Modern Family — Thanksgiving Episodes

Modern Family gave Thanksgiving seven episodes across its run, mining the holiday for dueling turkeys, secret backup dinners, and the family's signature brand of well-meaning chaos. All seven stream in the U.S. on Hulu and Peacock. Ratings are each episode's IMDb user score.

Note: All seven episodes are also purchasable individually on Amazon Video and Apple TV, and the series airs periodically on TBS.

Episode Synopsis

"Punkin Chunkin" — Season 3, Episode 9 (aired November 23, 2011) A former neighborhood kid who skipped college and became an internet billionaire shows up for the holiday, and it stirs up some old insecurities. Haley starts questioning whether college is really the only path worth taking, while Phil quietly blames Claire for talking him out of his own big dreams years ago. Mitchell, meanwhile, isn't buying Cameron's colorful childhood stories about the title's pumpkin-launching tradition.

"Three Turkeys" — Season 6, Episode 8 (aired November 19, 2014) Phil takes over cooking duties with Luke as his sous chef, but Claire doesn't trust their skills enough to leave it at that, so she secretly makes a backup turkey of her own. Jay and Gloria's holiday getaway falls through at the last minute, and rather than admit it, they try to fake being in Colombia while sneaking around at home. Getting Lily into a nice dress for dinner turns into its own small battle. English food writer Nigella Lawson appears as a guest star.

"Phil's Sexy, Sexy House" — Season 7, Episode 7 (aired November 11, 2015) Jay and Gloria host Thanksgiving brunch, where talk turns to a sleek house Phil is helping sell for a friend of Mitch and Cam's. Several family members get the same idea to sneak into the empty house that day, leading to a chaotic game of avoiding each other. Gloria uses the gathering as cover to collect everyone's driver's licenses for a scheme of her own.

"Thanksgiving Jamboree" — Season 8, Episode 7 (aired November 16, 2016) Cam goes all out with a country-themed spread at his and Mitchell's place, complete with hay bales, deep-fried turkey, and square dancing. Haley wants to spend the holiday with her new boyfriend instead of the family, which doesn't sit well with Phil. Jay works on getting his blood pressure down while Alex and her boyfriend Dylan's brother, Dwight, grow closer. Nathan Fillion guest stars.

"Winner Winner Turkey Dinner" — Season 9, Episode 7 (aired November 15, 2017) It's Jay's turn to host, and it turns out he has an annual tradition of toasting one family member who made him especially proud that year. This time both of his kids and their partners each believe they're the one being honored, so everyone spends the episode quietly celebrating a win they haven't actually earned. Naturally, most of them got there by cutting a few corners along the way.

"Did the Chicken Cross the Road?" — Season 10, Episode 7 (aired November 7, 2018) Cam forgets the words to his favorite country song and, worried he's losing touch with his farm roots, brings home a chicken to reconnect with them. Meanwhile Alex is in the running for a prestigious government job that requires a family interview, and everyone overcorrects trying to look good, which nearly costs her the position.

"The Last Thanksgiving" — Season 11, Episode 7 (aired November 20, 2019) Mitchell and Cam's friends wrongly assume the two have split up and feel pressured to pick a side. Haley takes over cooking as a thank-you to Claire and Phil for their help with the twins, while Jay invites Phil and Dylan out to fly his model plane, giving Phil a shot at redemption after a disastrous attempt with the same plane a decade earlier. Claire, meanwhile, is already having second thoughts about her retirement.