Recipes Holidays + Events Thanksgiving 24 Thanksgiving Appetizers to Add to Your Menu By Food & Wine Editors Updated on November 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Justin Walker Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives. Cheese Croustades. Carrots en Croûte. Turkey and sides can be the heart of a Thanksgiving menu, but the appetizers are important, too — and we've gathered more than 20 different options here so you can create the snack spread of your dreams. Think dips (like Caramelized Five-Onion Dip), toasts, and little one-bite treats like Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip. In the mood for something cheesy? There's plenty of that here, too. Read on for even more of our best Thanksgiving appetizers. Related: Amazon’s Secret Outlet Dropped 4,000+ Kitchen Sales Before Black Friday, but These Are the 15 Best 01 of 24 Green Peppercorn-Marinated Feta Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Marinating cubed feta is a low-effort move with big-flavor results. Pair it with crackers and fruit to anchor your cheese board. Feta's slightly airy texture makes it perfect for soaking up bold flavors such as these briny, piquant peppercorns. For the best results, look for feta in brine, and drain off the brine before marinating. Get the Recipe 02 of 24 Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives Victor Protasio Buttery, mild Castelvetrano olives add just enough salt and tang to these fried sausage snacks that pair beautifully with a crisp martini or chilled glass of wine. Use a high-quality Italian sausage for the best texture and flavor. Get the Recipe 03 of 24 Deviled-Egg Crisps Greg DuPree Missy Robbins, chef at Lilia in Brooklyn, makes a deviled-egg toast that's topped with bottarga. This riff from F&W Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple, served on crisp artisan crackers, is topped with smoky-sweet Urfa biber and shaved jalapeño. Get the Recipe 04 of 24 Carrots en Croûte Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This filling appetizer stars curry and honey-roasted carrots wrapped in flaky puff pastry. For best results, look for carrots that are five to six inches in length. Pre-roasting carrots with curry and thyme balances their natural sweetness with rich, savory flavor, making them a satisfying stand-in for sausages. Get the Recipe 05 of 24 Pimento Cheese with Salt-and-Pepper Butter Crackers © CON POULOS Chef and television personality Carla Hall makes her own crunchy crackers to serve with her cheese spread, a riff on a Southern classic. The pimento cheese can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for one week. Ge the Recipe 06 of 24 Caviar Waffle Bites Greg DuPree Instead of serving blini alongside a tin of caviar, Justin Chapple makes these handheld snacks. Waffles are cut into strips, and the pockets are filled with caviar, crème fraîche, and snipped chives to form the perfect pop-in-your-mouth morsel. Get the Recipe 07 of 24 Duck Liver Pâté with Blackberry Conserva William Hereford The tartness and texture of the blackberry conserva is a nice contrast to the rich, silky pâté. Spoon leftover blackberry conserva on pancakes, waffles, or ice cream. Get the Recipe 08 of 24 Bacon-Wrapped Dates Abby Hocking Bacon-wrapped dates are chewy, crispy, sweet, savory, and smoky all at once. Here, plump and tender Medjool dates are stuffed with a mixture of blue cheese and cream cheese, and a toasted walnut stands in for the pit. Fresh goat cheese could easily be swapped for the blue cheese, and roasted salted almonds can replace the walnuts. For sweeter stuffed dates, drizzle them with honey before serving. Get the Recipe 09 of 24 Smoked Salmon Dip Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell This creamy, smoky dip features flaky smoked salmon two ways: Half is finely chopped to add a pleasant texture to the dip alongside briny pops of capers, and the rest is pureed with the mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese, lending its beautiful color and deepening the flavor. Get the Recipe 10 of 24 Chile-Sumac-Pomegranate Nuts Greg DuPree Cookbook author Nik Sharma's book Season weaves inspiration from his upbringing in Bombay with stories and experience from his adult life in the U.S. The result is a culinary memoir filled with delicious recipes like this one. Sharma notes that any mix of nuts will work for this recipe — just be sure to let them cool completely before serving or storing to ensure a crisp, not sticky, texture. Get the Recipe 11 of 24 'Nduja Toasts with Quick-Pickled Celery Greg DuPree Store-bought 'nduja is transformed into a special canapé when served on toasted baguette and topped with a quick-pickled celery. Get the Recipe 12 of 24 Mini Deviled Crab Cornbread Muffins Kelly Marshall At his dinner parties in