your chef. More about our Thanksgiving private chef service
Questions before you book
How much does a private chef cost for Thanksgiving?
Guests who booked a Thanksgiving Day dinner with Take a Chef in the US paid a median of $185 per person, with half of them between $151 and $220. That covers the menu design, the groceries, the chef's travel, cooking in your kitchen, serving and the cleanup. A typical dinner for 8 came to about $1,400. The final price depends on your city, the number of guests and the menu you choose.
How far in advance should I book a chef for Thanksgiving?
As early as you can. Thanksgiving dinners were booked a median of 27 days ahead, and 7 in 10 at least two weeks before. Thanksgiving Day gets more requests than any other day of the holiday week, so the chefs with the best reviews fill up first.
Will the chef cook a traditional turkey dinner?
If you want one, yes. 63% of the menus booked for Thanksgiving include a turkey, usually with mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. The other third go a different way: Italian feasts, seafood, prime rib or a tasting menu. You tell the chefs what you want in your request.
Can a private chef cook Thanksgiving lunch instead of dinner?
Yes. About 1 in 6 Thanksgiving services booked with Take a Chef is a lunch. Choose the meal and the time in your request and the chefs will plan around it.
How many guests can a private chef cook for on Thanksgiving?
The typical Thanksgiving table has 8 guests, and 1 in 3 is for 10 or more. Chefs have cooked Thanksgiving for 20 guests and more; for big groups they bring help, which is agreed and priced in the proposal.
What is included, and what do I need to provide?
The price includes the menu, the groceries, the chef's travel, the cooking, serving at the table and leaving the kitchen clean. Drinks, tableware and glassware are not included unless you agree them with the chef. You provide a working kitchen and the table.
Can I cancel my Thanksgiving booking?
Yes. You get a 100% refund if you cancel 15 days or more before the service: for a dinner on Thursday, November 26, 2026, that means by November 11. Cancellations less than 15 days before the service are not refunded. Take a Chef holds your payment until the experience is over.
How does booking a chef for Thanksgiving work?
Send a free request with the date, time, number of guests and what you'd like to eat. Up to four local chefs send you a menu proposal, you chat with them to adjust it, and you book the one you like. There's no instant booking: every menu is made for your table. All the details are on our private chef for Thanksgiving page.
Pull up a chair.
The chef’s got this.
Tell us about your Thanksgiving and get up to four menus from local chefs. Free, with no commitment.
Get my Thanksgiving menus →Figures from Take a Chef bookings for Thanksgiving Day 2021–2025 in the United States (187 dinners, 163 menus). Prices in US dollars as paid by guests; medians exclude multi-day bookings. Menus abridged; ratings as shown on the chefs’ profiles in November 2026.
