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Make an easy turkey veggie tray for a cute Thanksgiving appetizer! Step-by-step tips for arranging the platter, a simple veggie list and make-ahead advice included.
I love serving a platter of raw veggies and dip for a super easy Thanksgiving appetizer. It’s nice to have something light when you’ve got lots of heavy food for Thanksgiving dinner later.
Instead of just setting out a plate of fresh veggies, we started making this adorable turkey vegetable tray for Thanksgiving a few years ago. It’s a fun way to jazz up up your Thanksgiving dinner menu, and people love the cuteness! For Christmas, try my veggie wreath platter.
Why you’ll Love this Turkey Veggie Platter!
- Easy to prepare in about 20-30 minutes with no cooking required
- Can be made ahead of time and assembled for a light snack while the turkey is cooking
- Simple enough for kids to help make
- A budget friendly alternative to a more elaborate charcuterie board
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for the platter. Full amounts are listed in the printable recipe card below.
- Red bell peppers — for the turkey head and feathers. Yellow or orange bell peppers or mini peppers will work
- Celery
- Carrots — or baby carrots for the feathers and beak
- Cucumbers — Look for thinner English cucumbers that don’t need peeling
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Radishes
- Candy eyeballs — or sliced olives for the eyes
- Dip — Use your favorite dip here. I used my homemade ranch but store-bought dressing or dip is perfectly fine.
- Equipment — a large platter or plate and a small bowl or ramekin to hold the dip
How to Make a Turkey Veggie Tray
- First, wash and prep the veggies. Slice the cauliflower and broccoli into florets, the radishes and cucumber into thin rounds and the bell peppers, carrots and celery into thin strips. Slice the bottom of one bell pepper for the head and cut the tip of one carrot into a triangle.
- Spoon dip into a small bowl, and place on a large plate. Place the cut end of the pepper into the dip. Add the eyes and carrot for the beak.
- Layer the carrots, celery and pepper strips on the top of the plate in a half circle to form the tail feathers.
- Place the sliced radishes and cucumbers on top of the veggie strips, and add the cauliflower and broccoli florets around the bowl of dip to form the body.
Tips for Thanksgiving Veggie Tray
Make the food prep easier and buy pre-cut veggies.
For food safety, don’t leave the vegetables at room temperature for more than two hours.
Easily scale the recipe up or down by using as many vegetables as needed. For a smaller crowd, use a 10-12 inch plate. Use a 16-inch platter to serve 10-12 people and a larger platter for a bigger gathering.
Variations and Swaps
Use your favorite colorful veggies — sugar snap peas, rainbow carrots, purple or peach cauliflower, scallions or even grape tomatoes are all good swaps.
Guacamole, ghost pepper dip, onion dip, dill dip and hummus are good subs for ranch.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
You can assemble the turkey veggie tray Thanksgiving morning for maximum freshness. Once assembled, place a damp paper towel over the tray to prevent the veggies from drying out. Cover the platter with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s cheaper to make your own veggie platter for Thanksgiving or anytime. You can further cut costs by limiting the number of vegetables you use and making a smaller platter.
You can cut harder vegetables like carrots and celery 2-3 days in advance. Softer ones, like cucumbers and peppers can be cut the day before.
Turkey Veggie Tray
Video
Ingredients
- 2 medium red bell peppers
- 3 medium celery ribs
- 3 medium carrots
- 1 medium English cucumber
- 2 large radishes
- 1 medium head broccoli
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 2 candy eyes
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Wash all veggies, and pat dry. Cut the bottom off one pepper for the turkey face, and slice the rest into thin strips. Slice the carrots and celery into thin strips, and cut the end of one carrot strip into a small triangle for the beak. Slice the cucumber and radishes into thin rounds. Cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets
- Add ranch to a small bowl, and place near the bottom of a large plate or round platter
- Place the pepper on top of the ranch. Place the eyes on top of the pepper, and add the small carrot triangle under the eyes
- Arrange the celery sticks, carrot sticks and sliced pepper in a half circle at the top of the plate to make the tail feathers
- Add the sliced cucumbers and radishes
- Arrange the broccoli and cauliflower florets around the bowl of dip
- Cover with plastic wrap, and place in fridge until ready to serve
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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