Turkey charcuterie board is the perfect last-minute appetizer for Thanksgiving. It’s easy to put together, customizable, and ready in 15 minutes!
It’s a simple snack board with basic ingredients that can be substituted with meats and cheese of your choice.
How to make Thanksgiving turkey charcuterie board
Tools
- Large round platter – or wooden serving board.
- Baking parchment – this is optional but recommended. Make sure to always use it when using a platter that is not for serving food.
- Chopping board & knife.
Ingredients:
- Crackers of your choice
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Ham
- Sliced cheese of your choice
- Carrot
- Dried cranberry
- Whole peppercorn
To assemble this turkey-shaped charcuterie board, get the serving plate. Take salami slices and arrange them on the platter in a half circle. Follow the pictures for easy understanding.
For the turkey body, you will need to cut out 2 circles out of the cheese. 1 large and 1 small. From the carrot, cut thin strips for the legs.
Use whole black peppercorns for the eyes, carrot for the peak and a piece of dried cranberry for the snood. Or, use whatever you have on hand.
Note: A full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
Frequently asked questions
Dry cured meats like Italian prosciutto or Spanish jamon serrano, chorizo, ham, salami, mortadella or soppressata are the best options. That being said, you can use any kind of salami you like!
Yes, you can!
But, the shorter the refrigeration time the fresher the ingredients! Also, make sure to add the crackers right before serving to avoid them going soggy.
It should serve about 8 people or more when served as a small snack before dinner. You want your guests to have a few bites until the main meal is served. It should not fill their bellies.
Useful tips
- You can substitute any of the ingredients to make it the way you and your guests like it.
- If you want more a variety of easy Thanksgiving appetizers, you can make the charcuterie board smaller and serve it alongside cranberry meatballs or bacon deviled eggs.
More Holiday appetizer recipes you might like to try:
Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 3 ounces salami (90 grams, see note 1)
- 3 ounces crackers (90 grams)
- 4 ounces cheese (sliced, 120 grams)
- 2 ounces pepperoni (sliced, 60 grams)
- 2 ounces deli ham (sliced, 60 grams)
- 2 whole black peppercorns
- 1 carrot
- 1 dried cranberry
Instructions
- On a large round wooden serving board, arrange all the ingredients in a half circle starting with the salami. Next, add crackers so that they overlap the salami on the outer edge.
- Take a slice of cheese and cut out the turkey body using a large circle cookie cutter. Then, use a small cutter for the head. Set aside. Cut the rest of the cheese into quarters and arrange in a half circle. You can tuck each slice under the salami or leave it out. Next, arrange peperoni.
- Roll each slice of deli ham several times and cut it into bite-size pieces. Use it to fill the empty gap (check pictures). On top, arrange the body and head. Add peppercorns for the eyes. Cut out a little triangle from the carrot for the beak and sticks for the legs. Cut the cranberry in half and arrange next to the beak.
- Best served within a few hours from assembling.
Notes
- Take this as a guide only. The quantities of the ingredients can be adjusted to your needs. Use any meats from the deli counter you like. The same goes for the cheese – cheddar, gouda, Havarti, mozzarella, anything sliced will work just fine.
- It’s best when the deli meats are thinly sliced.
- If you decide to make it ahead, omit crackers and add them to the platter right before serving. The platter must be covered with plastic wrap when refrigerated.
- It can be made in advance but to enjoy it as fresh as possible it is best when you don’t refrigerate for too long. The shorter the fridge time, the fresher the ingredients.
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