61 Super Bowl Snacks That’ll Win the Appetizer Game
Super Bowl Sunday means Super Bowl snacks. And yes, they do require a special label, because these aren’t regular snacks. They’re the kinds of snacks you should have on offer for the big game: properly indulgent party foods that are generally crunchy and salty, maybe beefy or cheesy or sweet and chocolaty, and require only your fingers to consume.
Below, you’ll find our best Super Bowl snacks, so you can score—wait, never mind, we’re not gonna make some corny touchdown joke. Just serve a handful of these easy snacks, and you’ll have the best Super Bowl spread in town—maybe even on Instagram.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Liberty Fennell, prop styling by Gerri Williams1/61Hot Pickle and Cheese Cracker Dip
There will be many dip recipes on this list of Super Bowl snacks, of course, but we begin with one that takes less than 30 minutes to make and is topped with crushed Cheez-It crackers. In other words, we think its number one spot is justified.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness2/61Beef Picadillo Puffy Tacos
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Emma Ringness3/61Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancakes)
This classic anju, or Korean drinking snack, is often enjoyed with makgeolli (rice beer). Its popularity is thanks to two very good reasons: golden, crispy edges and the scallion dipping sauce.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams4/61Creamy Giardiniera Dip
Your food processor does all the work and the ingredient list is wildly short: just cream cheese, sour cream, giardiniera, and Parmesan. Serve with Triscuits and celery sticks, then wait for everyone to ask for the recipe before they leave. (You’ll see.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi, Prop Styling by Alex Massillon5/61Giant Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
The batter for this large-format dreamboat of a cookie (crunchy on the edges, chewy in the middle) is made in one bowl with no special equipment and can be baked in either a cast-iron or large skillet.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea6/61Zucchini Sausage Rolls
A package of frozen puff pastry can take you in so many different directions: There are these zucchini and pork sausage rolls, Ham and Cheese Hand Pies With Honey Mustard, Baked Brie Bites, a Spinach and Feta Tarte Soleil, and more.
Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Ceci Garcia7/61Radishes With Sesame Yogurt
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley, Food Styling Emilie Fosnocht8/61Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Boy, do we have wings recipes. You can finish half of these ones with Buffalo sauce and the rest with a sticky ginger-soy glaze, but you could also try our Hot Honey Wings, Greek Wings With Lemon and Feta, Thai Grilled Chicken Wings, or Tangy Grilled Chicken Wings With Quick Giardiniera.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams9/61Spam and Brie Bites
This one goes out to the sophisticated Super Bowl party folks. You know, the kind who offer martinis instead of beer and serve their snacks skewered on cocktail picks.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness11/61Cornmeal-Crusted Sweet Potato Wedges
Photograph by Clay Williams, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon12/61Seeni Sambol Grilled Cheese Rolls
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Prop Styling by Marc Williams, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi13/61Actually-Crispy Zucchini Fries With Herby Yogurt Dip
These Parmesan-crusted wedges skip the deep fryer without compromising crunch thanks to a cup and a half of panko. Be prepared: They’ll all be gone well before halftime.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua14/61Classic Cheese Ball
Photograph by Scott Semler, food styling by Mieko Takahashi, prop styling by Emma Ringness15/61Sprite-Grilled Chicken Skewers
Sprite—yes, the lemon-lime soda—tenderizes chicken along with fish sauce, garlic, and Thai chili sauce. Once marinated, the chunks of meat get skewered and grilled. Finally, they’re drizzled with a sauce of lime juice, cilantro, and more Thai chile and fish sauce. That’s a lot of flavor!
16/61Pull-Apart Sour Cream and Chive Rolls
Serve a batch of these homemade rolls alongside a platter of store-bought cold cuts and cheeses as well as a pickled vegetables and condiments tray, and, honestly, your work could be done right there.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling Micah Marie Morton18/61Falafel
Falafel are an ideal vegetarian meatball alternative. All you need are toothpicks and some spiced green tahini sauce for dunking.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart19/61Classic Pigs in a Blanket
You need four ingredients for this Super Bowl food: a can of refrigerated crescent rolls, a package of smoked cocktail sausages or franks, one egg for brushing the dough, and Dijon mustard for serving. Want to up the ante? Go Chicago-style.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca21/61Hot-and-Sour Fruit Salad
If you have access to warm-weather produce this time of year, a savory fruit salad is nice to have on the table. It balances some of the fattier dishes we imagine your guests will be expecting, and you can say you made your own hot sauce for it (because you did).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gerri Williams24/61Pork Adobo Pull-Apart Sliders
This one’s a slow cooker—you’ll need about two hours for the braising step alone—so plan accordingly. If you prefer beef to pork, try these Juicy Lucy Sliders.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro25/61Marinated Mozzarella and Peppadew Peppers
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne, prop styling by Christina Allen26/61Gluten-Free Focaccia With Rosemary and Onion
...and if you’re going to have antipasto and charcuterie and the like, you’ll need some bread, no? This gluten-free focaccia rivals our wildly popular recipe for no-knead focaccia.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gerri Williams27/61Bright and Spicy Smoked Salmon Dip
Photograph by Clay Williams, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon28/61Curried Sweet Chili Ribs
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi29/61Red Velvet Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gözde Eker30/61Air Fryer Garlic-Nori Fries
Of course we were going to give you fries. These are Super Bowl snacks! This method relies on an air fryer, as do our delightfully crispy-gone-soggy Chile-Honey-Glazed Fries.
