Food Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving 23 Thanksgiving Appetizers to Add to Your Menu Impress from the introduction with these unforgettable appetizers for the fall holiday. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 3, 2023 Close Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives. Cheese Croustades. Carrots en Croûte — the dishes surrounding your main course make or break the Thanksgiving spread, starting with the appetizers. We've gathered an array of Thanksgiving appetizer ideas so you can create the snack spread of your dreams. Think dips, toasts, and treats on toothpicks like Spicy Lamb Meatballs. We have plenty of cheese, peak fall produce, and handheld bites to inspire Thanksgiving appetizers that excite everyone for the meal. 01 of 23 Squash Fondue Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Melty, gooey, cheese fondue served in an edible squash vessel is the ticket to impressing guests at fall gatherings. Get the Recipe 02 of 23 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 03 of 23 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 04 of 23 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 05 of 23 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 06 of 23 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 07 of 23 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 08 of 23 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 09 of 23 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 10 of 23 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 11 of 23 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 12 of 23 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 13 of 23 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 14 of 23 Acorn Squash Saltimbocca Caitlin Bensel Wrapped in prosciutto and drizzled with a sage-infused brown butter, this roast acorn squash starter will steal the show. Get the Recipe 15 of 23 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 16 of 23 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 17 of 23 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 18 of 23 Mushroom Flatbread with White Miso Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Store-bought flatbread makes this dish fast and easy for entertaining. Oven-roasted mushrooms bring an umami bomb of flavor, as does a two-ingredient miso, heavy cream sauce, and a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Get the Recipe 19 of 23 Vietnamese Grilled Clams with Oyster Sauce and Peanuts Justin Walker Finely chopped cherrystone clams, in-shell scallops, or mussels are combined with a pungent mix of herbs, crispy fried shallots, and oyster sauce, then returned to their shells and grilled until bubbling for a delicious appetizer. Get the Recipe 20 of 23 Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke This iconic Southern hors d'oeuvre is a classic for good reason — it’s easy to put together, looks polished on a platter, and boasts an irresistible savory flavor. B Get the Recipe 21 of 23 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. A type of relish, sambal is served alongside the hand pies for dipping. Get the Recipe 22 of 23 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 23 of 23 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 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit