41 Easy Appetizers for Less Stressing, More Snacking
Your dinner is planned, your guests are invited, and your playlist is set. But what are you going to offer everyone milling about while you finish the roast? Fussy bites are not the move when you’re taking care of a dozen other things. For a party we want smart and easy appetizers—the kind you can throw together when you look at the clock and realize your guests are arriving…well, now. We’ve gathered our favorite flavorful hors d’oeuvres that make hosting look effortless, from crowd-pleasing pigs in a blanket to classic guacamole and a cheese ball or two. And yes, we proudly lean on store-bought shortcuts like puff pastry to bring these together deliciously and quickly. Whether you’re cooking for a bash or just need a predinner snack, read on for our favorite dip recipes, cheesy appetizers, and finger foods that won’t occupy your precious time or (too much) oven space.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams1/41Spicy Shrimp Endive Spears
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca2/41Tangy Tomato-Chile Popcorn
Once you have tangy tomato powder—made from dehydrated and pulverized tomatoes—in your arsenal, you’ll never run out of ways to use it. One of them should definitely be this umami-forward popcorn.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman3/41Spinach Artichoke Dip
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams4/41Hurricane Chips
Photo by Alex Lau5/41BA’s Best Guacamole
We’ll never turn down freshly made guacamole with crispy, crunchy tortilla chips. This easy guacamole recipe is a classic best made in a Mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete. If you don’t have one, a bowl and a potato masher or fork also work.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams6/41Pistachio-Sesame Cheese Ball
Boursin cheese is a great time-saving move—it’s already well-seasoned and packed with flavor. All you need to worry about is zhuzhing the exterior; pistachio and sesame seeds add plenty of nuttiness and texture.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart7/41Classic Pigs in a Blanket
Photo by Alex Lau8/41BA’s Best Shrimp Cocktail
Racing against the clock? To make this easy appetizer even easier, skip making the cocktail sauce and just buy it instead. Then, all you have to worry about is perfectly poaching the shrimp.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski9/41The Only Salsa You Need
Any recipe that uses a food processor as its sole cooking method—just fill and pulse—is easy in our minds. Serve this Platonic-ideal salsa as an appetizer today; if you have leftovers, that’s the only sign you need to make vegan tacos for yourself tomorrow.
10/41Classic Hummus
This no-fail hummus recipe is one of our favorite quick appetizers. Whiz canned chickpeas in a food processor with the good stuff: tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. Serve with pita chips—or keep it gluten-free with sweet potato chips and sliced veggies like cucumbers or bell peppers.
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott11/41Marinated Anchovies With Bread and Butter
“I laid the largest anchovy on my piece of bread, took a generous bite, and can proudly now say that I LOVE anchovies,” one reader reports. Go ahead, crack open a tin, and let the converts step forward.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams12/41Creamy Giardiniera Dip
Instead of vinegar-based Italian giardiniera, this creamy dip calls for oil-based giardiniera (also known as Chicago-style). From there, you need only three other ingredients: cream cheese, sour cream, and Parmesan.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro13/41Za’atar Fire Crackers
This appetizer recipe is a twist on fire crackers, a classic in the South. Traditionally made with garlic and onion powders, red pepper flakes, and ranch dressing mix, za’atar gets the spotlight in this version.
Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Ceci Garcia14/41Radishes With Sesame Yogurt
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski15/41Mortadella Moments
We apologize to the antipasto classicists, but this bite-size, fatty, pickle-y delight might have just taken bruschetta’s place in our list of go-to crostini-esque appetizers.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Anna Billingskog16/41French Onion Dip
This one’s a slow cooker—there’s no shortcut when it comes to properly caramelizing the onions. Still, there are only two steps in this easy appetizer recipe, and the flavor is worth every minute.
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Prop Styling by Paige Hicks17/41Air Fryer Chile-Honey-Glazed Fries
This recipe works with frozen fries or, if you please, tater tots. Either way, it’s a spicy-sweet snack that will disappear fast at your next party.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro18/41Marinated Mozzarella and Peppadew Peppers
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams19/41Cheesy Green Curry Palmiers
Treat frozen puff pastry like your hosting secret weapon. It requires no work and bakes beautifully. This recipe swirls puff pastry with cheese and fragrant curry paste for ultra-flaky, two-bite palmiers.
Photo by Alex Lau20/41Figs With Bacon and Chile
Who knew that bacon and figs, with a bit of help from maple syrup and red wine vinegar, could make such an impressive but simple appetizer? Well, now you do.
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li21/41Dairy-Free Trout Dip
It doesn’t look dairy-free, nor does its creamy texture feel dairy-free, but this dip is, in fact, completely devoid of dairy products. The secret to this easy appetizer’s consistency? Almonds, water, and a high-powered blender.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by JoJo Li22/41Radishes With Nori-Lemon Butter
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro24/41Boquerones With Green Olives and Orange
Fancy anchovies with olive oil, garlic, sherry vinegar, and orange zest are a well-trod last-minute entertaining move, and for good reason. Serve the mixture with a crusty baguette.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro25/41Old Bay Chips With Lemon Mayo
Channel mid-Atlantic crab shack vibes—sans the crab—in these savory, spicy potato chips. Per one reader: “We had a lot of snacks available before Thanksgiving dinner, but this was the only one that was finished.” We can see why.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams26/41Chicago-Style Pigs in a Blanket
Photo by Chelsie Craig27/41Spicy Cheddar Cheese Spread
A sharp cheesy spread is a fast track to happy party guests (and happy you if you’re left with extra in the days following). Because of the thick consistency—more like a pimento cheese spread than a dipping sauce—we prefer this with sturdy accouterments like butter crackers, crostini, and crudité.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski28/41Spicy Lightly Pickled Cucumbers
Toss cucumber spears in a quick brine, then forget about them for a few hours (that’s time to vacuum, grocery shop, or meal prep). Give them a bright finish of dill and lemon for a refreshing appetizer no one will mistake for plain ol’ pickles.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini29/41Crispy Cheese Twists
Pinwheels require precision—make devil-may-care twists instead. Store-bought puff pastry is the true MVP of party appetizers, and it has no higher calling than these crispy, buttery cheese straws.
31/41Rosemary-Sizzled Salami, Dates, and Pecans
This warm mix throws everyone’s favorite parts of a holiday charcuterie board into a hot pan, where they mingle and become the very best versions of themselves.
Alex Lau33/41Spinach-Yogurt Dip With Sizzled Mint
This dip recipe, a version of Persian borani esfanaaj, uses spinach, but it can also be made with cooked beets or roasted eggplant. Serve it with pita chips for a quick appetizer, then bookmark it as a sauce to serve the next time you make lamb meatballs.
Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado34/41Creamy Shrimp on Crackers
Alex Lau38/41Cacio e Pepe Chips
Store-bought potato chips, grated Pecorino cheese, and coarsely ground black pepper are the only ingredients you need to bring this simple appetizer idea to life.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski40/41Lemon-Pepper Salami Bites
You could make meatball sliders. But you should go the easier route: Put salami, Marcona almonds, olive oil, and lemon zest in a bowl—that’s it.
