Recipe Roundup

51 Appetizer Recipes That’ll Make You Want to Snack All Day

Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres that just might upstage the main course.
Photo of making one of our best appetizer recipes boneless buffalo chicken wings using tongs in a turquoise bowl
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt

Appetizer recipes are essential for entertaining, but even in these days without gatherings indoors, sometimes you just feel snack-y. Whether you’re watching football or just spending the day doing puzzles in your pajamas, these hors d’oeuvres and appetizers are so good that eating an actual dinner afterward just might not feel necessary. Below, you’ll find our best chicken wings, creamy dips, crunchy snack mix, and more, including standout finger food like deviled eggs, pigs in blankets, and clams casino.

  • Easy Vegetarian Appetizer Figs in a Blanket with Goat Cheese.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    1/51

    Figs-in-a-Blanket With Goat Cheese

    A vegetarian take on one of our favorite classic appetizer recipes, these honey-glazed figs are baked in puff pastry with creamy, tangy goat cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt
    2/51

    Boneless Buffalo Chicken "Wings"

    Let's be honest: No one is into Buffalo chicken wings for the bones. So skip the hassle and make spicy fried chicken breast strips instead. Pair them with a tangy blue cheese dip and crunchy celery sticks.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    3/51

    Smoked Trout Croquettes

    An elegant pre-dinner snack that's crunchy, savory, creamy, and luscious. They're as great with pilsner as they are with Champagne.

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  • Photo by Christina Holmes
    4/51

    Jalapeño Poppers With Smoked Gouda

    Don't feel like frying? You can still make jalapeño poppers. This grilled version is filled with a combination of cream cheese and savory smoked Gouda.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    5/51

    Pigs-in-a-Blanket With Sauerkraut and Mustard

    Pack your pigs with extra flavor by adding punchy mustard and tangy sauerkraut inside the puff pastry.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    6/51

    Tonnato Eggs

    Looking to make a meal out of appetizers? Don't skip these luscious deviled eggs, which are crowned with a bright and briny tonnato-inspired filling and crispy capers.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    7/51

    Classic Spinach-Artichoke Dip With Mozzarella and Parmesan

    The ultimate version of spinach-artichoke dip brings together stretchy mozzarella, tangy cream cheese, and nutty Parmesan.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    8/51

    Turf Mix

    This crispy-crunchy, spicy, sweet-and-savory snack mix is almost as green as the turf on a football field, so it's perfect for munching while you watch the game.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    9/51

    Creamy Queso With Chorizo

    Yes, you need Velveeta to make great queso. You just can't beat it on texture. This version gets a savory, smoky boost from fresh chorizo and chipotle powder.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    10/51

    Kombu Celery

    We adore this crunchy snack, which is seasoned with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and furikake.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
    11/51

    Lumpia

    Nothing's better than freshly-fried lumpia. Except for lumpia that you were smart enough to wrap in advance so that the frying was no trouble at all.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    12/51

    Pickled Shrimp

    Pickled shrimp are bright and refreshing, perfect as hors d'oeuvres or a snacky dinner. Make them a day in advance so you're ready to serve them without any effort.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    13/51

    Creamy Pinto Bean Dip

    This is one of our favorite hearty dip recipes. It's made with pinto beans, red bell pepper, garlic, red wine vinegar, and chili powder and blended in a food processor.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    14/51

    Pecan Brie Brûlée

    Cheese and crackers: Basic. Brûléed cheese on toast with chile-pecan paste? Truly elegant. Keep this appetizer recipe in your back pocket for whenever you're feeling fancy.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Jennifer Ophir
    17/51

    3-Ingredient Smoked Mozzarella Sticks

    What could make us love mozzarella sticks more? Making them even easier to prepare. Just wrap logs of smoked mozzarella in egg roll wrappers, then fry until golden brown.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    18/51

    Crispy Turmeric-and-Pepper-Spiced Chicken Wings

    Here's a must-know chicken wing trick: Start the wings in a cold oven, which allows the fat to render slowly for extra-crispy skin.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    19/51

    Smoky Carrot Dip

    Have your dip and eat your vegetables, too. Here, sweet roasted carrots are blended with chickpeas, toasted almonds, lemon juice, garlic, and smoked paprika—it’s the perfect companion to seeded crackers or good bread.

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  • Kana Okada
    20/51

    Hot and Crunchy Avocado Fries

    Creamy avocado in a crispy panko shell. Feel free to serve alongside any yogurt-based dip, or skip it. These bad boys don't need embellishment.

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  • Photo by Thomas Schauer
    21/51

    Labne Deviled Eggs with Paprika and Ginger

    The egg white part of deviled eggs is often ignored, but here it gets a vibrant coating of ginger, paprika, mustard seed, pepper, and ajowan.

