Recipes

The 51 Best Summer Appetizers for Cookouts, Picnics, and Just Because

From vibrant tomato salads to crisp zucchini flatbreads, these easy summer appetizers are the best way to get any summer shindig going.
Tomato Caesar salad recipe
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime

Nothing kicks off a cookout like passing around a plate of tasty summer appetizers. (Okay, a tray of refreshing cocktails never hurts either.) After all, a lazy outdoor hang should never feel rushed, and having some easy summer appetizers on deck means you don't have to feel stressed about getting the main courses out on any particular timeline. When it's exceptionally hot, we always root for cold appetizers like a refreshing tomato Caesar, salty and sweet watermelon salad, or a pile of crunchy fresh vegetables and this impressively rich and easy aioli. Not deterred by the heat? We promise it's worth firing up your oven for this heirloom tomato galette or starting the grill early so you can set out some charred veggies in a simple tomato sauce. Cold, hot, and everything in between, these are the easy summer appetizers we’re looking forward to whipping up this year.

  • Paneer and charred green beans recipe
    Photograph by Yudi Ela, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    3/51

    Cheesy Charred Green Beans

    Grilled cheese? Yes, please. But not that kind. We’re talking creamy-charred paneer with grilled green beans—a perfect vegetarian side for your next cookout.

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  • A white plate with multicolored yellow red and purple tomato slices topped with crispy onions cucumbers and herbs on a...
    Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    4/51

    Vietnamese Tomato Salad

    Tomatoes are the perfect match for the acidic, sweet, and slightly-funky dressing that tops this bright, wonderfully herbaceous salad. 

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce Lentil Vegetable Bean Dish and Meal
    Photograph by Yudi Ela, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    5/51

    Saucy Grilled Summer Squash With Chickpeas

    Grilling gamechanger? Use a skillet on the hot zones to blister tomatoes without losing any of their juices while simultaneously charring larger veggies on the grates alongside.

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  • Cantaloupe With Spicy BaconCashew Crumble Recipe
    Photograph by Dylan + Jeni, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    6/51

    Cantaloupe With Spicy Bacon-Cashew Crumble

    Juicy summer melon with a salty-sweet crunchy bacon topping makes for a low-effort but universally crowd-pleasing appetizer.

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  • Charred Eggplant With Spicy Tomato Sauce and Peanuts recipe
    Photograph by Yudi Ela, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    7/51

    Charred Eggplant With Spicy Tomato Sauce and Peanuts

    Spicy charred tomato sauce inspired by the Thai condiment nam prik complements silky grilled eggplant and crunchy peanuts in this meat-free masterpiece.

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  • ThaiCucumber Tomato and Green Bean Salad Recipe
    Photograph by Dylan + Jeni, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    8/51

    Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad

    If you love the sour-salty-sweet Thai green papaya salad, you’ll love this peak-summer version made with tomatoes and cucumbers.

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  • Tomato Caesar salad recipe
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    11/51

    Tomato Caesar

    An extra-thick Caesar dressing gives this tomato salad its oomph—and keeps it from sogging out at the picnic.

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  • Watermelon and Snap Pea Salad Recipe
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    12/51

    Watermelon and Snap Pea Salad

    Take sweet, juicy melon into the realm of dinner with a hit of Taiwanese black vinegar. (Chile crisp, fish sauce, and fried shallots help, too.)

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  • Dahi Puri With Black Chickpeas Recipe from Preeti Mistry
    Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Frances Boswell, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    13/51

    Dahi Puri With Black Chickpeas

    Chef Preeti Mistry’s dahi puri, filled with black chickpeas and potato hunks and drizzled with spiced yogurt and chutneys, are perfect party snacks.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Plant
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Judy Mancini
    14/51

    Buttered Tomatoes With Ginger

    This versatile peak-of-summer condiment can be served on top of white rice, pasta, toast, steamed fish, steak, or roast chicken.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Lunch and Meal
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    17/51

    Cashew Nam Prik

    Nam prik is a delicious chile-based dip found all over Thailand. Here's our healthyish take on it.

