60 Fourth Of July Party Appetizers To Start Your Party Off With A Bang
Keep everyone happy from the minute your party starts with these summery dips, skewers, and bites.
Here's a hot tip for the 4th of July—no matter what you're doing (going on a picnic, watching the fireworks, hosting a BBQ...), don't forget the snacks and apps! The hamburgers, summery sides, and drinks you’re going to be serving are important, but having nothing to share with your guests until you get the outdoor grill heated up or the table set up is a recipe for disaster, trust us. You could just put out a bag of chips and store-bought dip, but to truly impress, go homemade. Check out our list of 60 Fourth of July appetizers for inspiration, then do yourself a solid and prep them ahead of time.
The 4th of July is just like any other party, which means pulling out our starter secret weapon: dips! We’re pretty darn proud of all the dips we’ve created over the years, and have highlighted some of our summertime favorites here. Check out our 4th of July brie, our Buffalo chicken dip, or our July 4th s’mores dip. What goes best with dip? That’d be salsa. Try our blueberry salsa, our grilled corn salsa, or our mango salsa. Make sure to put out a variety of breads, crackers, chips, and veggies (for real, people always love the veggies) for serving.
Our other favorite style of appetizer? Bite-size ones! Particularly during a BBQ where there might not be a ton of seating, handheld apps are hugely appreciated. Try some on skewers, like our melon prosciutto skewers, our tomato gnocchi kebabs, or our grilled chicken kebabs, or just turn your favorites tiny, like in our cheeseburger tot sliders (the tots are the buns), our bruschetta (y'know, tiny toast), or our pigs in a blanket.
Want more 4th of July ideas? Check out our classic 4th of July menu, our top Fourth of July picnic recipes, and our favorite red, white, and blue desserts too.
Bruschetta
While you can make it all year round, the best time to enjoy this appetizer is summer, when fresh tomatoes are at their peak. It’s also the perfect make-ahead party snack: The longer the tomatoes sit in the balsamic-garlic-olive oil mixture, the better the flavors meld and develop.
Get the Bruschetta recipe.
Pigs In A Blanket
Tiny hot dogs before your regular-size hot dogs? Why not?! There's something very classic about the crescent roll dough flavor, so we tend to gravitate toward it, but puff pastry or even biscuit dough both should work here too.
Get the Pigs In A Blanket recipe.
Mexican Street Corn Flatbread
Mexican street corn is one of our forever faves, so we riff on it as often as we can. Here, we’re taking the creamy tangy sauce that usually goes on the corn, spreading it over pre-made pizza dough instead, and loading it up with corn, more chili, and lots of cheese.
Get the Mexican Street Corn Flatbread recipe.
Bunless Burger Bites
Move over, sliders. This adorable appetizer is your new favorite way to eat a cheeseburger... oh, and did we mention that they're totally low-carb? When all the fixings are skewered on an appetizer toothpick, you won't miss the bun.
Get the Bunless Burger Bites recipe.
Bang Bang Shrimp
A go-to appetizer for many, bang bang shrimp is irresistibly delicious. The pairing of crunchy shrimp and the signature creamy, spicy-sweet sauce is a combo made in appetizer heaven.
Get the Bang Bang Shrimp recipe.
Blooming Quesadilla Ring
Buffalo chicken is one of our fave flavor combos ever, and this creamy, spicy technique is one of our favorite ways to serve it. It's the best, most impressive way to make quesadillas for a crowd this 4th of July.
Get the Blooming Quesadilla Ring recipe.
Grilled Corn Salsa
We love a good homemade fresh salsa in the summer. This one is especially good when sweet summer corn is in season. If you don't have a grill or grill pan, give your cobs a quick sear in a cast-iron skillet to get that smoky, charred flavor.
Get the Grilled Corn Salsa recipe.
Pimento Cheese
If you love party dips like Buffalo chicken or spinach artichoke, you’ll LOVE pimento cheese. This soft, creamy spread loaded with shredded cheddar cheese and spiked with diced pimento peppers and hot sauce can be served hot or cold (so make it ahead of time!).
Get the Pimento Cheese recipe.
Loaded Campfire Nachos
Thanks to a handful of canned goods, these nachos come together almost instantly—they only need to heat 5 to 10 minutes to get that cheese nice and melty. Take our method as inspiration and layer with your ultimate nacho ingredients.
Get the Loaded Campfire Nachos recipe.
Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs
The gnocchi paired with blistered grilled tomatoes and tender red onion make for a perfect summer snack. They come together in minutes, and if you're really pressed for time, you can skip the homemade salsa verde and opt for basil (though we promise it’s worth making).
Get the Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs recipe.
Best-Ever Guacamole
Whether you serve it as a simple dip, load it on top of your tacos, or smear it on a bun as a burger topping, we can all agree—it’s not a party without Mexico’s most famous dip. Keep it simple, like we did, or go wild with your mix-ins—just be sure to make extra, this'll go fast.
Get the Best-Ever Guacamole recipe.
Whipped Mozzarella Dip With Burst Cherry Tomatoes
This whipped mozzarella dip with burst cherry tomatoes and pesto might just be the perfect appetizer. Mix things up with other veggies so you can serve it all season long: fresh summer corn kernels with pickled onions, dollops of olive tapenade, grilled peppers... get creative!
Get the Whipped Mozzarella Dip With Burst Cherry Tomatoes recipe.
Cheeseburger Tot Sliders
Why have a burger with some tots on the side when you can just build a miniature burger with tots as the bun! Your friends will lose their minds if you serve these for your 4th of July BBQ.
Get the Cheeseburger Tot Sliders recipe.
Ranch Wings & Buffalo Sauce
If the best (undebatable) wing flavor and sauce combination is hot Buffalo wings and ranch dip, then it stands to reason that a ranch wing with hot Buffalo dip would be equally delicious—right? Damn right.
Get the Ranch Wings & Buffalo Sauce recipe.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Is it even really a party without Buffalo chicken dip? We think not. If you're looking for the most hands-off version of this classic recipe, turn to your trusty slow cooker.
Get the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Many cookouts are plagued by folks using breasts and not knowing how to grill them. Chicken thighs, however, are a lot more forgiving due to their natural tenderness and flavor. They taste even better when slid on skewers alongside bok choy and scallions, then glazed with a hoisin BBQ sauce.
Get the Grilled Chicken Kebabs recipe.
Spinach-Artichoke Zucchini Bites
These little guys are the perfect healthy summer appetizer. As the zucchini becomes tender, the spinach & artichoke topping gets nice and melty. If you want a little extra color on your bites, switch the oven to broil on medium and cook them a couple minutes more. (Just keep an eye on them.)
Blueberry Salsa
Wanna make this fruity salsa ahead of time? Toss everything together but leave out the lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate, then dress and add the herbs when you're ready to serve!
Get the Blueberry Salsa recipe.
Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
These sliders are like your favorite iconic Philly cheesesteak, made miniature so you can share (or eat more than one!).
Get the Philly Cheesesteak Sliders recipe.
Chipotle Tofu & Pineapple Skewers
Tofu is so much more than a meat substitute—it’s a protein source that stands on its own, and the perfect base to soak up tasty sauces, like this chipotle and guajillo chile marinade inspired by a popular Mexican street food, tacos al pastor.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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