BBQ season will be here before you know it. The steaks and burgers are definitely important, but let’s face it: Everyone gets most excited for the starters. Whether you’re playing host or just entertaining your roommates, here are 62 impressive summer appetizers that are a cinch to whip up, from homemade potato chips to mini lobster rolls. Go ahead and bookmark this for every backyard party, picnic or cookout you attend. You can thank us later.
62 Summer Appetizers to Whip Up for Every BBQ and Picnic This Season
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Published Apr 1, 2022
1. Easy Homemade Potato Chips
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, kid-friendly
If you’ve got an hour to spare and four russet potatoes on hand, this snack is within reach. They’ll blow the store-bought kind way out of the water.
2. Deviled Eggs Three Ways
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, high protein
Party appetizers don’t get more iconic than deviled eggs. But we’ve given them a modern makeover with roasted garlic, crispy capers and sriracha.
3. Grilled Watermelon-feta Skewers
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
Come summer, watermelon and feta > tomato and mozzarella. Don’t @ us.
4. Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Think of this layered masterpiece as a giant elote. The tortilla chips are buried in fresh corn, cotija cheese, homemade queso, sour cream, fresh cilantro and all the lime juice.
5. Mango Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook, vegan
It turns out that this tropical fruit and buttery avocado have been soulmates for a long time. The mango’s sweetness is just the thing to balance spicy serrano chiles and acidic lime juice, too.
6. Chilled Cucumber Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients, no cook
Lettuce? We don’t know her. Try a salad starring cucumber, the most refreshing vegetable around. They’re quick-pickled in rice vinegar with onion, garlic and fresh dill.
7. Blt Pasta Salad
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
It’s crunchy, creamy and savory, just like the sandwich it was inspired by. Instead of simply using traditional mayonnaise, we spruce up the dressing with Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar.
8. Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, pescatarian, high protein
Behold, the quickest, most flavorful shrimp recipe you’ll ever make. Serve it with sliced baguette for soaking up all the leftover lemon-garlic butter.
9. Mini Lobster Rolls
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, pescatarian
Few sandwiches scream summer as loudly as a lobster roll. Bonus: Using tiny buns means that every bite has the perfect ratio of claw meat to bread.
10. Carrot Pigs In A Blanket
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Small hot dogs are the way to go in the winter (or for the Super Bowl). Once the weather’s warm, we lean on this baked carrot alternative instead—odds are you’re grilling plenty of meat for the main course anyway.
11. Everything Chicken Wings
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: keto, <10 ingredients, low carb, high protein
Nope we’re *not* over everything bagel seasoning…and we’re pretty sure we never will be. Try it on buttery baked chicken wings instead of Buffalo sauce.
12. Caprese Salad With Zucchini
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
Who else has been counting the minutes until they can hit the farmers market again? Pick the ripest zucchini, the fattest tomatoes and the freshest basil you can find and you’re halfway there.
13. 15-minute Gazpacho With Cucumber, Red Pepper And Basil
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, vegan, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
This cold tomato soup is so chic and impressive that no one would believe how little effort it took to make. All you need is a blender or food processor.
14. Chopped Italian Salad Pizza
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
It’s as simple to put together as a kale Caesar salad—but it’s also a million times more exciting. Picture dressed Bibb lettuce and microgreens on a layer of ricotta, all topped with pepperoncini, mozzarella and more fixings.
15. Coconut Shrimp
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Even self-proclaimed seafood haters can get behind this mind-blowingly crunchy appetizer. Each batch of shrimp only takes about four minutes to turn golden brown.
16. Mini Skillet Pizzas With Mushrooms And Roasted Tomatoes
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Sure, we could tackle these tiny pies in our trusty cast iron skillet year-round. But we’ll be popping them on the grill come summer, thank you very much.
17. Julia Turshen’s Skillet Cornbread With Cheddar And Scallions
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Sharp cheddar cheese, tangy buttermilk and fresh scallions—need we say more? It’d taste divine as a side for homemade chili, but we wouldn’t blame you for noshing on it straight out of the skillet.
18. Mini Peach Tarts With Goat Cheese And Honey
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Who knew store-bought frozen puff pastry could do all this? These posh starters have alfresco dinner party written all over them.
19. Italian Bruschetta Bar
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Turn your backyard get-together into a Sicilian picnic with this epic charcuterie board. It’s loaded with herbed cheese, salami, prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, olives and more.
