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Easy Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes to make your holiday meal complete. Impress your guests with 52 recipes sure to be a crowd pleaser.

We have compiled a list of easy thanksgiving appetizers. These recipes include something for everyone to enjoy.
From easy to make Thanksgiving dips and cheese ball recipes to hearty finger foods, there so many easy and delicious options.
Table of Contents
- What Do You Serve Before Thanksgiving Dinner?
- What are Most Popular Appetizers?
- Easy Appetizer Ideas for Thanksgiving
- 1. Sausage Balls Recipe
- 2. Garlic and Onion Cheddar Cheese Ball
- 3. Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
- 4. Pepperoni Cheese Ball
- 5. Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
- 6. Cranberry Jello Salad
- 7. BBQ Little Smokies Crock Pot Recipe
- 8. Crock Pot Cheese Dip
- 9. Deviled Eggs Recipe
- 10. Cranberry Sauce
- 11. Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
- 12. Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
- 13. Candied Bacon Recipe
- 14. Spicy Cheez-It Snack Mix
- 15. Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
- 16. Cucumber Onion Salad
- 17. Spicy Ranch Crackers Recipe
- 18. Crock Pot Cranberry Sauce
- 19. Jack o Lantern Veggie Tray
- 20. Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza Appetizer
- 21. Crescent Roll Pigs in a Blanket
- 22. Charcuterie Board
- 23. Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
- 24. Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
- 25. Crack Dip
- 26. Creamy Cucumber Salad
- 27. Caramel Apple Nachos Recipe
- 28. Cucumber Bites
- 29. Jalapeno Popper French Bread Recipe
- 30. Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos
- 31. Caramel Apple Dip
- 32. Party Mix
- 33. Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
- 32. Cream Cheese Sausage Dip
- 33. Fiesta Ranch Dip
- 34. Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip
- 35. Veggie Tray
- 36. Stuffed Cheesy Bread
- 37. Crock Pot Honey Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- 38. Texas Caviar
- 39. Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- 40. Crock Pot Rotel Dip
- 41. Pimento Cheese Dip
- 42. Hummus
- 43. Pecan Rolo Pretzels
- 44. Crockpot Butternut Squash
- 45. Crock Pot Cauliflower Soup
- 46. Apple Snickers Salad
- 47. Homemade Pretzel Bites
- 48. Pimento Cheese Sandwich
- 49. Slow Cooker Candied Pecans
- 50. Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups
- 51. Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
- 52. Jalapeno Popper Dip
- 53. Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board
- 54. Pinwheel Sandwiches
What Do You Serve Before Thanksgiving Dinner?
Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is something I have always enjoyed. When guests arrive, I like to have a couple of appetizers for everyone to enjoy.
This helps keep hunger at bay while lunch or dinner is finishing being prepared. The key is to keep everything simple
You want to fix easy appetizers like our pinwheel recipes that don’t add any stress. I prefer recipes that I can make ahead and guests can snack on before dinner.
Some ideas include a cheese ball, spinach artichoke dip, deviled eggs or anything easy to make ahead.
What are Most Popular Appetizers?
Sweet and savory appetizers always make a popular choice. Everyone always enjoys Candied Bacon and Grape Jelly Meatballs.
Other popular choices include bite size sausage balls, stuffed mushrooms and baked brie with puff pastry.
I also like to add a vegetable tray. This can easily be made in advance and provides something healthy to snack on.
Easy Appetizer Ideas for Thanksgiving
Get ready for the absolute easiest and best appetizers to prepare for Thanksgiving. The recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. There are options for everyone including gluten free and more.
1. Sausage Balls Recipe
This appetizer is always a popular choice for holidays. Sausage Balls make the perfect appetizer and take very little time to make.

2. Garlic and Onion Cheddar Cheese Ball
Whip up this savory cheese ball with cream cheese, garlic and more. It is so tasty with crackers.

3. Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
The combination of ranch and bacon never disappoint. It results in a fabulous appetizer with this easy cheese ball.

4. Pepperoni Cheese Ball
Guests can enjoy all the flavors of pizza in this easy pepperoni cheese ball.

5. Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
If you need a super fast appetizer, Little Smokies take minutes to prepare and taste amazing.

6. Cranberry Jello Salad
Only 3 ingredients is needed to make this sweet and delicious jello salad.

7. BBQ Little Smokies Crock Pot Recipe
Put the slow cooker to work with this easy and delicious recipe for BBQ Smokies.

8. Crock Pot Cheese Dip
This authentic recipe for queso is super easy in the crock pot.

9. Deviled Eggs Recipe
Each bite is creamy and tasty in this deviled eggs recipe.

10. Cranberry Sauce
The combination of tangy and sweet make this cranberry sauce an instant hit.

11. Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
These bundles of green beans wrapped in bacon and topped with brown sugar make the tastiest appetizer. This tasty appetizer cooks easily on a baking sheet.

12. Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
Bite size Jalapeno Poppers have the perfect blend of creamy and spicy.

13. Candied Bacon Recipe
One of the easiest appetizers is Candied Bacon and it is so easy to prepare.

14. Spicy Cheez-It Snack Mix
Jazz up plain snack mix with this spicy Cheez-It blend. It is perfect for munching on before lunch.

15. Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
This creamy blend of spinach, artichoke and cream cheese combine for an amazing dip. The best dip with a slice of bread or crusty bread.

16. Cucumber Onion Salad
Make this tangy Cucumber Salad ahead of time for the perfect pre-dinner appetizer.

17. Spicy Ranch Crackers Recipe
This is the easiest recipe using simple ingredients but to flavorful and tasty.

18. Crock Pot Cranberry Sauce
With only 4 ingredients, this easy cranberry sauce is effortless in the slow cooker.

19. Jack o Lantern Veggie Tray
This veggie tray is perfect for Fall and so festive.

20. Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza Appetizer
Sneak extra veggies in this delicious pizza appetizer made with crescents.

21. Crescent Roll Pigs in a Blanket
Everyone loves Pigs in a Blanket and it’s so easy with 2 ingredients.

22. Charcuterie Board
Learn how to make a Charcuterie Board for a great appetizer that looks beautiful. I love making for these tasty treats.

23. Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
This simple recipe for cheese sticks is perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.

24. Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
Caprese Salad sounds fancy but is very simple to make. The roasted tomatoes really kick up the flavor.

25. Crack Dip
There is so much to love about this bacon and cheese packed dip recipe.

26. Creamy Cucumber Salad
The creaminess of this Cucumber Salad is so delicious with the dill and other seasonings.

27. Caramel Apple Nachos Recipe
Layers of apple slices make the perfect nachos topped with caramel and more.

28. Cucumber Bites
These grab and go Cucumber Bites are perfect for guests to snack on.

29. Jalapeno Popper French Bread Recipe
Each piece of this bread is packed with cheese, bacon and more.

30. Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos
These jalapenos are packed with cream cheese and more. They are creamy and wonderful.

31. Caramel Apple Dip
This dip is rich and creamy and perfect with apples, pretzels and more.

32. Party Mix
Everyone loves Party Mix packed with pretzels, chex cereal and more.

33. Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
Toss this together with only 4 ingredients but the favor is incredible.

32. Cream Cheese Sausage Dip
This dip is hearty and creamy while being effortless to make.

33. Fiesta Ranch Dip
Fiesta Dip is a favorite around here. The corn and rotel make it extra special.

34. Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip
We love to make Spinach Artichoke Dip in the the slow cooker. It makes a really simple appetizer that is tasty.

35. Veggie Tray
This simple veggie tray utilizes an assortment of vegetables guests will enjoy.

36. Stuffed Cheesy Bread
Get this on the table in just 15 minutes. It is stuffed with gooey cheese.

37. Crock Pot Honey Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
The honey buffalo flavor is so tasty and makes these meatballs a crowd pleaser.

