The days are getting long, and the temperatures are starting to rise… time to fire up the grill and find something refreshing to eat!
This collection of easy Summer Appetizers has plenty of great dishes to bring to all of those cookouts, potlucks and pool parties.
From skewers to salads, dips to finger foods, and more, this list of appetizers will keep you covered all summer long.
Go through all of these amazing starters, and have fun this summer!
The Best Summer Appetizers:
1. Cherry Tomato Confit
Bunches of cherry tomatoes, heavy glugs of olive oil, a handful of garlic cloves, a few herbs… That’s all you need for this beauty coming out of your oven… Cherry Tomato Confit!!
Luxuriously soft, melt-in-your mouth, juicy and bright flavor bombs. Welcome this summer delight into your life.
2. Mexican Street Corn Salad
This Mexican street corn salad is a great way to get the classic flavors of elote served salad-style.
It’s creamy, cheesy, and filled with corn, red onions, cilantro, mayonnaise, and more.
3. Chicken Souvlaki
Chicken Souvlaki is one of the popular street foods in Greece. Deliciously marinated chicken skewers are grilled to perfection.
They’re great on their own, and absolutely divine dipped in tzatziki sauce!
4. Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
This Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce recipe is light, fresh tasting, juicy and brimming with so many great textures.
From the crisp lettuce to the flavorful chicken and the zingy peanut sauce, they’re a delicious appetizer which will definitely be a crowd pleaser.
5. Surf and Turf Nachos
Are you planning a get-together or game day appetizer menu? Then try these Surf and Turf Nachos and they will defiantly be the star dish of the night!
Perfectly marinated steaks, tender shrimp, and all your favorite toppings atop a bed of crispy tortilla chips make these nachos super delicious and addictive.
It’s an easy and great crowd-pleaser appetizer.
6. Shrimp Remoulade
Shrimp Remoulade recipe easy to make, and a fantastic way to enjoy spicy Louisiana style remoulade sauce!
Toss cooked shrimps with this creamy, spicy and tangy sauce and pile it on delicately crisp butter lettuce leaves. This is a very popular appetizer in New Orleans.
7. Pico de Gallo
Easy, fresh and delicious. This Pico de Gallo whips up in 10 minutes and is great with tortillas chips as an appetizer for endless dipping and scooping.
8. Garlic Parmesan Wings
Some garlic, some parm and loads of butter is all you need is to make these finger licking wings, which everyone can’t get enough of.
They’re oven roasted, or cooked in an air fryer, to golden crispy perfection outside and juicy and tender when you bite into them.
9. Guasacaca
Guasacaca! Meet guacamole’s tangier, herbier cousin. Venezuelans love this avocado based condiment and now you can too!
10. Layered Hummus Dip
If you want a quick and delicious appetizer, this Greek Layered Hummus Dip is perfect! With the help of premade hummus, this snack comes together quickly and is full of flavor.
This unstoppable tasty Greek Dip served with pita bread or chips, and veggies is a fresh, colorful addition to your party spread. This dip will disappear fast!
11. Gambas al Ajillo
If you love scampi, you just have to try this classic Spanish tapas. Plump shrimp drowning in a garlicky olive oil with loads of fresh parsley. Make sure you have some nice bread to sop this one up!
12. Chicken Tikkas
Chicken Tikka kebabs are a popular Indian appetizer, where marinated chicken is grilled to golden perfection.
This authentic recipe is great to make for parties. You can make them in the oven or on the grill and serve with mint chutney for extra deliciousness. This easy, healthy recipe is always a crowd pleaser at parties.
13. Easy Steak Gorgonzola Flatbread
This easy steak gorgonzola flatbread is a wonderful light dinner that’s packed with unique flavors and ingredients.
It has steak, gorgonzola cheese, arugula and mushrooms. It’s a great finger food appetizer.
14. Tzatziki
Fresh and flavorful, this easy Tzatziki is so good you will want to dip, dunk and drizzle every meal.
A creamy cucumber yogurt sauce with olive oil, herbs, garlic and lemon juice. It’s a refreshing chilled sauce typically served with a meze, gyros or as a side dish to grilled meats.
15. Smoked Salmon Breakfast Flatbread
This smoked salmon flatbread is super quick, like 15 minutes quick, and makes a great lunch, light dinner or party appetizer. With cold smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and dill, it’s a great flavor combo.
16. Olive Tapenade
Tapenade – An ode to Olives… à la Provençal, coming to you all the way from the south of France. Earthy, robust olives, capers, garlic and a few other flavorings just chopped or pureed with plenty of olive oil…
Simple, quick, delicious and addictive.
17. Spanish Summer Salad (Pipirrana)
Here to celebrate tomato season this summer is a tribute to all those luscious summer tomatoes, ripening on the vines in warm sunshine.
Mixed with just a few more cool crunchies, and you have yet another colorful popular traditional dish, pipirrana, all the way from the south of Spain.
18. Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Keftedes are beautifully flavored Greek meatballs that are slightly crispy, and totally delicious!
They’re often served as part of a mezze platter with pita bread, cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives and tzatziki sauce.
19. Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
These big ol’ mushrooms are tender, fleshy goodness stuffed to the brim with everyone’s classic summer favorite… Caprese!!
