Easy Thanksgiving Recipes - For Any Cooking Level

You don't need to be a chef to make a 5-star Thanksgiving Dinner! These Easy Thanksgiving Recipes are impressive, yet easy to make!

Photo of a roasted turkey on a white platter next to fresh herbs with title text that says easy recipes for thanksgiving dinner.

If you have been put in charge of making Thanksgiving Dinner or need to bring a recipe for your family potluck, I have you covered with easy, yet impressive recipes fit for any Thanksgiving Feast.

Whether you are a seasoned cook or this is your first time preparing a holiday dish, I am here to help you make a delicious dish (or the entire Thanksgiving Dinner) with ease.

Tips to Keeping Thanksgiving Dinner Easy

I have been hosting Thanksgiving for over 20 years and have learned quite a few tips for hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving. But when it comes to the food, I have a handful of crucial tips to help you keep it simple!

Limit the Menu. Don't feel like you need to make every dish that someone may desire on Thanksgiving Day. Pick one appetizer, one main course, two to three sides, and one dessert. Trying to do it all, means you will be too exhausted to enjoy the meal.
Enlist Help. Never be afraid to accept help. Encourage your guests to bring a dish to share. And if you are hosting out-of-town guests, it is okay to allow them to help you cook and/or clean up after the meal. It should be a family event, not a one-person show.
Make a Plan. Make a detailed menu, shopping list, and a plan for when each dish needs to be prepared. It will make your day go a lot smoother.
Don't Experiment. Now is not the time to experiment with an unfamiliar recipe. Even if it is a new recipe you are following, pick dishes you know and love.

The Ultimate Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Roasted turkey on white platter served with fresh apple slices on a bed of fresh herbs.

1. Roasted Turkey

Turkey can feel overwhelming to prepare, but this recipe is the easiest method (no basting required) for roasting a turkey. With or without a turkey brine, your turkey will be golden, juicy, and perfectly cooked.

2. Instant Pot Turkey Breast

If you are only preparing a turkey breast, this is hands down the easiest, most flavorful way to cook it. This herb-seasoned turkey breast is cooked to perfection and is served with an easy gravy made right in the Instant Pot.

Turkey gravy in clear gravy bowl next to fresh herbs.

3. Turkey Gravy

Skip the jar of gravy and make this incredibly easy homemade turkey gravy instead. Not only does it take minutes to prepare, it is made without drippings so it can be made days in advance.

Crockpot mashed potatoes in serving bowl topped with parmesan, butter, and thyme.

4. Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

The easiest way to make creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes is using the slow cooker. The added bonus is that you can keep your mashed potatoes warm for hours once prepared, which is crucial for Thanksgiving dinner.

Baked Mashed Potato Casserole in White Casserole Dish

5. Mashed Potato Casserole

Instead of classic mashed potatoes, try this Mashed Potato Casserole. It is creamy, cheesy, and can be made several days in advance.

Classic Bread Stuffing dished out on plate

6. Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing

This recipe for stuffing is just like Grandma made! It is also super easy to prepare. It is also prepared in a baking dish so you don't have to mess with actually stuffing the bird. Have an Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot Stuffing for similar results.

Bowl of Cranberry Orange Sauce with Orange zest.

7. Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce is one of the easiest Thanksgiving recipes. You dump, stir, and simmer and the flavor is FAR superior to anything canned. Or use my recipe for Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce.

Instant Pot applesauce in blue bowl next to pressure cooker with apples in the background.

8. Homemade Applesauce

Homemade applesauce is a must on my family's Thanksgiving menu, and my no-peel stovetop applesauce or Instant Pot applesauce is truly the easiest way to prepare delicious applesauce.

Sting Beans Almondine in white serving platter

9. Green Beans Almondine

While I love Green Bean Casserole from Scratch, it has a lot of steps involved. This simple recipe for green beans comes together fast, yet still delivers an elegant, tasty vegetable side dish.

Top down view of maple-glazed hasselback sweet potato on white platter.

10. Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Even though my recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole is not hard to make, you do have to first bake the sweet potatoes. This easy recipe delivers the same flavors as sweet potato casserole but comes together with minimal prep.

