45+ Thanksgiving Vegetable Sides

Consider this your hub for vegetable ideas for Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you need fancy vegetable dishes worthy of your elegant holiday table, or if easy, make-ahead recipes for a low-key Friendsgiving are more your speed, you can find it all here.

Grab a mug of tea and let’s map out your Thanksgiving day menu together. And rest assured—every recipe below is foolproof, big on flavor, and the perfect addition to complement the “gobble-gobble” star of the show. Without further ado, we present to you our best Thanksgiving vegetable recipes:

Most Popular Thanksgiving Veggie Sides

If you adore a classic holiday table, then the recipes in this section will be your go-to vegetable sides for your Thanksgiving menu. These holiday veggie side dishes are our most popular for a reason: they’re timeless crowd-pleasers that everyone asks for, year after year.

• Green Bean Casserole: You cannot serve vegetable casseroles for Thanksgiving dinner without including this signature green bean side dish. Our recipe foregoes the canned condensed soup and gives you a new, made-from-scratch way to add that umami flavor. This is also one of those vegetable side dishes that you can make ahead to better streamline your Thanksgiving day cooking schedule. 
• Trisha Yearwood’s Sweet Potato Souffle: Also known as a sweet potato casserole, this Southern-style sweet potato souffle is one of our best Thanksgiving veggie recipes. The pecan topping is far superior to the more traditional marshmallow topping. This elevated Thanksgiving side will have everyone going back for seconds. 
• Roasted Butternut Squash: Nothing smells like fall more than the scent of butternut squash roasting in the oven. Butternut squash pairs well alongside with any turkey recipe, but my favorite one is our roasted turkey tenderloin recipe, especially if I am serving a smaller crowd.
• Roasted Delicata Squash Rings: Easy to prepare yet elegant in appearance, the delicate skin on this squash allows you to roast it whole, without removing the skin. The mild, nutty flavor can be enhanced on the plate with a drizzle of the sweet & sour “agrodolce” sauce you’ll find in this holiday vegetable recipe.

• Make Ahead Roasted Carrots: Colorful carrots caramelized with maple syrup to perfection; these are one of those side vegetables that bring both a sweet and savory flavor combo. This simple carrot recipe tastes anything but. And, as a bonus, it is easy to make ahead of Thanksgiving day.
• Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash: This is one of those great vegetable sides that can also double as a main dish for any vegetarians/vegans at your holiday table. Stuffed with nutty quinoa, this hearty side dish packs in extra fall flavor with apples, cranberries, and pecans.
• Baked Acorn Squash Slices: Acorn squash is another beautiful addition to your holiday feast. This recipe’s special touch? A maple syrup and cinnamon mixture that complements the nutty, buttery flavors of the squash. It’s a good vegetable dish for Thanksgiving that brings in natural sweetness to balance out the other more savory dishes.

• Maple Syrup Cranberry Sauce: You’re making your Turkey Gravy homemade, so there’s no reason you should be serving your cranberry sauce from a can either! This recipe couldn’t be easier to make ahead. It’s naturally sweetened, warmly spiced, healthy, and vegan. Trust us—once you go homemade, you’ll never go back.
• Harvest Salad: A well-balanced holiday meal calls for some crunch and this fall-inspired salad truly delivers. Packed with colorful fruits and vegetables, its festive appearance and surprisingly complex flavor profile will have even the pickiest eaters making room for salad first. 
• Wild Rice Pilaf: While most people tend to think of potatoes as their go-to carb-centric Thanksgiving side dish, wild rice pilaf is a refined alternative to pair with your more gourmet vegetable side dishes. This recipe is a welcome addition if you’re curating a special Thanksgiving menu geared towards foodies.
• Garlic Roasted Cauliflower: If you’d like to add some easy vegetable dishes for Thanksgiving that are lower in carbs to your holiday menu, then cauliflower is your superstar. Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic give this veggie side a savory profile that could easily take the place of traditional mashed potatoes alongside your Herb Roasted Turkey main dish. 
• Balsamic Brussels Sprouts: Crispy, yet tender, these Brussels sprouts are roasted with a honey balsamic glaze and look like one of the more fancy veggie side dishes on your holiday table. Expert tip: Don’t skip the final step of the lemon zest—it adds a brightness that you will love!
• Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad: Colorful, tasty, and oh-so-delicious, this roasted butternut squash dish is one of the most popular holiday favorites on this website. Packed with hearty cooked quinoa and chopped cranberries and drizzled with homemade balsamic vinaigrette, it is a make-ahead recipe that is guaranteed to impress.

