12 Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers You Can Grab at Costco

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Let me tell you something about hosting Thanksgiving: the turkey gets all the glory, but the appetizers keep the peace.

You know how it goes. The bird still has three hours left. The gravy isn’t happening yet. And your people are wandering into the kitchen “just to check on things” (translation: they’re hungry and getting cranky).

That right there is the make-or-break moment of the whole day — and it’s exactly why I never, ever host without a solid spread of easy appetizers ready to go.

BUT you do not need to spend your whole morning fussing over fancy little bites. Some of the best Thanksgiving appetizers I’ve ever put out came straight from Costco, popped in the oven or the air fryer, and arranged on a pretty platter like I slaved over them. Nobody has to know. That’s between us.

I already talk a lot about what’s actually worth buying at Costco (and what to skip), so consider this the party-food companion. These are 12 easy Thanksgiving appetizers you can grab at Costco that feed a crowd, come together fast, and let you keep your sanity while the turkey does its thing.

Let’s fill that cart.

A quick note on prices: Costco prices bounce around by region and season, so I’m giving you rough ballparks to plan with — always double-check in-store or on Costco.com. What I can promise is that every one of these feeds a whole lot more people than the same money would at a regular grocery store.

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1. Cuisine Adventures Spanakopita (Spinach & Feta Phyllo Triangles)

If I could only put one appetizer on the Thanksgiving table, this would be it — and honestly, most Costco shoppers agree. These little phyllo triangles are stuffed with spinach and feta, they bake up flaky and golden, and they taste like you actually know how to work with phyllo dough (which, let’s be real, most of us do not).

The box comes with a big batch across a few trays, which is the secret weapon for a party: you can stagger them into the oven in rounds and keep hot, fresh ones coming out all afternoon instead of dumping everything out at once and watching it go cold.

Get a full review on this here.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: Skip the oven and run these through the air fryer for 8-ish minutes. They come out even crispier, and you free up your oven for the turkey. Set them out with a little bowl of tzatziki or plain Greek yogurt with lemon, and watch them vanish.

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2. Fresh Shrimp Cocktail Platter

Nothing says “she went all out” quite like a shrimp cocktail platter — and Costco’s deli case does the going-all-out for you. It’s a big ring of chilled, ready-to-eat shrimp built right around a tub of cocktail sauce, and all you have to do is peel off the lid and set it on the table.

This appetizer makes people feel fancy without a single ounce of effort on your part. It’s cold, so it doesn’t compete for oven space. It’s grab-and-go, so latecomers can help themselves. And shrimp reads “special occasion,” which is exactly the energy you want on Thanksgiving.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: Move the shrimp onto your own platter and tuck fresh lemon wedges and a little parsley around the edge. Takes two minutes, costs nothing extra, and it looks homemade. Recycle that plastic ring the store never has to know about.

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3. La Terra Fina Cranberry & Jalapeño Dip

Okay, this one is made for Thanksgiving. Cranberry and jalapeño in a creamy base — you get that sweet-tart holiday flavor with a little warm kick behind it, and it hits the exact fall note you’re going for without you cooking down a single cranberry.

Serve it cold with crackers, spread it on toasted baguette slices, or (my favorite) spoon it over a block of cream cheese and let people wreck it with pretzel crisps. It’s the kind of thing folks hover around and keep going back to “just one more time.”

Frugal Farm Girl tip: This dip stretches. One tub easily covers a big crowd, and if you’ve got leftovers, it’s incredible the next day on a turkey sandwich. Waste not.

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4. Partini Spinach & Artichoke Bites

If you’ve ever wanted the flavor of spinach-artichoke dip but in a poppable, no-double-dipping, no-messy-bowl form — these are it. They’re little crispy-coated balls of creamy spinach and artichoke, assembled and ready to bake straight from frozen.

They’ve quietly become one of Costco’s cult-favorite freezer finds, and once you serve them you’ll understand why. They’re warm, they’re rich, they’re two bites and done, and they check the “hot appetizer” box on your spread without any fuss.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: Air fryer, again. (Are you sensing a theme? The air fryer is a hosting hero on Thanksgiving.) Crisp them up and serve with a little marinara or ranch for dipping.

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5. Kirkland Signature Tempura Shrimp

Between the shrimp cocktail and these tempura shrimp, I might just be a shrimp person — but hear me out, they play totally different roles. The cocktail platter is your cold, elegant option. These crispy Japanese-style tempura shrimp are your hot, crunchy, dunk-it-in-sauce option.

They cook up beautifully in the oven or air fryer, they come with a soy-based dipping sauce right in the box, and they feel a little more special than your average frozen finger food. Set them next to a bowl of cocktail sauce and the included sauce so folks can pick their fighter.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: These are a great “kids will actually eat this” appetizer, which matters when you’ve got little ones underfoot on a long holiday afternoon.

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6. Ling Ling Potstickers

Potstickers are the frozen appetizer the whole Costco community keeps coming back to, and for good reason — they’re cheap per piece, they cook fast, and everybody loves them. On a Thanksgiving spread they add a little something-different that breaks up all the usual holiday flavors.

The trick with these is to pan-fry them the “real” way: a little oil, get that bottom crispy and golden, then a splash of water and a lid to steam the tops tender. That crispy-bottom, soft-top texture is what makes people think you ordered takeout.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: Put out a little dish of soy sauce mixed with a splash of rice vinegar and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Homemade dipping sauce, thirty seconds, big payoff.

