Nov 22, 2023 - Economy

Thanksgiving favorites poll: White meat tops dark meat on Turkey Day

Ivana Saric

Thanksgiving is all about the turkey for millions who celebrate the holiday, but Americans don't agree on which part of the bird is best to eat, according to a new AP/NORC poll.

Driving the news: Among respondents planning to celebrate this year, 43% said they go for the turkey's white meat compared to 28% who prefer dark meat.

About one in five said they have no preference, and 7% of respondents said they didn't like turkey at all.

State of plate: Turkey was the favorite dish of the holiday meal for respondents across different U.S. regions and age groups, per AP.

32% ranked the bird as their favorite part, well above other traditional sides dishes typically featured in the annual spread on dining tables across the country.
Meat preferences did vary among racial groups.
About 47% of white respondents and 48% of Hispanic respondents preferred white meat, compared to 21% of Black respondents who said the same, according to AP/NORC.

Zoom in: Among sides, stuffing/dressing was the favorite for 19% of respondents.

Mashed potatoes was next among sides, with 6% calling it their favorite.
Of those surveyed, 18% said cranberry sauce was their least favorite dish of the annual meal.

Go deeper: Thanksgiving 2023 side dish winners announced

Methodology: This AP/NORC poll was conducted Nov. 2-6 and surveyed 1,239 adults. The margin of error was ±3.9 percentage points.

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Thanksgiving favorites poll: White meat tops dark meat on Turkey Day

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