Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas: Build a Spanish-Inspired Holiday Menu

Looking for Thanksgiving dinner ideas with Spanish inspiration? Start with a main dish, choose complementary sides and finish with dessert. This guide brings the courses together into a complete holiday menu while leaving room for the traditions your guests enjoy.

Build Your Thanksgiving Menu Around a Main Dish

For a traditional menu with a Spanish touch, keep roast turkey as the centrepiece and introduce Spanish olive oil, roasted peppers and smoked paprika through the sides. Plan oven space and cooking order around your chosen main dish.

For a meat-free menu, choose a chickpea and roasted pepper skillet or squash filled with chickpeas and rice. Include a meat-free option with these vegetarian Thanksgiving mains and sides.

Choose Sides That Work Together

Pair a substantial main with two contrasting sides: paprika-roasted potatoes for warmth and texture, and a roasted pepper and white bean salad for freshness. Seasonal vegetables dressed with olive oil can complete the plate. Keep seasonings complementary so every dish adds something different.

Use Spanish olives as a small garnish or accompaniment rather than repeating the same snack board at every course.

Start with a Light Appetizer

Serve a few small bites before dinner, such as olives, roasted peppers on bread or a modest cheese board. If you include Spanish cured meats, keep them separate from vegetarian choices.

Choose your first bites from our Spanish-inspired Thanksgiving appetizers.

Complete the Menu with Dessert

Finish with a familiar Thanksgiving dessert such as apple or pumpkin pie. For a lighter ending, serve baked apples or pears with cinnamon and a spoonful of yogurt. Choose a dessert that can be prepared ahead, leaving the oven available for the main meal.

Two Thanksgiving Menus to Bring It Together

• Traditional menu with Spanish accents: light tapas to start, roast turkey, paprika-roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables and apple or pumpkin pie.
• Vegetarian menu: roasted pepper bites to start, chickpea and pepper skillet or stuffed squash, roasted potatoes, white bean salad and baked fruit.

Plan the Cooking Order

Prepare dessert and cold accompaniments ahead where possible. On the day, organise cooking around the main dish, then finish warm sides and set out small appetizer portions shortly before guests arrive. Refrigerate perishable dishes appropriately and reheat cooked food thoroughly.

For the wider celebration, explore our Spanish-inspired Thanksgiving hosting guide.

Explore Spanish food in Canada at Little Spain Market for ingredients to complement your holiday menu.