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  • Cooked shrimp piled over a bed of aioli with charred lemon halves on the side for squeezing over the lot.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Bowl from Heath Ceramics
    18/51

    Grilled Shrimp With Old Bay and Aioli

    Seasoned with Old Bay, a little garlic, and some charred lemons, these shell-on shrimp capture the nostalgic vibes of a classic East Coast fish shack—without any of the lines.

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  • Pan con Tomate
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    19/51

    Pan con Tomate

    Spoiler alert: We broke with tradition. Instead of rubbing toast with cut tomatoes, we grated the tomatoes to make a raw sauce that the bread can really absorb.

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  • Smoky Carrot Dip recipe
    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    20/51

    Smoky Carrot Dip

    A sweet and smoky roasted carrot dip with chickpeas, almonds, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. We could eat it by the bowlful.

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  • Desk dip with eggs and sweet potatoes curried peanut dip
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova
    25/51

    Curried Peanut Dip

    This creamy, spicy-sweet dip pairs with leftover rotisserie chicken, jammy eggs, cucumber spears, and roasted sweet potatoes for the perfect desk-friendly lunch.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Plant
    Peden + Munk
    26/51

    Pickled Pepper and Boquerónes Toast

    Who knew so much bright, lively, acidic flavor could come from such a small surface area?

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  • This image may contain Plant Dish Food Meal Vegetable and Produce
    Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
    27/51

    Dairy-Free Trout Dip

    The almond purée that is added to the smoked trout will fool you into thinking there’s a boatload of dairy in this dip. It gives the dip an outrageously creamy consistency.

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  • Tomato Galette
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    28/51

    Tomato Galette

    A savory galette topped with peak season tomatoes, cheese, and garlic.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Meal and Dish
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco
    29/51

    Grand Aioli

    Dip everything–all of the things—into this garlicky mayonnaise.

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  • Muhammara recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani
    30/51

    Muhammara

    This vibrant Middle Eastern dip made from walnuts and red bell peppers pairs perfectly well with fresh pita bread.

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  • Tomato Toast with Chives and Sesame Seeds
    Photo by Marcus Nilsson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson
    31/51

    Tomato Toast With Chives and Sesame Seeds

    Sprinkle the chives, sesame seeds, and flaky salt with abandon.

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  • Best Guacamole Recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau
    32/51

    BA's Best Guacamole

    It takes a while for the avocado to absorb all the flavors you add to it. So if you ever find yourself wondering if your guac is spicy (or salty, or lime-y) enough, wait a few minutes before you add more so that you don’t accidentally overseason it.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Plant Egg and Fruit
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk
    33/51

    Honeydew, Jicama, and Mango Salad

    Don’t worry about removing all of the melon seeds in this take on the popular Mexican street snack—they’re edible and add a little crunch.

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  • Image may contain Food Plant and Bread
    Laura Murray
    34/51

    Beer Cheese

    Beer + cheese = the best combination ever.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Platter
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    37/51

    Anchovy and Sardine Toasts With Chile Butter

    The chile butter is just that—mixing Calabrian chiles with butter—for this ridiculously easy appetizer.

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  • Clam dip recipe
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    38/51

    Clam Dip

    If what you really want is a delicious clam dip that comes together in less than 15 minutes, this recipe is for you.

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  • This image may contain Plant Food Dish and Meal
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    41/51

    Lemon-Pepper Salami Bites

    Bright citrus and fresh-ground pepper put a festive spin on two party staples: Cured meat and Marcona almonds.

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  • This image may contain Food Bread Cracker and Pretzel
    Photo by Chelsie Craig
    42/51

    Pretzel Bites

    These pretzel nubbins are crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

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  • Bowl of pico de gallo with a tortilla chip.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    45/51

    Pico de Gallo

    This pico de gallo recipe is the best fresh salsa you can make—use it to top our favorite Tex-Mex enchiladas or spoon it over a layered queso.

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  • Image may contain Food Meal Dish Platter and Plant
    Juco
    46/51

    Whipped Gorgonzola

    Choose a mild and creamy Gorgonzola for this dip.

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Mehreen Karim was formerly the Recipe Production Assistant at Bon Appétit, where she built recipes and stories for bonappetit.com. She also developed recipes and wrote stories to help readers discover unlikely food combinations (caramelized dates and asparagus) and cooking hacks (how to grill chicken without a grill) to inspire home ... Read More
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