Green Vegetables for Thanksgiving Dinner

With all of the decadent holiday menu items you’ll be serving, adding some greens for Thanksgiving dinner is always a good idea. Here are a few good vegetable side dishes for you to incorporate that include green veggies:

• Butter Garlic Green Beans: If you’re skipping the green bean casserole this year and are looking for alternative Thanksgiving dinner vegetable recipes that include green beans, this side dish will delight your palate. Between the rich butter and the smoky garlic, you’ll be swooning over these tender green beans. 
• Sauteed Asparagus and Mushrooms: Looking for Thanksgiving dinner vegetables that are a match made in heaven? Here is your crowd-pleasing duo. The flavors and consistency of asparagus and mushrooms pair perfectly together in this recipe and adapt well to everything else on your holiday plate.
• Pan Sauteed Asparagus: These bright green asparagus spears add a pop of color to your plates and are easily prepared in under 10 minutes. They’re pan-seared in a little bit of butter, giving them a decadent yet plenty of flavor.
• Baked Asparagus: When it comes to great vegetable recipes for Thanksgiving, you do not need to get complicated. This baked asparagus veggie side dish is simple and healthy. The fresh flavor is an excellent balance to the more indulgent items being served.

Potato Vegetable Sides for Thanksgiving

Let’s be real—Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the humble potato. Whether you like them mashed, smashed, or deviled, we have a recipe to meet your holiday menu planning needs. 

• Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes: Mashed potatoes are a classic Thanksgiving veggie side, and this recipe will ensure yours are incredibly fluffy, butter-y, and melt in your mouth delicious. The addition of rosemary is the best part; you will be surprised by how much this aromatic herb elevates this side dish.
• Bacon Potato Roses: Have guests at your holiday table that you would like to impress? This is the best Thanksgiving vegetable dish when presentation matters. These potato roses are wrapped in bacon and add a visually stunning boost to the big feast.
• Smashed Fingerlings: Fingerling potatoes, but make them crispy. This is one of those holiday veggie dishes that you make for Thanksgiving, then continue to make for every subsequent holiday throughout the year. They are that good.

• Muffin Tin Potatoes: Think of these as mini potato au gratin stacks. They’re a fun Thanksgiving dinner vegetable idea, particularly if you plan on individually plating your holiday meal for your guests. And the fresh thyme will fill your home with the cozy scent of autumn.
• Deviled Egg Potato Salad: Deviled eggs? Yes. Potatoes? Yes. Together? YES. This salad is such a unique way to combine some of the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes into one unforgettable twist on classic potato salad. It’s also a great way to use leftover deviled eggs if you made far too many by (happy) accident.
• Red Potato Salad: For those who like their salad less lettuce and more potato, we’ve got you covered. This classic potato salad includes crispy bacon bits, tender eggs, fresh dill, and briny pickles and gives you the cold holiday vegetable side dish you need to round out your Thanksgiving dinner.

Sweet Potato Side Dishes

Prefer sweet potatoes over traditional Yukon gold potatoes? Or perhaps you just like to offer a variety of potatoes to your holiday guests (we get it). Sweet potatoes are good vegetables for Thanksgiving—not only do they add color to the plate, but they also add a dimension of natural sweetness to all of the savory dishes being served. Here are a couple of our favorite sweet potato recipe to add to your turkey dinner:

• Sweet Potato Mash: In a mashed potato competition, we think you’d have a hard time deciding between traditional mashed potatoes and this sweet potato version. This is a creamy, dreamy vegetable side dish that only requires 7 ingredients and can be cooked completely on the stovetop (no oven required!).
• Garlic Butter Sweet Potato Stacks: These are very similar to our Muffin Tin Potatoes recipe above—individually portioned and crispy—though the sweet potatoes make for a sweet + savory flavor combo that’s hard to resist. They are a playful way to sneak in vegetables at Thanksgiving that everyone will want on their plates. 
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts: These two are another dazzling duo of Thanksgiving vegetables. Savory spices like paprika and cumin bring out their natural flavors and hold their own alongside the star of the show—the turkey.

Vegetable Casseroles and Stuffing Recipes

Few things are more American than a classic casserole side dish. Ditto stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner. Here are a few vegetable ideas for this Thanksgiving that deliver their goodness in a baking dish:

• Chestnut Dressing: Did you know that while you can buy storebought chestnuts, roasted chestnuts are an aromatic holiday treat when you make them at home? It may also come as a surprise to you that chestnuts are the base of one fabulous stuffing recipe alongside bread, onions, celery, fresh sage, and parsley. This is one of our favorite unique turkey day recipes that has the flexibility to be made vegetarian, if you prefer.
• Wild Rice Turkey Stuffing: Looking for a gluten-free stuffing (or dressing) recipe? The wild rice blend and absence of bread make this stuffing gluten-free, plus it includes both fruits and vegetables for a holiday side dish that packs in all of the season’s signature flavors. 
• Vegetarian Cornbread Dressing: If you love any opportunity to squeeze in more vegetables for Thanksgiving dinner, then you’ll love this veggie-packed, vegetarian-friendly version of Thanksgiving stuffing. This recipe isn’t made inside the turkey (but it can be, if preferred) and uses day-old jalapeno cheddar cornbread and green beans for a major pop of flavor.