20. Keto Guacamole Burger Bites
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: keto, low-carb, high protein, crowd-pleaser
OK, if everyone has full-sized burgers coming their way, choose another app. But if you’re making fish or chicken as the main, these are sure to scratch your guests’ itch for beef.
21. Grilled Peach, Chicken And Ricotta Pizza
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein
Before you bake the pie in the oven, take the time to grill the peaches and red onion on the barbecue. The char will give them that smoky flavor you crave.
22. Grilled Mango Salsa
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
Speaking of grilled produce, you’ll never look at jarred salsa the same way again after trying this tropical rendition, featuring charred mangos, tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños and limes.
23. Salami, Artichoke And Ricotta Pasta Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
This 20-minute gem couldn’t be simpler, but salty salami, punchy artichoke hearts and a zingy balsamic vinaigrette make it beyond flavorful.
24. Brussels Sprout Sliders
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
The cheeseburgers are shaking in their boots. These skewered sammies are loaded with cherry tomatoes, prosciutto and pearl mozzarella.
25. Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
There’s truly no better way to show off your farmers market haul than this vibrant centerpiece. Think sliced baguette topped with seasoned ricotta and balsamic pesto, finished with fresh tomatoes.
26. Cauliflower ‘potato’ Salad
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: low carb, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Proof that the cruciferous veggie can do just about anything. Not only does this side skimp on the spuds, but it’s dressed in a tangy mix of Greek yogurt, sour cream and Dijon mustard instead of mayonnaise.
27. 15-minute Mezze Plate With Toasted Za’atar Pita Bread
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Go ahead, have a pile of hors d’oeuvres for dinner. We won’t tell.
28. 20-minute Burrata Salad With Stone Fruit And Asparagus
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Any salad topped with that much cheese is our kind of salad. Even better, it’s practically no cook, minus blanching the asparagus and sugar snap peas.
29. Italian Deli Pinwheel Sandwiches
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
You can throw some deli meat between two slices of bread, or you can spend a few extra minutes rolling them into pinwheels on flour tortillas. Up to you.
30. Skillet Blueberry Cornbread
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
We’re most definitely whipping this up for the first alfresco Sunday brunch of the season. The brown sugar streusel puts it firmly between breakfast and dessert territories.
31. Fruicuterie Board
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
Hot weather puts us more in the mood for fresh produce than it does salty meats. Pair a few of your favorite cheeses with all the seasonal fruit you can get your hands on, from kiwis to cherries to cantaloupe.
32. 7-layer Dip
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Your pantry is in for a treat, considering that this recipe includes canned refried beans, green chiles and taco seasoning. (It also calls for store-bought guacamole and salsa.)
33. Rainbow Collard Wraps With Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, vegan, beginner-friendly
Portable? Check. Easy to assemble? Check. Can be made two days ahead of serving? You bet. Pass the peanut butter dipping sauce, please.
34. Jalapeño-avocado Mac And Cheese
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, special occasion-worthy
It’d be simply cruel to serve barbecue without a side of creamy mac. We’ve upgraded this one with briny pickled jalapeños, crisp green onions and mild avocado.
35. Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
As if gazpacho wasn’t summery enough, this take calls on mild yellow tomatoes, fresh peaches and bell peppers instead of just tomatoes, cucumbers and onion.
36. Grilled Cheese Crostini
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
You might not think strawberries, balsamic vinegar and Brie belong together, but you’ll change your tune at first bite. The strawberries are macerated in a mix of balsamic, olive oil, sugar and salt before crowning the crostini.
37. Spring Crudités With Romesco Sauce
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegan
Trade store-bought ranch dressing for a wow-worthy, robust romesco sauce made with roasted bell peppers, sweet-hot dried peppers, almonds, garlic and breadcrumbs.
38. Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Aren’t they adorable? Make these green gems once and you’ll have to whip them up for every future barbecue you ever host.
39. Serena Wolf’s Boss Bean Dip
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian
Hi, 20-minute miracle. Each serving has 13 grams of protein and only 213 calories, so it’s cool if we devour the whole skillet for dinner…right?
40. Sweet-and-sour Pork Skewers With Pineapple
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: high protein, crowd-pleaser
The more char marks, the better. The grill will mellow the acidity of the pineapple, while also giving the pork a solid outer crust.
