73 Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Complete Your Turkey Day Feast
Turkey may be the center of many holiday gatherings, but what would the 4th Thursday in November be without a profusion of Thanksgiving side dishes set out to impress? Whether you’re looking for ideas for classic Thanksgiving sides (creamy mashed potatoes, green bean casserole) or something a little more dynamic (roasted carrots with creamy nuoc cham dressing), we’ve got you covered.
Our best Thanksgiving side dishes run the gamut: If it’s stuffing recipes you seek, we’ve got plenty. Sweet potato recipes? Buttermilk biscuits? Thanksgiving salads to round out the holiday table? They’re all right below. And if you need even more inspiration, head over to our collection of easy Thanksgiving appetizers for what to serve while you’re getting all your chosen sides together.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson2/73Our Favorite Stuffing With Cornbread and Sausage
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne5/73Our Favorite Mac and Cheese
A good mac and cheese has real potential to steal the Thanksgiving spotlight, and this crispy-topped, creamy dish is a result of our favorite elements of mac and cheesery.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert6/73Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Spiced Maple Glaze
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi8/73Classic Cranberry Sauce
Sweet, tart cranberry sauce is the unsung hero of Thanksgiving dinner side dishes. It can brighten up any holiday main, and the leftovers are fabulous on turkey sandwiches.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson12/73Simplest Kale Salad
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka16/73Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta and Garlic
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou17/73Braised Butternut Squash in Spiced Coconut Gravy
This dish of silky-soft butternut squash braised in a creamy chile-spiked coconut sauce makes for a wonderful vegetarian side dish (or entrée) on Thanksgiving day.
Jonathon Kambouris19/73Parker House Rolls
Slide these fluffy Parker House rolls into the oven and bask in the buttery scent of baking bread while you go about prepping the rest of your Thanksgiving dinner.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege21/73Skillet Dressing With Cornbread and Biscuits
Hit hard with dried sage, this Southern-style Thanksgiving dressing features not just one, but two of the South’s best breads: crumbled cornbread and day-old biscuits.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson23/73Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson24/73Sheet-Pan Roasted Squash and Feta Salad
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell25/73Citrusy Haricots Verts
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell26/73Orange-Ginger Pickled Baby Carrots
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson27/73Garlicky Sausage Stuffing
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne28/73Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
Looking for a few vegan Thanksgiving recipes? This “cheeze” sauce gets its depth and umami kick from a combination of nutritional yeast, white miso, and creamy cashews.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Laura Rege29/73Roasted Cauliflower With Parmesan-Panko Crumble
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell30/73Potato Tahdig
This Iranian side dish pulls double-carb duty with golden, saffron-scented potatoes and tender long-grain rice. The potatoes get super crispy on one side and soft and fluffy on the other.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton32/73Cranberry Orange Relish
Team cranberry relish, unite! Raw cranberries are a refreshingly tart foil for the richer elements of your Thanksgiving dinner. If you love leftover turkey sandwiches, you may want to double the recipe.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich33/73Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Fried Onions
A mix of wild mushrooms lends an earthy touch to this creamy Thanksgiving classic, but it’s the homemade spiced fried onions that guests will really remember.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi34/73Cheesy Potato and Kale Gratin With Rye Croutons
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi36/73Buttermilk Biscuits With Honey Butter
Kissed with sweet honey butter and flaky sea salt, these light, buttery biscuits are perfect for both your Thanksgiving table and your next-day biscuit sammies filled with Thanksgiving leftovers.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova37/73Greek-Style Lemon Potatoes With Garlic and Oregano
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Simon Andrews38/73Flat Beans With Mustard Thyme Vinaigrette
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi39/73Sweet Potato Casserole With Graham Cracker Streusel
Do you go all-in on sweet sweet potato recipes at Thanksgiving? Try this marshmallow- and graham cracker–topped version of the classic, which gets a small scoop of cocoa powder for a touch of bitterness that brings balance and enriches the flavor of the mash.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini40/73Cheesy Baked Butternut Squash Polenta
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini. Salad Bowl Courtesy of Heath Ceramics.41/73Torn Potatoes of Many Colors With Chile-Lime Butter
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell42/73Watercress and Persimmon Salad With Champagne Vinaigrette
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce43/73Crispy Salt and Pepper Potatoes
This quick roasted potato recipe from chef Dan Kluger has a trick for getting crackling-crispy skin: egg whites. Serve with aioli for a snacky Thanksgiving side dish.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson45/73Beet Salad With Pickled Mushrooms and Caramelized Shallots
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich46/73Thanksgiving Mac and Cheese
This rich, flavorful macaroni and cheese leans on both cream cheese and extra-sharp cheddar cheese to lend it a luscious texture and bold flavor, making it the ultimate comfort food.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson48/73Creamed Dried Sweet Corn With Onion and Chives
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog49/73Roasted Sweet Potato and Delicata Squash With Cranberry Agrodolce
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton50/733-Ingredient Lemony Green Beans With Frizzled Leeks
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog51/73Skillet Stuffing With Italian Sausage and Wild Mushrooms
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell52/73Cheesy Corn Spoon Bread
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton53/733-Ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole With Maple Pecans
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Jennifer Ophir54/73Autumn Kale Salad
Punctuated with sweet raisins that contrast the slightly bitter kale, this autumnal salad is a celebration of seasonal colors and flavors. While the recipe calls for delicata squash, feel free to use roasted butternut squash in its place.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton55/73Shaved Carrot and Radish Salad With Herbs and Pumpkin Seeds
This crunchy, raw salad provides the perfect counterpoint to all of the warm, creamy dishes on your Thanksgiving menu. Toasted cumin seeds add a fragrant, smoky note that complements the bright lemon dressing.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova56/73Dinner Rolls Six Ways
One simple dough recipe, based on a classic French pain de mie, proves endlessly riffable: Take the suggested variations (like the additions of shallots, cheddar, or everything spice) as a start, then let your imagination run wild.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton57/733-Ingredient Thanksgiving Stuffing
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones58/73Young Carrots With Spring Onions, Sumac, and Anchovies
Young, delicate market carrots respond very well to this preparation of pot-roasted vegetables hit with a bright, lemony sumac sauce flavored with funky anchovies and scallions. We think your Thanksgiving guests will, too.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Jerri Joy, Food Styling by Anna Hampton59/73Pull-Apart Bread With Pumpkin and Spinach
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Laura Rege60/73Spicy Cornbread Stuffing With Chorizo and Sweet Potatoes
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell61/73Crispy Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
Roasted potatoes can do no wrong. Here, fresh thyme and nutmeg keep things interesting while a tangy horseradish-yogurt sauce makes the perfect accompaniment.
Charles Masters, food styling by Chelsea Zimmer65/73Green Beans With Shallots, Hazelnuts, and Tarragon
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton66/73Kale Salad With Brussels Sprouts, Apples, and Hazelnuts
There’s no need to turn to boring Thanksgiving salads when you can serve this noteworthy one that’s brimming with kale, brussels sprouts, Honeycrisp apples, aged gouda, radishes, and hazelnuts.
Photo by Tara Donne, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell67/73Spiced Sweet Potato and Parsnip Tian
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich68/73Shaved Fennel Salad
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich71/73Wild Rice Dressing
This savory wild rice dressing is the ultimate gluten-free Thanksgiving stuffing—essentially a holiday-appropriate grain salad loaded with fresh herbs.
Photo by Christopher Testani73/73Herby Barley Salad With Butter-Basted Mushrooms
Use any chewy grain—such as wheat berries, farro, or even brown rice—as a stand-in for barley for this hearty end to our list of Thanksgiving side dishes.