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7. Costco Charcuterie Board (Cured Meats & Cheese)

Every good party needs one appetizer that requires exactly zero cooking, and this is your guy. Costco carries pre-packed charcuterie assortments — an array of Italian cured meats like salame, calabrese, and chorizo — plus their cheese section is stacked. Grab one meat pack, one or two cheeses, and you’re 80% of the way to a grazing board.

A charcuterie board is my favorite hosting shortcut because it does double duty: it’s an appetizer and it’s decor. Pile it high, and it becomes the centerpiece of your snack table while the turkey finishes.

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8. Petite Cuisine Mozzarella Sticks

Sometimes you just need a crowd-pleaser that requires zero explanation, and mozzarella sticks are undefeated. These are one of Costco’s most popular frozen apps, and they’re the appetizer that makes the kids’ table (and, let’s be honest, half the grownups) very happy.

Gooey cheese, crispy coating, a bowl of warm marinara for dipping — it’s comfort food that fits right in on a cozy holiday afternoon. They bake or air-fry in minutes, and the big Costco package means you’re not rationing them out.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: These reheat well, so if you’re doing an all-day open-house style gathering, you can do a fresh batch every hour or so instead of one giant tray that goes rubbery sitting out.

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9. Easy Baked Brie (Costco Brie + Puff Pastry)

This is the “looks like a caterer made it, actually took ten minutes” appetizer, and it’s the one that’ll get you the most compliments per dollar spent. Grab a wheel of brie and a box of Costco’s puff pastry, wrap the cheese in the pastry, brush it with a beaten egg, and bake until it’s golden and puffed and melty inside.

Top it with a spoonful of that cranberry jalapeño dip or a little jam before it goes in, and you’ve got a warm, gooey, showstopping centerpiece for your appetizer table. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette for scooping.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: This is the only “recipe” on the list, and it barely counts as one. If you can wrap a present, you can make baked brie. It’s the single best effort-to-impressive ratio in this whole post.

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10. Kirkland Signature Chicken Wings

Wings aren’t just for game day — and if your Thanksgiving crowd includes football watchers (mine sure does; Bills Mafia doesn’t take the holiday off), a big tray of wings is basically required. Costco’s frozen wings bake or air-fry up crispy, and the bulk bag means you can feed the whole living room.

Toss them in buffalo sauce, BBQ, or a little honey-garlic, and set out celery sticks and ranch. They’re hearty enough to hold everyone over until dinner, which is exactly the job an appetizer needs to do on the longest-cooking day of the year.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: Air-fry from frozen for the crispiest skin, then toss in sauce after they’re cooked so they stay crunchy instead of soggy.

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11. Fresh Vegetable Tray

I know, I know — the veggie tray is the appetizer everyone rolls their eyes at. But hear me out: on a day that is otherwise wall-to-wall butter, carbs, and cheese, a fresh, crunchy veggie platter is the thing people are genuinely grateful for by hour four. And it gives you something to put out for the folks watching what they eat.

Costco’s fresh trays come washed, cut, and arranged with a dip in the middle — you literally just take off the lid. It’s the definition of easy, and it balances out all the rich stuff on the rest of the table.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: Swap the little tub of ranch for a homemade dip if you’ve got five minutes — Greek yogurt, a packet of ranch seasoning, done. Or set that cranberry jalapeño dip next to it (yes, it works on veggies too — I told you it earns its keep).

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12. Bibigo Mini Wontons

Rounding us out with another dumpling-family favorite, because Costco’s freezer really does dumplings well. These little mini wontons cook up fast — a quick steam or a drop into simmering broth — and they’re a fun, slightly unexpected addition that keeps your appetizer spread from feeling like the same five things everybody else puts out.

They’re light, they’re poppable, and they’re a nice palate change between all the heavier bites. Serve them with a simple dipping sauce, or float a handful in a little cup of broth for a warm, cozy few-bite starter on a cold November day.

Frugal Farm Girl tip: Keep a bag of these in the freezer even after the holiday — they’re a lifesaver for a fast weeknight app or a last-minute “someone’s coming over” moment.

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How Much Should You Actually Buy?

Costco packages are big, which is a blessing and a trap. Here’s my rough rule of thumb so you don’t over- or under-buy:

• Appetizers only, before a full dinner: plan on about 4–6 pieces per person across your whole spread. You want them fed, not full — dinner’s still coming.
• Appetizers as the main event (Friendsgiving / open house): bump that up to 10–12 pieces per person and offer more variety.
• Always have one cold, no-cook option (shrimp platter, veggie tray, charcuterie) so you’re not fighting for oven space all afternoon.
• Pick 4–6 of these total, not all 12. A tight, well-chosen spread beats a chaotic one, and it keeps your budget in check.

The beauty of buying Costco-size is that leftovers keep. Frozen apps go right back in the freezer, and cold platters become the next day’s grazing.

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The Bottom Line

Here’s what I want you to take away, friend: hosting a beautiful Thanksgiving does not mean cooking from sunup to sundown. It means being smart about where you spend your effort. Pour your energy into the turkey and the pie and the people — and let Costco handle the appetizer table.

Grab a few of these, keep a hot batch coming out of the air fryer, put the cold stuff out early, and give yourself permission to actually enjoy your own party. That’s the whole frugal-hosting secret right there.

Now go make your list, and I’ll see you back here for the main event.

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Hosting a crowd this season? My Meal Planner makes prepping the whole Thanksgiving spread — appetizers to leftovers — a whole lot less stressful. Grab it here.

Looking for more? Don’t miss things you should never buy at Costco and my cozy farmhouse Thanksgiving decorations on a budget.