Harlem, chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls pairs creamy, slightly spicy, fresh deviled crab with tender corn muffins, barely sweetened with brown sugar and studded with corn kernels, for a quick one-bite appetizer. Choose fresh crab over pasteurized for the best flavor. Get the Recipe 13 of 24 Baked Brie en Croûte with Spiced Pears and Cherries Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Bridget Hallinan For this rich appetizer, creamy Brie is topped with a spiced fruit and nut mixture and encased in a buttery, crisp robe of golden brown puff pastry. You can use a double-cream Brie for extra-gooey results, and swap in other fruit and nuts as desired — apples, persimmons, plums, or pawpaws would also be delicious here. Drizzle honey and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the pastry for the finishing touch. Get the Recipe 14 of 24 Mini Wedge Salads with Anchovy Dressing Greg DuPree These mini wedges are coated in a creamy, anchovy-packed dressing and dredged in crunchy panko, making them easy to eat with your hands. Alternatively, you can serve the dressing and breadcrumbs alongside the lettuce wedges for easy dipping. Get the Recipe 15 of 24 Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip. You can also prepare these make-ahead meatballs with ground beef or a plant-based meat alternative, such as Impossible. Get the Recipe 16 of 24 Beef Tenderloin Tartare with Anchovy-Cornichon Vinaigrette Aubrie Pick Freezing the beef before cutting it chills the fat, making it easier to make very thin, even cuts. Tenderloin is a lean piece of meat, without a lot of marbling and sinew, so it has a nicer texture when raw. Be sure to choose at least a prime-grade filet. Get the Recipe 17 of 24 Kabocha Squash Fritters with Yuzu-Garlic Dipping Sauce Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Japanese korokke are the basis for these cheesy squash fritters, which can be made with freshly steamed kabocha squash or canned pumpkin puree. A drier squash, kabocha has a sweet flavor and cooks down into a custardy texture that's still dry enough to fry into these crispy two-bite appetizers. Serve them with a shortcut dipping sauce — a blend of fresh garlic, bright yuzu juice, and silky Kewpie mayo. Get the Recipe 18 of 24 Baked Clams with Bacon and Garlic Marcus Nilsson In this ultimate version of baked clams, chef Daniel Humm includes chopped clams in the filling, doubling down on briny clam flavor. Bacon, parsley, lemon, and a touch of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese add a savory, herby kick. Get the Recipe 19 of 24 Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne Eva Kolenko Triple créme cheese, an ultra-rich version of Brie, is topped with pan-roasted mushrooms and herbs in this elegant appetizer. Get the Recipe 20 of 24 Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip) Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Smooth, thick, and layered with flavor, this mildly spicy dip of roasted red bell peppers and toasted walnuts is thickened with finely ground crispy breadsticks. Pomegranate molasses adds a piquancy that plays off the sweetness of the juicy roasted bell peppers, and spicy pepper paste brings just a touch of heat. Get the Recipe 21 of 24 Cheese Croustades Justin Walker A dollop of sweet-tart cranberry relish hides at the center of the goat cheese and ricotta mousse for a burst of flavor. Garnish with fresh chives or tart lemon zest for some color and brightness. Get the Recipe 22 of 24 Caramelized Five-Onion Dip Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen A mix of five different alliums — shallots, scallions, and sweet, yellow, and red onions — upgrades this classic caramelized onion dip with layers of flavor. Yellow and red onions give it bite, while Vidalia onion and shallots lend a pleasant sweetness. Taking the time to cook the onions low and slow concentrates their flavor, while adding scallions halfway through cooking keeps them just fresh enough to serve with chips, toasted bread, or vegetables like endive, steamed fingerling potatoes, and roasted Broccolini. Get the Recipe 23 of 24 Spiced Pumpkin Lassi Marcus Nilsson For this thick and creamy pumpkin lassi from chef Rupam Bhagat of Ritu in San Francisco, be sure to use a nice, healthy squash for a smooth texture and rich flavor. If you want a thinner consistency, add water gradually a quarter cup at a time. Get the Recipe 24 of 24 Flaky Andouille and Callaloo Hand Pies with Red Pepper Sambal Angie Mosier Chef Marcus Samuelsson's delicious hand pies are filled with callaloo and andouille, but you can fill them with anything you have on hand — sausage, fish, ham, vegetables, or even fresh crab or chopped pumpkin. Often described as "Indonesian relish," sambal is served alongside the hand pies for dipping. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit