Thanksgiving Appetizers: Crowd-Pleasing Starters for Your Table

These are the best Thanksgiving appetizers—most can be prepared ahead of time and make perfect snacks for guests without spoiling the main meal. I can’t pick a favorite; they’re all delicious.

Thanksgiving appetizers can be tricky. You want something for guests to nibble on that won’t fill them up before the big dinner. Timing matters too—how long guests arrive before dinner and what time you’re serving will influence your choices.

In my home, guests often arrive two to three hours before we eat. I always put out a small, intentional appetizer—just one item rather than a huge spread. Some years I make a giant cheeseboard that either gets hardly touched because people are saving room, or it gets demolished and nobody stays hungry for dinner. Lately I prefer a modest cheese plate or a single dip that’s easy to enjoy.

I also choose appetizers that can be mostly prepared in advance, or at least assembled quickly from prepped ingredients. One of my most popular make-ahead snacks is a chipotle caramel Chex mix—easy to portion into several bowls around the room.

Below are my favorite Thanksgiving appetizers. Photos may show large platters, but I usually scale recipes down—smaller cheeseboards or half batches of rich bites like bacon-wrapped dates—to keep everyone excited for turkey and stuffing.

P.S. I come from a long line of cheeseball lovers. It’s true.