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  • Photo by Ian Garlick, Food Styling by Sian Davies
    22/51

    Shabzi Pakora

    For these fritters, you'll use a lot of seasoned fresh vegetables, which are mixed together with ground rice and chickpea flour to create a very light batter. The recipe calls for onions, cabbage, potato and carrot, but you can use whatever combination of vegetables you've got sitting in the fridge.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    27/51

    Polenta Bites With Wild Mushrooms and Fontina

    Store-bought tubes of polenta are the ultimate appetizer shortcut: just slice and toast in the oven, top with wild mushrooms and Fontina, or make your own riff with crispy salami batons, tapenade, or anything you like.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    28/51

    Pine Nut and White Bean Dip

    To get the best-tasting dip, you really need to toast the pine nuts in this recipe. Just keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    29/51

    Crab Louie Salad Lettuce Cups

    Turn this retro salad into finger food by serving the creamy seafood mix in lettuce cups.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    30/51

    Clams Casino With Bacon and Bell Pepper

    A vinegary red bell pepper mixture cuts through the richness of this classic Italian-American appetizer. Roast just before serving so they're hot and crispy.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    31/51

    Hot Pimento Cheese Dip

    This velvety-smooth hot take on pimento cheese spread has a hint of smokiness thanks to chipotle in adobo. Dip in pretzels, crackers, or cut up vegetables. Feel free to amp up the cheese with more chipotle or some hot sauce if you like.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    32/51

    Sesame Chicken Drumettes

    Chicken wing drumettes are the sort of hearty appetizers that you can absolutely consider just a starter—or a complete dinner. These are cooked with sherry, fresh ginger, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and sesame oil. 

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    33/51

    Swiss Chard–Tahini Dip

    Have your dip and your greens, too! This dairy-free dip gets its creamy factor from tahini and olive oil.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li
    34/51

    Lemon-Pepper Salami Bites

    Cured meat and Marcona almonds are better together. In this hors d'oeuvre, they're dressed with fragrant lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Frances Boswell
    37/51

    Bacon and Cheddar Toasts

    This is as simple as could be, but it's really good, too. Think bacon and cheddar sandwich, but on a crouton.

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  • 38/51

    Dakgangjeong

    These sweet, crunchy Korean fried chicken wings will stay crispy for hours. And we'll happily keep eating them for hours, too.

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  • Photo by Matt Ball
    39/51

    Roasted Garlic Pull-Apart Cheese Bread

    Get your fingers in there: Pulling apart bits of this cheesy, garlicky bread is definitely part of the fun.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    40/51

    Fried Okra

    There are lots of great ways to cook okra, but this crispy cornmeal-dredged version might be the best of all.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani
    43/51

    Muhammara

    Step one: Make this easy, vibrant dip of toasted walnuts and roasted red peppers. Step two: Tackle homemade pita.

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  • 44/51

    Potato Skins with Bacon and Cheese

    This version of the classic bar snack gets Monterey Jack cheese and sharp cheddar, plus crispy bacon, green onions, and sour cream, but you can also go rogue with the toppings and dress your potato skins any way you like.

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  • Photo by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Victoria Granof, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka
    45/51

    Classic Cheese Ball

    A retro favorite that never goes out of style, this cheese ball starts with cream cheese, cheddar, and Brie, seasoned with Worcestershire, hot sauce, and onion and garlic powders. Toasted pecans are an essential final touch.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kendra Smoot
    46/51

    Pan con Tomate

    This is a juicier take on pan con tomate: you'll grate the tomatoes to make a raw sauce that bread can really absorb.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    47/51

    Epi's 50-Ingredient Super Bowl Nachos

    Okay, you don't actually need to go wild with all 50 ingredients. You can choose just one of the (much-simpler) five “zones” to make for game day.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li
    48/51

    Marinated Manchego

    Cheese is just a snack. But garlic, orange, and rosemary-marinated cheese is a full-blown appetizer.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    49/51

    Smoked Salmon 7-Layer Dip

    The classic seven-layer dip takes to the sea with this elegant recipe, which matches hot-smoked salmon with beet horseradish, two kinds of soft cheese, and crunchy vegetables and herbs.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    50/51

    Cauliflower-Carrot Cheesy Tots

    Tots are fun for all ages. Cauliflower and carrot add sweet, earthy flavor to the format.

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  • Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen
    51/51

    Parsnip-Wrapped Devils on Horseback

    Many of the best appetizer recipes can be reworked for folks who don't eat meat. This vegetarian version of the classic hors d'oeuvre uses soy sauce, smoked paprika, and smoked almonds to pack savory flavor into stuffed dates.

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