Bring a platter of these to your appetizer spread and watch them dissappear!
20. Zaalouk
This zaalouk is an amazingly flavorful Moroccan eggplant and tomato dip. It has hints of smokiness and plenty of olive oil.
Perfect for scooping with pita bread, veggies or chips, this unique dip will draw a crowd!
21. Espinacas con Garbanzos (Spanish Spinach with Chick Peas)
This classic Spanish tapas is a great addition to your appetizer spread. Hearty chick peas and fresh spinach are cooked in a cozy sauce of tomatoes, onions and exotic spices. One of our very favorite tapas recipes!
22. Tostones (AKA Patacones)
Tostones are simply twice fried unripe plantains, and they make the most delicious crunchy snack.
Imagine biting into a warm, crispy, slightly sweet, fried disc of deliciousness. That’s what eating Tostones is like!
23. Sticky Asian Chicken Wings
Crispy, sticky, sweet, savory with the most perfect caramelized glaze. Basically, the best party food ever. They’re perfectly crisp with just the right amount of heat, sweetness and savoriness… SO FINGER-LICKING GOOD.
24. Portuguese Mussels
One of my favorite mussel recipes, this Portuguese dish is packed with flavor. It looks so fancy that it makes a great special occasion meal, but is so easy that it’s perfect for any weeknight!
25. Caprese Salad
There is nothing so simple, yet delicious as a salad out of your juiciest and sweetest ripe summer tomatoes. Make this Italian classic. Simple, yet colorful and vibrant Caprese salad!!
Get all the colorful tomatoes and layer them with mozzarella and basil leaves with a drizzle of sweet and tangy balsamic reduction. Take this to your table and see all get impressed with minimum efforts on your part.
Get the Recipe @ loveandlemons
26. Fruit Skewers
Look at these gorgeous fruit skewers, don’t they look so refreshing for a hot summer day?
Take a tray of these to your next cookout and watch them disappear fast!
Get the Recipe @ therecipecritic
27. Mediterranean Mezze Platter
This marvelous Mediterranean mezze platter is sure to impress!
The mezze platter contains a variety of snack options including salads, cheeses, olives, hummus, pita bread, and vegetables, all arranged beautifully on this appetizer plate.
Get the Recipe @ dinneratthezoo
28. Steak and Arugula Salad Bites with Parmesan
These steak and arugula salad bites with parmesan cheese are fantastic! They’re served on mini pitas, and covered in a tasty honey dijon sauce.
They’re easy to make, and even easier to enjoy! Go ahead and start making them!
Get the Recipe @ thegirlonbloor
29. Nectarine Strawberry Tomato Bruschetta
Nectarine Strawberry Tomato Bruschetta is a great way to use the fresh produce of summer. They also look and taste great!
Get the Recipe @ aberdeenskitchen
30. Fried Calamari
Fried calamari is one of the most popular restaurant appetizers. Don’t be intimidated, it’s so easy to cook in your own kitchen!
This recipe will teach you how to cook it perfectly, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Get the Recipe @ dinneratthezoo
31. Guacamole Shrimp Wonton Cups
Guacamole Shrimp Wonton Cups are a great summer appetizer that’s easy to make and easy to eat. This dish looks fancy but it is so simple to make.
Give them a try at your next get together!
Get the Recipe @ damndelicious
32. Watermelon Feta Salad
Watermelon and feta make a wonderful summer combo, and this salad takes it up another notch with fresh mint.
This cool and refreshing salad is perfect for those cookouts and potlucks.
33. Banh Mi Meatball Lettuce Cups
Banh Mi Meatball Lettuce Cups are a fun Asian inspired appetizer. Flavorful pork meatballs are stuffed in lettuce along with pickled veggies. So good!
Get the Recipe @ marionskitchen
34. Marinated Olives
Marinate your favorite olives in garlic and lemon infused olive oil with a hint of red pepper flakes. They have the company of some almonds too.
Make this super simple, tasty addictive and healthy tapa and get that tapas party going with ease.
Get the Recipe @ theendlessmeal
35. Antipasto Skewers
Last but certainly not least are these antipasto skewers. They’re sure to become one of your new favorite snacks, and they can easily be made in advance.
You’ll fall in love with these mini appetizer skewers!
Get the Recipe @ spendwithpennies
We hope you enjoy these delicious Summer Appetizers as much as we do. There’s such a big variety, which will you make for your next cookout?
Check out these other great recipe collections!
Summer Dinner Ideas
Summer Desserts
Grilling Recipes
Cherry Tomato Recipes
Pineapple Recipes
Hamburger Recipes
Potluck Ideas
BBQ Side Dishes
The 35 BEST Summer Appetizers
This collection of Summer Appetizers has plenty of great dishes to bring to all of those cookouts, potlucks and pool parties. We love this easy pico de gallo:
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe red tomatoes
- 1 small white onion
- 1 medium jalapeño or serrano, seeds and fibers removed.
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop onions, tomatoes, cilantro and jalepeño. (The jalepeño should be finely chopped).Mix all ingredients in bowl.
- Let rest for 30 minutes (optional).
- Taste and adjust.
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