We all want a delicious spread this Thanksgiving. We also don’t want to break the bank. Our list of Cheap Thanksgiving Side Dishes is filled with delicious recipes that are budget-friendly.
For more help making this the best holiday, check out all of our Thanksgiving posts.
When you’re planning your Thanksgiving menu, you want to make delicious side dishes to accompany your turkey.
This year, groceries are pretty expensive, so you might have to squeeze your Thanksgiving budget a little bit. That doesn’t mean you have to squeeze the flavor off your Thanksgiving table.
We put together this list of delicious, but cheap Thanksgiving side dishes to help you decide what to serve with your turkey this year.
Thanksgiving can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to do. Make it easier with our Thanksgiving Tips For The Easiest Holiday, filled with recipes, hosting tips, and more.
50+ Cheap Thanksgiving Side Dishes
We split this list into a few categories so you could easily find what you’re looking for.
There are vegetable side dishes and side salads, potato side dishes, breads, and miscellaneous sides. We do have some other side dishes on Drugstore Divas, but I kept this list to ones that would go well with your Thanksgiving spread.
Vegetable Side Dishes And Side Salads
Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
A great way to make green beans a little more exciting is to dredge them in flour and bread crumbs, then air fry them until they’re golden brown.
These Air Fryer Green Bean Fries will be a big hit with your whole family, so make more than you think you’ll need to feed your crowd.
Roasted Panko Parmesan Broccoli
The easiest way to make broccoli is by roasting it.
A sprinkle of olive oil, panko, and parmesan cheese makes this a really delicious side dish.
Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole
Brussels sprouts are such a quintessential side dish for Thanksgiving.
But, if you want to make it a little different for Thanksgiving dinner this year, this Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole, which is packed with cheese, is for you.
Oven-Roasted Carrots
Carrots are great, but Oven-Roasted Carrots are even better.
Cooking them until they caramelize on the edges make such a sweet side dish that doesn’t have any added maple syrup or brown sugar for sweetness.
Grilled Corn Ribs With Tajin
Corn ribs are a really fun way to serve corn on the cob to a crowd.
Cut the corn, add some butter, and grill it until it gets slightly charred. Season and serve.
Grilled Tomato And Mushroom Skewers With Garlic Butter
If it’s nice where you live, and you can grill your Thanksgiving side dishes, these Grilled Tomato And Mushroom Skewers With Garlic Butter are such an easy side dish.
Thread tomato and mushrooms on a skewer, spread some butter over them, and grill until they’re soft. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and you’re ready to serve.
Mexican Street Corn-Style Grilled Zucchini
Zucchini can be pretty bland, but not this Mexican Street Corn-Style Grilled Zucchini.
It has all the flavors of street corn — Tajin, cheese, etc. — but on top of zucchini.
Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad
Mexican Street Corn is so good, but it’s served on the cob and that’s a little difficult to make if you’re feeding a crowd. So instead, go with our Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad.
It’s basically the same thing, just with the corn cut off the cob into kernels.
Grilled Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the most traditional sides.
If you don’t have room in the oven before it because your turkey is taking up all that space, Grilled Asparagus is an option. And, dare I say, a tastier option.
Stuffed Tomatoes
If you haven’t had Stuffed Tomatoes yet, cross off a side dish that’s already on your menu and add this.
Croutons, cheese, and seasoning are mixed together and stuffed into a tomato, then baked. It will be your favorite side dish this holiday season.
Stuffed Artichokes
The best part of visiting Pete’s dad’s friend for Thanksgiving, when we still lived in New York, was the Stuffed Artichokes.
They’re a little time consuming to make the first time because you need to get the hang of it, but they’re so worth it.
Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad
Your peeler will get a workout making this Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad, but it’s worth it.
You shave the asparagus and radish, combine them with some feta and nuts, and enjoy.
Mexican Corn And Zucchini Salad
A way to serve a lot of vegetables at once is this Mexican Corn And Zucchini Salad. It’s corn, zucchini, and red onion seasoned as you would season Mexican street corn.