38. Texas Caviar
There is so much flavor packed into this Cowboy Caviar. Serve with tortilla chips for an instant hit.

39. Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Creamy buffalo dip packed with cheese is sure to impress guests.

40. Crock Pot Rotel Dip
The combination of a few simple ingredients makes the best dip without any work.

41. Pimento Cheese Dip
This recipe is packed with cheese and perfect for dipping.

42. Hummus
Serve this healthy hummus recipe with veggies for a great appetizer.

43. Pecan Rolo Pretzels
Perfect for parties and holidays, this 3 ingredient recipe is the best treat.

44. Crockpot Butternut Squash
Enjoy bowls of creamy butternut squash soup for a tasty appetizer. I love to top this soup with chopped walnuts and red pepper. Serve this side with your leftover turkey.

45. Crock Pot Cauliflower Soup
Cauliflower is such a healthy alternative but still makes the best comfort food to serve for an appetizer.

46. Apple Snickers Salad
You won’t believe how easy this Apple Salad is with only 3 ingredients. Family and friends will love this served as an appetizer.

47. Homemade Pretzel Bites
Put out a platter of bite size pretzels for guests to snack on. These will be a hit.

48. Pimento Cheese Sandwich
Southern pimento cheese makes delightful finger sandwiches for an easy appetizer.

49. Slow Cooker Candied Pecans
Sweet and Crunchy Pecans are perfect for snacking on before Thanksgiving dinner.

50. Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups
These crispy wonton cups are packed with buffalo chicken for an easy grab and go appetizer.

51. Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
The blend of cucumber, tomatoes and onion make a healthy and tasty Thanksgiving appetizer recipe.

52. Jalapeno Popper Dip
Each bite of this creamy dip has the perfect amount of heat. Serve with crackers for a tasty appetizer.

53. Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board
This adorable Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board is the perfect Thanksgiving recipes.

54. Pinwheel Sandwiches

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Sausage Balls & cheddar, bacon pinwheels are my go to. Yes, I make the sausage Balls frequently. They are a big hit.
Can’t have a family get together without sausage balls!
I like to have deviled eggs ready for guest. cranberry Jello salad is my next thing to try. your chees ball recipe also sounds delish.
I always make the BBQ weiners in the crock pot. This year I got everything to try your cheese ball recipe!
Every Thanksgiving, I make crispy mojo potatoes!! These are very yummy and easy to make. Always the favorite app. This year, I am excited to try your pimento cheese sandwich!
We love to have sausage rotel dip and caprese skewers with balsamic glaze. We also make little pizzas using Rhoades bread rolls as the crust, they are amazing!
We always have Rotel cheese dip and cheese balls for appetizers.
There are so many awesome ideas here. Definetly going to take some time to comb through this list.
For me I like to keep the appetizers simple and light so nobody fills up before the big meal. I always do deviled eggs because they are a classic favorite, and usually I do veggies and dip, some mixed nuts and an olive and pickle tray. I like to assign small tasks to everyone that keeps things moving and out of my hair and the easy hand snacks work in that flow.
Ooooh, sausage balls, a cheese ball and a cranberry/jalapeno/cream cheese dip. HOWEVER. I’m dying to try your jalapeño popper dip!
I always cook sausage balls at Thanksgiving as an appetizer.
I fix pineapple casserole and cauliflower and broccoli salad as sides at thanksgiving
I always make Fried zucchini and also sweet sweet ear fried apples I’ve never tried one of You’re appetizes but I have thought about doing the small Hot dog links wrapped with honey bacon
I make a cheese ball with crackers and usually we have some fruit and veggies also.
I love the cranberry pineapple jello salad. It is always on my menu.
Thanksgiving is always done at my sister’s house and Christmas at mine!! We always have that tray of crackers, cheese, and sausage/pepperoni. Then we sometimes make sausage balls. This year I have been looking for something new and tasty. I love the sound of your Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball. That will be on the table for sure. Then instead of the sausage balls, I am going to make the Honey buffalo chicken meatballs!! Thanks for all the great ideas. Looking forward to changing things up this year!!
Pumpkin whip dip is one of our favorite appetizers for Tgiving. I haven’t tried one of your recipes yet, but they’re great inspiration—ty.
I love your recipe for cream cheese sausage dip. I make that almost every football Sunday!
For Thanksgiving dinner, I usually make deviled eggs. I have to make a double batch because people eat them up so fast.
I agree!
Me too!
Since it’s just me and hubby , I don’t make appetizers on Thanksgiving. I just make a nice breakfast and we eat our Thanksgiving dinner around 4:00. The appetizers all look amazing and I will try some for Christmas day since that’s what hubby and I do for our Christmas meal…… appetizers all afternoon.
I made the cranberry sauce.
My go-to is a Shrimp Spinach Dip Bread Bowl for a holiday appetizer.
Each year. I make pigs in a blanket, a vegetable and cheese tray with crackers and dip, and a Mexican tortilla roll-up. This year I will be making the sausage balls, the creamy cucumber salad, and the jalapeño poppers. I am excited to do something different this year.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I make deviled eggs every holiday because my family Loves them. I add some sweet pickle to mine.
Deviled eggs, sausage balls, cheese ball/crackers, stuffed mushrooms and chex-mix/nuts. I’m new so my favorite so far is the Chicken and Rice Soup…dinner tonight is the Turkey Sweet Potato Chili.
I serve deviled eggs and and a vegetable as appetizers.
We normally have a veggie tray, corn bread and biscuits to snack on before dinner.
We like to have taco di and also cheese and summer sausage and crackers.
I usually don’t serve any app’s. We always have plenty of food and try to time the arrival of folk s for dinner time to be within 30 minutes. Plenty of appatite for dinner
My family loves green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole
No matter what other appetizers we have for any family get-together, we have to have deviled eggs. I think there would be a mutiny if we didn’t. 🙂
My favorite appetizer to make for Thanksgiving is always Deviled Eggs because there are so many different variations to make. However, there are so many great recipes on your site I’ll have to mix it up this year!
Going to serve a cheese ball and a spinach dip. 🙂
We normally have deviled eggs, cream cheese or peanut butter filled celery sticks, a variety of fruits and raw veggies, bacon wrapped smokies and a meat and cheese tray. I like to keep the appetizers simple.
Sounds yummy! We usually have lil smokies and mashed potatoes as an appetizer for Thanksgiving ?
My favorite is BBQ little smokies.
The Sausage Balls and the Cranberry Sauce both look Yummy! I will have to try them both!!
We usually start with deviled eggs and chicken ball with crackers?Happy Thanksgiving!
I make sausage balls as an appetizer.
We do a chili cheese log that’s been in our family since I was little so it’s a traditional opening snack, served with hearty crackers. It’s very like the cheese roll recipes above but rolled in chili powder.
