Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to mean spending the entire day in the kitchen. With the right recipes, you can put together a delicious holiday spread without making every side dish complicated or time-consuming. These easy Thanksgiving side dishes include simple vegetables, comforting casseroles, quick salads, homemade breads, and a few clever air fryer and slow cooker options that can help make the big meal a little less stressful.
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving for a crowd or bringing a side dish to someone else’s dinner, these recipes are full of simple ideas that still feel special enough for the holiday table.
1. Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
This Easy Sweet Potato Casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side that’s much easier to make than it looks. Mashed sweet potatoes are combined with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla before being topped with pecans and golden toasted marshmallows. It’s sweet, creamy, comforting, and perfect for anyone who loves the traditional sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving.
2. Sautéed Green Beans
When you need a quick vegetable side, these Sautéed Green Beans are a simple choice that won’t take up valuable oven space. Green beans are cooked until tender while still keeping some bite, making them a fresh contrast to all the rich casseroles and creamy dishes on the Thanksgiving table. They’re also easy enough to prepare while you’re working on the rest of the meal.
3. Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
These Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts are perfect for Thanksgiving because they don’t need to compete with the turkey for oven space. The air fryer gives Brussels sprouts beautifully browned, crispy edges while keeping the inside tender. They’re a great option when you want a simple vegetable side with plenty of texture and flavor without adding another complicated dish to your holiday cooking schedule.
4. Maple Butter Vegetables with Pears
These Maple Butter Vegetables with Pears bring together carrots, Brussels sprouts, red onion, Delicata squash, and juicy pears with a buttery maple glaze. The combination of sweet, savory, and slightly tart flavors makes this a beautiful Thanksgiving side, and all those colorful vegetables make the serving platter look festive too. It’s a particularly nice choice when you want one recipe that gives guests several different vegetables in every serving.
5. Butternut Squash and Apple Tian
This Butternut Squash and Apple Tian with Fennel and Orange is the kind of side dish that looks impressive without requiring complicated cooking. Thinly sliced butternut squash, apples, and fennel are layered together and roasted with orange, rosemary, warm spices, and pecans, creating a beautiful combination of sweet, savory, and fresh flavors. It can also be served warm or at room temperature, which makes it especially useful for a busy Thanksgiving meal.
6. 3-Ingredient Biscuits
If you need homemade bread without a complicated recipe, these 3-Ingredient Biscuits are an excellent option. With just a few basic ingredients, you can have warm, fluffy biscuits ready to serve alongside turkey, gravy, and all those delicious Thanksgiving sides. They’re also perfect for soaking up leftover gravy and making little turkey sandwiches once dinner is over.
7. Sweet Potato Bread Rolls
These Sweet Potato Bread Rolls are a fun way to bring sweet potatoes into your Thanksgiving bread basket. Soft homemade rolls make any holiday meal feel a little more special, and the sweet potato adds a lovely flavor and color to the dough. They’re perfect served warm with butter and would also be delicious for making leftover turkey sliders the next day.
8. Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread
If you’d rather put one beautiful loaf on the table than make individual rolls, this Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread is a wonderful option. Dutch oven bread gives you a rustic loaf with a crisp crust and hearty interior, making it perfect for passing around the Thanksgiving table. Slice it up for serving alongside dinner or keep some back for turkey sandwiches the following day.
9. Smothered Cabbage
This Smothered Cabbage is a quick and comforting vegetable side that works beautifully for a holiday meal. Cabbage is cooked until tender with garlic, stock, and crispy bacon, creating a savory dish that takes very little hands-on effort. With just a handful of everyday ingredients and about 20 minutes of cooking time, it’s a useful recipe to have when your Thanksgiving menu is already packed.
10. Collard Greens
These Collard Greens bring a hearty Southern-style vegetable to the Thanksgiving table. Collard greens are full of flavor and make a great partner for turkey, ham, cornbread, and other traditional holiday dishes. They’re also a nice way to add a darker green vegetable to a plate filled with golden potatoes, sweet potatoes, and casseroles.
11. Smashed Broccoli
If you’re looking for an easy way to make broccoli a little more exciting, try Smashed Broccoli. Smashed vegetables are fun because they give you plenty of crispy edges while keeping the center tender, and broccoli works particularly well with this method. It’s a simple side that adds a pop of green to the Thanksgiving table without requiring a complicated sauce or casserole.
12. Paleo Creamy Spinach
This Paleo Creamy Spinach is a good option when you want a creamy vegetable side without reaching for another potato casserole. Creamy spinach is rich enough to feel right at home on a holiday table while still adding plenty of green to the meal. It pairs especially well with roasted meats and would make a nice alternative to a traditional creamed spinach recipe.
13. Pesto Keto Cauliflower Mash
Mashed potatoes may be a Thanksgiving classic, but this Pesto Keto Cauliflower Mash is a great alternative for guests who want something lighter or lower in carbohydrates. The cauliflower creates a creamy mash while pesto brings plenty of herby flavor, giving you a side that’s completely different from traditional mashed potatoes. It’s also a smart option when you’re trying to offer a few choices for guests with different dietary preferences.
14. Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Another fresh option for the holiday table is this Thanksgiving Fruit Salad. Fruit can provide a welcome break from all the creamy, cheesy, and buttery sides, and a colorful fruit salad looks beautiful among the rest of the Thanksgiving spread. It’s also particularly useful when you’re hosting children because it gives them an easy side dish they can enjoy alongside the traditional holiday foods.
15. Southwest Quinoa Salad
This Southwest Quinoa Salad is a flavorful alternative to the more traditional Thanksgiving salads. Quinoa makes it hearty enough to work as a substantial side, while Southwest-inspired ingredients bring plenty of color and flavor to the plate. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual holiday casseroles and want a side that can be enjoyed at room temperature.
16. Mediterranean Bean Salad
This Mediterranean Bean Salad brings a fresh, colorful option to a Thanksgiving table that’s often dominated by rich comfort food. Beans make the salad satisfying, while Mediterranean flavors and fresh vegetables keep it bright and flavorful. It’s also a useful make-ahead side because it can be prepared before guests arrive and served without taking up any oven or stovetop space.
17. Air Fryer Eggplant
This Air Fryer Eggplant is another handy vegetable option when oven space is at a premium. Cooking eggplant in the air fryer gives it a delicious texture without requiring another casserole dish or oven rack, and it makes an easy addition to a holiday vegetable spread. It’s a good recipe to keep in mind when you want to add something different to your Thanksgiving menu without creating a lot of extra work.
The best thing about easy Thanksgiving side dishes is that they let you put together a generous holiday spread without making every recipe a major project. Use your slow cooker for creamed corn, your air fryer for vegetables, and choose a few make-ahead salads and breads to reduce the pressure on your oven and stovetop.
