23 Summer Appetizers for Cookouts, Snack Trays, and Small Bites

Summer cookouts usually need something to set out while the grill warms up or dinner finishes. You can pick a dip, slider, skewer, or small bite based on the table you are setting and the appetites you expect. Add one to a snack tray, pass it before the main meal, or keep it out with drinks.

Fried Shrimp

Seasoned milk helps Fried Shrimp produce four servings in 20 minutes. One pound of shrimp soaks with garlic, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper before being pressed into seasoned flour. Small batches fry at 375°F for three to four minutes, keeping the coating crisp while the seafood cooks through. Serve the shrimp hot with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, remoulade, lemon wedges, or a simple summer slaw.
Get the Recipe: Fried Shrimp

Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Hollowed Hawaiian rolls turn Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Rolls into 12 portions in 25 minutes. Shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch, Colby Jack, scallions, garlic, butter, and parsley fill and top each roll. A 10-minute bake melts the cheese and browns the tops, while the chicken filling can be prepared one day early. Set them out warm with extra ranch, blue cheese dressing, celery sticks, or more buffalo sauce.
Get the Recipe: Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Hot Crab Dip

Jumbo lump crab gives Hot Crab Dip eight servings in 45 minutes. Cream cheese, sour cream, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, Old Bay, garlic seasonings, and Monterey Jack create the baked mixture. Folding in the crab gently protects the larger pieces before the dish bakes for 20 to 25 minutes. Assemble it ahead when needed, then serve the bubbling dip with baguette slices, crackers, chips, or fresh vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Hot Crab Dip

Smoky Bacon Pig Shots

Bacon cups hold Smoky Bacon Pig Shots, a six-serving appetizer ready in 15 minutes. Smoked sausage, cream cheese, barbecue spice, cheddar cubes, and minced onion fill the toothpick-secured rounds. The assembled bites bake at 350°F for 10 minutes until the bacon crisps and the cheese melts. Bring them out warm for cookouts or snack trays, with barbecue sauce, mustard, pickles, or sliced vegetables nearby.
Get the Recipe: Smoky Bacon Pig Shots

Million Dollar Deviled Eggs

Butter makes Million Dollar Deviled Eggs especially smooth across six servings in 25 minutes. Twelve eggs are mixed with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Dijon, pickle juice, sugar, optional Tabasco, paprika, and parsley. After a nine-minute boil, a 15-minute ice bath stops the cooking and helps with peeling before the filling is piped. Make the filling one day early, then fill the whites shortly before a cookout or snack tray is served.
Get the Recipe: Million Dollar Deviled Eggs

Pizza Sliders

Pepperoni and two cheeses load Pizza Sliders with 12 servings in 35 minutes. Hawaiian rolls, mozzarella, Parmesan, pizza sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes, butter, and garlic form the pull-apart pan. The sliders bake covered for 15 minutes, then garlic butter goes over the tops before 10 uncovered minutes. Transport them in the baking dish and serve warm with extra sauce, or reheat leftovers in the oven.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Sliders

Taco Dip

Chilled layers make Taco Dip six servings in only 15 minutes. Sour cream, cream cheese, taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, black olives, cheddar, and guacamole fill the shallow serving dish. No oven is needed, and the assembled dip can stay covered in the refrigerator until guests are ready to eat. Place it beside sturdy tortilla chips, mini peppers, cucumber slices, or another cold appetizer on the snack table.
Get the Recipe: Taco Dip

Ham Croquettes

Serrano ham fills Ham Croquettes, a six-serving appetizer with a 12 hour 25 minute total time. Butter, flour, milk, nutmeg, garlic powder, onion powder, eggs, breadcrumbs, and oil create the creamy centers and crisp coating. The béchamel mixture chills for at least 12 hours before shaping, breading, and frying for three to four minutes. Prepare the centers the night before, then serve the hot croquettes with aioli or béchamel sauce.
Get the Recipe: Ham Croquettes

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders

Thin chicken slices give Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders six servings in 30 minutes. Twelve buns hold seasoned chicken breast, cooked bacon, Colby Jack, ranch dressing, and a garlic-parsley butter topping. The chicken sears for two to three minutes per side before the assembled pan bakes for 10 to 15 minutes. Build the sliders ahead, refrigerate them, and add a few extra baking minutes when starting from cold.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders

Irish Nachos

Russet potato rounds replace chips in Irish Nachos, an eight-serving appetizer ready in 50 minutes. Olive oil, onion powder, thyme, Cajun seasoning, bacon, cheddar Jack, green onions, and sour cream cover the baked slices. The potatoes roast for 20 minutes per side before the cheese and bacon are layered on and briefly broiled. Serve them immediately from an oven-safe skillet or casserole dish so the potato edges stay crisp.
Get the Recipe: Irish Nachos

Shrimp Tempura Roll

Tempura shrimp makes Shrimp Tempura Roll two servings in 50 minutes. Sushi rice, rice vinegar, sugar, nori, avocado, cucumber, black sesame seeds, and sriracha mayonnaise surround shrimp coated with flour, cornstarch, egg, and cold water. The seafood fries for two to three minutes before the rolls are assembled, sealed, and sliced. Arrange the pieces on a snack tray with soy sauce, pickled ginger, or extra spicy mayonnaise.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Tempura Roll