You can serve it at room temperature, so you can definitely make this one earlier in the day before the rest of the cooking.
Cucumber Salad With Tajín And Lime
We usually make this Cucumber Salad With Tajín And Lime with garden cucumber, but you can definitely use cucumber from the grocery stores for Thanksgiving.
It has a really light flavor and a great crunch, which is perfect for your Thanksgiving meal since everything else is generally soft and full of flavor.
Grilled Zucchini And Feta Rolls
My current favorite side dish is this Grilled Zucchini And Feta Rolls recipe. I’m obsessed.
These zucchini rolls are made from really simple ingredients: zucchini and marinated feta. Roll them, cook them, serve them. Side dishes don’t get much easier than that.
Grilled Caesar Salad
Salad is good for an every day side dish. But for a Thanksgiving feast, you need to elevate that salad. Do that and make our Grilled Caesar Salad.
Yes, you literally grill the lettuce — which will make your taste buds so incredibly happy. We grill fresh croutons for this as well, as you should.
Oven-Roasted Corn With Husks
Boiling corn is easy, but it isn’t as great as Oven-Roasted Corn With Husks is.
You just throw the corn on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven. Since the oven is already on because cooking the turkey, this makes it so easy to roast your corn too.
Easy Garden Tomato Salad
If you’re looking for a really easy recipe, this Easy Garden Tomato Salad is it.
You cut the tomatoes and onion, season them, and let them marinate overnight. Then serve. It’s so incredibly simple and gets one the Thanksgiving sides off your list the day before.
Creamy Cheesy Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
One of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes is this Creamy Cheesy Brussels Sprouts With Bacon. Every time I make this brussels sprouts recipe, there aren’t any leftovers.
It has bacon and cream and lots of cheese. What’s not to love?
Grilled Mushrooms
Grilled Mushrooms are so perfect for Thanksgiving because the flavor really goes well with mashed potatoes and turkey.
If you don’t want to grill, you can just make these on your stovetop instead. The mushrooms will still be a crowd pleaser that way.
Oven-Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus isn’t everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish, but you’ll please almost everyone with this recipe.
The secret is the crispy parmesan cheese that adds a ton of flavor.
Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are such a popular Thanksgiving side dish. And there’s a good reason for that. They’re so easy. You make the mixture, stuff the mushrooms, and bake alongside your turkey.
You could make these ahead of time and serve them as appetizers too, if you wanted.
Broccoli Salad
My mom has been making this Broccoli Salad for as long as I can remember and it’s always a huge hit.
It’s bacon, onion, and broccoli that marinates overnight, which means you can make it ahead of time. And you still get the perfect crunch of the broccoli when you serve it the next day.
Bacon And Brussels Sprouts
Bacon makes everything better.
And if you’re not sure if your company will like brussels sprouts, this Bacon And Brussels Sprouts is a good way to ease them into it.
Mini Tomato Pies
If you can’t decide between bread and vegetables, have the best of both with these Mini Tomato Pies.
These mini pies are made from puff pastry, which makes them super easy since you’re not making dough.
Super Simple Sauteed String Beans
Fresh produce is so good. If you can get some fresh string beans, this Super Simple Sauteed String Beans is delicious.
It’s definitely one of the most easy Thanksgiving side dishes on this list. So if you need something simple, this is it.
Grilled Tomatoes
Grilled Tomatoes are such a great side dish. You put the entire baking sheet on the grill and cook it that way.
If you don’t want to grill a side dish, you could just make these in the oven as well.
Grilled Vegetables In Foil Packets
Zucchini and yellow squash are the perfect combination, and they’re great in these Grilled Vegetables In Foil Packets.
Foil packets make clean up easy. And you need easy clean up on Thanksgiving since all that cooking really does make a mess of your kitchen.
Simple Sautéed Kale
I am obsessed with kale. I haven’t ever met a kale side dish I didn’t like.
