Recipes Holidays + Events Thanksgiving 20 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on November 9, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: © William Meppem Though the turkey may be the star of the show, Thanksgiving is nothing without an array of savory side dishes. Save on prep and cook time by choosing easy sides like these — from lemony salt-roasted fingerling potatoes to cheesy roasted broccoli. Here are our best easy Thanksgiving side dishes. 01 of 20 Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Gremolata John Kernick The chopped carrot greens turn into a tasty topping (along with cilantro, lemon zest, and jalapeño) for sweet roasted carrots and shallots. Get the Recipe 02 of 20 Butternut Squash Basmati Rice © Jonny Valiant Adding butternut squash and spices is a lovely way to jazz up rice. Get the Recipe 03 of 20 Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan Ben Dearnley This easy roasted broccoli recipe is the perfect side dish and ready in less than 45 minutes. Get the Recipe 04 of 20 Lemony Salt-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes © John Kernick This lemon-scented herb salt makes a great seasoning for everything from roasted white fish to grilled chicken and pork to steamed vegetables — and of course, any kind of potato. Grinding the sage, rosemary, and thyme into the salt, rather than just stirring it in, helps intensify and meld the flavors. Get the Recipe 05 of 20 Corn Biscuits with Savory Herb Streusel Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox 2021 F&W Best New Chef Thessa Diadem's streusel-topped corn biscuits star a trio of corn — cornmeal for texture, creamed corn for moisture, and freeze-dried sweet corn for its intense flavor. The labneh in the recipe mimics full-fat buttermilk and provides acid that helps the biscuits rise. Get the Recipe 06 of 20 Sautéed Radishes with Orange Butter © Con Poulos Star chef Emeril Lagasse sautés radishes and their greens with bacon, shallots, and orange juice until they’re perfectly crisp-tender. Get the Recipe 07 of 20 Vanilla Bean-Whipped Sweet Potatoes © Frances Janisch New York chef Gerry Hayden, a friend of Michael Mina, contributed this side dish to the holiday meal. Everybody fell for the combination of creamy pureed potato and fragrant vanilla. Get the Recipe 08 of 20 Kale and Apple Salad with Pancetta and Candied Pecans © Con Poulos Kale is a marvelous green for salads because it’s hearty enough to handle hefty ingredients like nuts and meat, plus it doesn’t wilt as it sits on the table. When chef Ryan Hardy makes this kale salad for Thanksgiving dinner, he deep-fries the pecans, but it’s quicker (and less messy) to toast them in the oven. Get the Recipe 09 of 20 Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Squash with Fried Sage © Max Kim-Bee This super-autumnal dish offers the unusual combination of brussels sprouts and butternut squash, which generally stand on their own as side dishes. The brussels sprout leaves are savory, the chunks of squash are tender and sweet, and the fried sage garnish is pungent and crunchy. Get the Recipe 10 of 20 Corn Pudding © Stephanie Shih Like a soufflé but less temperamental, this pudding can be served either straight from the oven or at room temperature. Don’t worry if you can’t find fresh corn; frozen kernels work just fine. Get the Recipe 11 of 20 Port-Cranberry Sauce © William Meppem In this version of cranberry sauce, the sweet-tartness of the cranberries is enhanced with the addition of port, orange juice, and orange zest. Thanksgiving make-ahead tip: This cranberry sauce can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. Get the Recipe 12 of 20 Warm Mushroom and Charred Onion Salad © Eva Kolenko Chef Abraham Conlon cooks a variety of meaty wild mushrooms with Madeira, garlic, and lemon juice, then combines them with charred onions for a luscious and tangy dish. If you can't get spring onions, use a combination of small shallots and scallions. Get the Recipe 13 of 20 Green Beans with Cremini Mushroom Sauce © WILLIAM MEPPEM Thanksgiving make-ahead tip: This classic Thanksgiving casserole can be refrigerated overnight. Let return to room temperature before baking. Get the Recipe 14 of 20 Cumin and Chile-Braised Collard Green Stems © Con Poulos This dish is a genius way to use up the stems of any hardy green. We used collard stems, but you could also use kale, chard, or mustard stems. Get the Recipe 15 of 20 Spice Roasted Butternut Squash © Matt Armendariz Cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper spice up this butternut squash side with only 15 minutes of active time. Get the Recipe 16 of 20 Sautéed Collard Greens with Roasted Peanuts © Fredrika Stjärne Chef Sean Brock's quick and easy sautéed collard greens are bright and lemony, with a bit of heat from dried chiles and crunch from chopped roasted peanuts. Get the Recipe 17 of 20 Cranberry and Citrus Chutney with Fennel Pollen Eva Kolenko Every Thanksgiving table needs cranberry sauce. Top Chef winner Kristen Kish’s version is zesty and unique, made with candied orange peel and fennel pollen. Get the Recipe 18 of 20 Chile-Sumac-Pomegranate Nuts Greg DuPree While cookbook author Nik Sharma’s craveable nut mix isn’t a side per se, it’s always nice to have something for your dinner guests to snack on while waiting for the main event. Get the Recipe 19 of 20 Scallion-Corn Muffins John Kernick These flavorful scallion-corn muffins are a quick and easy addition to the roster of Thanksgiving sides, offering something that’s a little bit sweet and a little bit savory. Get the Recipe 20 of 20 Maple-Baked Sweet Potatoes © Frances Janisch For this simple side from chef Jacques Pépin, parboiling the sweet potatoes shortens the cooking time and keeps them moist. The active prep takes just 20 minutes. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? 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