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From elegant caviar and toast appetizers to hearty baked cheese and meatballs, the appetizers surrounding your main course can make or break the Thanksgiving spread. We've gathered our finest Thanksgiving appetizers so you can create the pre-entrée spread of your dreams. You'll find recipes featuring imported cheeses, peak fall produce, and handheld bites to excite and delight everyone at the feast.
Baked Brie in a Bread Bowl
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Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser
Wholesome autumnal ingredients come together to highlight the delectable, buttery flavors of Brie in this sourdough bread bowl. Fig jam, capers, candied walnuts, and fresh thyme bring notes of fruity sweetness, savory earthiness, and herbal softness.
Mushroom Flatbread with White Miso
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Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Each ingredient built onto this quick flatbread brings another element of nutty, umami flavor. Serve alongside sliced apples and pears for the perfect sweet-meets-salty pairing.
Squash Fondue
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Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Hollowed-out acorn squash is filled with melty Comté and Gruyère cheeses in this colorful appetizer from 2023 F&W Best New Chef Amanda Shulman.
Baked Brie en Croûte with Spiced Pears and Cherries
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In this timeless appetizer, spiced fruits and nuts rest atop Brie inside a golden, crisp shell of puff pastry. Make this dish your own by using the Brie of your choice, along with any nuts and fruits that speak to you. A final drizzle of honey and sprinkle of flaky sea salt enhance all the sweet and savory flavors.
Caramelized Five-Onion Dip
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Onion dip is plenty delicious in its own right, and in this recipe from Justin Chapple, five types of caramelized onions bring loads of additional flavor to the party dip. Cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream work in unison to provide the creamy, luscious base for the onions and seasonings.
Kabocha Squash Fritters with Yuzu-Garlic Dipping Sauce
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Soft, warm, creamy winter squash meets cheese inside these panko-crusted fritters. A citrusy yuzu dipping sauce lifts the flavors.
Carrots en Croûte
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This vegetable-forward appetizer features tender roasted carrots in place of the usual sausage. Additional warmth and sweetness from curry and honey bring out the naturally earthy tones of the carrots.
Mini Deviled Crab Cornbread Muffins
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These cornbread muffin bites are a party staple for chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls. Sweet, spicy, and earthy flavors that sing of autumn come from a thoughtful blend of deviled crab, corn kernels, coriander, and brown sugar.
Smoked Salmon Dip
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Smoky salmon is softened with chives and dill, then brightened with citrus zest and juice. Creaminess comes from a blend of cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, a mixture that gives the dip the ultimate scoopability.
Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip
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Taking a nod from the North African lamb sausage merguez, spices like cumin, garlic, and paprika abound in these hearty meatballs. A creamy green-tinged dip full of fresh herbs brings a balancing herbaceous quality to the spicy, earthy notes of the lamb.
Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne
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In this savory, indulgent appetizer, robustly flavored and ultra-creamy Délice de Bourgogne cheese rests with pan-roasted wild mushrooms and fresh herbs atop crisped brioche toasts.
Caviar Waffle Bites
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Justin Chapple brings us this inventive and playful take on blini. Strips of waffles house pockets of caviar, crème fraîche, and chives, making perfect grab-and-go appetizers.
Beef Tenderloin Tartare with Anchovy-Cornichon Vinaigrette
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Ideal for plated appetizers, this umami-rich tenderloin tartare is topped with egg yolk and parsley and served alongside crispy crostini. Be sure to choose at least a prime-grade filet.
Green Peppercorn-Marinated Feta
Feta cubes, full of holes and air, are perfectly suited to soak up your finest marinades. In this recipe, a vinaigrette with peppercorns, crushed red pepper, and thyme features spicy and herbal flavors. Serve your marinated feta next to a robust aged cheese, crispy crackers, and seasonal fresh fruit.
Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans
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Spiced toasted pecans bring new flavors to the classic holiday cheese ball with notes of maple syrup and smoked paprika.
Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives
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No one at the holiday table will suspect the wonderful flavor that awaits inside these fried sausage balls. The salty tang of Castelvetrano olives, the meaty richness of Italian pork sausage, and the nuttiness of pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses all balance each other perfectly.
Deviled-Egg Crisps
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Justin Chapple reimagines the deviled-egg toast from 2010 F&W Best New Chef Missy Robbins, of Lilia and Misi in Brooklyn. This version features creamy deviled egg purée layered with smoky, raisin-like Urfa biber and spicy jalapeño spices.
Flaky Andouille and Callaloo Hand Pies with Red Pepper Sambal
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There's so much to love about these inspired hand pies from acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson. Each pastry pocket is filled with andouille sausage, coconut-simmered callaloo, and warming seasonings. The warm hand pies are served alongside a richly spiced red pepper sambal.
Acorn Squash Saltimbocca
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Acorn squash stands in for veal in this bold, earthy holiday appetizer. Brown butter-drizzled prosciutto whispers of sage and caramelized sweetness.
Cheese Croustades
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Josh Miller calls upon frozen mini phyllo pastry shells to make these croustades that are almost too pretty to eat. In each bite of the crispy pastry, guests will be rewarded with pops of cranberry brightness amid a fluffy goat cheese mousse.
Duck Liver Pâté with Blackberry Conserva
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2017 F&W Best New Chef Angie Mar brings us a classic appetizer of duck liver pâté complete with a not-as-common topping of blackberry conserva. The mixture of gamey, rich duck and sharp, sweet-tart berries is a treasure.
Vietnamese Grilled Clams with Oyster Sauce and Peanuts
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Fresh herbs, fried shallots, and oyster sauce bring a deliciously pungent flavor and crunchy appeal to grilled mollusks.
Mini Wedge Salads with Anchovy Dressing
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Greg DuPree
Your holiday guests will delight in these personal wedge salads. A clever panko crust lets each guest enjoy their handheld salad in just a bite or two — no forks required.
Chile-Sumac-Pomegranate Nuts
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A Thanksgiving appetizer spread would not be complete without spiced nuts. In this Bombay-inspired recipe from James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author Nik Sharma, flavors of rich, sweet-tart pomegranate and citrusy sumac complement the sweet, buttery flavors of cashews.
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