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As I gear up for Friendsgiving (it’s our tradition every year), I couldn’t resist sharing my latest creation — a Thanksgiving charcuterie board that will add something special to any holiday. This easy appetizer has a blend of flavors and textures like my Christmas and Halloween charcuterie board, but with the added bonus of a fun turkey shape. Add this to your list of Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas to impress your guests!

Why You’ll Love This Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

Festive turkey shape
Meaty, cheesy flavors
Crunchy and chewy textures
Easy to make in just 15 minutes
Customize with your favorite finger foods
Perfect make-ahead charcuterie board for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving charcuterie board with pear turkey in the middle.

What To Put On A Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for a charcuterie board for Thanksgiving, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Turkey Body – For the turkey body, I used a pear cut in half, but feel free to get creative with other fruits like apples, or even a large grapefruit. For the eyes, I used 2 sugar free chocolate chips, but you could also use raisins or small pieces of dark chocolate.
Cured Meats – For the Thanksgiving turkey feathers, I used salami and prosciutto. You can try adding turkey slices, ham, or pepperoni as well. Alternatively, for a vegetarian option, skip the meats and make it a cheese board by fanning out the cheeses for the feathers.
Cheeses – Try different types of cheese. I used brie, cheddar, and white cheddar, but you can pick others like goat cheese, gouda, mozzarella, blue cheese, or any mix of hard and soft cheeses you like.
Fresh Fruits – I included apples, pears, and pomegranate seeds for a burst of seasonal flavors and colors. You can also use dried fruits, grapes, oranges, apricots, berries, or even folded fruit leather for variety.
Olives – I chose Pimento stuffed olives for a pop of color, but you can use regular green olives, black olives, or Kalamata olives, too.
Pickles – I included mini pickles (gherkins) on this board, but use any pickles you like.
Cranberry Sauce – I made sugar free cranberry sauce, but any kind works. It goes well with the crackers and cheeses.
Fresh Veggies – This board has cucumbers and carrots. Bell pepper strips, celery sticks, or cherry tomatoes would also work.
Crackers – Use any crackers you like. If you have time, homemade flax seed crackers or crispy cheese crackers are delicious and easy.
Nuts – Use almonds, walnuts, pecans, or any nuts you prefer. You can also use sunflower seeds or pepitas to make this Thanksgiving charcuterie board nut-free.

Thanksgiving charcuterie board ingredients.

How To Make A Charcuterie Board For Thanksgiving

This section shows how to make a turkey charcuterie board, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Make the turkey body. Cut a pear in half lengthwise for the turkey body. Create eyes with two mini chocolate chips, and use cheddar cheese for the nose and legs. Position the turkey’s body lower on a large board.
Create the feathers. Place rolled or folded charcuterie meat around the pear in layers.

Charcuterie meat in the shape of turkey feathers around turkey body.

Place the anchors. Put pimento stuffed olives, pickles, and cranberry sauce in ramekins and arrange throughout the board.
Add cheese. Place sliced cheeses throughout the board.
Fill in gaps. Place the sliced fruits and vegetables throughout the board to fill in some of the larger gaps.
Finish. Add the crackers and nuts to the board to fill in any remaining empty spaces.

TIP: Assemble your board where it will be served.

If you can, avoid spills by building your Thanksgiving charcuterie board right where you plan to share it with your guests.

More Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas

You can customize your snack board with ingredients you like and have on hand, but here are some other Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas for shaping and decorating:

Larger turkey shape – Instead of only using the meats for the feathers, arrange all your ingredients (except the ones in bowls) in a half circle around the body to make a larger array of feathers.
Veggie board – Make a Thanksgiving veggie tray by fanning out carrot sticks, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes around a bowl of ranch dressing or hummus.
Maple shape – Use a maple cookie cutter to cut a maple leaf in the brie, then fill that with pomegranate seeds.
Thanksgiving decorations – To elevate its festive appeal, add decorative elements like mini pumpkins, colorful autumn leaves, fresh herbs, and decorative gourds.

Storage Instructions

Keep all the foods, except crunchy ones like nuts and crackers, safe in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also slice everything a few hours ahead before eating.

What To Serve With A Turkey Charcuterie Board

You can’t have a charcuterie board for Thanksgiving without a feast! Here’s what I serve at my annual Friendsgiving:

Turkey – For a small gathering, a Crock Pot turkey breast or air fryer turkey breast is plenty, but if you’re having a larger gathering, make a whole roasted turkey. I like to serve my turkey with homemade sugar-free cranberry sauce.
Thanksgiving Sides – Make creamy mashed sweet potatoes and classic creamed spinach. You can also opt for lighter options, like cauliflower stuffing, my favorite cauliflower mashed potatoes, and simple roasted green beans.
Salads – Balance out those heavy side dishes on your Thanksgiving table with a Thanksgiving salad or butternut squash salad.
More Appetizers – Add more to your board such as chicken liver pate, or for a sweet kick, chocolate hummus.
Desserts – You can’t forget dessert! Try a healthy crustless pumpkin pie.

More Easy Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

Looking for more appetizers? Try some of my other favorites:

Recommended Tools

Charcuterie Board – This board is the ideal size, easy to clean, and adds a cozy touch to my Friendsgiving celebrations.
Ramekins – These are perfect for holding dips, olives, and other small treats, making this board both functional and stylish.
Toothpick Labels – Make your Thanksgiving board even cuter with these charming labels on the meats and cheeses.