I like to have some fresh fruit for Thanksgiving.
I am making th Buffalo Chicken dip for Thanksgiving. It was requested by some family members who had it before. It is delicious!
I love to serve brie anyway but most of all I love to eat it.
Deviled eggs and pigs in a blanket
My go to appetizers are veggie and fruit trays,crockpot bbq lil smokies and deviled eggs.
You have soo many absolutely delicious recipes it’s hard to pick just one. But if I had to, I’d say it would have to be the beef tips. My family absolutely loves it!
Thank you for all your time and effort you put towards all the recipes you share.
Happy Thanksgiving you and your family! God bless
We don’t serve appetizers at Thanksgiving because we have a Feast of rich filling food!! Thank you, Carrie for the list And I will be making a cheese ball for sure ?!!
My family loves the bacon ranch cheese ball.
I don’t do appetizers anymore with just my family…but when I have entertained I do relish plate with pickles, chicken cheese ball w/&w/o nuts. The newest recipe I love of yours easy pb popcorn..Yum.
We normally have a Vegetable tray
I serve cheese ball and crackers with hummus, different kinds of olives and pickles.
I’m going to try your sausage balls.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
How do you choose? So many delish dishes!! One of our family go-to appetizers is your BBQ Little Smokies Crock Pot Recipe. Yum!!
We always have deviled eggs for Thanksgiving and I have tried lots of recipes. No favorites. Love them all
We do different every year depending on how much food and people we have. Have done Lil smokies, deviled eggs and chip, crackers and dip.
I make Deviled Eggs and a Charcuterie Board for Thanksgiving
My husband loves the Steak Roman Soup recipe!
Holy Molly! If this isn’t the ultimate collection of appetizers, I don’t know what is! I want to make every one of them!!! I usually do Deviled Eggs with Thanksgiving, but I’m clearly going to need to branch out! I love sausage balls and my go to pot luck contribution is bacon wrapped smokies. Time to branch out! Thanks so much for this!
Deviled eggs are my go to appetizer for Thanksgiving, along with bacon wrapped smokies.
We have a variety of appetizers at Thanksgiving. We generally have a meat and cheese tray, pretzel bites, little smokies, meatballs, and a hot cheese dip with salsa. I am excited to try the hot caramel dip from this website as well as the homemade pretzels! Thanks for all the great recipes!
We always serve the cranberry jalapena cream cheese dip with lime chips on Thanksgiving one of my favorites.
Such good recipe ideas. Our favorites that we always make are bacon wrapped jalapeños, bbq smokies in the crockpot and buffalo chicken dip. We will be making for Thanksgiving. Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve made a few of these before…deviled eggs, meat, crackers and cheese on a plate as I haven’t made a board yet. The candied bacon looks awesome as well as some of the cheese balls. Will have to add a little more variety to my family’s palate. Thanks for all the great recipes.
We make the deviled eggs. All the chip dips look delicious too!
My family always requests crab meat dip with crackers, potato chips, and pretzels as an appetizer! Granted, it’s a unique request for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Always make mini weenies wrapped in bacon a carmelized in brown sugar
Deviled eggs and meat and cheese with crackers
Usual appetizers are meat and cheese platter and veggies tray. But this year I might change it up with some of these AMAZING ideas!
We always have deviled eggs and cheese balls. I’m going to add these sausage balls and pepperoni cheese ball it’s year. I think the kids will love them!
We usually skip breakfast on Turkey Day so I like deviled eggs for appetizer !
We dont do appetizers. BUT WE LOVE DEVIL’S eggs
I don’t make appetizers usually, but the sausage balls looks good.
Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy
Bacon wrapped little smokies are our favorite
My family loves spinach artichoke dip.
My family is actually not that big on appetizers, but they love Deviled Eggs, so we always make sure that we have a few dozen on hand, and generally we have no leftovers.
Believe it or not, we’ve never served thanksgiving appetizers! But this year we aren’t eating until 4, so we’ll definitely need some. I’m planning on a veggie tray and maybe some sausage balls.
We always have shrimp cocktail for an appetizer at thanksgiving, believe it or not! It doesn’t really go with turkey but….. it IS delicious!! Thx for the opportunity to win- sure could use that gift card… just saying
I like to put together a veggie tray for a Thanksgiving Day appetizer. ??
I like to put together a veggie tray for a Thanksgiving Day appetizer. ??
My appetizer is a cheese ball
We have never made appetizers for Thanksgiving. But this year I am definitely going to try the Saugage Balls they look amazing.
While I’ve not tried one of these recipes, the homemade pretzel bites look delicious and like they could be a great addition to our repertoire!
So for Thanksgiving I always serve deviled eggs and my mom’s spaghetti salad
I like to make deviled eggs they are great for snacking on while waiting for the main dishes to be finished.
I serve sweet bacon crackers and meatballs! Everyone loves them!