Photograph Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Maeve Sheridan, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano31/61Cheesy Spinach and Corn Piroshki
Why not make your Super Bowl party a piroshki party? The fillings are no-cook and the dough doesn’t require a second rise after shaping, so there’s really no excuse. Plus, there’s a spicy pizza version.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by D'Mytrek Brown32/61Barbara’s Picnic Fried Chicken
It took poet Kwame Alexander 12 tries to recreate his late mother’s perfectly juicy fried chicken. Luckily, he wrote down the recipe for all of us.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams33/61Hurricane Chips
Lovers of the classic salty-sweet Hawaiian hurricane popcorn, these nori-seasoned potato chips are for you. True hurricane aficionados can mix arare, or Japanese rice crackers, in with the chips at the end for even more crunch.
Alex Lau34/61BA’s Best Buffalo Wings
Two key steps ensure extra-crisp Buffalo chicken wings: letting them sit at room temperature before frying evens the cooking time, and a dredge in cornstarch to form the crunchy shell. If you prefer your Buffalo chicken in dip form, well, we’ve got a Buffalo chicken dip.
35/61Classic Hummus
If you’re ready to go beyond the classic and riff, here are four ways to flavor homemade hummus, including a curried sweet potato version and an herby avocado number.
Alex Lau36/61Mozzarella Sticks
If you’re short on time, swap the homemade sauce for a jar of good store-bought marinara or, for something different, try a drizzle of honey and a few cracks of black pepper instead.
37/61Rosemary-Sizzled Salami, Dates, and Pecans
“I cannot believe how delicious this salami snack was and at two separate parties, it was the most popular addition to our hors d’oeuvres area,” writes Drew in the comments. “We made DOUBLE the amount the second time and still, it was gone before anything else.” We guess you’re going to need to triple it, Drew!
Photo by Heami Lee, food styling by Judy Haubert, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky38/61Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese
Photography by Joe Lingeman, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco39/61Pistacharoos
This take on Midwestern scotcheroos swaps out peanut butter for pistachio cream, which can vary in color. Our favorite is the deeply saturated Peppertux Original Pistachio Butter.
Photo by Alex Lau41/61BA’s Best Guacamole
This easy guac is best made in a Mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete—but a bowl and a fork work fine too. (Here’s a little more about molcajetes, if you’re curious.)
Photograph by Clay Williams, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon42/61Deviled Cashews
Crunchy fried cashews seasoned with fresh curry leaves, chile powder, black pepper, and caramelized onions make for a great party snack. If you prefer roasted peanuts, try this spicy, sour, salty, crunchy mix.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi44/61Warm 7-Layer Skillet Dip
This layer dip combines two homemade game day icons—rich, creamy refried beans and unctuous cheese sauce—and tops them off with a handful of simple and fresh garnishes.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li46/61Salty-Sweet Party Mix
Sweet from honey, savory from miso and nutritional yeast, and a touch spicy from chili powder, this mash-up of party mix and puppy chow is the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
Photo by Molly Baz47/61Blistered Cheesy Peppers
Just broil poblano chiles until charred and softened, stuff them with pepper Jack, and then finish with a shallot dressing. To channel another favorite bar snack, try our Jalapeño Popper Gougères.
Alex Lau48/61Blue Cheese and Bacon Lettuce Boats
Think of this recipe as your favorite wedge salad reimagined as a poppable party snack. And blue cheese heads, we’ve got more where this came from: Try our Sweet Potato and Blue Cheese Dip, Tomato Toasts With Blue Cheese Butter, or Blue Cheese Dressing for hot dogs.
Photo by Chelsie Craig50/61Pretzel Bites
Roll up your sleeves and grab the dough hook, because you’re going to make your own bite-size pretzels for this party snack. Serve them with a Spicy Cheddar Cheese Spread.
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio52/61Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams53/61Black Pepper Panisses With Cheddar
Ted Cavanaugh56/61Smoky Eggplant Dip
Eat this dip with pita chips or as part of a meze platter at your Super Bowl party. If there’s any left over, grill some chicken thighs or lamb chops and serve the dip alongside the meat for dinner.
Peden + Munk58/61Cheese Fondue With Beer and Bourbon
Babybel cheese is one French chef’s secret weapon for fondue—it keeps the molten mixture from separating, and its unassuming flavor lets the Gruyère shine. Serve it with assorted ham and salumi, pickles, and raw veggies.
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi59/61Simple Does It Deviled Eggs
A coarsely mashed filling, crunchy with celery, scallions, and pickle relish, is the key to the best deviled eggs. If you’re looking for a not-so-simple version, try this recipe with yuzu kosho.
Photo by Christina Holmes61/61Nachos With All the Fixings
Last but not least, we couldn’t end this list of Super Bowl snacks without a nacho moment—or two, actually: Try our vegetarian-friendly Fully Loaded Black Bean Nachos With Red and Green Salsas too.
