Great appetizers give your guests something to celebrate the minute they walk in the door. These festive small bites with big flavor make any gathering a special occasion!
We've rounded up 45 of the Best Appetizer recipes we know: Fabulous Finger Foods, Delicious Dips, Bountiful Boards —everything from easy 10-minute appetizers to elegant make-ahead show-stoppers.
Whether you're hosting a holiday party, game-day gathering, or New Year's Eve celebration, this collection of crowd-pleasing appetizer recipes will wow your guests and get your party off to a great start!
1. My Favorite Goat Cheese Appetizer
The nickname for this one is "Goat Cheese Dressed for a Party" because it's literally a log of goat cheese with dressing poured over it. It takes 10 minutes to whip up and it's a total "WOW!"
2. Smoked Salmon Tartare
Chop some smoked salmon, add a little lemon zest, shallots and white pepper and you've got yourself an elegant appetizer, scooped onto rice crackers or cucumber rounds. This one takes about 15 minutes to prepare and is always a hit at the party!
3. Mini Caprese Skewers
These are possibly the most perfect finger food ever. They're so festive they even look like Christmas!
4. Prosciutto Wrapped Arugula
An arugula salad with lemon and parmesan cheese, transformed into irresistible finger-food.
5. Devils on Horseback
An historic British Appetizer that's popular during the Christmas holidays, these are as rich and bursting with exciting flavors as anything can be! Everyone loves them, including the cook, because they can be assembled ahead of time and popped in the oven at the last minute.
6. Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Fig Bruschetta
Crazy delicious and you can make it a day ahead. Then just heat, spread onto crostini and serve.
7. Gilda Pintxos
Ready to try something daring and amazing? Make these Spanish treats for your holiday party!
8. Roasted Almonds
These may look like ordinary almonds but they are actually the best almonds ever! And the recipe is quick and easy!
9. Gambas Al Ajillo: Sizzling Spanish Garlic Shrimp
Ready in 15 minutes and guaranteed to be the star of any dinner party or holiday gathering. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the garlicky olive oil.
10. Sautéed Shrimp with Remoulade
Tender, juicy shrimp encrusted with flavorful spices, and a tangy lime remoulade sauce for dipping or drizzling.
11. Turkish Sigara Borek
Crisp phyllo rolls filled with feta and scallions and served with garlicky yogurt sauce for dipping. These are just incredible!
12. Korean Bulgogi Beef Lettuce Wraps
Bulgogi beef tenderloin, pickled red onions & radishes, miso mayo, scallions - these are beyond amazing!
13. Turkish Sesame Fried Chicken Bites with Tahini Remoulade
Crispy, crunchy chicken with a creamy dreamy dip for dunking!
14. Ottolenghi's Turkey Corn Meatballs
Tender flavorsome meatballs filled with corn, scallions, parsley, garlic and spices. On the side is a sweet, tangy, mildly spicy roasted red pepper sauce for dipping.
15. Ottolenghi's Turkey Zucchini Meatballs with Lemony Yogurt Sauce
Healthy, herb and veggie-packed, and gluten-free turkey meatballs from Ottolenghi are truly something special! Serve these with lemon dipping sauce on the side.
16. French Deviled Eggs Mimosa
French deviled eggs Mimosa are stuffed with flavorful tuna and egg salad and sprinkled with finely chopped egg yolks for a bright mimosa-flower finishing touch.
17. Tuna Dip with Peppadew Peppers
An irresistible dip made from a puree of canned tuna, scallions, olive oil, mayo and lemon juice. This pairs beautifully with sweet, spicy, pickled, peppadew peppers. Stuff some, serve some on the side, add crudités or crackers - so easy and so good!
18. Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta
Turn healthy carrots into something totally irresistible! This dish is easy to prep ahead and is always devoured.
19. Indonesian Grilled Green Beans with Lemon Aioli
Spicy, flavorful, Grilled Greens Beans with lemony aioli - a vegetarian appetizer that always wows the crowd!
20. Chili and Brown Sugar Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli
The absolute best sweet and spicy sweet potato fries ever, with an irresistible creamy, garlicky, spicy aioli for dipping.
21. Blue Cheese and Sage Roasted Butternut Squash Appetizer
This festive dish always draws a crowd around it!
22. Mini Spinach and Potato Knishes
Meet the mini potato knish! It's appetizer-sized and perfect for Passover. But you don't have to celebrate a Jewish holiday to enjoy these. I've made them for my New Year's Eve party and they always disappear in a hurry.
23. Potato Aebleskiver with Creamy Lemon Dipping Sauce
Made from lentils, potatoes, herbs and chilies, these tasty potato pancake balls are crisp on the outside, fluffy and tender inside, and utterly irresistible! They're also gluten-free and dairy-free. Plus they're a blast to make.
24. Greek Style Garlicky Shrimp with Feta
A steaming pot of shrimp in spicy, lemony, buttery garlic sauce with melted feta. Set these out with a basket of crusty bread and small plates and watch everyone go nuts over them. Ready in 35 minutes!
25. French Onion Tart (Easy, make ahead)
A savory vegetarian tart of braised onions and eggs baked in a mustard-coated pie crust. Can be made ahead and served warm or at room temperature.
26. Mini Cauliflower Tarts with Gruyere and Bacon Parmesan Crumb Topping
Potato-gruyere crusts packed with onions, garlic, cauliflower, eggs, cheese and spices and topped with crumbled bacon and parmesan cheese. Need we say more?!
27. Smoked Salmon Quesadillas
Crisp quesadillas stuffed with goat cheese, smoked salmon, lemon and basil. Serve these as an appetizer, cut into thin wedges. They're amazing!
28. Pâté Grand-Mere
Learn to make one of the great French pâtés. It's incredibly rewarding to make such a delicacy in one's own kitchen. This recipe comes from an award-winning charcutier.
29. The Best Homemade Seed Crackers: Thin, Crisp and Delicious!
You'll be amazed that a handful of wholesome ingredients bakes up into the most perfect crackers! If you're looking for a healthy, flavorful and crunchy, gluten-free cracker for dipping or even just snacking, these are just the best!
30. Marinated Cheese with Herb and Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
Here's a fantastic party appetizer that doesn't require a lot of time or effort. A wheel of rich creamy cheese bathed in aromatic herb and garlic-infused olive oil, ready to be devoured with crusty bread and crackers.
31. Broiled Feta and Tomatoes Appetizer
This hot jumble of soft creamy feta and garlicky sweet juicy blistered tomatoes is the most addictive topping for bread or crostini!
32. Roasted Tomatoes and Mushrooms with Grilled Bread
A rustic bruschetta of oven roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, tossed with red onions and kalamata olives, and served alongside grilled bread.
33. Sicilian Caponata
A flavor-packed, make-ahead, even-better-the-next-day, vegetarian appetizer that always gets raves. Serve with crackers or crostini.
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34. Patacones: Fried Green Plantains
Savory, crisp Patacones are a popular appetizer in many Latin American and Caribbean countries, and for good reason - they taste amazing! These are great for dunking in all your favorite dips.
35. Salsa Fresca
A simple vibrant Mexican salsa made from fresh raw ingredients that takes very little time to prepare. Nothing beats this juicy fresh salsa for dipping crunchy tortilla chips!
36. Guacamole
A great recipe for homemade guacamole that's infinitely better than anything can buy in a store!
37. Labneh
All you need is yogurt and a pinch of salt to whip up this thick and creamy Middle Eastern cheese. Labneh has the perfect tang and a rich, smooth texture like soft goat cheese. Delicious!
38. Baba Ganoush
This beloved Middle Eastern eggplant dip is even better made from scratch - a creamy, smoky, irresistible dip for pita, crackers or crudites.
39. Homemade Hummus
This homemade hummus is so much better than the stuff you get at the store. It's rich and creamy and you can taste the fresh flavors of lemon juice, garlic, sesame tahini and fruity olive oil.
40. Chipotle Carrot Hummus
A wonderful version of hummus made with sautéed carrots, garlic and chipotle chile powder. This mildly spiced carrot hummus will be a hit at your next gathering!
41. Turkish Hot Layered Hummus
An authentic Turkish recipe. Creamy hummus, served warm from the oven, topped with buttery toasted pine nuts and a chopped salad of cucumber, radishes and sun-dried tomatoes. Festive and super delicious!
42. Roasted Eggplant Dip
Just pop a whole eggplant in the oven to roast and you've done most of the prep for this recipe. With just 3 ingredients plus a simple oil and vinegar dressing, you'll be amazed by the incredible flavors in this dish!
43. Grilled Figs, Prosciutto and Burrata
Grill the figs ahead of time and the rest of this appetizer comes together quickly and easily. Arrange everything on a platter with small plates and forks on the side, and let your guests dig in.
44. No Knead Olive Bread
This no knead olive bread, with its irresistible crispy crust, tender crumb and hints of rosemary, makes a fantastic appetizer. Serve it warm, sliced into small pieces, with a side of extra virgin olive oil and good balsamic, for dipping.
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45. Cheese Board: How To Make A Perfect Cheese Board
Your guide for how to pick the best combination of cheeses, select their perfect pairings, and arrange them beautifully on a platter or board.
There you have it - 45 of the best easy and make-ahead appetizers!
Drop a comment below and let me know your favorites, or tag me on Instagram [@PanningTheGlobe] if you share a photo of your spread.
Looking for more party inspiration? Check out my guide The Best Easy Party Food Recipes, for all my best easy recipes for entertaining plus some great tips to help you organize and feel relaxed at your party.
Anne K
Thanks for this amazing recipe roundup! I want to make a party now just to serve a bunch of these 🙂