Pickle flavor has moved well beyond the snack aisle in 2026, and Reynolds Consumer Products is putting that momentum squarely on the Thanksgiving table. The Lake Forest, Ill.-based household products company is marking the 10th anniversary of its annual Trending Turkey campaign with the Reynolds® Big Dill Turkey — a pickle-brined bird finished with dill pickle butter, pickle-infused gravy, and fresh dill garnish.
The recipe calls for an overnight brine built from eight cups of dill pickle juice, kosher salt, whole peppercorns, mustard seeds, and fresh dill, followed by a compound butter rub seasoned with dried dillweed, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder. Two cooking paths are offered: a Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil tent method and a Reynolds Kitchens® Turkey Oven Bag method that eliminates the need for basting and cuts roasting time for a 14-lb. bird to roughly two and a half hours.
A Decade of Trend-Chasing
Since the campaign launched in 2017 with a Cheetos® Flamin' Hot® Turkey, Reynolds has used its annual recipe drop as a real-time barometer of food culture — leaning into espresso martini fever, the Dubai chocolate wave, and now briny pickle obsession. The 10th-anniversary timing carries a bit of brand symmetry: aluminum is the traditional gift for a decade milestone, making Reynolds Wrap a fitting centerpiece.
"Trending Turkey has always been about giving home cooks a fresh, original way to have fun with Thanksgiving," said Nancy Gannon, Marketing Director for Reynolds Wrap® & Bakeware. "Ten years later, we're still finding new ways to surprise people, and have a little fun along the way, while staying true to what Reynolds Wrap does best: helping make holiday cooking easier so there's more time to enjoy the moments that matter."
What It Means for Operators
For foodservice and hospitality professionals, the Reynolds campaign is a useful signal of where consumer palates are heading this holiday season. Pickle brining — long a staple of competitive barbecue circuits — is clearly crossing into mainstream holiday cooking, and operators crafting seasonal turkey specials or catering menus would be wise to take note. The technique is low-cost, requires minimal active prep time, and delivers a measurable flavor payoff that plays well on social media, a combination that has driven rapid adoption of similar approaches across casual dining and fast-casual turkey programs.
The broader pickle trend also reflects a consumer appetite for bold, acidic flavors that has reshaped condiment sales, snack innovation, and beverage industry product development throughout 2026. Reynolds is effectively handing operators a consumer-validated flavor story at the most important poultry selling period of the year. The full recipe and a decade's archive of Trending Turkey creations are available at ReynoldsBrands.com.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