The easiest way to ease people into kale is this Simple Sautéed Kale recipe. It’s light, fresh, and really easy to make.
Potato Side Dishes
Vegan Avocado Potato Salad
If you’re having ham as your Thanksgiving main dish, potato salad is a great side dish.
This Vegan Avocado Potato Salad uses avocado rather than sour cream or mayonnaise to make the creaminess you expect in potato salad. And trust me. It’s delicious.
Grilled Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
Grilled Garlic Parmesan Potatoes are so good. You dice potatoes, season them with a parmesan garlic combination, and grill them until they’re fork tender.
If you’d rather just cook them in an oven, you can do that too.
Baked Potatoes On The Grill
Personally, I don’t need a whole baked potato for Thanksgiving. There’s too much other food on the table.
But, if you do, this Baked Potatoes On The Grill is so easy and frees up your oven for some other side dishes.
Mini Pommes Annas
I love how pretty Mini Pommes Annas look when they’re served. The delicate potato stacks are just so cute.
So definitely make these to serve on Thanksgiving day.
Loaded Poutine Twice Baked Potatoes
One of my most popular potato recipes are these Loaded Poutine Twice Baked Potatoes.
These twice baked potatoes are stuffed with cheese and topped with crispy bacon bits, sour cream, and green onion.
Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole
You have to have sweet potatoes on your Thanksgiving menu.
But, a traditional sweet potato casserole is so overdone. Instead, go with our Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole, which is basically single serve versions of that traditional dish.
Parmesan Potato Rounds
Parmesan Potato Rounds are a great way to get potatoes on your table, but in a way that people will still have room for other foods in their stomach.
The potatoes are cut with a mandolin, seasoned, and baked. They’re easy and so good.
Loaded Potato Salad
If you’re looking for a more interesting potato salad, this Loaded Potato Salad is it.
It’s packed with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and green onions. It’ll be your new favorite potato salad recipe.
Irish Potato Bread
I couldn’t decide if I should put Irish Potato Bread under bread or potatoes, since it’s bread made of potatoes.
Either way, it’s the perfect base for all your tasty Thanksgiving items and should be on your Thanksgiving table.
Cheesy Zucchini Cornbread Casserole
Cornbread is really popular at Thanksgiving. But, don’t make a plain box of cornbread. Instead, make our Cheesy Zucchini Cornbread Casserole.
Tons of zucchini and cheese are added to the cornbread mix, then topped with more cheese and baked. It’s so good.
Grilled Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
If you want a little spice in your cornbread, this Grilled Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread is for you.
So many components of this cornbread is grilled, giving it a ton of really rich flavors.
Cheddar Garlic Pull Apart Muffins
Growing up, we used to make refrigerated biscuits for Thanksgiving and spend so much time pulling them apart, layer by layer.
I bet that’s why I love these Cheddar Garlic Pull Apart Muffins, which are three pieces baked together and really fun to pull apart.
Prosciutto Bread (aka Lard Bread)
Prosciutto Bread is such a classic Italian bread.
So, if you want to add a little meat bread or a taste of Italy to your Thanksgiving dinner, this is the way to do it.
Miscellaneous Side Dishes
Deviled Eggs With Tajin
Deviled Eggs are such a popular Thanksgiving side dish.
Our version is a little sweeter, with a couple changes, like a sprinkle of Tajin. Try them and you’ll use this recipe from now on.
Corn Casserole
My absolute favorite Thanksgiving side dish is corn casserole. I make it every year because I want to make sure it’s on our menu.
It’s so easy to make with canned corn, butter, sour cream, and corn muffin mix. And tastes even better as leftovers.
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
If you need some more side dishes for Thanksgiving, check out our Thanksgiving main dish casseroles and our Thanksgiving side dish casseroles too.
And don’t forget about your turkey. Check out our Dutch Oven Turkey Breast and our Deep Fried Turkey recipes.
Which of these cheap Thanksgiving side dishes recipes are you going to make this year? Let us know in the comments.