41. Mexican Street Corn Deviled Eggs
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
Presenting your new go-to potluck dish. Show up with these handhelds (complete with corn, red onion, cotija and cilantro) and prepare to be hounded for the recipe.
42. 15-minute Cucumber-avocado Blender Soup
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Two summer staples, one bowl. It comes together in minutes with creamy Greek yogurt, lime juice and lots of fresh mint and parsley.
43. Grilled Corn With Spicy Aioli
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Sure, corn on the cob is a side…if it’s plain. When it’s topped with four-ingredient sriracha aioli, it deserves your undivided attention.
44. Baked Mac And Cheese Bites
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
They’re crispy on top, chewy on the inside and oh so cheesy. One batch makes a whopping 48 bites, but we have a feeling you’ll go through them quicker than you think.
45. Spicy Shrimp Tacos With Mango Salsa
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, pescatarian
Whether you’re making steak, chicken or hot dogs, one truth remains: Everyone always has room for a taco (or three) on their plate.
46. 15-minute Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, high protein
How do they come together in a flash yet look so gourmet, you ask? By starting with the oldest cheat in the book: a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
47. Grilled Peach And Halloumi Salad With Lemon-pesto Dressing
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
Place it in the center of the picnic table on a big platter and let the oohs and aahs commence.
48. Roasted Poblano And Corn Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Roasted summer corn not only adds texture, but it also offers a pop of sweetness to this otherwise zesty dip.
49. Cuban Sliders
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Sliders are an easy crowd-pleaser, but they’re even easier if you can make them all in one shot. Just halve a pack of buns, nestle them into a pan, assemble the sliders and bake them to buttery perfection.
50. Smoky Barbecued Corn
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
With a seasoning blend this flavorful, people will *almost* forget all about the main course. We’re talking lime-chili mayonnaise, smoked paprika and Parmesan cheese.
51. Shrimp Boil Skewers With Corn, Sausage And Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love it: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, high protein
Two words: Cajun. Butter. Your spice rack has its work cut out for it.
52. Cheater’s Prosciutto Hawaiian Pizza
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Let this pie finally convert you to Team Pineapple on Pizza. Grilling the pineapple rings brings out their sweetness, making them just the match for salty prosciutto.
Renée Kohlman/Vegetables: A Love Story
53. Sweet Potato Biscuit Rolls With Honey Butter Glaze
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
These handhelds are light as a feather and impossibly tender. Might we suggest using them as slider buns?
Jerrelle Guy/Rodney Scott's World of BBQ
54. Rodney Scott’s Pimento Cheese
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
The key to this Southern staple's texture is shredding the cheese yourself, since pre-shredded cheeses contain added ingredients to prevent clumping.
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
55. Blueberry Streusel Corn Muffins
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Behold: a cross between cornbread, blueberry muffins and coffee cake. They pair beautifully with barbecue ribs.
Infraordinario Studio for Dalcò Edizioni S.R.L.
56. Vietnamese-style Summer Rolls
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, pescatarian
Light, refreshing and served with a sweet-and-spicy dipping sauce. In other words, they're prime for kicking off an alfresco meal.
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
57. Whipped Feta Dip With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Show off your farmers market tomato haul with this simple dish that's equal parts creamy, crunchy and tangy.
Iain Bagwell/Mumbai Modern
58. Aloo Tikki Arancini With Saffron Aioli
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
No one at your backyard dinner party will see this Indian-inspired twist on Italian arancini coming.
Jonathan Meter/The Sweet Side of Sourdough
59. Salted Honey Focaccia
- Time Commitment: 15 hours and 40 minutes (includes resting time)
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Psst: We found your weekend baking project. Dip it into pesto, add it to a charcuterie board or drag it through quality olive oil spiked with salt and pepper.
Jennifer Davis/The Southern Baking Cookbook
60. Bacon, Apple And Cheddar Waffles
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Sure, you can serve them sliced with syrup and hot sauce for dipping...or you can use them in place of rolls for pulled pork sandwiches. The choice is yours.
Erin Kunkel/Malibu Farm Sunrise to Sunset
61. Malibu Farm’s Vegan Chop Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
Substitute sweet potato for butternut squash in the off season—just don't skip the marinated beets.
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
62. Charcuterie-board Flatbread
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <30 minutes
Instead of fussing over assembling a Pinterest-worthy charcuterie board, opt for these burrata-topped cuties instead.
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
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