Serve up some superb appetizers on game day with these easy recipes. Whether your party likes a savory bowl of dip with all your favorite chips and crudité, or they want some finger-licking-good wings and jalapeño poppers, these easy dishes take just three steps or less to make. Flavorful apps like our crunchy Chicken Nachos and smooth Avocado Hummus will help you and your fellow football fans have a fun and delicious time viewing the Super Bowl.
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Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
This healthy copycat recipe for classic Buffalo dip cooks in your slow cooker for an easy, hands-off appetizer you can keep warm for the whole game, party or any casual gathering. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks and tortilla chips for dipping.
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Avocado Hummus
This vibrant green hummus recipe couldn’t be easier—just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and avocado make this healthy dip extra smooth and creamy. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.
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Balsamic-Butter Salmon Bites
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
These tender and buttery salmon bites are coated with a sweet balsamic glaze that clings nicely to the salmon after a few minutes under the broiler. Serve this easy appetizer with wooden picks and pack away any leftovers to use as a salad topper or wrap filling. Turn this appetizer into a main dish by making it the star of your next grain bowl.
Chicken Nachos
These chicken nachos have crunchy chips topped with hot spiced shredded chicken, beans and melted cheese with cooling chunks of avocado, red onion and cilantro. If you like the heat, add jalapeño slices at the end. These quick nachos work well with shredded chicken breast or rotisserie chicken if you have leftovers around.
Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Diana Chistruga
This recipe for spicy Buffalo cauliflower bites is a great vegetarian alternative to Buffalo wings. Roasted cauliflower stands in for chicken and provides more fiber and fewer calories.
Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings
Forget the fryer—these baked garlic-Parmesan chicken wings get a crispy coating (without tons of oil) from panko breadcrumbs combined with grated Parmesan cheese. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze gives this healthy appetizer a sweet and tangy finishing note.
Cucumber Salmon Bites
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Look no further for your impromptu snack—these 3-ingredient cucumber salmon bites are a surefire hit. Beyond being an ideal choice for midday, this quick and easy recipe doubles as a satisfying appetizer. If you have a bit more time and a few extra ingredients at your disposal, try enhancing the cream cheese with chopped fresh herbs like dill or chives.
Jason Mraz’s Guacamole
In this easy guacamole recipe, musician Mraz prefers California Hass or Reed avocados because they are the creamiest. Adjust the heat, tang or other flavorings to suit your tastes.
Skillet Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
This skillet sun-dried tomato dip is creamy, but also gets a hit of sweetness from roasted bell peppers to complement the sun-dried tomatoes. It’s cooked and served all in the same skillet, cutting down on dishes. Serve it with crackers, toasted bread or fresh-cut veggies.
Copycat Trader Joe’s Caramelized Onion Dip
This savory caramelized onion dip features fresh sweet onion, cooked until sweet and golden and combined with Greek-style yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese for added body. Serve this copycat dip with fresh, crispy veggies, pretzel chips or classic potato chips to please a crowd.
Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks
Our oven-baked zucchini sticks taste every bit as good as their deep-fried brethren with only a fraction of the fat and calories. Serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.
Buffalo-Blue Cheese Cauliflower Fritters
These Buffalo-blue cheese cauliflower fritters have bits of blue cheese throughout, and a good amount of heat that’s tamed by a little sour cream for dipping.
Air-Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
The perfect football-party food, classic jalapeño poppers get a crispy upgrade in an air fryer. Cream cheese tempers the just-right hint of heat from the pepper and Buffalo sauce. To save time, you can stuff the peppers ahead of the party and fry them just before serving.
Vegan Spinach-Artichoke Dip
This vegan spinach-artichoke dip gets its umami flavor from miso and nutritional yeast, and gets creamy texture from cashews. This vegan dip is rich without feeling heavy. Serve with chips or sliced fresh vegetables for dipping.
Lemon-Garlic Salmon Bites
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl
These marinated salmon bites make a quick crowd-pleasing appetizer. Pink peppercorns offer a bit of spice and a slightly floral flavor, but freshly ground black peppercorns work well too. (Since black pepper has a stronger flavor, you’ll need just a quarter of the amount.) This appetizer can be served with toothpicks and a light creamy sauce for dipping, or as a main dish served on a bed of brown rice. Leftovers can be used to top a green salad or stuffed into pita bread with lettuce and tzatziki for an easy sandwich.
Chili-Cheese Nachos
Make nachos a healthy dinner when you top them with an easy 30-minute chili. Serve this healthy recipe with sliced scallions, avocado, fresh tomatoes and sour cream, if desired.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
Crispy, Parmesan-flecked chicken tenders dipped in marinara sauce is an easy dinner the whole family will love. Dipping them in a mixture of plain yogurt with chopped fresh basil would be tasty too. Serve with sautéed green beans and roasted sweet potato wedges.
Chile Con Queso
Our healthier version of chile con queso will have ooey-gooey-cheese lovers celebrating. Now you can enjoy this Tex-Mex dip without all the fat and calories. We replaced some of the cheese with a low-fat white sauce and used sharp Cheddar plus a splash of beer to boost the flavor. Our version cuts the calories in half and reduces total fat and saturated fat by nearly 60 percent.
Baked Feta & Artichoke Dip
Feta cheese is baked with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes in this easy dip perfect for entertaining. Serve with pita chips and crudités.
Southwestern Layered Bean Dip
Plenty of black beans, salsa and chopped fresh vegetables mean a healthy amount of dietary fiber in this Tex-Mex-inspired layered dip. We use reduced-fat sour cream along with full-fat (and full-flavored) cheese to make the dip lighter without compromising great taste. Be sure to have lots of baked tortilla chips on hand when you serve it.