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This Turkey Veggie Tray is one of my favorite Thanksgiving appetizers because it is colorful, easy to make, and gives everyone something fresh to snack on before dinner. Crisp vegetables are arranged like turkey feathers around a bowl of ranch dip, then a bell pepper becomes the cutest little turkey face. It takes about 30 minutes to put together, requires no cooking, and can even double as a centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This is my favorite presentation! It is so cute and can serve as a centerpiece, appetizer, talk of the dinner, healthy, and simple to prepare and present!” – Madeline
“I saw this picture and couldn’t WAIT to make one! It just oozes Thanksgiving on your table!” – Laurie
“5 Stars for so many reasons. Cute, healthy, colorful, attraction getter.” – Christine
Why I Love This Turkey Veggie Tray
This has been one of the most popular Thanksgiving appetizers in our family for years. I love having something fresh and crunchy on the table with all of the rich Thanksgiving food, but what really makes this veggie tray fun is the presentation.
It looks like you spent a lot of time on it, but it is really just rows of vegetables arranged around a bowl of dip. Kids can help build the turkey feathers, you can switch the vegetables around depending on what everyone likes, and it makes such a cute centerpiece while everyone is waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ranch dip – Sour cream and dry ranch dip mix make a quick, creamy dip for the center of the turkey.
- Celery and cucumber – These long, crisp vegetables work especially well for the outer turkey feathers.
- Carrots and sugar snap peas – They add plenty of crunch and bright orange and green color.
- Broccoli and cauliflower – Cut them into small florets so they are easy to arrange and easy to dip.
- Cherry tomatoes and bell peppers – Tomatoes fill in the platter while the peppers add color and are used to make the turkey face and feathers.
- Candy eyes – Edible candy eyes make the turkey face especially cute, but you can easily make the eyes with olives instead.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
One of the best things about a Turkey Veggie Tray is that you really don’t have to use the exact vegetables I use. Choose vegetables your family will actually eat and keep a mix of colors so the feathers stand out.
Here are some easy swaps and additions:
- Rainbow carrots can replace regular baby carrots for even more color.
- Purple cauliflower is a fun substitute for white cauliflower.
- Add radishes, black olives, pickles, mushrooms, mini bell peppers, green onions, parsley, or pickled beets.
- Use hummus, dill dip, French onion dip, or another favorite veggie dip instead of ranch.
- Use small pieces of black olive instead of candy eyes.
- For a dairy-free or vegan tray, use your favorite dairy-free ranch or hummus.
- If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, add more peppers, radishes, cauliflower, or another bite-size vegetable.
How to Make a Turkey Veggie Tray
- Prep the vegetables and dip. Wash all of the vegetables and dry them really well. Mix the sour cream and ranch dip mix in a small bowl. Place the bowl near the bottom edge of a large, shallow serving platter. Peel and cut the cucumber into spears and cut the celery into 4 to 5-inch sticks.
- Build the outside feathers. Arrange the cucumber and celery around about two-thirds of the platter in a large fan shape. I like to let about an inch of the vegetables hang over the edge of the platter. Leaving a few celery leaves attached also gives the turkey a fun feathery look.
- Add the colorful layers. Arrange the carrots over the cucumber and celery, then add the sugar snap peas in another curved row so the vegetables slightly overlap.
- Fill in around the dip. Arrange the broccoli and cauliflower tightly around the dip bowl. Fill the remaining space between the cauliflower and snap peas with cherry tomatoes.
- Make the turkey face. Cut the bottom from one bell pepper and place it at the top of the dip bowl for the turkey’s head. Add candy eyes and use the pointed end of a baby carrot to make the beak. You can add a thin piece of bell pepper for the wattle if you would like.
- Finish the feathers and wings. Slice the remaining bell peppers and arrange them over the fan of vegetables. Use some of the remaining carrots beneath the platter or near the dip bowl to make the wings or breast feathers. Adjust the vegetables until the turkey looks full and colorful.
Recipe Tips
- Dry the vegetables well. Extra water can collect on the platter and make the vegetables slide around.
- Use a shallow platter. It is much easier to build the feather pattern on a flat or shallow serving tray than in a deep dish.
- Cut vegetables into easy-to-grab pieces. Guests should be able to pick up one piece and dip it without needing a knife.
- Arrange the feathers before making the face. It is much easier to balance the colors and spacing this way.
- Work from the outside toward the dip. Start with the longest vegetables, then use smaller vegetables to fill the gaps.
- Keep some celery leaves attached. I love the extra feathery look they give the outside of the turkey.
- Don’t worry about making it perfect. The vegetables don’t need to be perfectly symmetrical. Once everything is layered together, it will look like a turkey.
- Keep extra vegetables in the refrigerator. If you’re feeding a large group, refill the platter as people snack instead of trying to fit every vegetable onto the tray at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
A large, shallow round platter works best because it gives you room to fan the vegetables around the dip. You don’t need an exact size. Use the largest platter you have, and if it is smaller, keep extra vegetables in the refrigerator for refills.
Yes. The turkey shape is easiest to see on a round platter, but you can still fan the vegetables across a rectangular serving tray and place the turkey face and dip near the bottom center.
I use a simple ranch dip made with sour cream and dry ranch mix. Hummus, dill dip, French onion dip, or your favorite store-bought vegetable dip will also work.
Absolutely. Pre-cut broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, and snap peas can save a lot of prep time. I still like to cut the cucumber, celery, and peppers myself so I can make them the right size for the turkey feathers.