Flaky Sausage Pinwheels

Puff pastry gives Flaky Sausage Pinwheels 12 servings with 35 minutes of prep and cooking. Pork sausage, cream cheese, mozzarella, and Italian herbs form the rolled filling. The directions add at least one hour of chilling before the logs are sliced and baked for 10 to 15 minutes, so allow more time than the stated total. Assemble the logs early, then slice and bake them shortly before the snack tray goes out.
Get the Recipe: Flaky Sausage Pinwheels

Conch Fritters

Minced seafood turns Conch Fritters into 24 pieces in 35 minutes. Bell peppers, garlic, flour, cornmeal, milk, egg, paprika, thyme, cayenne, and salt create a thick batter around the conch. Spoonfuls fry at 350°F for four to five minutes before draining, while mayonnaise, lime juice, and paprika form the dipping sauce. Serve the fritters warm with lime wedges and keep later batches in a low oven.
Get the Recipe: Conch Fritters

7 Layer Dip

Refried beans anchor 7 Layer Dip, an eight-serving dish assembled in 15 minutes. Sour cream, cream cheese, taco seasoning, lime, avocado, red onion, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, and Monterey Jack form the remaining layers. No cooking is required, and a refrigerator rest can help the layers settle before serving. Use a wide dish for easier scooping and set out tortilla chips, mini peppers, or cucumber rounds.
Get the Recipe: 7 Layer Dip

Copycat Savvy Slider

Double beef patties make Copycat Savvy Slider two stacked servings in 30 minutes. Ground beef, garlic powder, American cheese, slider buns, pickles, Boom Boom Sauce, and lettuce create the restaurant-style sandwiches. Four thin patties cook for two to three minutes per side, then two cheese-topped patties go onto each bun. Multiply the ingredients for a larger snack tray and keep the cooked patties warm until assembly.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Savvy Slider

Sheet Pan Nachos

Black beans stretch Sheet Pan Nachos into eight servings in 20 minutes. Tortilla chips are layered with seasoned ground beef, cheddar, and beans, then finished with guacamole, jalapeño, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. A six-to-eight-minute bake melts the cheese while the avocado topping is mixed separately. Add the cold toppings after baking and serve immediately so the chips retain their structure.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos

Cowboy Queso Dip

Ground beef turns Cowboy Queso Dip into eight servings in 35 minutes. Onion, garlic, tomatoes with green chilies, cream cheese, cheddar, chili powder, cumin, and cilantro create the stovetop mixture. The dip simmers for about five minutes after the cheeses melt, and it can be made one day ahead. Keep it warm in a slow cooker and serve it with tortilla chips, pretzels, peppers, or loaded fries.
Get the Recipe: Cowboy Queso Dip

Pulled Pork Sliders

Slow-cooked pork gives Pulled Pork Sliders 16 servings with a 6 hour 15 minute total time. Pork shoulder cooks with barbecue sauce, beer, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, and pepper before being shredded and returned to the juices. Coleslaw, cilantro, and a mayonnaise, vinegar, cumin, and sugar sauce complete the buns. Keep the meat warm in the slow cooker and pack the buns and toppings separately for fresher assembly.
Get the Recipe: Pulled Pork Sliders

Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp

Coarse peppercorns finish Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp, a four-serving dish ready in 35 minutes. Large shrimp marinate in fish sauce, then receive a flour and cornstarch coating before frying for about three minutes at 350°F. Garlic, ginger, red Thai chilies, scallions, coarse salt, and cilantro complete the pan. Serve the shrimp immediately on a small-bite platter with toothpicks, rice, cucumber salad, or lettuce cups.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp

Bacon and Jalapeño Cheese Balls

Cream cheese forms Bacon and Jalapeño Cheese Balls, which make 10 portions with 15 minutes of active work. Bacon, mayonnaise, chives, jalapeño, cheddar, mozzarella, cayenne, and garlic powder are mixed before each ball is rolled in more bacon. Refrigerate them for at least two hours after preparation so they firm up properly. Make them one day ahead and serve chilled with crackers, pretzels, or vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Bacon and Jalapeño Cheese Balls

Goat Cheese Dip

Whipped cheese gives Goat Cheese Dip eight servings in 10 minutes. Goat cheese, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and honey form the base, while olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and thyme create the topping. The topping marinates for 10 minutes and should remain separate from the refrigerated base until serving. Offer the finished dip with crackers, toasted bread, breadsticks, cucumber slices, or bell peppers.
Get the Recipe: Goat Cheese Dip

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Honey balances Buffalo Chicken Sliders, which make 12 portions in 35 minutes. Shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch, mozzarella, Parmesan, Hawaiian rolls, butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic fill the baking pan. The covered sliders bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then spend five uncovered minutes in the oven for browned tops. Transport the connected slab under foil and cut the individual sliders shortly before serving.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Antipasto Skewers

No-cook assembly makes Antipasto Skewers 16 servings in 20 minutes. Mozzarella balls, prosciutto, salami, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, green olives, black olives, pesto, and herbs create the layered bites. The skewers can chill covered in a single layer, then come out 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Add the pesto and herbs near serving time and keep the platter cool during outdoor cookouts.
Get the Recipe: Antipasto Skewers