These holiday appetizer ideas may even outshine the turkey.
The most anticipated meal of the year is here, and your guests are hungry.
These recipes are also great to bring as a guest and pair well with the traditional Thanksgiving feast.
Photo: VICTOR PROTASIO
Here’s how to start Thanksgiving on an extra tasty note this year.
Serve with your favorite crunchy dipper, like a toasted bagel or crostini.
Carrot-Ginger Dip
Mix up a dip with an autumnal hue and beautiful flavor.
Caitlin Bensel
Oysters with Pepperoncini Mignonette
Victor Protasio
Easily impress your Thanksgiving crowd with this 25-minute oyster appetizer.
Serve the prepared oysters on a bed of ice to keep them chilled.
Fish Antipasto Board
Thanksgiving day just got a whole lot tastier with this delicious fish antipasto board.
Caitlin Bensel
And ready in just 25 minutes?
it’s possible for you to’t beat it.
Endive with Ricotta, Almonds, and Raisins
A Thanksgiving salad you might eat with your fingers?
Victor Protasio
Get creative with toppings, such as dried cranberries and winter-spiced nuts.
Hot Honey Lamb Meatballs
Looking for a big-batch appetizer to feed your turkey day crowd?
These sweet and spicy meatballs are hard to beat.
Victor Protasio
After cooking, transfer them to aslow cookeron warm to serve.
Don’t mind the guests sneaking it to the table to slather onturkey breast.
These delicious bacon-wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates are no exception.
Beatriz da Costa
You only need three ingredients, and they’re done in 20 minutes.
Crostini meanslittle crustsin Italian, and they are so simple to make.
Choose a colorful variety of olives to really make this dish pop.
Victor Protasio
These Thanksgiving bites will literally melt in your mouth.
Red Pepper Walnut Knots
These red pepper walnut knots look fancy, and they taste it too.
The red pepper and walnut mixture tucked inside these twists is inspired by a Middle Eastern dip called muhammara.
Victor Protasio
Smoky Kale Chips
Crispy kale chips are the perfect healthy swap-in for potatoes.
It takes very few ingredients to throw these together before the big feast.
Easy Pork Dumplings
This crave-worthy appetizer won’t last long.
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However, if you have leftovers, they will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months.
Serve with an easy sauce that makes each bite worthwhile.
If you have leftovers, feel free to freeze the soup for delicious dinners to come.
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Serve with fresh crostini.
It’s bright, colorful, and so tasty.
Serve with a variety of dippers, including potato chips, rainbow carrots, English cucumber, andbroccoli.
Victor Protasio
AKA the ideal situation for a Thanksgiving appetizer.
A low-effort appetizer that looks like it’s made from scratch?
We couldn’t ask for anything better.
Victor Protasio
These cheese puffs, also known as Gougeres, are a French pastry made with irresistible smoked gouda.
Garnish with flaky sea salt for an ideal tasty touch.
When shopping for ingredients, avoid sourdough bread, as it will make the chilies a bit too tangy.
Jennifer Causey
This Thanksgiving appetizer can be served warm or at room temperature.
So, don’t worry about keeping them hot when you’re busy prepping dinner.
The filling mixes mashed potatoes with sour cream, butter, and cheddar cheese to achieve a creamy interior.
Greg DuPree
Garnish with bacon bits and chives.
A magenta beet is what gives the hummus its pink color.
What’s better is that the dip can be made up to a week before the feast.
Caitlin Bensel
Plus, it’s a no-cook recipe that’s ready in under 10 minutes.
Bacon-Wrapped Apricots With Sage
This delicious twist on bacon-wrapped dates deserves a spot on the grazing table.
Sweet dried apricots pair nicely with savory bacon, and the sage gives a mellowed-out herbal taste.
Victor Protasio
Serve with toothpicks on the side.
Crispy Homemade Baked Potato Chips
Everyone loves potato chips, right?
Take the classic bowl of baked salty taters up a notch with this homemade recipe.
Victor Protasio
All you need is potatoes, salt, and oil.
Keep in the jalapeno seeds for more spice, or take them out for less.
Roasted Red Pepper Canapes
These one-bite Thanksgiving canapes will surely kindly your group on Turkey Day.
Caitlin Bensel
Canapes are an appetizer that is described as a small cracker topped with something savory.
In this recipe, thick-cut potato chips are topped with roasted red peppers, walnuts, and scallions.
(It even has tofu mixed in for added protein!)
Christopher Testani
Serve with crudites, baby lettuce wedges, and maybe even some homemade potato chips.
This will ensure an even distribution of flavor.
Serve with something sweet for the ideal combination of salty and sweet.
Victor Protasio
And while they may look fancy, they only take five minutes to put together.
Your choice of crackers makes the perfect vessel to eat this dip on.
Serve the dip in a bowl with a cheese spreader.
Jennifer Causey
Then, they are garnished with earthy rosemary before being served.
One downside: They won’t be around for long.
Swap pears with cantaloupe,peaches, or honeydew if you desire.
Victor Protasio
In just 20 minutes, these delicious, creamy, and flavorful bites are ready to eat.
They don’t have to know that this glorious starter took only about half an hour to prepare.
It’s best served with white wine and garlic bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Grace Elkus
Deviled Eggs
Here’s a classic Thanksgiving appetizer that even the pickiest of eaters seem to enjoy.
But wait, there’s a twist.
To save time, learn how to make these deviled eggs in an air fryer and Instant Pot.
Victor Protasio
Crispy Falafel Bites
Fred Hardy
This crunchy hors d’oeuvre is sure to satisfy your Thanksgiving crew.
Cut the tart into small pieces before serving.
It’s a fan-favorite recipe and super simple to put together.
Mikkel Vang
Amp it up with this recipe made with frozen puff pastry and your choice of store-bought chicken sausage.
Serve with whole-grain mustard for dipping.
Double the recipe to ensure you have enough for all of your hungry loved ones.
CON POULOS
Make the polenta cups two days in advance before filling and broiling them.
A lemony mayo with chives is the perfect counterpart to the flavor-packed crab cakes.
Now, this is a 30-minute Thanksgiving dish we can get behind.
feelgoodfoodie.net
Serve with chips for scooping the mixture, and offer toothpicks to pick up the shrimp.
Bake these yummy bites in a mini muffin pan until they are golden brown.
No cream is required, which is a nice respite before a dairy-heavy meal!
Cara Cormack
Finish it off with a garlic and thyme garnish for a super-quick solution to the soup course.
The base of this flatbread is a mix of sour cream and whole-grain mustard.
Cut flatbread with a pizza cutter into bite-size slices before serving.
James Wojcik
You don’t need any special tools, ingredients, or time to make it.
You only need six ingredients and about half an hour to put it together.
Victor Protasio
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Dana Gallagher
Rosemary Pecans.Real Simple
Mikkel Vang
Victor Protasio
Caitlin Bensel
Aniko Hobel/Getty Images
Fred Hardy
Con Poulos
Quentin Bacon
David Prince
Heather Meldrom
Heather Meldrom
David Prince
Heather Meldrom
Paul Sirisalee
Greg DuPree
