Our 38 Best Thanksgiving Appetizers To Kick Off Your Feast With a Bang

Oysters are the perfect aphrodisiacs to have on Valentine’s day. Believed to increase fertility, these half shells evoke images of romance. Grill them for your lover and sprinkle some pecorino and bottarga before serving. Get the recipe for Grilled Oysters »

Creamy and bright-tasting, lemon parmesan dip makes for an excellent accompaniment to a chip or crudité platter.

Elegant potatoes are brushed with an egg wash before baking for color and crunch. Get the recipe for French Piped Potatoes (Pommes Duchesse) »

Cranberry crostini

A hard-boiled egg encased in sausage and bread crumbs and then deep-fried may seem like a product of modern pub culture, but the Scotch egg was invented by London department store Fortnum & Mason in 1738. Get the recipe for Scotch Eggs »

Pecan gougères

A combination of balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and brown sugar turns pecans into a toasty, addictive snack that’s perfect for nibbling alongside apéritifs. Get the recipe for Candied Pecans »

Tahini’s nutty, luxurious properties don’t stop at hummus. Keep the sesame paste flowing with this bright red purée of boiled beets, lemon, and garlic. Get the recipe for Tahini-Beet Dip »

This bluefish paté has all the makings of a traditional fish dip—cream cheese, lemon, herbs—with a few updates to give it some zing. Get the recipe for Bluefish Paté »

Abruzzo-Style Grape Focaccia

Three distinct cheeses are incorporated into this classic savory pâte à choux snack. More cheese is sprinkled over the tops of the gougères to produce a golden crust. Get the recipe for Three Cheese Gougères »

Capers, tuna, and anchovies balance the heat in these small, stuffed cherry peppers.

We persuaded the wife of a Norwegian fisherman to share her secret recipe for marinating a fresh side of salmon to silky-textured, subtly flavored perfection. Get the recipe for Cured Salmon with Thin Pancakes (Gravlax with Blinis) »

Herbes de Provence, the quintessential Provençal seasoning combo of thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and oregano, enhances this lemony crème fraîche dip. Serve it with crudités as part of a picnic spread. Get the recipe for Herbed Crème Fraîche Dip »

Making for a substantial snack, Rosa Pepe stuffs olives with a simple beef and pork filling; then dredges them in breadcrumbs before crisping them up in the deep-fryer. Get the recipe for Fried Stuffed Castelvetrano Olives »

A simple mix of soy sauce, mirin, and cilantro flavors meltingly tender salmon for an elegant appetizer that requires very little prep time. Get the recipe »

This spicy snack is flavored with garlic, lemon juice, and two kinds of chiles. Get the recipe for Spicy Fried Peanuts »

In this dish, zucchini are stuffed with the twin stars of Calabrian cheese making: pecorino and ricotta. Flecked with tomato and mint, they are equally good eaten hot or at room temperature.

This recipe comes courtesy of Jenn Louis, chef-owner of Lincoln and Sunshine Tavern in Portland, Oregon. We featured Louis’ ricotta gnocchi in our April 2015 issue, and we can’t stop making this super-creamy ricotta—to add to gnocchi and everything else—because it’s so easy and so darn good. Get the recipe for Homemade Ricotta »

Bite-size and buttery, cumin and cayenne-spiced pecans glazed in dark brown sugar are the perfect smoky, spicy-sweet snack. Get the recipe for Spiced Pecans »

Dainty and addictive, crunchy cheddar cheese sticks get added flavor from sweet paprika and cayenne pepper. Get the recipe for Cheese Straws »

This layered no-cook appetizer from former test kitchen assistant Eliza Martin features a sweet core of dried apricot coated in tangy goat cheese and then rolled in a savory mixture of crushed pistachios and fresh herbs. The finger-friendly “truffles” can be made up to 2 days before serving and stored in the refrigerator, making them the perfect hors d’oeuvres for the busy host or hostess. Get the recipe for Goat Cheese and Apricot Truffles »

This gorgeous tart has it all—sweetness from the caramelized onions, earthiness from the goat cheese, and a subtle saltiness from the anchovies. Get the recipe for Onion Tart with Goat Cheese »

These elegant appetizers come from Wolfgang Puck’s Los Angeles restaurant Spago. Laurie Ochoa wrote about the groundbreaking chef in “The King of LA,” part of our special Los Angeles issue (March 2010).

This meze is made in Macedonia with sweet Florina peppers, though Fresno or Anaheim chiles (the former being hotter than the latter) can be substituted. Get the recipe for Peppers Stuffed with Feta (Piperies Gemistes me Feta) »

These addictive fries, served at Yerba Buena restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side, can be made with fresh hearts of palm for a crispier texture. This recipe appeared in our March 2011 issue with Tyla Fowler’s story about hearts of palm, A Good Heart. Get the recipe for Heart of Palm Fries with Chipotle Mayo »

Gently browned cipollini onions add an unexpected hint of caramel sweetness to this hummus, deepening its earthy flavors.

A tangle of fried mushrooms provides textural contrast and a savory boost to this silky hummus.

Matt Taylor-Gross