This recipe makes about 25 appetizer servings. The exact number will depend on how many other appetizers you are serving and how much your guests snack before dinner.
Start with very fresh vegetables, wash and dry them thoroughly, and keep the tray refrigerated until serving. If you prep the vegetables early, store them in separate airtight containers with a paper towel to help absorb extra moisture.
Yes. Small pieces or slices of black olive make great eyes. You could also simply cut tiny eye shapes from another dark vegetable.
The fresh vegetables and sour cream are naturally gluten-free. Check the label on your ranch mix and candy eyes to make sure the brands you are using are gluten-free if that is important for your guests.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is a great Thanksgiving appetizer to get out of the way before the holiday gets busy.
To prep ahead: Wash, dry, and cut the vegetables up to a day or two ahead of time. Store the different vegetables in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
To assemble ahead: You can assemble the Turkey Veggie Tray up to about 24 hours before serving. Cover it tightly and refrigerate. If you want the turkey face to look especially fresh, add the bell pepper face and candy eyes shortly before serving.
To store leftovers: Transfer leftover vegetables and dip to separate airtight containers and refrigerate. The vegetables are best within the next couple of days.
I don’t recommend freezing the assembled veggie tray because the vegetables will lose their crisp texture after thawing.
Pairing Ideas
I love putting this veggie tray out with a few richer appetizers so there is a good mix of fresh, creamy, warm, and savory food on the table. Try it with our Cranberry Jalapeño Dip, Baked Brie with Jam, or Cranberry Brie Bites. You can find even more ideas in our Thanksgiving Appetizer Ideas roundup. For the rest of the meal, our Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas has everything from turkey and stuffing to rolls, sides, and pies.
More Recipes Like This
If you love putting together colorful trays and easy appetizers for a crowd, try a few of these next:
This Turkey Veggie Tray is such an easy way to add something colorful, fresh, and fun to the Thanksgiving table. If you make it this year, let me know what vegetables you used in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave a rating! 💛🦃
Turkey Veggie Tray
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 pkg dry ranch dip mix
- 5 ribs celery, (or 1 stalk)
- 1 cucumber
- 8 ounces baby carrots, (or rainbow carrots)
- 8 ounces sugar snap peas
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 carton cherry tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers
Instructions
- Wash and thoroughly dry all vegetables. Combine sour cream and ranch dip mix in a small bowl and place the bowl near the bottom edge of a large serving platter. Peel and cut cucumber into spears and cut celery into 4 to 5-inch sticks.
- Arrange the cucumber and celery around about two-thirds of the platter in a fan shape, allowing about 1 inch of the vegetables to hang over the edge if desired.
- Layer the carrots over the cucumber and celery. Add the sugar snap peas in another curved row so the vegetables slightly overlap.
- Arrange the broccoli and cauliflower tightly around the dip bowl. Fill the space between the cauliflower and snap peas with cherry tomatoes.
- Cut the bottom from one bell pepper and place it at the top of the dip bowl for the turkey face. Add candy eyes and use the pointed end of a baby carrot for the beak.
- Slice the remaining bell peppers and arrange them with the remaining carrots to finish the colorful feathers and wings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Thoroughly dry the vegetables before arranging them so the tray doesn’t get watery.
- A large, shallow platter makes the turkey shape easiest to arrange.
- Leave a few leaves attached to the celery for a feathery look.
- The vegetables can be prepped ahead and the complete tray can be assembled up to about 24 hours before serving.
- Hummus, dill dip, or another favorite veggie dip can replace the ranch dip.
- Other vegetable ideas include black olives, pickles, radishes, mini bell peppers, mushrooms, pickled beets, green onions, and parsley.
- Use black olive pieces instead of candy eyes if desired.
- Keep extra vegetables refrigerated so you can refill the platter as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is my favorite presentation! It is so cute and can serve as a centerpiece, appetizer, talk of the dinner, healthy, and simple to prepare and present!
The tray looks amazing and everything on it is delicious. Loved this.
This is a great platter to make with kids or grandkids.
This is such a great conversation piece at the holiday parties. So easy to make and creative with guests enjoying all the different choices.
This is the cutest 🙂 I’m definitely making this again, thank you. Have a Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Love it, my mum loves having it.
This is the cutest veggie tray I have ever seen. I love the way it does look like a turkey. This is a go to for me and my family.
This is too cute, it was a hit!
This is the cutest. My granddaughter and I thought we could do this, and I think we did pretty good! We will definitely had fun trying!!!
I will do this every year now
I tried this but with a spin (theme) for new years eve!!!
How adorable is this turkey! He will always have a place at our Thanksgiving table!
It is very, very cute and imaginative. Everyone loved it.
This is very cute when you use the vegetables for the decorations for the Holidays.
This is so inviting for little ones to eat their veggies and of course the adults who shy away from veggies.
There is a great recipe, a good safe appetizer for every taste or diet.
This is the cutest veggie tray I’ve ever made!
How cute is this turkey!!! This was an awesome way to get the kids to eat their veggies is to make them look like a turkey and then add a delicious dip!!! They “gobbled” this up in no time flat!!!!!
I’ve never seen anything like it…it is GREAT ~ and I will be making it..my family is totally into finding awesome New recipes for our get togethers…will they ever be surprised on this one…Thanks Girls.
I have 2 grandsons that love fresh veggies and this wad the perfect display for Thanksgiving.