• Mushroom Stuffing: Brioche bread is the star of the show in this vegetable side dish and we will let you in on a little secret—baking your own brioche is easier than you think and truly takes this dish to another level. The crisp exterior and creamy custard filling of this vegetarian stuffing make it one of our most popular Thanksgiving recipes for a reason.
• Cauliflower Gratin: This feels far more decadent than it is, considering the base of the recipe is cauliflower. It’s a win-win! It is also one of those easy Thanksgiving veggie dishes that can be made ahead, saving you precious time on turkey day.
• Cheesy Broccoli Casserole: When it comes to good vegetable sides for Thanksgiving, our list wouldn’t be complete without some form of broccoli with cheese. The crispy fried onions on top are the real showstopper of this classic casserole side dish. 

Salad Recipes as Side Dishes

Our best Thanksgiving veggie side dishes wouldn’t be complete without a section of fall salad recipes. While some people debate that there’s no room for salads with such a huge Thanksgiving dinner on the horizon, we believe the opposite is true. 

Not only are these salads a fresh start to a heavy meal, they are also wildly complex in flavor and delicious in their own right. These are holiday side dishes that satisfy just as much as the rest on this list.

• Roasted Pear Salad: The radiant homemade lemon vinaigrette in this recipe takes the warm maple roasted pears up a notch for a salad that feels wonderfully fresh and not too filling as a starter. Combining fruits and vegetables for Thanksgiving is one of our secrets for a balanced holiday flavor profile. 
• Acorn Squash Salad: This salad is the epitome of fall, combining roasted acorn squash with arugula, pepitas, and cranberries. The salad is then topped off with creamy goat cheese and pomegranate seeds, for a balance of textures and a beautifully colorful presentation.
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad:You can also think of this salad as a type of slaw. The shredded consistency of the shaved Brussels sprouts pairs well with the apples, hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. It’s all dressed beautifully with a lemony vinaigrette whose balancing tang comes from shallots. 
• Apple Salad with Raisins: Don’t let the simplicity of this apple salad fool you. Between the apples, raisins, red onion, and yogurt dressing, the complexity of this dish will make your taste buds perk up. It’s crisp and refreshing—the ideal light bite before a big Thanksgiving meal. 

• Beet Salad with Goat Cheese: If you love to incorporate colorful vegetable side dishes onto your holiday table, then the bright beets in this fall salad will ensure your Thanksgiving meal is utterly Instagramable. Sweet beets, earthy greens, and crunchy walnuts make for a salad worthy of seconds.
• Kale Salad with Avocado: This salad will turn any kale-hater into a kale lover. Once you learn how to ensure your greens are tender (thanks to gently massaging kale) and pair them with a ripe avocado and pine nuts, you’re in for an absolute veggie side dish holiday delight. 
• Caesar Salad: Everyone loves a classic Caesar salad. If you need a crowd-pleaser of a Thanksgiving vegetable side dish, then this salad is your fail-safe. Our homemade traditional Caesar salad dressing and garlic croutons keep it simple and satisfying.
• Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad: Leave it to kale to bring the crunch to your Thanksgiving dinner table. In this light + bright veggie side dish, crunchy almonds, tangy Dijon mustard dressing, and rich Parmesan cheese make the salad shine. 

Air Fryer Veggies for Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving day hero—the versatile air fryer—may very well be deserving of a holiday medal. Not only does using the air fryer save you precious oven space, it also makes a bunch of great Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes a little bit healthier in the process.

• Fingerling Potatoes in Air Fryer: Our fingerling potatoes are seasoned to perfection and come out of the air fryer with crisp exteriors and soft, pillowy insides in less than 20 minutes. If you don’t plan on serving them as a vegetable side dish for the main Thanksgiving meal, their finger-food quality also makes them a perfect appetizer. 
• Air Fried Butternut Squash: Thanksgiving dinner vegetable recipes always include this seasonal squash, but roasting it in the air fryer makes it just as tasty as in the oven, but in half the cooking time. 
• Red Potatoes in Air Fryer: For those who aren’t a fan of mashed potatoes, these roasted red potatoes make for an excellent alternative (and taste delicious with a little Turkey Gravy (or even beef gravy) on the side, too!). And because they are air-fried rather than traditionally fried, you can add these to your list of healthy vegetable dishes—score!
• Asparagus in Air Fryer: Who knew that asparagus could come out so tender, yet crispy, in the air fryer? Air-frying asparagus is a revelation—one your guests won’t be able to stop talking about. This is a great way to get in your holiday veggies without feeling like you’re being punished. Flavorful and fresh, you may not want to cook asparagus any other way after trying this. 

• Air Fryer Green Beans: If you’ve only got 15 minutes to devote to your green beans, then this is one of the top veggie side dishes you need to add to your holiday menu. Follow our foolproof method to air fry fresh green beans and get a flavor-packed side that everyone will love.
• Air Fryer Beets: This is the ultimate way to serve beets. Not only is it far quicker to roast them in the air fryer, the end result is sophisticated and rich. Beyond the taste, they look lovely on your holiday table.
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash Halves: If you need roasted butternut squash for use in another vegetable dish such as Butternut Squash Soup, then using an air fryer is a no-fuss, time-saving way to get tender, caramelized, and flavorful squash.