11. Corn Casserole

This sweet, yet savory, creamy corn casserole is beyond delicious, and couldn’t be easier to make--even without using a box of Jiffy! If this is your first time asked to bring a dish, bring this! Super easy and always a favorite.

White bowl filled with Instant Pot creamed corn topped with green onions next to blue towel.

12. Instant Pot Creamed Corn

Instant Pot Creamed Corn is one of the easiest Thanksgiving recipes. It is a dump-and-cook recipe that delivers creamy, buttery, rich corn that is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.

Roasted Brussels sprouts in serving bowl with honey jar in background.

13. Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Glazed with honey, garlic, and a bit of hot sauce, these Roasted Brussels Sprouts are sweet and savory, and deserve a spot on your Thanksgiving table! No room in your oven? Try my recipe for Air Fryer Crispy Brussels Sprouts.

Brussels Sprouts Salad in white bowl topped with Parmesan.

14. Brussels Sprouts Salad

Easy, fresh, and made with only a handful of ingredients, you will impress everyone at your Thanksgiving Table with this super simple salad.

Mixed greens topped with pomegranate, oranges, toasted nuts and champagne vinaigrette.

15. Holiday Salad

This seasonal mixed greens salad can be prepped up to 48 hours in advance and assembled right before serving, making it another easy salad recipe for Thanksgiving.

Slice of pumpkin pie on plate toped with whipped cream.

16. Pumpkin Pie

Skip the homemade crust and buy a quality frozen pie crust and this pie couldn't be easier to make! You can even make this classic Thanksgiving dessert several days in advance.

Slice of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosing on white plate.

17. Pumpkin Cake

Enjoy the same flavors you love in a Pumpkin Roll, in this super simple pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. It is the perfect easy dessert for Thanksgiving.

Fruit arranged to look like feathers of a turkey on a white platter.

18. Fruit Turkey

While this adorable fruit turkey platter looks impressive, it takes just minutes to prepare. In fact, it is a great dish for the kids to prepare to share with family and friends.

More Family-Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

While I just shared with you my EASIEST Thanksgiving Recipes, I do have a few more favorites if you are feeling a bit more adventurous in the kitchen. None of the following Thanksgiving Recipes are hard to make, but they are a bit more labor intensive than the easy recipes shared above.

Turkey Brine: This is an EASY recipe, but can intimidate people. I challenge you to try it. It is truly a game-changer when it comes to turkey.
Homemade Buttery Mashed Potatoes: Made with Yukon gold potatoes that are steamed and then riced, these are the creamiest mashed potatoes ever!
Green Bean Casserole From Scratch: A from scratch Green Bean Casserole made with fresh green beans, creamy mushroom sauce, and a homemade "fried" onion topping.
Homemade Sweet Potato Casserole: Made with roasted sweet potatoes that are flavored with warming spices and rich maple syrup and then topped with an oatmeal crumble, no one would guess this Sweet Potato Casserole is both dairy-free and gluten-free.
Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole: Full of rice, broccoli, and a from-scratch, creamy, cheesy sauce, this is one side dish that makes everyone chow down on their veggies.
Stuffed Acorn Squash: This impressive recipe is worthy of being the main event! Stuffed with a rich filling made from sausage, wild rice, apples, dried cranberries, and fresh herbs, this is an impressive, hearty dish made with seasonal fall flavors.
Twice Baked Butternut Squash: Creamy, buttery, and cheesy, this twice baked squash is an inventive way to serve up this fall vegetable.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad: Made with roasted butternut squash, sweet pears, dried tart cranberries, sharp feta, and homemade apple cider vinaigrette marry together to create a healthy fall salad that is filled with robust flavors.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake: A creamy pumpkin spice cheesecake with gingersnap crust is made in the pressure cooker, for a perfectly creamy dessert.
Pumpkin Roll: A perfectly spiced light pumpkin cake is rolled around a creamy and tangy cream cheese filling, creating a show-stopping pumpkin dessert.
Dutch Apple Pie: Made with a flaky pie crust, a perfectly sweet apple pie filling, and a buttery streusel, this Dutch Apple Pie is everything you crave in apple pie.

I hope these easy Thanksgiving Recipes inspire your own Thanksgiving Dinner and that they make entertaining at the holidays much less stressful. And don't forget, if you have leftovers, put them to use with one of these delicious Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes. Happy Thanksgiving.