Emeril and E.J. Lagasse Share Their Thanksgiving Coin-Toss Tradition and Reveal What's for Dinner This Year (Exclusive)

For most families, deciding who cooks Thanksgiving dinner often comes down to a matter of volunteering. But for Emeril Lagasse and his son, E.J., the choice is determined by something far more ceremonial: an annual coin toss.

“We flip a coin yearly. Heads, he cooks. Tails, I cook,” 22-year-old E.J. explained to PEOPLE exclusively during the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston. "Last year, I did cook, and then he managed to take it over about 6:30 p.m., which was great. So I had a lot of help and reverted to my role of sous chef with him.”

The ritual has become such a cornerstone of their family holidays that even the toss itself has rules. “It’s a ceremony thing we do on a Sunday,” E.J. said. “We’ll do it next week or something and sort it out. Same ingredients, same dishes — it’s just who’s doing it.”

Regardless of who wins, the menu remains largely unchanged. Thanksgiving in the Lagasse household typically includes turkey, ham and the return of a favorite: E.J.’s grandmother’s Portuguese-style stuffing with chorizo, peppers and French bread. “We’ll probably do the turkey and the ham and the whole thing,” he shared, adding that the stuffing is almost guaranteed to make an appearance.

Emeril says the holidays tend to follow tradition — with a few twists. “Family, a few friends. I'm not sure yet who's cooking,” he said. “We generally do the traditional things for Thanksgiving, then we usually do some sort of theme.” 

Christmas Eve often features a seafood spread “kind of like the Feast of Fishes,” while Christmas Day leans classic. “We will have a ham and we’ll have probably roast beef. That usually satisfies the table.”

While holiday planning is underway, much of the father-son duo’s attention is already on the year ahead, especially as E.J. leads Emeril’s flagship restaurant in New Orleans — now with two Michelin stars under his direction. For him, the next milestone is a big one.

“The next big one for us is the 40th anniversary of Emeril’s,” E.J. revealed. “I remember sitting there at the 25th anniversary, the 30th anniversary, thinking about the restaurant in five years and what we want to try to accomplish. We’re coming up on the 36th anniversary now, so I’ll be very excited to see where we are at the 40-year mark.”

His father echoed that focus. “Right now, the main focus is Emeril’s,” he said. “We're just trying to do it a little bit better than we did yesterday, and we'll see what that brings.”